Kataragama is a well – known pilgrimage town sacred to Buddhist, Hindu, and indigenous Vedda people of Sri Lanka. So, it is a multi-religious sacred town. Hindus from South India visit here in high numbers. According to the Buddhists, Kataragama is one of the 16 places visited by Buddha (solos maha Stana) during his 3 visits to Sri Lanka. The history of Kataragama goes back to pre-Christian era and both Buddhist and Hindu literature have identified this place in various ways.
The ancient Kiri Vehera Buddhist stupa, which is believed to be built by the regional King Mahasena in the 6th century BC is also a major attraction in Kataragama area. Kataragama is one of the 16 principal places of Buddhist pilgrimage to be visited in Sri Lanka. The town has a venerable history dating back to the last centuries BCE. It was the seat of government of many Sinhalese kings during the days of Rohana kingdom. Since the 1950s the town has undergone many improvements with successive governments investing in public transportation, medical facilities, business development and hotel services. It adjoins the popular Yala National Park.
Sella Kataragama is a small town lying on the banks of Menik Ganga about 4 kilometers north -west of Kataragama which has been weaved into the legends of deity Kataragama (Skanda Kumaraya) as much as Kataragama itself. Sella Kataragama area has been developed as another multi-cultural area attracting all walks of life from Buddhists, Hindus and the indigenous Veddas. To enter the sacred area, you need to cross the Menik Ganga (river). The walk from the car park to the river is lined with shops selling sweetmeats to toys to memorabilia. On the other side of the river lies a plethora of kovils and devales including a Ganapathi Kovil, a Siva Kovil, a Kataragama Kovil, a Valli Amma Kovil, a Lakshmi Kovil and Saman Devalaya and a temple dedicated to king Mahasen called Mahasen Viharaya. On pilgrimage to Kataragama, a visit to Sella Kataragama is generally a permanent item in the itinerary. Newly married couples make it a point to visit the devales of Valli Amma to obtain blessings for the new life.
