5/5 Dushan C. 1 year ago on Google • 97 reviews
The
Kothduwa
temple,
or
Koth
Duwa
Raja
Maha
Viharaya,
is
a
Buddhist
temple
located
on
Kothduwa
Island
on
the
Madu
Ganga
in
southern
Sri
Lanka.
The
island
is
located
in
Galle
District
of
the
Southern
Province
approximately
35
km
(22
mi)
north
of
Galle
and
88
km
(55
mi)
south
of
Colombo.The
temple
is
believed
to
have
once
sheltered
the
sacred
relic
of
the
tooth
of
the
Buddha,
circa
340
CE.
The
Bodhi
tree
on
the
island
was
planted
from
a
bud
of
the
Jaya
Sri
Maha
Bodhi
by
Deva
Pathiraja,
minister
to
King
Parakramabahu
IV.
The
temple
and
the
island
on
which
it
is
located
both
lie
within
the
Maduganga
Estuary.
Kothduwa
is
one
of
15
islands
within
the
estuary.
The
biodiversity
of
the
wetlands
surrounding
the
temple
is
exceptional
and
111
species
of
birds
and
248
species
of
vertebrates
have
been
recorded
in
the
area.
In
2006,
the
Department
of
Wildlife
Conservation
declared
2,600
hectares
of
the
estuary
a
wildlife
sanctuary.
In
2003,
915
hectares
of
the
Maduganga
Estuary
was
declared
a
wetland
of
international
importance
under
the
Ramsar
Convention.
The
estuary
and
the
15
islands
within,
including
Kothduwa
became
Ramsar
Site
1372.Access
to
the
temple
is
by
boat
from
Balapitiya,
the
nearest
large
town.The
temple
also
operates
its
own
boat
for
the
purposes
of
running
the
temple,
although
it
is
sometimes
used
to
pick
up
visitors.
Those
wishing
to
be
collected
by
the
temple
boat
should
sound
the
horn
and
flash
the
headlights
of
their
vehicle,
from
the
access
road
on
the
mainland
shore
nearest
the
island.
Great
Temple
located
at
the
Madu
River.
It
is
pleasure
to
visit
this
religious
place.
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