Somawathi Raja Maha Viharaya
A revered ancient stupa said to enshrine a tooth relic of the Buddha, set within a national park on the Mahaweli floodplain that is also home to wild elephants.
On the left bank of the Mahaweli River, surrounded by the dense forest of Somawathiya National Park roughly 45 minutes from Polonnaruwa, a Buddhist stupa stands among the oldest sacred monuments anywhere in Sri Lanka, believed built during the reign of King Kavantissa, father of the legendary King Dutugemunu, making it older even than Anuradhapura's celebrated Ruwanwelisaya, Mirisaveti Vihara and Jetavanaramaya. Somawathiya Chaitya is said to enshrine the right canine tooth relic of the Buddha, one of only four such tooth relics considered among the most sacred objects in the entire Buddhist world, a claim that's anchored the site's religious significance across more than two thousand years.
The stupa and its surrounding temple complex, known formally as Somawathiya Rajamaha Viharaya, fell into decay following the decline of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom, historians attributing much of that neglect to the 13th century incursion of Chandrabanu, after which the site received little attention from Buddhist devotees until active restoration and pilgrimage resumed in the 20th century. Its remote, riverside setting hasn't spared it from more recent conflict either, in 1987 the LTTE attacked the stupa, reportedly attempting to remove its crest jewel before abandoning the effort for reasons that remain unclear, a jarring intrusion of modern violence into a site otherwise defined by its deep antiquity.
Numerous ancient inscriptions have been recovered from the temple grounds over the years, most notably from a large boulder near Minvila close to the main stupa, one recording an irrigation channel commissioned by Gamani Abhaya in the 2nd century CE, physical evidence of just how long this stretch of the Mahaweli River has supported organized civilization and religious devotion alike. Set within genuine wilderness, the surrounding national park also home to elephants and rich birdlife along the riverbank, Somawathiya offers travelers a rare combination, one of Sri Lanka's oldest documented relic sites wrapped inside a still wild, still forested natural setting.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Free, donation welcomed
- Opening hours: Daylight hours
- Time needed: Half day
- Best time: The drier months, and the full-moon festival days
Getting there
On the Mahaweli River north of Polonnaruwa, about 40km via Somapura by rough roads.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to visit Somawathi Raja Maha Viharaya?
- Free, donation welcomed.
- What are the opening hours at Somawathi Raja Maha Viharaya?
- Daylight hours.
- How long should I spend at Somawathi Raja Maha Viharaya?
- Plan for half day.
- When is the best time to visit Somawathi Raja Maha Viharaya?
- The drier months, and the full-moon festival days.
- How do I get to Somawathi Raja Maha Viharaya?
- On the Mahaweli River north of Polonnaruwa, about 40km via Somapura by rough roads.