Thiriyaya Girihandu Seya | AmazingLanka.com

⚙️ [Top with rating]

Situated north of Trincomalee, Thiriyaya Girihandu Seya is a historic Buddhist complex featuring a unique vatadage built over hair relics gifted to merchants Tapassu and Bhallika. The hill site includes Pallava-influenced guardstones, concentric pillar circles, stone altars, rock caves with early Brahmi inscriptions, and monastic ruins.

[Google Ad 01 -EN]

Key Visitor Information and Travel Tips

Entrance Fee: Free admission.
Opening Hours: Open daily during daylight hours (busiest on Poya days and school holiday weekends).
Best Time to Visit: Early morning to avoid the heat.
The Hike: A gentle 20 to 30 minute climb along a stone-stepped path starting from the car park, winding past ancient monastic ruins, natural rock formations, and shaded forest trails.
Dress Code: No strict dress code is enforced, but lightweight, modest attire is recommended to respect the sacred nature of the site and handle the hot, humid climate.
Location & Parking: Located 48 km from Trincomalee. Ample parking.
Photography: Permitted throughout the site.

Map of Thiriyaya Girihandu Seya

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

The map above also shows other places of interest within approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information on these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Historical Origins

The earliest known reference associated with the site is preserved in an eighth-century Sanskrit inscription discovered there. The inscription refers to a shrine called Girikandicaitya, which was established on the summit of the hill by a group of merchants led by Tapassu and Bhallika.

According to the Nidanakatha and the Mahavagga, a text dealing with the Vinaya, Tapassu and Bhallika were two merchant brothers who offered food to the Buddha during the eighth week after his enlightenment. They are regarded as the first lay disciples to take refuge in the Buddha and the Dhamma. At their request, the Buddha gave them a handful of his hair relics. According to tradition, the two merchants enshrined these sacred relics and established a shrine at this location.

If this tradition is accepted, the original shrine would have been established during the Buddha’s lifetime. The present structure, however, represents a much later development. The surviving ruins of the vatadage, consisting of a small stupa enclosed by two concentric circles of stone pillars and a retaining wall constructed of stone slabs, are believed to have evolved over successive periods.

A detailed description of the overall Stupaghara architecture of Sri Lanka, including vatadages, can be found here.

Architectural Features of the Vatadage

Professor Paranavitana observed that although the vatadage at Thiriyaya conforms to the general architectural pattern of this type of structure, it contains several features that have not been observed at other vatadage sites.

Unlike at other vatadage sites, the capitals of the pillars at Thiriyaya were not carved separately and subsequently attached to the pillars. In front of the entrances at the four cardinal points are altars made from carved granite slabs, while a stone doorway stands at the head of each flight of steps.

Each of the four cardinal entrances is furnished with a moonstone, Makara balustrades, and Naga guardstones. The moonstones are relatively plain, apart from a lotus-petal design around their circumference. The guardstones are among the most striking artistic features of the site. The Naga kings are portrayed with an austere appearance, relatively free of elaborate jewellery, and with calm, benign expressions. According to scholars, these characteristics, together with their elongated limbs, suggest an influence of the Pallava artistic tradition belonging to a period earlier than the principal Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa phases.

Another unusual feature is evidence suggesting that a wooden upright railing once occupied the space between the upper edge of the stone wall and the roof.

Monastic Remains

The area surrounding the vatadage contains the remains of several image houses, the largest of which housed a large reclining Buddha image. On the lower terraces of the hill are the ruins of monastic buildings, ponds, and flights of steps leading between different levels of the complex.

A surviving stone bridge indicates that an ancient highway once passed through the site. Several rock caves contain early Brahmi inscriptions, providing evidence that a Buddhist monastery existed here during the pre-Christian period. The earliest datable inscription at the site is a pre-Christian Brahmi inscription recording the dedication of a cave to Buddhist monks.

A Heritage and Pilgrimage Site

A visit to the Thiriyaya vatadage offers an opportunity to experience a site of exceptional religious, archaeological, architectural, and natural significance. Its association with the ancient tradition of Tapassu and Bhallika, together with its early inscriptions, distinctive architecture, and surrounding monastic remains, makes Thiriyaya Girihandu Seya a particularly evocative destination for pilgrims, naturalists, architects, and archaeologists alike.

Lush paddy fields on the way to Thiriyaya Girihandu Seya

300 steps carries the pilgrims to the Girihandu Seya in Thiriyaya.

The ancient "Gal Palama" (Stone Bridge) which lead ancient pilgrims to the Girihandu Seya of Thiriyaya.

An inscription along the steps leading to the Girihandu Seya in Thiriyaya.

Remains of and image house with a reclining buddha statue at the Girihandu Seya Watadage in Thiriyaya.

Ruins around the Watadage of Girihandu Seya

Massive decorated granite pillars of the Watadage of Girihandu Seya

One of the granite entrances to the Watadage of Girihandu Seya

The ruins of the residential area of the bhikkus at Watadage of Girihandu Seya . Note the very sharp right angles of all granite blocks

The ruins of the residential area of the bhikkus at Watadage of Girihandu Seya

The ruins of an stupa at the residential area of the bhikkus at Watadage of Girihandu Seya

To the ruins of the residential area of the bhikkus at Watadage of Girihandu Seya

Also See

Travelling Directions to Thiriyaya Girihandu Seya

Located approximately 29 miles (47 km) north of Trincomalee, Thiriyaya Girihandu Seya was once difficult to reach. The journey involved travelling along rough, dusty roads, passing through remote villages and jungle terrain, and crossing a ferry. Following the defeat of the LTTE terrorists in 2009, the area underwent considerable development, particularly in its road network. Today, travelling to Thiriyaya is no more difficult than visiting many of the country’s other popular heritage destinations.

Route from Colombo to Thiriyaya Girihandu Seya	Route from Trincomalee to Thiriyaya Girihandu Seya
Through: Kuchchaveli Distance: 50 km Travel time: 1 hour Driving directions: see on Google Maps	Through: Kuchchaveli Distance: 50 km Travel time: 1 hour Driving directions: see on Google Maps

⚙️ [Google Ad 02 (bottom)]