Somawathiya Chaitya
An ancient Buddhist stupa and temple in the plains near the border of the Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee districts. It is said to enshrine a tooth relic of the Buddha and draws pilgrims across the Mahaweli flood plain.
- Where
- Polonnaruwa, North Central Province, Sri Lanka
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 8.1209, 81.1689
Get the Somawathiya Chaitya stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Somawathiya Chaitya. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your North Central Province volume with your photos and a note.
Near Somawathiya Chaitya
Medirigiriya Vatadage 19 km
A circular relic house on a rock in the village of Medirigiriya, north of Polonnaruwa, with rings of slender stone pillars around a central stupa. It is protected by the government as an archaeological monument.
Gal Vihara 25 km
Four Buddhas cut into one granite rock face for King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century: a large seated figure, a smaller one in a carved cave, a standing figure and a reclining one. They are among the finest works of ancient Sinhalese sculpture and the most visited sight in Polonnaruwa.
Rankoth Vehera 26 km
A large stupa built by King Nissanka Malla, who ruled from 1187 to 1196, closely modelled on the Ruwanweli stupa of Anuradhapura. Its name means gold pinnacled stupa, and with the Kiri Vehera it is one of the two most revered in Polonnaruwa.
Hatadage 27 km
A relic shrine built by King Nissanka Malla to hold the Tooth Relic of the Buddha, in the sacred quadrangle of Polonnaruwa. Only its brick and stone walls survive, and in a chamber inside stand three Buddhas carved from granite.
Polonnaruwa Vatadage 27 km
A circular relic house in ancient Polonnaruwa, the best preserved of its kind in the country. It was built either by Parakramabahu I for the Tooth Relic or by Nissanka Malla for the Buddha's alms bowl, and four seated Buddhas face its four entrances.
Kaudulla National Park 29 km
A park around the Kaudulla tank, declared in 2002 as the 15th national park on the island. With Minneriya and Girithale it forms an Important Bird Area, and elephants come to graze at the water's edge.
Seruwila Mangala Raja Maha Vihara 32 km
An ancient Buddhist temple in Trincomalee District, ninth of the Solosmasthana, the sixteen holiest Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka. It is identified with the historic Thissamaha Viharaya.
Parakrama Samudra 33 km
A vast, shallow reservoir beside Polonnaruwa, made of five separate tanks joined by narrow channels. It takes its name, the sea of Parakrama, from King Parakramabahu I, who built it.
More hidden gems in North Central Province
Questions
Where is Somawathiya Chaitya?
Somawathiya Chaitya is in Polonnaruwa, North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Medirigiriya Vatadage (19 km), Gal Vihara (25 km), Rankoth Vehera (26 km).
How do I get the Somawathiya Chaitya stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Somawathiya Chaitya and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your North Central Province volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Somawathiya Chaitya before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your North Central Province volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
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