Sri Maha Bodhi Temple - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 1.5 km from Anuradhapura Railway Station, Sri Maha Bodhi is a sacred tree standing tall in the Mahamewna Gardens in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage for Buddhists from around the world and among the prime places to visit in Anuradhapura as part of Sri Lanka Packages.

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple is the center of tourist attraction in Anuradhapura. Buddhists from all over the world visit this place because it enshrines the great souvenir of the past and pride of the present, the sacred Bodhi tree. This is the sapling of the original Peepal Tree at Buddha Gaya, India in whose shelter Gautama Buddha attained supreme enlightenment. As per the history, the sapling was brought to Sri Lanka by Buddhist nun Sanghamitra, the daughter of Emperor Asoka of India during the 3rd Century BC. In 288 BC, it was planted by King Devanampiya Tissa in the Mahamewna Park in Anuradhapura.

The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, as it became known, has since been cared for and protected by Buddhist monks and dedicated kings. Statues, water canals, golden fences, and walls have been built around the tree over the centuries. At times the tree has faced serious threats, and not only from wild elephants. Two branches of the sacred tree were broken during separate storms in 1907 and 1911. An individual cut down a branch in 1929. And then, in 1985, Tamil Tiger separatists stormed the site and massacred 146 Sinhalese-Buddhists on the upper terrace. The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, however, remains standing and continues to be the oldest cultivated tree in the world with a documented written history.

There are many Bodhi trees here in this temple but the one on an elevated platform is the oldest and venerated. Housed within a temple, it is one of the most sacred relics of the Buddhists in Sri Lanka and respected by Buddhists all over the world today as the original tree at Bodhgaya in India was destroyed. People throng to this temple on full moon days to immerse themselves in the spirituality and divineness present in the air. Many devotees believe that this tree has the power to grant the wishes of every person who pays a visit to the complex.

There are four main festivals are performed in honor of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi with great significance. They are Duruthu Mangalle in January, Parana Avurudu Mangalle, Aluth Avurudu Mangalle, and Kartika Mangalle. Besides, there are also sermon sessions organized every day, where the Buddhist devotees visit the premises of the tree. On this occasion, one will find the atmosphere filled with the fragrance of the incense sticks and the burning of the oil lamps.

Timings: 6 AM - 12 PM & 2 PM - 9 PM

Entry: LKR. 200 for Person