Yapahuwa Rock Fortress — Attraction in North Western Province

Majestic Stairway flanked by magnificent Carvings! My wife and I visited Yapahuwa on 5th January 2018, to see this ephemeral city that was the capital of Sri Lanka for a mere 12 years. Today, Yapahuwa is a unique location of historic splendour, with its majestic rock carvings on either side of the stone stairway leading to what was the pavilion where the sacred tooth relic was kept. I wore good walking shoes and carried a sun-hat. We visited the site early morning to avoid the noon time heat and humidity. There is no entry fee for locals and residents while the foreigners are charged a 4 USD (Rs. 620) fee. King Buwanekabahu who inherited the kingdom in 1272AD established his capital at Yapahuwa and built this rock fortress not only to defend the Sinhalese kingdom from the Indian Army garrisoned at Polonnaruwa but also for his own safety. He also moved the Buddha’s sacred tooth relic and installed it in a building at the top of the rock to safeguard it from the enemy, for it was the belief that whoever had the tooth relic was the King. However, after Buwanekabahu’s untimely demise in 1284, South Indians captured Yapahuwa and took away the tooth relic to India. Thereafter Yapahuwa was largely abandoned but for some ascetic Buddhist monks. To complete the history, the tooth relic was recovered later by his successor after negotiations with the Indian King and brought back to Sri Lanka. We entered the protected compound through the south gate after passing the ticket counter. We went past the moat and a tall outer wall embankment in semi-circular pattern about 11 km long that encircled and safeguarded the city. At the end of the semicircle is the steep Yapahuwa rock itself. As I entered through the wide embankment of the fortress, I could not help being fascinated by the 100 metre tall rock that looms and abruptly rises above the surrounding plains. We walked along neatly kept grounds for about 150 metres to the inner wall within which was the king’s palace and what would have been his council rooms for the war cabinet. The highlight of the visit was the sprawling, majestic and imposing stairway leading to the sanctum of the sacred tooth. There are three flights of stairs. The damaged lowest stairway had been restored with concrete steps while the upper two stairways are the originals, built of stone. The first two staircases take you to a pavements of flat areas supported by retaining walls built of stone slabs. The second staircase is not only steep at about 70 degrees but also narrow making you place your feet sideways - presumably to make it difficult for the enemy to get a foothold on during an attack. Looking down from here I took a few photographs of the ruins of King Buwanekabahu’s palace, quite close to the bottom of the first staircase. The third stairway is awe inspiring in its beauty and breath-taking to look at. The steps are wider too. Unlike the other two staircases both sides of this one are ornately carved with various figures – young girls holding a pot to welcome you, the head and trunk of elephant and the famed Yapahuwa Lion which appeared in one of the currency notes. The sculpture displayed in these figures are amazing and spectacular. Crossing the doorway at the top of the staircase you enter the top plateau which again is supported by a retaining wall built of stone slabs. Here I gazed at the ruins of the pavilion of the sacred tooth. The columns in the doorway too are magnificently decorated. The view of the surroundings from here, from so high up, is breath-taking, miles and miles of forest and fields in all directions! Turn left and follow the path to the top of the rock. I went only half-way and did not attempt to climb this as it was far too steep for me. On the way back we visited the adjoining temple too dating back to the 13th century and situated just outside the innermost wall of the city. It was a tiring climb but very informative, awe inspiring...

The archaeological site of Yapahuwa located in the Mahawa Divisional Secretariat takes a prominent place in history. The Bodhivamsa mentions that Yapahuwa was known as Sundara Giri Pavuvva In third century B.C during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa. It was named as Subhavala and Subhagiripura when General Subha converted it in to a fortress for security reasons. In the Dalada Pujavaliya it is known as ‘Ayo Parvata’.

Yapahuwa abound a variety of features of archaeological importance. The fortification and the moat, which extend from west end of the Southern part of the rock are connected to the other side of the rock in the shape of a horse shoe. There are no buildings of any historical value in the outer city. Tiles, potsherds and bricks are strewn everywhere in the vicinity of the outer city.

The fortress is 4m in height and 22m in width. Bastions may have existed on the rampart as suggested by the square shaped structures on it. The well planned citadel consists of a rampart and a moat. The stone slabs are put in place on both sides of the rampart and had been filled with metal. In the citadel where the water is being collected, two sluices made of stone are built to take away the collected water to the nearby drain.

Though the foundation of the square building near the closest steps of the stairway has been named as the Assembly Hall, no evidence can be found to prove it. Three flights of steps have been connected to enter the building. The stone pillars close to the walls inside the building can be seen but no pillars can be found in the middle. The foundation of the buildings generally known as the king’s palace can be seen as a square shaped platform. On the flight of steps leading to the foundation there are two balustrade stones with simple carvings. To the west of the Assembly Hall there is a rectangular shaped foundation of a building 66.30m in length and 6.60 m in breadth.

