In January 1599 the Portuguese erected a tranqueira (a wooden stockade) on the site.

[2] In the 1630s the fort fell to Kandyan forces, as the result of ongoining rebellion against the Portuguese invasion of the Kingdom of Kandy.

Following the defeat of the Portuguese in 1658, the area was re-occupied by the forces of the Kingdom of Kandy.

The Menikkadawara fort lost its strategic role, once the Dutch secured control of Ceylon.

[4] Today, the only remains of the fort that are visible are the earthen ramparts, which are overgrown with grass and weeds.