Velgam Vehera, Buddhist temple in Kanniya, Sri Lanka.
Velgam Vehera stands in eastern Sri Lanka, featuring ancient brick dagobas, stone inscriptions, decorative moonstones, and image houses spread across a walled enclosure.
The temple, established around 240 BC during King Devanampiyatissa's reign, underwent multiple renovations by various rulers including the Chola dynasty from India in 993 AD.
Known to Hindus as Natanar Kovil, this temple represents connections between Buddhist and Tamil communities, containing inscriptions in both languages within its grounds.
Visitors require appropriate clothing when exploring the temple grounds, and guided tours provide detailed information about stone structures and architectural elements.
The Chola invaders preserved and renovated this temple instead of destroying it, renaming it Rajarajaperumpalli after their king while maintaining its Buddhist character.
Location: Trincomalee
GPS coordinates: 8.64567,81.17122
Latest update: March 10, 2025 14:28
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