Rajapihilla (Sinhala: මහනුවර රජපිහිල්ල) is a historic spout situated at the end of the Rajapihilla Mawatha near Kandy Lake, Sri Lanka.
History
The spout is said to have been created upon the orders of King Sri Vira Parakrama Narendrasinha (1707-1739 A.D.) of Kandy, the last Sinhala king of Sri Lanka for the use of his queens (Abeywardana, 2004). King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha (1798-1815 A.D.), the last king of Sri Lanka is also said to have used this spout (Rajapakse, 2016).
The spout
The spout is fed by the Rajapihilla stream which originates in the Hantana Mountain Range and flows through the Dunumadalawa Forest Reserve (Abeywardana, 2004). The waters of the stream flow through a stone canal and get accumulated in a stone basin balanced on a granite pillar 2.46 m (8 ft.) in height (Abeywardana, 2004). The basin is carved and has three outlets to let out water.
A protected site
Rajaphilla and connected archaeological remains in Rajapihilla Mawatha, Kandy town in the Divisional Secretariat Division of Gangawata Koralaya are archaeological protected monuments, declared by a government Gazette notification published on 23 February 2007.
References
1) Abeywardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Kandurata: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. p.30.
2) Rajapakse, S., 2016. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Mahanuwara Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN:955-9159-34-8. pp.48-49.
3) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1486. 23 February 2007. p.125.
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This page was last updated on 6 June 2023