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19-559: The Portuguese constructed the first fortifications in 1595, with the assistance of Don Juan Dharmapala , the ruler of the Kingdom of Kotte . In 1640 the Dutch captured Matara from the Portuguese, and in 1645 they were responsible for the construction of the current fortifications. The fort consists of a 240 m (790 ft) long, 13 m (43 ft) thick, 5 m (16 ft) high rampart and

38-480: A deep association with the political powers of the country. As such, the temple is frequently visited by politicians both government and opposition. Buddhists believe the temple to have been hallowed during the third and final visit of the Buddha to Sri Lanka, eight years after gaining enlightenment . Its history would thus go back to before 500 BCE. The Mahawansa records that the original Stupa at Kelaniya enshrined

57-676: A gem-studded throne on which the Buddha sat and preached. Buddha's second visit to Nagadeepaya, Sri Lanka was in the fifth year of enlightenment to settle a dispute between two Naga Kings, Chulodara and Mahodara over the possession of a Gem Studded throne. After having listened to the Dhamma sermons by Buddha the Naga kings paid homage to Buddha with overwhelming faith and the throne was offered to Buddha by two Naga kings. The Naga King Maniakkika- Ruler of Kelaniya who also listened to Buddha's Dharma sermons pleaded for

76-544: A gem-studded throne on which the Buddha sat and preached. The temple flourished during the Kotte era but much of its land was confiscated during the Portuguese empire . Under the Dutch empire , however, there were new gifts of land and under the patronage of King Kirthi Sri Rajasingha the temple was rebuilt. It was refurbished in the first half of the 20th century with the help of Helena Wijewardene . The Kelaniya Stupa enshrined

95-525: A souvenir to worship. So the throne was gifted to him by Buddha. King Maniakkika in turn constructed a Cetiya (Stupa) covering the Gem studded Throne in Kelaniya for thousands of devotees to worship and invited Buddha to visit the holy site. Buddha together with 500 Arahats (Supremely enlightened beings) visited Kelaniya and preached Dhamma, on Wesak Poya Day, after eighth year of enlightenment as Buddha (in 580 BC which

114-505: Is a Buddhist temple in Kelaniya , Sri Lanka . It is located 11 km (6.8 mi) north-east of Colombo . The current chief incumbent (chief priest) is Venerable Professor Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangharakkhitha Thera . The temple has often been associated with the rise and fall of Sri Lanka , with the popular saying that as the Kelaniya temple rose, Sri Lanka rose and as it fell, the country and its administration fell. It has thus had

133-625: Is approx. 2600 years back). It was Buddha's third and final visit to Sri Lanka. The temple is also famous for its image of the reclining Gautama Buddha and paintings by the native artist Solias Mendis which depict important events in the life of the Buddha, in the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka , also incidents from the Jataka tales. It is the venue for the Duruthu Maha Perahera procession each January. An 5.5 m (18 ft) stone statue of

152-495: The Kingdom of Kotte , in present-day Sri Lanka , from 1551 until 27 May 1597. He is also known as Dom João Dharmapala, the first Christian king in Sri Lankan history . He is widely despised by the majority of Buddhist Sinhalese for having betrayed his religion of birth i.e., Buddhism and converting to the religion of the foreign conquerors, who carried a reign of terror. Dharmapala allowed Buddhist Temples in his Kingdom, including

171-426: The 'Matara Rebellion' of 1761, the fort was captured by Kirti Sri Rajasinha 's Kandyan army that bombarded the town with cannonballs that went over the wall. After spiking their own cannon and destroying their ammunition and provisions, the garrison was evacuated by two ships that were waiting at sea. The Dutch recaptured the fort on 2 February 1762, finding eight cannon on the walls, including an English one. During

