Vijithapura Fortress

Vijithapura Fortress was a formidable stronghold city of King Ellalan, thought to have been constructed between 205 BC and 161 BC. Historians believe that it played an important role as a trade center during the early stages of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, linking several key trade routes of the time.

Historical Significance and Design

The Thupavamsa, a Sri Lankan historical text, mentions that Vijithapura was heavily fortified with three moats and a high wall. The fortress was equipped with four gates, each made of wrought iron, positioned at the north, south, east, and west entrances. According to the Rajavaliya, another ancient chronicle, Vijithapura was considered the second most important fortification in the kingdom, after the capital city of Anuradhapura.

The fortress was eventually captured after a long siege by King Dutthagamani’s forces. His army attacked the city for four months before finally breaching its defenses through simultaneous assaults on all four gates.

Vijithapura Fort Location and Modern Discoveries

The exact location of Vijithapura remains a mystery, though modern scholars and archaeologists have suggested two possible sites. One potential location is near the Kala Wewa reservoir in Anuradhapura, where a village called Vijithapura exists today. Here, you can find the Vijithapura Rajamaha Viharaya, an ancient temple. Locals believe that the granite stone (known as the Kadu Ga Gala) preserved within the temple grounds was once used by Dutthagamani’s soldiers to sharpen their swords before battle.

However, another theory places the fortress near Kaduruwela in Polonnaruwa. Coordinates at this site are 7°55’N, 81°1’E. This hypothesis gained support in 1979 when construction workers, during the Mahaweli Development Project, uncovered ruins that appeared to be part of an ancient fort. The ruins, marked by three consecutive moats, matched the description of the fort’s defenses in historical texts.

Archaeological Excavations

In 2009-2010 (Building Complex Kaduruwela Fortress Excavation 2010 by Central Cultural Fund), further archaeological excavations at Kaduruwela revealed more about the fort. The site consisted of two main sections:

1. The Inner Sanctum: This area was surrounded by a 16-meter-thick defense wall that ran along an area of about 870m x 840m. The sanctum was protected by a moat that was 42 meters wide. On the northern side, remains of a 4-meter-high wall were discovered, and it is believed that the original wall would have been around 8 meters high. Four entrances provided access to the inner sanctum, with the northern, eastern, and western entrances placed in the middle of each wall, while the southern entrance was positioned toward the eastern edge.
2. The Southern Plot: Between the inner and outer moats, there was a large land area about 160 meters wide. This area likely served as the soldiers’ quarters. Archaeological findings here included signs of human habitation, suggesting it was used as a living space during the fort’s operation.

Over time, parts of the fort’s outer walls have been repurposed as access roads, and much of the inner sanctum has been converted into a paddy field and residential buildings, which has led to the destruction of many ancient structures. However, one excavation site within the inner sanctum, located about 100 meters from the western and southern walls, revealed interesting insights into life within the fortress.

In this section of the inner sanctum, a portion measuring 30×10 meters was excavated, uncovering remains of what appeared to be a luxurious mansion. The remains included bathrooms, a gutter system, waterways, and changing rooms, suggesting that this part of the fort was home to either a king or a high-ranking official. The artifacts found, such as the size of the bricks and the layout of the buildings, indicate that this fort likely dates back to the early Anuradhapura period, not the later Polonnaruwa era as some had initially thought.