Geographical Diversity

There are more wavy low lands in the district. They can be shown as internal plain lands. But the area in the Divisional Secretary’s Divisions like Mawathagama, Mallawapitiya, Rideegama and Ibbagamuwa show hilly geographical features. These areas are considered to be the areas that belong to the geographical divisions of the central hills.

Climate

The highest point of the district is 4044 feet from the sea level (The boundary line of the Kurunegala and Mathale districts) and the lowest point is 32 feet. The temperature of the district varies between 27.2 C. and 29.7 C. An increase of the temperature normally is reported in the months of July and August. The general rainfall of the district is between 900 – 2200 m.m. The district gets the rain from the North Eastern monsoons and South Western monsoons. The highest rain is from the South Western monsoons.

Dambadeniya Kingdom

Temple of Tooth Relic in		Main Fortress
Dambadeniya

One can travel to Dambadeniya by about two hours from Colombo via Negambo and Giriulla. It is 75 k.m. long from Colombo. The present Dambadeniya town is situated between the 18 and 19 mile posts on the Kurunegala Negambo road in the Narammala Divisional Secretary’s division of the Kurunegala district of the North Western province. This place which shined as the capital of Sri Lanka is today a tourist attractive place. The above is the Dambadeniya Wijayasundararamaya temple where tooth relic had been placed in the reign of Dambadeniya.

The kings have taken steps to establish kingdoms in the South Western direction after the invasion of Kalinga Maga in 1215 A.D. The main reason for this was the security of kings. The third kingdom of Sri Lanka is Dambadeniya. This was the first kingdom which the kings who moved to the south West built. The kings of Dambadeniya were

iii Wijayabahu - 1220 - 1236 A.D.

ii Panditha Parakramabahu – 1236 – 1270 A.D.

iv Bosath Wijayabahu - 1270 – 1272 A.D.

i Buwanekabahu - 1272 – 1283 A.D.

The king Panditha Parakramabahu second was excellent in literature. The king Buwanekabahu first has used Yapahuwa more time as kingdom. The main fort was at the top of the Dambadeniya Maligawila rock.

Yapahuwa Kingdom

Stair way of Yapahuwa		Figure of ‘Gajasinha’		Stair way to the rock		Ruins on the Rock

The old Yapahuwa city which is situated in the Mahawa Divisional Secretary’s Division of the Kurunegala district is located associated with a stone elevation of about 400 feet high that arises from the leveled land that is about 300 feet high from the sea level. Though the hills that arise more than 400 feet from the levelled land are rare in that zone. A few hills like Monarakanda, DIyatambe, Yapahuwa exceed it. The Yapahuwa area is consisted with a red brown soil and immature brown soil that is suitable for the paddy cultivation. The annual rainfall is about 1500 – 2000 m.m. and the annual temperature is 25.0 – 27.5 centrigade.

The ‘Bodhiwansa’ mentions that yapahuwa was named as Sundaragiri pawwa in the time of king Dewanampiyathissa in 3rd century A.D. This has been named Sukawali, Subhasiri after the minister Subha built a fort here. This has been named ‘Ayo parawatha’ in Daladha Pujawaliya. The kingdom has been situated on a rock. The rampart and water ditch which begin from the west end of the south part of the rock join with the rock at the other end by taking the shape of a horse’s shoe. There are pieces of potteries and bricks in the premises.

The outer rampart is 22 meters wide. This has been constructed with bricks and stones. The square huts can be imagined to be the watch huts in that time. The citadel surrounded by a rampart and a water ditch has been made with a good plan. Two sluice gates can be seen to direct the water which accumulate in the citadel to the water ditch.

There are three stair ways for the access of this building. The stone pillars have been positioned at the end of the walls inside. The building which is called the palace is seen as a square stage. There are two simple balustrades at the stair way to the buildings. The stair way is important among the ancient creations of the Yapahuwa. In the slope four stages have been made and the stair way to the Daladha Maligawa has been made along it. There are 24 steps to the first stage. After climbing up 14 steps a rest place can be seen.

A stair way with a sharp slope should be traversed from the first stage to the second stage. There are five steps there. Several boxes have been created as the hand rails. After that one can enter into the square stage. At the square stage the building called Daladha Maligawa and the beautiful stair way and door way can be seen. The carvings at the both sides of the stair way are complex, excellent and parallel to each one. They are consisted with the figures of ‘Wamana’, women and dancing women. The two figures of squatted lions have been created in the ‘shailigatha’ style. ‘wamana figures and a figure of ‘Gajasinha’ have been carved at the second part of the stair way.

Beautiful pillars can be seen in the protrude of the pavilion. There is a carved door post at the pavilion of the access way. This has been recognized as the highest stone door post of the world. There is a foundation of the building called Daladha Maligawa behind the door post. At the top of the rock foundations of buildings, a ruined stupa, ponds, walls, stairs etc can be seen. There are about 40 caves associated with yapahuwa. About 25 have been made with water edges. There are inscriptions in the caves with water edges.

Kurunegala Kingdom

Stone Door Frame,
Governor's Office Premises

Kurunegala which is a capital of Sri Lanka was named as ‘Hasthishaylapura’ in the history. Also this is considered to be the capital of the North Western province. Kurunegala which is situated at a height of 166 meters from the sea level is an area with coconut and rubber estates. There are few rocks that rise up at the below plain and they are called with conventional names. The biggest one from them is ‘Athagala’ or elephant rock. It is 325 meters high. Kurunegala has a tropical rainy forest climate under the Kopan climatic category. The rocks around Kurunegala play a big role to decide the daily weather by rising and keeping the heat. The temperature in April rises up to 35 C (95 F) and heavy rains are in the Monsoon periods from May to January. Generally the temperature from the end of November to middle of February is less than the other months of the year. The general annual temperature of Kurunegala is 2000 m.m. (79 inches).

This was the birth place for four ancient kingdoms called Panduwasnuwara, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, and Kurunegala in the Kurunegala district. This has been ruled by king Parakramabahu iii from 1287 to 1293 A.D., king Buwanekabahu second from 1293 to 1302 A.D.,king Parakramabahu iv from 1302 to 1326 and king Buwanekabahu iii from 1326 to 1335 A.D.

The archaeological ruins that belong to this period are very few. At present ruins of an old stone door post, old foundations of a building, a figure of ‘Ath Bahirawa rupa’ can be seen at the palace square where the chief ministry of the North Western province is situated. Some carvings including a ‘Punkalasa’, figures of lions, guard stones have been secured at the wall of the Bo –tree. It seems that the written evidences about this period except the folk stories such as Gale Bandara Devalaya, foot step of Ibbagala, and kings like Vathhimi are little.