KALUTARA CHAITYA & BODHIYA

Built on the site of the Gangatilaka Vihara temple which was once demolished by the Portuguese to build a fort, this stupa (or dagoba in Sinhalese) is one of the most popular in the country. Its brilliant white colour can be seen from miles away. What makes it special is that, unlike the more traditional stupas , the Kalutara Chaitya is not a solid construction: it is a cavity within which a second, smaller stupa is nestled. One can therefore enter it and honour the four Buddha statues inside. The inner dome is decorated with a long fresco tracing the life of Buddha (with text in English) in 75 stages. The first vignette shows the blessing of Buddha by Dipinkara Buddha (one of the Buddhas of the past, believed to have lived on Earth over 100,000 years ago), and the last ones trace the distribution of his relics.

Across the street you will find the Kalutara Bodhiya, which is said to be one of the 32 shoots of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya, India.

The Kalutara complex is famous throughout the country. It is the first stop for pilgrims on their way to Kataragama who come here to seek blessings for their wanderings. You will see many women dressed in white, the official color of Buddhist pilgrims.

The complex is located at Kalutara South, just after the bridge. It is of course necessary to take off one's shoes to access the sacred site.