Seenigama Devalaya | AmazingLanka.com

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Seenigama Devalaya on the small island off Southern Beach
Photo by : Prasanna Siriwardana

The Seenigama Devalaya is a unique island shrine near Hikkaduwa dedicated to the powerful deity Devol Deviyo. Famous for its “justice-seeking” rituals, devotees grind chilies to invoke divine retribution against adversaries. This coastal sanctuary, accessible by boat, remains a potent symbol of spiritual protection and ancient southern folklore.

Seenigama is a small village situated along the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, on the main Colombo–Matara roadway, just before Hikkaduwa. The Seenigama Devalaya is uniquely located on a small island positioned a short distance offshore from the beach.

Devol Deviyo

The Seenigama Devalaya is dedicated to Devol Deviyo, a local deity widely venerated by people from across the country. Traditionally regarded as a protector of fishermen and their boats, the role of Devol Deviyo has, in more recent times, extended symbolically to safeguarding vehicles such as buses and lorries.

According to a research article by E.J. Brill;

“The mythology around Devol one sees his magical power too. He is a son of the king Rajasinghe of the town Kudupura, as the myth tells. The king banishes him together with six of his brothers because of their dissolute behavior. The seven brothers in vain try to land from their ship at different places in Sri Lanka. At last they are shipwrecked near Seenigama. With the help of the god Sakra and a raft they reach the coast safely. However the goddess Pattini, who was in charge of that area then, puts seven ‘mountains’ of fire in front of them.(2) The brothers throw their ornaments into the fire, trying to change fire into water in order to help at least Devol survive. Pattini allows him to stay. It is unclear what happened to the six brothers. Devol receives the consent of Pattini – the god Skanda helped him with that to ask offerings from the people in exchange for healing sick people at seven places: Seenigama, Unawatuna, Udulgapitiya (Dodanduwa), Weeragoda, Gintota, Ambalangoda and Panadura. The Weeragoda myth is also an illustration of Devol’s magical power.
Weeragoda is about 6 miles from Seenigama. Devol goes there to live at the house of his concubine. Every morning he walks to Seenigama and comes back with rice, fish and a few coconuts. The woman wonders how he manages to do this. They have a son. When he is old enough, she asks him to follow his father and find out what is going on. The boy tells her after coming back, that his father is making rice from beach sand and fish with his walking-stick and gets coconuts by commanding a few coconut trees in Seenigama to bend down to him.
Devol sees this as a betrayal of his secret, flies into a rage, kills his son and departs. He leaves his walking stick behind, which grows into an imposing and very rare tree for that country…………..”

Devotees who come to make offerings—referred to as bara or puja—generally perform their acts of worship along the shoreline. For the convenience of travellers, coin boxes have also been placed along the roadside, allowing for quick offerings without visiting the island shrine itself.

Ritual Practices and Beliefs

The widespread popularity of Seenigama Devalaya is also associated with a more complex and, at times, darker dimension of belief. Devol Deviyo, like Suniyam Deviyo and Gatabaru Deviyo, is believed to possess the power to invoke curses upon adversaries. As a result, individuals from various parts of the country visit the shrine seeking divine retribution against perceived injustices.

Such rituals are typically conducted on the small island itself, away from the mainland. During these acts, devotees recount the wrongs committed against them and request the deity to administer punishment. A distinctive element of this practice involves grinding chilies on a special stone while articulating the curse, symbolizing the intensity and intent of the invocation.

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Travel Directions to Seenigama Devalaya

Route from Colombo to Seenigama Devale	Route from Hikkaduwa to Seenigama Devale
Through : Southern Expressway Distance : 106 km Travel time : 2.15 hours. Driving directions : see on Google Maps.	Distance : 2 km Travel time : 10 mins Driving directions : see on Google Maps.