The stone stairway is very impressive among the ancient structures at Yapahuwa. Four tiers have been constructed on the steep embankment of the rock and had been connected to the walkway up to the Tooth Relic Temple. To enter the first tier, twenty four steps have to be climbed. After fourteen steps there is a broad landing. To get into the second tier from the first tier, a stairway with sixty five steps built on a steep embankment has to be climbed. The railing of the stairway is made of boxes becoming smaller and smaller in size when reaching the top. After getting into the square platform, the building identified as the Temple of the Tooth, the doorway and the beautiful flight of steps can be seen. This stairway contains sculptures with a high degree of excellence and gives the impression that they had been painted in colour. Influence of South Indian architectural features is highlighted in these sculptures. Sophisticated sculptures on both sides of the flight of steps have a similarity and contain figures of a dwarf, a female dancer and a graceful figure of a female. The next railing is a balustrade with a carving of the face of a Kihimbi (a lion face). On this balustrade two stylized figures of a lion in the kneeling posture have been sculptured.

On the second half of this flight of steps, figures of dwarfs and gajasimha (a mythical lion) have been sculptured. The lower half of the doorway of the top tier has been decorated with borders and the middle section borders have been sculptured with a dancing female, male figures, musicians etc. In front of the doorway decorated pillars and in the middle of the entrance a stone door frame with various sculptures exist.

After the doorway, the foundation of the Temple of the Tooth is to be met. Remains of various foundations of buildings, a stupa, ponds, water sprouts, retaining walls, stone steps are found as well. Out of the forty caves at Yapahuwa 25 of them are with drip-ledges. Inscriptions are found under the drip-ledges of some of...

A royal residence in 13th century Yapahuwa was able to preserve some interesting remains. While many traces of other ancient defenses are still seen, an ornamental stairway remains as the main piece.

Located in Kurunegala, belonging to the North Western Province of Sri Lanka, the Yapahuwa ancient fortress rises to a height of 90 m above the surrounding plains. Built by King Buwanekabahu the First, as the capital of Sri Lanka in 1301, today, the Royal residence, the Temple of Tooth Relic, the battle defenses are in ruins.

The ruined walls of Yapahuwa form a rough semicircle. The ends join the foot of the high steepsided rocky granite outcrop. The outer fortification, an earthen rampart which extends to about a mile is about 20 feet in height. Over the rampart are the ruins of a brick wall that was erected to protect the interiors. Around the rampart was a moat. Access to the fortress was by means of the three gates that were connected to three causeways. Within this rampart was an inner fortification: a stone wall, 12 feet in height and about 500 yards long with a moat outside it and with two gates.

The homes of the ordinary people would have been between the outer and inner walls while the king’s palace, administrative buildings and of course the Temple of the Tooth was within the inner wall.

Stone Stairway in Yapahuwa The Stone stairway originally comprised of three flights of stone stairs, one above the other. However the lower one has disappeared and has been replaced by cement steps. The walls on either side of the stairway form pavilions in each of which is a graceful female figure. Above these sculptures are sculptures of stylized goggle-eyed lions.

The balustrades above these consist of heads of lions which have been transformed into Elephants with their trunks extended. Beautiful rock carvings of jubilant musicians, dancers and drummers decorate the last staircase and the porch above them.

Doorway in Yapahuwa Finally at the top of the stairway, the pilgrim will reach the impressive and harmoniously conceived doorway that once led into the Temple of the Tooth. Passing through the door, you will see directly in front of you the foundations of the temple. The rough path to the top of the rock is to the left. It is a steep climb but well worth the effort. The terrace on top contains some unidentifiable remains and a modern dagoba. The view, however, is a sufficient reward for the strenuous climb.

Caves at the top of the rock in Yapahuwa As stated above, the rough path to the top of the rock is a steep climb. At the top of the hill are caves which were inhabited by ascetic monks for centuries before Yapahuwa became the capital of Sri Lanka.

Caves in Yapahuwa In one of the caves at the base of rock is a shrine with Buddha images. One cave has a Brahmi script inscription. At the southern base of the rock there is a fortification with two moats and ramparts. In this enclosure there are the remains of a number of buildings including a Buddhist shrine.

There is also a Buddhist temple called Yapawwa Rajamaha Vihara built during the Kandyan period.

History of Yapahuwa Following the decline of the Polonnaruwa kingdom, the capital of Sri Lanka was shifted to Yapahuwa by King Buwanekabahu the First. The palladium of the Sinhalese Buddhist nation, the sacred tooth relic of Buddha was enshrined within the newly built temple at Yapahuwa. However Yapahuwa too once again fell to the marauding Dravidian invaders from Southern India. After the death of Buwanekabahu the First, the Pandayan marauders invaded the island once again, pillaged the kingdom of Yapahuwa and carried the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha to the Pandayan Kingdom.

The successor to Buwanekabahu the First, King Parakkramabahu the Third (1287–1293) having visited the Pandayan court in Southern India in 1288, secured the Sacred Tooth Relic, the palladium of the nation once again, to the great relief of...