Tissamaharama and Kataragama are home to several key religious sites in Sri Lanka. Kataragama in particular is of high importance: in July and August, the predominantly Hindu Kataragama Festival attracts thousands of devotees who make the pilgrimage, known as ‘The Long Walk to Kataragama’, over a two-week period.
The most important shrine in Kataragama is Maha Devale, which contains a lance believed to have belonged to the Hindu war god Skanda (Murugan). There are daily poojas where devotees make offers, and you can see pilgrims smashing flaming coconuts against two large boulders close to the shrine whilst muttering prayers. There are also two other important shrines – Kirivehara dagoba, dedicated to Lord Buddha, and the Sivan Kovil which honours Ganesh – as well as a sacred Bodhi tree.
Tissamaharama also boasts ancient sites including a large Buddhist dagoba which sits conveniently between the lake and the town centre. Kavantissa, a king of Ruhunu, is believed to have constructed the towering structure in 200 BC which is said to have once held a forehead bone relic and a sacred tooth.
Within the same site is a dagoba of far smaller size – Sandagiri Wehera – thought to be the remains of a Buddhist monastery complex dating back approximately 2,000 years and a statue of Queen Viharamahadevi, mother of Dutugemunu, the Sinhalese prince who freed Anuradhapura from the clutches of Indian invaders. Framed by a collection of beautiful lotus ponds, this site makes for a very pleasant excursion.
Discover more about Culture and History in Sri Lanka.
Kataragama
Kataragama, Tissa & Kataragama
An ancient pilgrimage site visited by Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. It is believed that King Dutugemunu built a shrine here for the worship of the Kataragama God in the 2nd century BC.
Duration: 1 hour
Best time: Year-round
Maligawila Buddha Statue
Buttala, Tissa & Kataragama
The Maligawila statue, the largest freestanding image of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka, dates back to the 7th century BC. It stands at 14 metres tall and is carved out of a single block of limestone.
Duration: 2 hours
Best time: Year-round
Tissamaharama
Tissamaharama, Tissa & Kataragama
Tissamaharama is a sacred town scattered with lakes and Buddhist temples that was the capital of the ancient Ruhunu Kingdom in the 2nd century BC.
Duration: 2 - 3 hours
Best time: Year-round
