The island of Sri Lanka is adorned with a plethora of places of worship. The Buddhist Temples in particular are interesting to explore as some of them are remains from the earliest of civilisations. There is something intriguing about such ancient history and most temples have substantial remains to truly leave you in awe. The Seruvila Mangala Raja Maha Viharaya is one such location. Situated in the North East province of the island, this temple happens to be one of the most sacred Buddhist Temples in the island.
The spiritual significance of the Seruvila Mangala Raja Maha Viharaya is borne from the relic of Buddha preserved in this Dagoba; it is said to be his very own frontal lobe bone found here in the temple that dates back to the 2nd century BC. The story of the temple and the relic making its way to the island goes back to the era of King Kavantissa. Since King Kavantissa was in good terms with India’s North Eastern prince Siva he arranged with him to send the relic. Soon word spread through the powerful Buddhist Monks around the nation that King Kavantissa had the frontal lobe of the Buddha and needed to be welcomed safely into Seru dominated by the South Indians so that he could build a Stupa to protect the relic. The South Indians in a fix had no choice but to welcome the king and enable him to build the Stupa. Hence a mighty place of worship was built with a wet marshy area around the temple converted to a lake that attracted hundreds of migratory birds called the ‘Serus’. Over the years the temple changed hands in ownership until it was finally abandoned with nature eventually claiming it. It was only in the 1920’s that the temple was unearthed by an important monk and restored. Today it is yet another UNESCO world heritage site in Sri Lanka.
While holidaying in Sri Lanka, try out the Uga Escapes. The retreat features prominently among Sri Lanka luxury hotels which must be experienced at least once in one’s life.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry. Google+
