Gajabahu I (lit. 'Elephant-Arm'), also known as Gajabahuka Gamani (c. 114 – 136 CE) was a Sinhalese king of Rajarata in Sri Lanka. He is renowned for his religious benefactions, extensive involvement in south Indian politics, and for possibly introducing the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka. The primary source for his reign is the Mahavamsa, though he is also the only early Sri Lankan king (along with Elara) to be extensively mentioned in the Chera Cilappatikaram (also spelled Silapathikaram).

 

Next to nothing is known about Gajabahu's youth, except that he was son of Vankanasika Tissa (reigned 110-113), king of Rajarata from Anuradhapura, and his consort Mahamatta. As such he must have witnessed the most dramatic event of Tissa's reign, the invasion of Rajarata by the Chola king Karikalan [3] (it should be noted though that Karikalan's reign is dated by some historians as having occurred about 100 years after Gajabahu's). 12,000 Sinhalese people were seized to work as slaves on the banks of the Kaveri river and taken to India.

 

The Mahavamsa mentions Gajabahu's accession and reign of twenty-two years, and mentions neither Karikalan's invasion, nor the military campaigns to south India that Gajabahu became famous for.[6] Instead he is presented as a great patron of religion; the chronicle credits him with the construction of two viharas - Matuvihara and Rumika - and a stupa called Abhayuttara. He is also credited with making a mantle for Dutugemunu's Mirisavetiya, and for building a reservoir to provide the Abhayagiri monastery with food. He also made improvements to the four entranceways of the Abhayagiri stupa.

 

Gajabahu is also credited with the introduction of the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka. The Silapathikaram mentions Gajabahu's presence at the consecration of a temple to Kannagi (identified as Pattini in this case) by the Chera king Senguvuttan.[1] Returning from India he brought back not only the begging bowl of the Buddha but Pattini's sacred anklet, and constructed a temple to the goddess 'at a place called Vattapalli near Mullaitivu'.[4] However there is an alternative view that the cult actually arrived in Sri Lanka in the 13th century, and the legend of Gajabahu's patronage was retrospectively created to generate legitimacy for the goddess 

 

The annual Perahara held in Kandy is also thought to have its roots in Gajabahu's reign. Following the successful completion of a campaign into Chola territories the temple of Vishnu in Anuradhapura is said to have staged a procession in thanks, which eventually developed into today's festival.

 

Gajabahu was succeeded by his father-in-law Mahallaka Naga.