Seruwila Raja Maha Vihara
Eastern Province
About Seruwila Raja Maha Vihara
Seruwila (Seruwawila) Mangala Raja Maha Vihara guards one of Buddhism's most precious relics: the lalata dhatu - the sacred forehead bone of the Buddha - enshrined here by the regional king Kavan Tissa in the 2nd century BC, partly, chronicles admit, as sacred statecraft to secure his frontier. The stupa slept under jungle for centuries after the ancient kingdoms fell, its rediscovery and restoration in the 1920s becoming one of the great projects of the Buddhist revival; today it stands white and serene above a moat of paddy fields and lotus tanks in the flat green country south of Trincomalee's Koddiyar Bay. Designated one of the sixteen holiest pilgrimage sites (Solosmasthana), it draws streams of white-clad devotees - and almost no tourists, since the rewarding approach through Muttur or Kantale is far off the standard loop. Poya days here show east-coast Buddhist devotion at its purest.
Top Activities
- ✓Pilgrimage to the forehead-relic stupa
- ✓Poya-day ceremonies
- ✓Paddy-country drives via Kantale or Muttur
- ✓Combine with Trincomalee
- ✓Birdwatching on the surrounding tanks
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Dress in white or modestly; this is a major working pilgrimage site.
The Kantale approach road is the smoothest route in.
Combine with Kanthale tank for a quiet inland-east day.
Quick Info
Best Time
April to September
Weather
Hot and dry most of the year; roads best April–September.
Estimated Daily Budget
8.3672°N, 81.3192°E
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