AmazingLanka.com

The Sri Naga Viharayas beginnings date back to 1892, when a small group of Buddhists in Jaffna leased a quarter-acre plot of jungle near the Ariyankulam Tank from the local Sivan Kovil. They built a modest image house for worship, though no Sinhalese monks visited Jaffna during that time.

Vesak is one of the most important days for Buddhists because it marks three key moments in the life of the Buddha: his birth, his enlightenment, and his passing away. Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Buddha, was born over 2,500 years ago in Lumbini, in what is now Nepal.

For centuries, Mirissa—a coastal town on Sri Lanka’s southern shoreline—remained a hidden gem, untouched by tourism. Life in the village centered around small-scale fishing, coconut cultivation, and basic farming, with locals leading a quiet, sea-dependent lifestyle as fishing boats lined the shore.

By 1610, the Portuguese had established a small Christian mission on the Kalpitiya peninsula with two priests, and a church was built in Kalpitiya. This church successfully converted most of the local population to Christianity, with the exception of some of the Moorcommunity.