5/5 Kevin L. 5 years ago on Google • 82 reviews
Viharamahadevi (Sinhala:විහාරමහාදේවි)
was
the
mother
of
King Dutugamunu, Saddhatissa and
the
Queen
consort
of
King
Kavantissa
(King
of
the Ruhuna Sri
Lanka).According
to
recent
findings
her
name
might
have
been
"Sharwaree"
which
means
evening.
Queen
Viharamahadevi
was
the
daughter
of
King
Kelanitissa
who
ruled
Kelaniya.The
King
once
punished
an
innocent
monk
by
boiling
him
alive
in
a
cauldron
of
oil.
It
is
said
that
the
gods,
angered
over
this
cruel
deed,
made
the
ocean
rush
inland
and
flood
the
land.
Soothsayers
said
that
if
a
princess
was
sacrificed
to
the
sea,
the
raging
waves
would
stop.
The
young
princess
sacrificed
herself
for
the
sins
of
her
father
and
for
the
safety
of
her
motherland.
She
was
placed
inside
a
beautifully
decorated
boat
which
bore
the
letters Daughter
of
a
King and
set
adrift
on
the
sea.
It
is
said
that
as
soon
as
she
was
sent
off,
the
sea
suddenly
turned
calm
again
and
the
water
receded.
However,
the
King
was
very
upset,
the
Queen
was
wailing
and
the
citizens
were
very
angry
over
the
loss
of
their
brave
princess.
They
all
started
blaming
the
King.
Meanwhile,
the
young
princess
finally
reached
the
shore,
at
a
spot
known
as
Dovera
in
Kirinda,in
the
southern
part
of
the
country,
then
known
as
Rohana
(now
Ruhuna)
which
was
a
quite
prosperous
area
ruled
by
King
Kavantissa.
A
fisherman
who
first
spotted
the
boat
is
said
to
have
run
to
the
castle,
and
informed
the
King
about
the
castaway
princess.
The Thupavamsa says
birds
who
first
spotted
the
floating
boat
informed
the
King.
The
princess
was
brought
before
the
King
in
a
procession.
The
King,
on
hearing
her
story,
was
so
impressed
that
he
decided
to
marry
the
princess
who
had
been
so
brave
and
patriotic
to
sacrifice
her
life
for
her
country.
As
a
part
of
the
legend
it's
said
as
she
reached
the
shore
at
a
spot
close
to
the
Lanka
Vihara,
she
was
named
Viharamahadevi.
The
place
where
she
landed
is
marked
with
an
inscription
laid
there
by
Prince
Mahanaga.
She
bore
the
King
two
sons, Dutugemunu and Saddhatissa.
The
former
is
one
of
the
greatest
heroes
of
Sri
Lanka,
while
Viharamahadevi
herself
is
recognised
as
a
great
heroine
of
Sri
Lanka.
she
was
also
one
of
the
best
queen
for
Sri
Lanka.
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