To strengthen its position in the hinterland surrounding Colombo, the Company built a string of forts along the River Kelani in the second half of the 17th century. Arandare was one of these. The fort's sole purpose was to frighten off the king of Kandy, but in 1695 the king captured the fort and razed it to the ground. A literary source identifying this location as a VOC post has not yet been traced. The images of this location featured in this programme currently serve as source.
