Dighavapi Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist temple situated in Ampara District. The site is considered one of the 16 most sacred places in the country.
Dighavapi Viharaya (Ampara) D ighavapi Viharaya or Deeghavapi Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: දීඝවාපිය විහාරය) is an ancient Buddhist temple situated in Ampara District, Sri Lanka. The colossal Stupa of this temple is believed to have been built to mark the spot where Buddha seated himself on the occasion of his third and last visit to Sri Lanka (Parker, 1981). Therefore the site is considered one of the 16 most sacred places (Solosmastana) of the Buddhists in the country (Dhammika, 2008). History According to the Great Chronicle, Mahawamsa, the Buddha on his third visit to Sri Lanka had come to Dighavapi after spending the day at the foot of Sumanakuta (present Sri Pada mountain ). Dipavamsa, the oldest chronicle of Sri Lanka also mentions that the Buddha visited Dighavapi after arriving in Kalyani [(present Kelaniya ) Nicholas, 1963]. The name Dighavapi (lit: Long tank) is mentioned in several early historical records. Pali chronicles and commentaries record this area as
Dighavapi-mandala or Dighavapi-rattha (Nicholas,…
