How Devinuwara became “Devinuwara”

The name Devinuwara or “City of Gods” came to this area due to the main temple of the god Upulvan which was built in the 7th century AD. But even before that, the area must have had a well-known name. There is a 9th century inscription in the Devinuwara temple with the name “Giriyala Vehera”. The name “Girihelapura” appears in a 14th century poetic work called Parevi Sandeshaya. Therefore, it can be believed that “Girihelapura” or “Giriyala” is the original name of this area. The Upulwan Devalaya built in that Girihelapura has an interesting opening story about the construction of a magnificent temple to God. That glorious beginning which became legendary may have led to the popularization of Girihelapura as “Devinuwara”.

The construction of a Buddhist Vihara with an Upulvan Devalaya is briefly mentioned in the Mahavamsa and the Dalada Siritha. The news is as follows. This story is narrated in great detail in the historical works likeParakumba Siritha, Aluthnuwara Devalaya karawima and Tudugala Visidagama Bandaravaliya. The story goes as follows.

King Dappula, the king of Ruhuna, was shown in a dream that the god Upulvan himself was ascending to the western beach of Devinuwara Point transfigured as a red sandalwood trunk. King was overjoyed at the dream, and arrived at the beach the next day in a grand procession with all four armirs and accompaning music.

There, the royal procession with great reverence carried the essence of the deity in the log of ‘Red Sandalwood’ and carved a statue of Lord Sri Uthpalavarna Divyaraja with the help of a skillful carpenter callef “Pathgiriwasa Arakkamenawai Dasapathiraya”. Tudugala Visidagama Bandaravaliya states with great pomp that the finished statue radiated blue rays like a sapphire for a whole week. Also, by the order of the king, the idols of the wife of the god Upulvan, the goddess Chandraravathi and of the son thr prince Dhanurdara were also carved and a great Temple was built at Devinuwara to place the statues.