Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is located at the southeast of Colombo, here seen in a satellite image. The process of relocating government institutions from the former capital of Colombo is still in progress. On 29 April 1982, the new parliamentary complex was declared open by the former president J. Perera and had housed a chicken farm prior to being vested in the state. The island (off Baddegana Road, Pita Kotte) had been used as a recreation and brawling spot for Portuguese soldiers in the last days of Kotte era, alcohol being banned from the Royal City. The new parliamentary buildings were built on Duwa, a 50,000 square metre (12 acre) island in the centre of the lake. The buildings were built on reclaimed land, after a massive lake was formed by dredging the marshlands around the Diyawanna Oya. The New Parliament was inaugurated on 29 April 1982. The archaeological remains were torn up and used as building materials (a process that continues)-some of it even ending up in the Victoria Bridge, across the Kelani River. The urbanisation of Kotte restarted in the 19th century. Along parts of the rampart, encroachers have now built houses, garages and even toilets. Traces of this moat and rampart are still visible today at certain places. A rampart and moat protected the entire city. Like similar cities of that era, Sri Jayawardenepura was built with security in mind. Failing to withstand repeated assaults by the forces of the neighbouring kingdom of Sitawaka, the city was abandoned by the Portuguese, who made Colombo their new capital. But they had militaristic and monopolistic intentions and gained control of the city by 1565. The Portuguese arrived on the island in 1505 and were initially welcomed by the King.
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