Thiriyai, the First Stupa in Sri Lanka & Final Ritual Site of King Ravana's Mother

Description

Tapassu & Balluka, two traders from Orissa were on the way to Rajgir during 5th century BCE & got their bullock carts stuck in the mud in Bodhgaya. While the crew is trying to free the carts from the mud, two brothers wandered around & met Buddha, who was enjoying his newly attained enlightenment. Tapassu & Balluka offered Buddha his first alms & became the first disciples of Buddhism. Upon returning, two brothers got handful of hair of Buddha as relics. On one of their trading journeys, they came to Sri Lanka & build a Stupa enshrining some of those hairs of Buddha in Thiriyai. Remains of this stupa still be seen on a top of small hill in Thiriyai.   

Velgamvehera or Raja Raja Perumpalli is an extraordinary Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. During the Chola invasion in late 10th century, most of the Buddhist temples in the island were destroyed & left to ruin. But Velgamvehera miraculously survived the destruction as the Chola emperor’s mother liked the temple & decided to patronage it. Cholas renamed the temple as Raja Raja Perumpalli & made many donations to maintain it. Extensive remains of this Buddhist temple loved by a South Indian Chola queen is still be seen today.  

Long, long time ago, legendary king Ravana was in pursuit of removing Koneshwaram temple. Upon hearing her son’s efforts, princess Kaikesi, the mother of Ravana fell sick & died of unbeatable sorrow. To perform his mother's final rituals, Ravana stuck the earth seven times with his sword & fountains sprang from these places. The water was hot, and so was the beginning of these hot water springs in Kanniya.