Sri Naga Viharaya in Jaffna | AmazingLanka.com

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While Sri Naga Viharaya in Jaffna may not be ancient or historically significant in the traditional sense, it holds great cultural and symbolic importance in Jaffna. As the only Buddhist temple in Jaffna town, it stands as a spiritual center for the few Buddhists residing in the area and for pilgrims from the south who travel to the region. Many of these pilgrims find lodging at the temple during their visit. One of the temple’s unique features is the artwork in its Buddha hall—murals painted by Sri Lankan Army soldiers during the civil war, adding a distinctive and poignant layer to its story.

Origins and Early History

The temple’s 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. Interestingly, a group of Burmese monks on pilgrimage passed through Jaffna, much to the delight of the local Buddhists. They invited the Burmese priests to reside at the temple, and a small room was built for them on the temple grounds, but due to poor living conditions, they eventually returned to Burma.

Later, other Burmese monks stayed at the temple, but none stayed permanently. As interest in developing the site grew, a branch of the Colombo Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA) was established in Jaffna. This initiative led to the arrival of Balabowe Siri Sumana Thero, who played a key role in developing the site into a functioning temple.

Growth and Development

With the support of Sir Arthur Marcelles de Silva (1879–1957), then Vice President of the Colombo YMBA, a distinctive octagonal image house was constructed. It was officially opened by Sir D. B. Jayatilake (1868–1957), who also named the temple Sri Naga Viharaya.

The temple gradually grew in stature, but internal disputes affected its stability. After a disagreement with the Jaffna YMBA, the chief monk left, and Moratuwe Santhabodhi Thero took over. In 1948, a legal dispute over temple management led to the court transferring authority of the temple to the Maha Bodhi Society, which led to a period of rapid development.

Destruction During the 1958 Ethnic Riots

In 1958, ethnic tensions erupted following the implementation of the Official Language Act (1956). During the riots, Sinhala residents were expelled from Jaffna, and Sri Naga Viharaya was destroyed. The resident monk, Rev. Kadawedduwe Nandarama Thero—who would later co-author සැඟවුන උතුර (The Hidden North)—was forced to flee.

Despite the devastation, Nandarama Thero later returned to the temple, which now stood in a city devoid of a Buddhist community. In the early 1960s, with the aid of government funding (LKR 100,000 per temple for reconstruction), he led efforts to rebuild Sri Naga Viharaya, which plays a pivotal role as a refuge to the Buddhist pilgrims to Jaffna.

Rest house of Sri Naga Viharaya in Jaffna

References

Nandarama Thero, K., & Samarasinghe, D. P. (1967). සැඟවුන උතුර (1st ed.). Gunasekera and Company.

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Map of Sanghamitta Bodhiya in Jaffna

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Travel Directions to Sri Naga Viharaya in Jaffna

Jaffna can be reached through two principal routes. The most commonly used approach is via Elephant Pass, which has long served as the traditional gateway to the Jaffna Peninsula.

An alternative route reaches Jaffna from the direction of Pooneryn by crossing the Sangupiddy Bridge. This crossing follows what was historically the ancient route to the peninsula before the construction of modern highways. The route provides a connection between Jaffna and the Mannar region.

Route 01 from Colombo to Jaffna Through Kurunegala (Popular Route)	Route 02 from Colombo to Jaffna Through Puttalam and Pooneryn (Lesser Traveled Route)
Through : Kurunegala – Dambulla – Anuradhapura – Vavuniya Distance: 410 km Travel Time: 7-8 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Puttalam – Thantirimale – Mannar – Poonaryn Distance: 408 km Travel Time: 8 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.

Route from Jaffna town to Sri Naga Viharaya in Jaffna

Through :
Distance : 1.3 km
Travel Time : 5 mins
Driving Directions : see on Google Maps