Nagadeepa Purana Vihara

SRI LANKA, Northern Province

The vihara is situated on Nainativu Island, off Jaffna, and is one of Sri Lanka’s 16 sacred sites. According to legend, it was constructed by two warring naga kings, Chulodara and Mahodara, on the site where the Buddha mediated in a dispute on the ownership of a gem-studded throne during his second visit to Sri Lanka. The throne was later enshrined in the stupa at this vihara. There were also records stating that the vihara was developed and reconstructed by devoted rulers King Devanampiyatissa (reigned 250–210 BCE) and King Dutugemunu (reigned 161–137 BCE). However, all records of this were destroyed during colonial rule.
In 1931, monk Randombe Somatissa Nayake Thero from Ambalangoda visited the vihara and saw the ruins of the Rajayathana Stupa. He recognized the stupa as that of the gem-studded throne, and vowed to rebuild it. The silver stupa is dome-shaped with a three-tier circular base on an octagonal platform. It is topped by a square harmika, a spire of stacked rings, and a golden finial.
In the vicinity of the stupa, there is a rectangular pool. At the center of this pool is a seated Buddha on a lotus throne, which in turn sits on a platform in the form of a coiled naga. The statue is sheltered by a canopy in the shape of a seven-headed naga. Also near the ruins are the ruins of the Kiripalu Nuga tree.