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Mahiyanganaya

Mahiyanganaya, Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

The Mahiyanganaya is a town situated close to the Mahaweli River in Badulla District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. It is Situated 100M (328Ft) above the sea level & 195km (122Mi) east to the Colombo city and also linked eastwards to the steep eastern falls of central hills. The Mahiyanganaya is the first Sri Lankan place visited by Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha post his englighment. It is apprised that Shakyamuni Buddha visited Mahiyanganayaon on full moon poya day( January full Moon day) in order to settle down a disputes arose between Yakkas and Nagas (two tribes who later inhabited this area). The majority of people in this area are engaged in paddy cultivation which is considered the main economic activity here. Mahiyanganaya is home to the Sri Lankan tribes of Vaddha people.

Mahiyangana is a Pali word (in Sinhalese Bintenna) which means flat land. It is situated eastwards to the steep eastern falls of central hills.

Brief Information about the Historical & Beautiful places around Mahiyangana:

^ØMahiyanganaAncient Buddhist Temple – It is an ancient Buddhist temple in Mahiyanganaya, Sri Lanka. It is believed to be the site of Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha’s first visit to the country and is one of the Solosmasthana among the 16 sacred religious locations in Sri Lanka. Currently this temple has been declared as one of archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

A Yakka (one of the Tribes in Sri Lanka) chieftain named Saman (who is now regarded as a deity) attained Sotapanna (Sovan) after listening to the Buddha's discourse and asked for a token from the Buddha that they could worship in his absence. The Buddha had given him a handful of hair from his head which Saman later enshrined in a small stupa precisely 10 feet (3.0 m) in height. This was the first stupa to be built in Sri Lanka. After the Parinirvana of the Buddha in 543 BC, an Arahant named Sarabhu brought the Lord Buddha's larynx which had been recovered from the funeral pyre. This relic was also enshrined within the same stupa which was enlarged to a height of 18 feet (5.5 m). Several kings since then have renovated and enlarged this stupa including King Dutugemunu (Dutthagamini) who raised it to a height of 120 feet (37 m). Then other rulers who also repaired & maintained this stupa. In 1942, a society was formed for the renovation of the temple under D.S Senanayake. Reconstruction work began in 1953 and ended in 1980 with the completion of a new pinnacle for the stupa.

Ø MahiyanganayaNagadeepa Buddhist Temple- This is a very old Buddhist temple in Mahiyanganaya with a mysterious history suggesting that this temple is the real Nagadeepa temple in Mahawansaya. A must visit place if you are a travelling to Mahiyanganaya. The temple is situated in Uraniya village in the Badulla, BimtenniKorale of Ridimaliyadda. Nagadeepa is a temple of an ancient unexplored ruins. NagadeepaViharaya is known for its mystical supernatural powers among the villagers.

The ruins of this temple are situated adjoining the Nagadeepa Reservoir at Rideemaliyadda. According to the folklore: “This area had been populated by the Naga (Cobra) tribe in the ancient past and thus has been called Nagadeepa”.

^ØSoraboraWewa- An ancient reservoir in Mahiyanganaya, Badulla District, Sri Lanka. It is thought to have been constructed during the reign of King Dutugemunu (161 BC – 137 BC) by a giant named Bulatha. In the ancient past this tank was known as the 'Sea of Bintenna'. The tank was built by damming the DiyawannaOya with a 485-meter embankment It did not make use of the structure called Bisokotuwa which helped to regulate water pressure at the sluice gates from inside the tank and protected the embankment from erosion. Instead that, The sluice gate (Sorowwa) of the tank was placed strategically away from the embankment and made up utilizing the massive natural rock around the tank. It is said that this is the only such type sluice gate to be found in Sri Lanka.

Ø Historical Minipe Anicut- The trans-basin canal from Minipe diversion carries water from Mahaweli Ganga to Amban Ganga. King Dasankeliya (459 AD) constructed this canal which irrigates lands on the left bank of the Mahaweli Ganga. 'Yakinna-bendi-Portawa' anicut in Minipe “According to legend” was constructed by a she-devil under royal favour and is one of the ancient irrigation works which came into the limelight in the 1960s during the excavations of Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. This gigantic work inspires wonders among modern engineers which consists of a scheme that diverts the river at a bend where a large body of water enters the narrow canal formed by an island close to the bank, ‘partially closed by two rocks and intercepts the water on its return to the mainstream. These rocks when joined by masonry construction become a dam raising the waters in the natural channel to a great height.

^ØVedda Village in Dambana- This Village is located 20km (12.4Mi) away from the Mahiyanganaya town. Vedda is a minority indigenous group of people in Sri Lanka. It is known as the refuge of the indigenous Vedda people as well as their moribund Vedda Language. Vedda people’s population close 1000 individuals who all belong to Vedda families.

Climate:

The Mahiyanganaya has a tropical climate. The Rainfall in Mahiyanganaya is mostly from December to March and April to November but relatively low. Annual Rainfall is around 1900mm. The average temperature is around 28° C (82.4°F). April is the warmest month of the year and temperature lies to 33°C (91.4°F). January is the coldest month of the year and temperature lies to 20°C (68°F). The best time to visit Mahiyangana is from January until March, May until September and December, when you will have a warm temperature and limited until mediocre rainfall.

How To Reach Mahiyanganaya:

By Train

Unfortunately there’s no service to Mahiyanganaya by train But if you wish to visit Mahiyanganaya by Train then you can travel by train till kandy. From kandy you have to find a bus or hire a vehicle to reach Mahiyanganaya.

By Road

To reach Mahiyanganaya from Colombo: Easiest way is to use Colombo – Kandy (A1 Road) till Kandy & then take Kandy Padiyathalawa Road (A26 Road) to reach Mahiyanganaya passing 18 hairpin bends on this road.

Things To Do In Mahiyanganaya:

Ø Worship at Mahiyangana Ancient Buddhist temple – This is an ancient Buddhist temple is believed to be the site of Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha’s first visit to the country and is one of the Solosmasthana among the 16 sacred religious locations in Sri Lanka. This is good place to do your Buddhist practice.

Ø Dambana Vedda Village – This is the best place to see Vedda people’s lifestyle & their culture. If you are lucky enough you can see some Vedda people’s blessings too alongside being a part of that too. That is going to be mesmerizing experience in your life. If you are visiting Mahiyanganaya don’t forget to visit Dambana Vedda Village.

Ø Historical Minipe Anicut – This is best place to see ancient Sri Lankan irrigation technology.

Ø Nagadeepa Temple in Mahiyanganaya – This Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temple in Mahiyangana area. This is very clam place to do your Buddhist practice and relaxing your mind.

Ø RathnaWaterfalls –Rathna Waterfalls (field of gems) is situated at Rathna Village Nearby Mahiyanganaya. The Waterfall is 101M (331 ft) Highest & it’s the 14th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka.

Places To See In Mahiyanganaya:

· Dambana Vedda Village

· Dambarawa Lake

· Historical Minipe Anicut

· Mahaweli River

· Mahiyanganaya Ancient Buddhist Temple

· Mawaragala Buddhist Temple

· Nagadeepa Buddhist Temple Mahiyanganaya

· Rathna Waterfalls

· Seetha Kothuwa

· Seetha Kothuwa Waterfalls

· Sorabora Lake