Kothduwa temple

Kothduwa Raja Maha Vihara
කොත්දූව රජ මහා විහාරය
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
DistrictGalle
ProvinceSouthern Province
Location
LocationKothduwa, Madu Ganga
CountrySri Lanka
Geographic coordinates06°18′26.7″N 80°03′06.9″E / 6.307417°N 80.051917°E / 6.307417; 80.051917
Architecture
TypeBuddhist Temple
FounderSamson Rajapakse
Completed1860s

The Kothduwa temple, or Koth Duwa Raja Maha Viharaya, is a Buddhist temple located on Kothduwa Island on the Madu Ganga in southern Sri Lanka. The island is located in Galle District of the Southern Province approximately 35 km (22 mi) north of Galle and 88 km (55 mi) south of Colombo.[1]

The temple is believed to have once sheltered the sacred relic of the tooth of the Buddha, circa 340 CE.[2] The Bodhi tree on the island was planted from a bud of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi by Deva Pathiraja, minister to King Parakramabahu IV.[3]

  1. ^ "Sri Lanka Wetlands Database:Maduganga Estuary". International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 2006. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2009.
  2. ^ Punchihewa, Gamini G. (14 May 2000). "Sri Dalada was once here: Cruising down the Madu Ganga". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 2 May 2009.
  3. ^ Herath, H.M.B.C.; Broker, Koen (November 2003). "Maduganga Historic Sites" (PDF). Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands. Wetlands International. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2009.