Mahiyangana Raja Maha Vihara
Uva Province
About Mahiyangana Raja Maha Vihara
Mahiyangana, where the hill country tumbles down to the Mahaweli plain, holds the deepest root of Buddhism on the island: by unbroken tradition, the Buddha himself came here - his first of three visits to Lanka - just nine months after enlightenment, taming the spirits of the plain and leaving a handful of hair relics. The stupa raised over them, enlarged by kings across two thousand years into today's golden-tipped dagoba, is therefore honoured as the oldest in Sri Lanka, one of the sixteen holiest places of pilgrimage. The temple's setting matches its stature - the blue wall of the central mountains behind, the sacred Mahaweli close by, and the homeland of the Vedda people at Dambana twenty minutes east; Vedda chiefs still attend the temple's Esala procession, a living link to the island's first peoples. The engineering marvel of the 18-hairpin Kandy road descent adds drama to the arrival.
Top Activities
- ✓The ancient stupa and temple precinct
- ✓Esala Perahera with Vedda participation
- ✓Sorabora Lake and its rock-cut sluice nearby
- ✓Vedda village visits at Dambana
- ✓The 18-hairpin bend drive from Kandy
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Visit Sorabora Lake's ancient rock sluice - ten minutes away and remarkable.
The temple is a major pilgrimage site; dress in white or modestly.
Count the 18 hairpins if you arrive by the Kandy road - a rite of passage.
Quick Info
Best Time
Year-round; Esala festival (Aug–Sep)
Weather
Hot on the plain; mornings and evenings are gentle.
Estimated Daily Budget
7.3311°N, 81.0011°E
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