Kiri Vehera is one of Sri Lanka's 16 most sacred pilgrimage stupas, a milky-white 95-foot dagoba near Kataragama believed to mark the very ground the Buddha blessed on his third visit to the island.

Why visit Kiri wehera

• Sacred Pilgrimage Site: Kiri Vehera is one of the 16 most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites in ancient Sri Lanka. It is a very popular site for pilgrims.
• Historic Origins: This stupa is believed to have been built in the 3rd century BC. King Mahanaga, a regional ruler, built it.
• Location and Size: The stupa is 95 feet in height. It has a circumference of 280 feet. It is located near the famous Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya.
• Mentioned in Inscriptions: Two inscriptions from the 2nd century CE mention the stupa. The inscription refers to it as Mangalamahaseya.
• Link to Buddha's Visit: According to legend, Gautama Buddha's third visit to Sri Lanka included this site. The stupa was built on land sanctified by his presence.