Sri Lanka may be a small island off the coast of India, but it is a most enigmatic nation whose history can be traced back to hundreds of years before the birth of Christ to an ancient world with advanced civilisations. Such is the case of the Ruhunu Kingdom which thrived in Sri Lanka during the 3rd century B.C, with Tissamaharama as the capital. Despite being reduced to a town in the present day, Tissamaharama has a lot to offer even when concerning accommodation, there are many Tissamaharama hotels to choose from, such as Kithala Resort.
One of the most prominent attractions in Tissamaharama is the massive lake referred to as ‘Tissa Wewa’. The lake is not natural, and is completely man-made. Legend has it that the lake was constructed during the time of the Ruhunu Kingom during the 3rd century BC. The purpose of the lake was to provide water to the city of Tissamaharama as well as to aid agriculture by irrigating the paddy fields.
One of the oldest Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka is also located here, and was believed to have been built around 200 BC. Known as the Tissamaharama Raja Vihara, or the Tissa Dagoba, legend has it that the Buddha himself spent time at this temple with five-hundred senior monks in a state of meditation. It also widely believed that the temple contains a sacred bone-relic belonging to the Buddha but the story changes from source to source. Some believe it contains a tooth relic as well as a bone relic, others would say the temple initially contained a bone relic but it has since been moved to a different temple.
Tissamaharama is one of the most mystical and historically significant places in all of Sri Lanka, and a visit to the nation would be in vain if you don’t check out this fabled and ancient city.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting.
