Kotte, capital of ancient Sri Lanka

As you all know, Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte, is the administrative capital of Sri Lanka. It is located beyond the eastern suburbs of the commercial capital Colombo and is often called the New Capital area. The Parliament of Sri Lanka has been based here since the formal inauguration of its new building on April 29, 1982. Kotte was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kotte from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The word Kotte is derived from the Tamil word Kottei (fortress).

Kotte is situated in a marshland, on the banks of the Diyawanna Oya. It was built as a fortress against invasions from the Jaffna Kingdom of Arya Chakravarthi in the 13th Century by a Tamil chief named Nissanka Alagakkonara. Alagakkonara is mentioned by Ibn Batuta as ruling in Kurunegala, but other sources indicate that he was the Bandara (guardian) of Raigama Korale (county) in the modern Kalutara District. Arya Chakravarthy's army was held by Alagakkonara in front of Kotte, while he defeated the enemy's invading fleet at Panadura to the south-west.

The Parliament	Speaker's Residence	Kotte Flag

Safety was provided in kotte through jala durgha (water barriers), in the shape of a triangle, with the Diyawanna Oya marshes forming the two long sides; along with the shorter third (land) side where a large moat (the 'inner moat') was dug.

The city was fortified with ramparts (walls) of kabook or laterite rock. From the ramparts to the magnificent three-storeyed buildings that housed the King's Palace, laterite and clay were the main raw materials used in its construction. One of the places from which the laterite blocks were mined, could be seen even today inside the Kotte Ananda Sasthralaya premises.

The Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505 and were initially welcomed by the king. They gained control of the city by 1565. Failing to withstand repeated assaults by the forces of the neighbouring kingdom of Sitawaka, the city was abandoned by the Portuguese, who made Colombo their new capital.

Like similar cities of that era, Sri Jayawardenapura was built with security in mind. A rampart and moat protected the entire city. Traces of this moat and rampart are still visible today at certain places. Along parts of the rampart, people have now built houses, garages and even toilets. The urbanisation of Kotte restarted in the 19th Century. The archaeological remains were torn up and used as building materials (a process that continues) - some of it even ending up in the Victoria Bridge, across the Kelani River.

The ancient name, Jayawardenapura, is hardly different from the city's present name. During those times, it referred to the area outside the inner moat called Pitakotte (outer fort) and the area inside, Ethul Kotte (inner fort). Those of you who are living in these areas must be familiar with these names as well as road names like Kotu Pawura Road which give clues about the ancient kingdom during those days. Kotte Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient temple in this area which belongs to the 14th Century; it is another place which provides information about the ancient Kingdom.

Jayawardenapura meaning victory enhancing city in Sinhala, was the name assigned to the place by its founder Alagakkonara. In 1979, with the decision to redevelop Kotte and its suburbs as the administrative capital of the island within a municipal structure, Kotte got back its former name of Sri-Jaya-Vardhana-Pura-Kotte, translated as "the blessed fortress city of growing victory".

Compiled by Janani Amarasekara