Dodamwala Devale

According to a legend, during King Rajasimha 11(AD 1635 -87), the devale at Dodamwala had been built by Wijehami after seeing blood oozing from an ironwood tree that he had attempted to cut down. The legend also avers that king Rajasimha 11 offered his palanquin, crown and royal jacket to the devale on his return journey after winning a battle with the Portuguese. The devale is surrounded by ironwood trees and a sapu tree which is said to have been used as a resting place during King Rajasimha 11.

The building is located in close proximity to the old Colombo-Kandy road. The old devale had been built during the reign of king Rajasimha II. The Makara Thorana had been built in 1920. The old devale is said to be about 600 years old. Separate sections belonging to the devale complex such as the grain store, the drumming hall, the inner shrine room and the kitchen are still in existence.

The Makara Torana and the ancient paintings are some of the valuable aesthetic elements of the devale. The roof has been attacked by termites. The doors are in poor condition, and the paintings are damaged due to leaks in the roof

Location: The site is located in Dodamwala on the Wathurakumbura road, which starts at Peradeniya.

Heritage Buildings of Sri Lanka by Nimal de Silva and D. P. Chandrasekara 2009 P112)

Unique Sri Lanka

Dodanwela Devale

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