Seruwawila Mangala Raja Maha Vihara
| Seruwawila Mangala Raja Maha Vihara | |
|---|---|
සේරුවාවිල මංගල රජ මහා විහාරය | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Theravada Buddhism |
| Sect | Amarapura Sri Kalaniwansha Chapter-Assosiated with Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Network |
| District | Trincomalee |
| Province | Eastern Province |
| Leadership | Ven.Aludeniye Subodhi Thero (Associated with Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Network) |
| Location | |
| Location | Seruwawila, Sri Lanka |
| State | Seruwawila |
| Geographic coordinates | 8°22′15″N 81°19′09.8″E / 8.37083°N 81.319389°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Ancient Buddhist Temple- Early Anuradhapura Period |
| Founder | King Kavantissa |
| Completed | 2nd century BCE |
Seruwila Mangala Raja Maha Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist temple located in the Trincomalee District of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It is recognized as the ninth of the Sixteen Sacred Solosmasthana—the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the country—and is identified with the historic Thissamaha Viharaya.
This sacred site was constructed by King Kavantissa in the 2nd century BCE, and it enshrines two revered relics of Gautama Buddha: the forehead relic/frontal bone relic (Lalata Dhatu) and the hair relics (Kesha Dhatu).
The temple can be accessed by both land and sea. The sea route begins with a boat journey from Trincomalee to Muttur, followed by an additional 16 kilometers through connecting roads. The land route leads through Kantale via the Allai road, covering approximately 45 kilometers through dense forest.