Bentota is a resort town on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast. Its long Bentota Beach stretches north, where it becomes a sandy strip known as Paradise Island, parallel to Bentota Lagoon. Even though this town is now best known for its beaches, the history of this town goes as far as the 2nd century BC and … Read more
The Bodhi Sameepa Viharaya is the place where a secondary Bodhi Tree was located, Vanawasa Rajamaha Viharaya is where the Bikkus residential ‘Kuti’ were located, Bodhimalu Rajamaha Viharaya is where the sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi was planted, the main image house and the relics of Maha Kasyapa Thero were enshrined at Galapatha Viharaya … Read more
Many of the rivers flowing through our country have been named in Pali, as mentioned in our chronicles such as the Mahavamsa, and Culavamsa. Among them is the Bentota Benthara River flowing through the deep south. About 38 miles away from the Colombo-Galle-Matara highway, this river is named Culavamsa (Part 1) as Bhimathitha. It is … Read more
Ahungalla Galvehera Maluwa Temple is a recently renovated abandoned temple in the Galviharaya Area of Ahungalla. After hundreds of years of neglect, the residents have cleared the area and re-established the temple. When King Mahanaga was ruling the Ruhuna region around the 3rd century BC, the Maduganga has been called Weliganga ( Sandy River) and … Read more
Island Hermitage on (Polgasduwa) Dodanduwa Island, Galle District, Sri Lanka is a famous Buddhist forest monastery founded by Ven Nyanatiloka Mahathera in 1911. It’s a secluded place for Buddhist monks to study and meditate in the Buddhist tradition. It also has an English and German library. The Island Hermitage was the first center of Theravāda … Read more
Rumassala, known to colonialists as Buona Vista, is the subject of many legends. It is featured in the Ramayana, as the home of the beautiful Queen Sita. According to the Ramayana, it is also said that Hanuman dropped a chunk of ‘Himalaya’ at Unawatuna (Onna Vetuna – ‘here it fell’) to form the present mountain, … Read more
The Kothduwa temple, or Koth Duwa Raja Maha Viharaya, is a Buddhist temple located on Kothduwa Island on the Madu Ganga in southern Sri Lanka. The island is located in the Galle District of the Southern Province approximately 35 km (22 mi) north of Galle and 88 km (55 mi) south of Colombo. The temple … Read more
The Pilana Raja Maha Vihara or Pilana Temple is a Buddhist temple in Galle, Sri Lanka. The Chief Incumbent (Chief Priest) is Meepe Wagira Thera. The temple is well known in the southern part of the island for its historical Perahera festival. LocationThe Pilana Raja Maha Vihara is located in the Galle District, near the … Read more
Sri Pushparama Vihara (Sinhala: ශ්රී පුෂ්පාරාම විහාරය) is a historic Buddhist temple situated in Balapitiya, Southern province, Sri Lanka. The Vihara is also known as Nayaka Pansala (Head temple) as it serves as the headquarters for the Mulaghandi Sect of Amarapura Nikaya. It is located on the Colombo-Galle main road approximately 1.5 km (0.93 mi) … Read more
Sunandarama Maha Vihara, also known as Maha pansala is located in the southern part of Sri Lanka. It is situated 65 kilometers north of Colombo, 36 kilometers south of Galle, and 200 meters east of Ambalangoda railway station. This sacred place holds a land of nearly 5 acres. Traditionally this “Vihara” belongs to “Vilegoda”, “Nambimulla”, … Read more
Although now operating as five different temples, it is believed that these 5 temples belonged to one large temple complex covering over 6 square kilometers in the ancient past. Based on archeological studies, this temple complex has been found to be built by King Devanampiyatissa (250-210 BC) according to Mr. R. Ayrton, Commissioner of Archeology … Read more
2300-year-old Yatagala Rajamaha Viharaya is a Buddhist place of worship that has been the recipient of Royal Patronage from the Three Kings of Sri Lanka. It was established during the reign of King Devanam Piyatissa of the Anuradhapura period when one of the first saplings from the revered Sri Maha Bodhi Tree was planted here. … Read more