Dambakola Patuna Viharaya

Dambakola Patuna Viharaya
Dambakola Patuna Sangamitta Viharaya (Sinhala: දඹකොළ පටුන සංඝමිත්තා විහාරය; Tamil: ஜம்புகோளப்பட்டினம்) is a Buddhist temple situated in Sambilturai in Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. History Ancient Jambukola port and Viharaya Dambakola Patuna Viharaya is a modern Buddhist temple with recently built structures. However, the history of this site runs back to the period of King Devanampiyatissa (247-207 B.C.). According to chronicles, Jambukola (Sinhala: Dambakola) was the port which the envoys of Devanampiyatissa set forth to India (Nicholas, 1963). The landing of the Sacred Bodhi Tree Sapling with Sanghamitta Theri also took place at the same port (Nicholas, 1963). This site of the ancient Jambukola port has been identified as the present Sambilturai area where the present Dambakola Patuna temple is located  (Codrington, 1995; Nicholas, 1963). A temple named Samudda Panasala is said to have been built on the spot where the Devanampiyatissa awaited the coming ashore of the Bodhi tree (Nic…