Mahiyangana Raja Maha Vihara

Mahiyangana is held in the chronicles to be where the Buddha came on the first of his three visits to the island, in the ninth month after his enlightenment, and the stupa here is said to enshrine a lock of his hair given at that time, making it the earliest of the sixteen sacred places. The present white dagoba is a modern rebuilding over the older layers. The setting on the Mahaweli plain below the hill country is wide and open.

What you actually see

• The white stupa - the modern dagoba built over the earlier structures.
• The first visit tradition - the site's claim as the earliest sacred place on the island.
• The Mahaweli plain - open country below the hill country escarpment.
• The September perahera - the annual procession, the temple's main event.

When to go

November to April is the drier window on the plains. The perahera in September is the main festival. Poya days bring pilgrims.

Honest expectations

The stupa is a modern rebuild and little of the earlier fabric is visible. Shoes must be removed on hot ground. The town has little else for visitors.

Nearby

Dambana is east, and Kandy is west over the escarpment.