Friday, July 2, 2010

Kingdom of Yapahuwa

YAPAHUWA An ancient fortress and capital built in the year 1301. Yapahuwa is a rock rising to a height of 90 meters. Many traces of ancient battle defenses can still be seen, while an ornamental stairway, remains its biggest showpiece.
"Yapahuva" the the 13 th. Century capital in Sri Lanka was made King Buvanekabahu I.
Here the chief object is the rock, which rises about 300 ft above the surrounding land.
The land at the base to the south is fortified with two moats and ramparts. In this enclosure there are the remains of a number of buildings.The tooth Relic too was brought from Dambadeniya kept in the special built for the purpose.
Yapahuwa is situated at Kurunegala - The North Western Province of Sri Lanka

13 th century

Kurunegala, the Capital of North Western Province is a treasure house of archaeology, having been the seat of four medieval kingdoms of Sri Lanka between the mid 12th and 14th century. Sri Lankan Kings built handsome citadels at Panduwasnuwara, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, and Kurunegala. Impressive remains of these citadels-fortresses, places, Buddhist temples, shrines, monasteries and hermitages, walls and moats as well as monuments of much earlier (even pre-Christian) and later European colonial periods, providing existing sightseeing to visitors.

The North Western province has number of medieval temples and edifices raised on pillars or small boulders. All of them contain classical masterpieces of Sinhala art & craft wall paintings, wood work, sculpture and images of lord Buddha.


Ancient Ruins Haththakuchi & Rajangane

Haththakuchi ("Elephant�s Belly") near Galgamuwa, is an impressive rock temple complex of great atmosphere, dating back to 1st century B.C. It is also closely associated with legends of heroic and saintly King Sri Sangabo, built at the foot of huge rock outcrop, excavations have revealed a group of four handsome shrines and a curious rotund, probably an image house with pavement and foundations intact.
A similar 8th century complex is found at Rajangane, also near Galgamuwa, A handsome circular pillared shrine with four entrances, raised on a terraced platform, many other notable structures, cave shrines, ponds and 1st to 9th century A.D. rock inscriptions make this an ancient site of much interest.nother.



Ridi Viharaya

The Silver Temple of Kurunegala contain Kandyan style 14th & 18th century wall paintings, and exquisite medieval doorway with intricate carvings of ivory inlay, a curious pavement inside the main sanctuary, of Delft tiles of Biblical themes.
The Gift of 18th century Dutch Consul and a beautifully curved moonstone of the pre-8th century classically period.

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