230:. During the weak reign of King Senerat, the Portuguese managed to occupy Balana (c. 1615-1616) and are reported to have made a fort of wood. No major battles were fought at Balana in the 17th and 18th centuries due to it being abandoned in the face of invading armies, which was part of the larger Kandyan strategy - of allowing an invading army entry and blocking their retreat. The last record of a fortification at Balana was in 1765 when the Dutch narrowly missed being routed at Balana. The two expeditions mounted by the British in 1803 and 1815 also saw no action at Balana.
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mid-1980s and is the most well known part of the fort. The lower fort consists of a rampart with a perpendicular retaining wall running down hill and across the road. This section is under thick vegetation and in ruinous condition. An archaeological survey has been conducted since 2017 which has resulted in producing a detailed ground plan of the site and the first
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Analysis of the remains suggest the defences of the fort were focused to the east, as opposed to prevent intrusion from the west (west of Balana is the lowlands which was under the control of
Europeans). This suggest that the fort was designed to prevent an enemy from fleeing Kandyan territory rather
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surveyed terrain map of the fort. The LiDAR survey has identified the remains of a dry ditch encircling the fort, which is not visible from the ground due to vegetation. Artefacts scattered on the surface are almost entirely of roof tile shards, indicating extensive built structures within the fort.
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The present remains consist of the foundations of an upper fort (conserved) and a lower fort (unconserved). The upper fort located on the summit of the Balana hill consists of a quadrangular layout with three circular bastions and a narrow entrance facing the east. This section was conserved in the
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When the
British established themselves in Kandy, the colonisers raised tea and coffee plantations near the Colombo-Kandy railway line which ran below the fort; and with the construction of the present Colombo-Kandy road via Kadugannawa, Balana lost its importance altogether.
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After the fall of the
Kandyan kingdom in 1815, the Balana fort and pass was abandoned forever, with the British establishing a new military post at Amunupura about a mile to the east of Balana.
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Many invasions targeting the
Kingdom of Kandy occurred near the Alagalla Mountains. Many decisive military campaigns and battles took place centered on Balana by the Kingdoms of
207:. Balana which means the 'look out' in Sinhala, functioned as a strategic outpost and fortress of the kingdom which was situated along the historical Colombo-Kandy road.
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and
European colonial powers. Most notable were the defeat of the Sitavaka army in 1593 and the Portuguese in 1603.
306:"Fortifications and the Landscape. A GIS Inventorying and Mapping of Kandyan and Dutch Fortifications in Sri Lanka"
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than stopping an enemy on invasion to Kandy. This is in conformity with the overall
Kandyan strategy.
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Balana Fort is now a historical site managed by the
Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.
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327:"LiDAR and its Application for Archaeology in Sri Lanka: A Case Study from Balana Fort"
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The first description of a fortress at Balana is from the mid-1590s which was built by
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symbol under "Portuguese Forts", and others are considered as Dutch forts too.
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348:"The Gates of Kandy: An Archaeo-historical Perspective of Balana"
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Less or no contribution/renovation works of Dutch are marked by
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Archaeological protected monuments in Kandy
District
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755:Battles involving the Kingdom of Kandy
258:Front view of the main fort at Balana
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740:Forts in Central Province, Sri Lanka
168:Second battle with Sitavaka (1593)
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166:First battle with Sitavaka (1582)
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195:) was a fortified pass of the
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177:Battle of Gannoruwa (1638)
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228:King Vimaladharmasuriya I
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174:The Great Retreat (1603)
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171:Battle of Danture (1594)
201:Alagalla Mountain Range
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108:7.270409°N 80.475876°E
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671:Ratnapura Dutch fort
646:Kankesanthurai fort
113:7.270409; 80.475876
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621:Elephant Pass fort
585:Menikkadawara fort
424:Forts of Sri Lanka
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560:Kayts Island fort
520:Delft Island fort
443:Mapagala fortress
199:located near the
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16:(Redirected from
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745:Kingdom of Kandy
666:Point Pedro fort
565:Kotugodella fort
540:Haldummulla fort
493:Portuguese Forts
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135:Site information
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286:. VOC Sri Lanka
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369:"Balana Fort"
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284:"Balana Fort"
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590:Negombo fort
570:Malwana fort
515:Colombo fort
372:. Retrieved
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288:. Retrieved
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163:Battles/wars
148:Site history
614:Dutch Forts
580:Matara fort
575:Mannar fort
550:Jaffna fort
505:Arippu fort
458:Vijithapura
438:Balana fort
374:24 November
290:24 November
185:Balana Fort
111: /
87:Coordinates
75:Balana Fort
30:Balana Fort
18:Balana fort
734:Categories
535:Galle Fort
353:28 January
332:28 January
311:28 January
270:References
99:80°28′33″E
676:Star fort
205:Sri Lanka
193:බලන කොටුව
140:Condition
96:7°16′13″N
49:Sri Lanka
45:Gannoruwa
636:Fort Pyl
463:Yapahuwa
448:Sigiriya
221:Sitavaka
127:Defence
35:Part of
211:History
189:Sinhala
143:Remnant
248:LiDAR
217:Kotte
376:2014
355:2023
334:2023
313:2023
292:2014
219:and
129:fort
124:Type
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294:.
187:(
20:)
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