Mahawansaya - Redesigned- 2020
Project Overview
The 2020 redesign of Mahawansaya.com represented the most significant transformation in the history of the project since its original launch in 2008. Designed and developed by Isura Wickramarachchi, the new version modernised every aspect of the platform while preserving its original vision of documenting and sharing the complete history of Sri Lanka.
The redesigned website organised historical knowledge into a structured digital archive covering ancient kingdoms, provincial administrations, dynasties, rulers, colonial governments, historical literature, and cultural heritage. The improved navigation enabled visitors to move effortlessly between different historical periods while discovering new connections between Sri Lanka's rulers, kingdoms, and significant historical events.
As the historical database continued to expand, the platform became an increasingly valuable educational resource that supported independent learning, academic research, and public appreciation of Sri Lanka's rich historical legacy.
Design & Structure
The 2020 redesign introduced a refined visual identity inspired by Sri Lanka's ancient civilisation.
The interface combined parchment textures, sandstone backgrounds, royal red, gold, black, and bronze, creating the atmosphere of an ancient historical manuscript while maintaining a clean and contemporary layout.
The homepage featured:
- Modern historical banner.
- Advanced search.
- Welcome section.
- Featured historical images.
- Historical summaries.
- Kingdom statistics.
- Provincial index.
- Dynasty directory.
- Historical works.
- Ruler categories.
- Educational articles.
- Photo gallery.
- Bilingual language support.
The structured multi-section homepage allowed visitors to explore large volumes of historical information without becoming overwhelmed, significantly improving the overall browsing experience.
Key Features
- Dynamic PHP/MySQL historical database.
- Custom Historical Content Management System.
- Historical article management.
- Kingdom database.
- Dynasty management.
- Ruler profiles.
- Provincial history.
- Colonial administration database.
- Historical photo gallery.
- Educational resources.
- Advanced search.
- Bilingual content.
- SEO-friendly architecture.
- Responsive layout.
- Cross-browser compatibility.
Technical Highlights
- PHP/MySQL database-driven architecture.
- Custom-built Historical Content Management System (CMS).
- Dynamic historical database.
- Kingdom management.
- Dynasty categorisation.
- Historical article publishing.
- Search optimisation.
- Structured database architecture.
- Responsive implementation.
- Cross-browser compatibility.
Significance
The 2020 redesign of Mahawansaya.com marked the culmination of more than a decade of continuous development and historical research by Isura Wickramarachchi. Originally launched in 2008, the platform evolved into one of Sri Lanka's most comprehensive online historical resources, preserving and presenting more than 2,500 years of the nation's history through a carefully organised digital archive.
The redesigned website expanded far beyond a traditional history website by bringing together kingdoms, dynasties, rulers, provincial administrations, colonial governments, historical literature, photographs, and educational resources within a single, structured platform. Its chronological organisation and bilingual presentation enabled students, teachers, researchers, writers, and history enthusiasts to explore Sri Lankan history with greater depth and accessibility.
The project gained national recognition when Mahawansaya.com was selected among the Top 20 Most Popular Websites in Sri Lanka at the 2010 LK Domain Registry Best Web Competition. This prestigious achievement highlighted the website's significant contribution to digital education, historical research, and the preservation of Sri Lanka's cultural heritage, establishing it as one of the country's leading educational websites.
The knowledge, research, and digital archive developed through Mahawansaya.com ultimately became the foundation for "Mahawansa Pradeepikawa," the landmark historical publication authored by Isura Wickramarachchi. The website therefore represents not only a successful digital preservation project but also the beginning of a much larger mission to transform the way Sri Lankan history is researched, preserved, and shared with future generations.
Isura Wickramarachchi is a Sri Lankan author, historical researcher, digital heritage innovator, web technology pioneer, UI/UX designer, and social entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in information technology, digital media, and creative design.
He is the Founder and Managing Director of isandi CREATIONS, one of Sri Lanka's pioneering web development companies. Since 2005, he has successfully designed and developed more than 400 websites and digital systems for clients in Sri Lanka and around the world, specializing in PHP, MySQL, UI/UX design, database architecture, and large-scale digital information systems.
Isura is the creator of films.lk, Sri Lanka's leading Sinhala cinema information portal. Since its launch, the platform has evolved into the country's most comprehensive digital archive of Sinhala cinema, containing 14,500+ artist profiles, 2,500+ Sinhala film records, and more than 20,000 photographs. Today, films.lk is widely used by universities, researchers, filmmakers, artists, and media organizations, while also serving as a trusted reference source for Wikimedia projects and historical research.
He is also the author of Mahawansa Pradeepikawa, an innovative 650-page, full-colour historical publication that combines traditional historical research with modern digital technology. The book features over 200 reconstructed royal portraits, 170+ royal family trees, and extensive research compiled from more than 300 historical sources over nearly a decade. Each copy includes a unique QR code linked to a personalized digital ownership certificate and an expanding online knowledge platform.
The significance of Mahawansa Pradeepikawa has been internationally recognized through its acceptance into the collections of the British Library, Harvard Library, and the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, highlighting its contribution to the preservation and study of Sri Lankan history.
Throughout his career, Isura has received national recognition for his digital innovation. His major awards include the Best Entertainment Website Award 2009 for films.lk and the Most Favourite Website Award 2010 for mahawansaya.com.
Beyond technology and publishing, Isura has been actively involved in community service. He has initiated and participated in more than 200 social service projects, including educational development, computer laboratory donations, school infrastructure improvements, clean water initiatives, blood donation campaigns, support for children with special needs, healthcare assistance, and community empowerment programs across Sri Lanka.
Professionally, he has served in leadership and creative roles across tourism, software development, government digital communications, and the international events industry. He currently continues his work in digital product design while leading several long-term knowledge preservation projects, including films.lk, mahawansaya.com, and sinhalasindu.lk.
With expertise spanning web technologies, artificial intelligence-assisted software development, digital archiving, graphic design, database engineering, historical research, and digital publishing, Isura Wickramarachchi continues to bridge technology and cultural heritage, preserving Sri Lanka's history for future generations through innovation.
Core Expertise
- Historical Research & Digital Heritage Preservation
- Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Software Development
- PHP & MySQL Application Development
- UI/UX Design & Information Architecture
- Web Application & Database Engineering
- Digital Publishing & Interactive Knowledge Systems
- Graphic Design & Brand Identity
- Digital Media Strategy
- Project Management
- Community Development & Social Entrepreneurship
සංවාදයට එක්වන්න.