One of the predominantly Buddhist countries in South Asia is Sri Lanka. Praised world over for its natural beauty, heritage and culture; Buddhism plays a significant role in the countries rich culture and heritage. Around the island one can find various temples spread across. One of the temples that is close to the capital and is regarded as an important temple is the Kalutara Bodiya, located on the bank of the Kalutara River. If you’re looking for a Kalutara resort to stay in, there are plenty of options available as Kalutara is a beachside destination and is quite popular with tourists.
The temple is of significance as it is believed that the Bo tree present here is one of the 32 Bo saplings from the Anuradhapura Jaya Sri Maha Bodiya. The temples Kalutara Viharaya and a modern Stupa, Kalutara Chaitya are located in the premises. Before the southern express way opened up most people making their way on Galle Road would stop by to pray at this temple. If you are staying at a nearby resort, a visit to the temple could be an interesting one. AVANI Kalutara Resort is a resort located not too far from the temple. One could see that many people visit the temple bearing flowers to pay homage to the site.
Kalutara Bodiya was under the Portuguese and then turned into a fort. Over the colonized years, though there was no damage done to the temple, the public were not able to pay patronage to the Bodhiya during this time. Later on the Kalutara Buddhist society was initiated and the work to build the current temple began. The construction work ended in 1976 and the temple was gifted to the public for worship.
Temples play a huge role in the lives of Sri Lankans from ancient times and to date. Some of them are famous enough for people to make journeys across the country. Kalutara Bodiya is one such temple.
Damon Starky is a creative nomadic travel writer, who is well informed and experienced on a wide range of interests that would connect to the needs of any type of traveler.