190-588: The Dutch rule the District Secretary's house, the cinnamon , areca nut , gunpowder storage and an elephant kraal (containing four elephant stables, which could house up to 80 elephants and a tank where the elephants were washed) were constructed within the fort. The oldest building within the fort is the Dutch Reformatory Church , which is situated near the entrance. It was built by the Dutch in 1706

209-801: The Fort was handed over to the British by the Dutch. The southern bastion facing the sea was subsequently removed by the British, in order to grant access to the town along the ocean foreshore. During the British occupation, the Courts Complex (including the Magistrate Court and the High Court), Rest House and the Matara Police Station were constructed within the fort area. The majority of walawwas or mansions that belonged to Sri Lankan aristocratic families within

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228-562: The date however etched above the entrance, 1767, refers to the reconstruction of the church by the Dutch following the Matara Rebellion. The door and window panels are made of heavy wood while the walls now show signs of crumbling as the proper mixture to rebuild them could not be found within Sri Lanka. Inside are gravestones on the floor dating back to 1686, of significant community members and beneficiaries of their time. On 24 February 1796

247-578: The fort area are now utilised for other purposes, such as commercial offices, guesthouses and temples, while others have been let to fall into ruin. In 1817 the British established a mission school , today the President's College . In 1883 the British built a 12 m (39 ft) high clock tower atop the remaining rampart. The rampart was declared a protected monument under the Antiquities Ordinance No 9 of 1940 section 33. The gate and walls of

266-553: The gateway constructed from local limestone, granite and coral. The rampart originally had a ditch in front of it, two half bastion projections at each end and a larger projection in the centre close to the gate with a bridge across the ditch. It was built to protect the administrative buildings of VOC ( Dutch East India Company ), who were attracted by the deep and sheltered estuary of the Nilwala Ganga, making Matara an important centre for cinnamon and elephant trading. During

285-496: The highly venerated Temple of Kelaniya to be ransacked and burnt down by the Portuguese. Dom João Dharmapala (Don John Dharmapala) was born as the eldest child of Weediye Bandara , a Prince from Madampe and his wife Samudra Devi, daughter of King Bhuvanekabãhu VII the King of Kotte. His exact date of birth is unknown, but the year is commonly regarded as 1541. He had a younger brother, Prince Wijayapala. A golden statue of Dharmapala

304-469: The main fort were restored in 1985-86 by a Dutch firm, Ballast Nedam. Matara fort is currently the administration centre for the entire Matara District , with the offices of the District Secretariat , Divisional Secretariat , Courts of Law and numerous other state offices. Dharmapala of Kotte Dharmapala or Dom João Dharmapala Peria Bandara (1541 – 27 May 1597) was the last king of

323-656: The unrelenting attacks of the Sinhalese King Sitawaka Rajasinghe . After his conversion from Buddhism to Catholicism in 1557 he would bequeath (in 1580) his entire realm to the King of Portugal . The Portuguese takeover of Kotte, however, was resisted by the Sinhalese Buddhists and would only be completed during the captaincy of Dom Jerónimo de Azevedo (1594 - 1612). Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara The Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara or Kelaniya Temple

342-448: Was sent to Portugal by King Buvanekabahu VII to be crowned by the King of Portugal , and thus symbolizing the support of the Portuguese to the prince. His maternal grandfather, King Bhuvanekabahu VII, raised him under the supervision of the Portuguese. First, he married Princess Isabella of Kandy, daughter of King Jayaweera Wickramabahu of Kandy. After she died, he married Queen Dona Isabella's niece, Princess Margarida of Kandy, who

361-534: Was the eldest daughter of King Karaliyadde Bandara of Kandy. After his grandfather's assassination by a Portuguese soldier in Kelaniya in 1551, he used to reside in the Colombo fortress under the protection of the Portuguese as his conversion to Christianity was widely opposed by the largely Buddhist Sinhala population of Kotte. The Portuguese military occupation of Kotte during the reign of Don Juan Dharmapala ended in 1565 when they were forced to withdraw from Kotte by

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