Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara (S)

At a Glance

This highly revered monastery, dating back to the 3rd century BCE, was built on land said to have been consecrated by the Buddha, and served as southern Sri Lanka's education epicenter for over 1,000 years.

The Story

The Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara is located in Tissamaharama, in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. This was one of four major Buddhist monasteries established after the arrival of Arhant Mahinda Thera. Its construction was attributed to King Kavantissa. The site of the Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara was consecrated by the Buddha who spent some time in meditation there with 500 arhats during his third visit to the island.

From the 3rd century BCE to the 11th century CE, the monastery was renowned as the pre-eminent Buddhist educational center of southern Sri Lanka. According to popular belief, the Buddha’s frontal bone relic was temporarily enshrined here. The Mahavamsa explains that the relics enshrined here upheld the fortune of the Sinalhese state and the dominance of Theravada Buddhism.

Hambantota District

Southern Province 

Coordinates 6° 16′ 46″ N, 81° 17′ 25″ E