Kalutara Bodhiya

The stupa at Kalutara stands right beside the road and rail bridges over the Kalu Ganga, and it is unusual in being hollow: visitors walk inside the dome, where the interior is painted with murals of the Buddha's life and there is a second small stupa within. The bo tree beside it is held to be grown from a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi. Every bus crossing the bridge slows for passengers to drop coins into collection boxes, a habit so established that the boxes are emptied several times a day and the takings fund the temple.

Background

The sacred fig at Kalutara is held to be one of 32 saplings taken from the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi at Anuradhapura, which was itself planted in the 2nd century BC during the reign of king Devanampiyatissa. The chronicle Sinhala Bodhiwamsa records that the saplings were set out around the country on the instruction of Arahant Mahinda Thera, and that this tree survived intact until the 15th century AD. Buddhists came to regard the place as sacred after a Bodhi tree was set at the Pahala Maluwa in 1042 AD by the Pandyan prince Wickrema Pandya. Its modern development began with the Kalutara Buddhist Society, formed in 1931, and the Kalutara Bodhi Trust followed on November 7, 1951.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kalutara Bodhiya"

What's there

• The hollow dome - a stupa that can be entered, painted inside.
• The murals - scenes from the Buddha's life around the interior.
• The bo tree - the sacred tree beside the stupa.
• The bridge coins - the tradition of donations from passing vehicles.

When to go

December to March is the driest. Poya days bring worshippers. The site is open through the day.

Good to know

Traffic on the bridge beside it is heavy and constant. Shoes must be removed and the terrace gets hot. The visit takes half an hour.

Nearby

Kalutara town surrounds it, and Bentota is south.

Key facts