Kataragama

This holiest of cities is a compelling blend of pomp and procession, piety, and religious extravagance. Kataragama is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka; a sacred place for Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and Veddah peoples.

Kataragama, a laid-back, isolated village, multi-religious place of worship near the ancient Sinhala city of Tissamaharama (20 minutes by public transport) has a network of well-laid roads – neat and straight, shaded by huge, arid-zone evergreen trees. Transportation to and from Kataragama is still limited to the highways. The southern railway line, which runs from Colombo to Matara, is planned to be extended to Kataragama in 2014.

Kataragama, the domain of the Hindu god Skanda, considered sacred by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and even Christians in Sri Lanka, attracts pilgrims and the general public as well as foreign tourists & not least the wilderness living “Veddha”- Community, the indigenous peoples of Sri Lanka. The Sacred Precinct Kataragama is located in the north of the city in the shade of huge tropical trees, accessed via the bridge over the Menik Ganga (Sinhale: Gem River), and houses the shrines of all four religions of Sri Lanka.

Behind the main Hindu shrine of Kataragama, a 500-meter-long paved and sheltered road with stalls selling beautiful lotus flowers leads in a tranquil setting to the large Buddhist stupa called Kiri Vehera (Sinhala: milk-colored stupa)