The quietly charming Madukanda Vihara is a Rs 250 three-wheeler ride from central Vavuniya, beyond the 3km post southeast on the A29. It was reputedly the fourth resting point in the journey of the sacred Buddha tooth relic from Mullaittivu to Anuradhapura during the 4th-century reign of King Mahsen.
Madukanda Vihara
Jaffna & the North
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Abhayagiri Dagoba
26.03 MILES
Dating back to the 1st century BC, this colossal dagoba was the ceremonial focus of the 5000-strong Abhayagiri Monastery. Originally over 100m high, it…
Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba
27.25 MILES
This magnificent white dagoba is guarded by a wall with a frieze of 344 elephants standing shoulder to shoulder. Apart from a few beside the western…
Sri Maha Bodhi
27.54 MILES
The sacred bodhi tree is central to Anuradhapura in both a spiritual and physical sense. It was grown from a cutting brought from Bodhgaya in India and is…
Ambasthale Dagoba
24.72 MILES
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Nearby Jaffna & the North attractions
2. Grand Jummah Mosque
5.68 MILES
A grand mosque awash in aqua tiling, with shiny gold onion domes. It's at the centre of the market area.
3. Kudiyiruppu Pillaiyar Kovil
5.69 MILES
A shambolic temple. The view of the lake is the one reason to bother.
4. Kandasamy Kovil
5.71 MILES
This photogenic Murugan (Skanda) temple has a very ornate, if faded, gopuram (gateway tower) and a gold-clad image in its sanctum. Walk back through the…
6. Archaeological Museum
5.82 MILES
This museum is unlikely to impress if you’re arriving from the ancient cities, but some of the pinched-faced terracotta figures from Kilinochchi (4th to…
7. Mihintale Museum
24.5 MILES
This small museum on the road leading to the stairway base is worth a short visit for its modest collection of artefacts collected from Mihintale.
8. Hospital
24.52 MILES
The remains of a 9th-century hospital sit a stone's throw from the site museum. The hospital consisted of a number of cells. A bat oruwa (large stone…