Kanda-Medagama Caitya or Medagama Kanda Stupa, popularly known as Tomb of King Vijaya or Vijaya Sohona (Sinhala: විජය සොහොන) is a Stupa-shaped monument located on the hillock of Medagama Kanda in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. The site can be reached via two routes. One is fallen through the Nikasala Aranaya Senasanaya while the other is through the Medagama Kanda Raja Maha Viharaya.
Folklore
Although the reliability is low, local people believe that the Stupa on the summit of Medagama Kanda is the tomb of King Vijaya, the first recorded ruler in Sri Lanka [(6th century B.C.) Uduwara, 1990].
History
The ruined Stupa was conserved in 1981 by the Archaeological Department. Investigations carried out by them have disclosed that the present Stupa is a construction belonging to the 10th century A.D. (Uduwara, 1990). The curvilinear bricks of the kot-kerella of Stupa have Sinhalese scripts of the 10th century (Uduwara, 1990).
A Protected Monument
The Vijaya cemetery situated in Medagama Kanda in the Grama Niladhari Division of Kande-medagama in the Divisional Secretariat Division of Hettipola is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 6 July 2007.
See Also
References
1) Uduwara, J., 1990. History of the Department of Archaeology, 1970-1990. Wijesekara, N. (Editor in chief). Archaeological Department centenary (1890-1990): Commemorative series: Volume I: History of the Department of Archaeology. Department of
Archaeology (Sri Lanka). p.178.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, no: 1505. 6 July 2007. p.546.