Sri Lankan Buddhist Deities

Sri Lankan Buddhist Deities

Tradition

Buddhist / Theravada / Sri Lankan — 3rd century BCE to present

Location

• Sri Lanka (7.8731°N, 80.7718°E)

Timeline

Foreign Traveler Quotes

"In the island of Sri Lanka, there is a Bodhi tree which is a direct descendant of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. It is reverenced by all Buddhist pilgrims and is kept watch over day and night by monks." — Faxian (Fa-Hien), Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Fo-Kwo-Ki, c. 400 CE

"The island of Sri Lanka is filled with Buddhist monasteries. The monks here follow the Theravada tradition with great devotion. The Buddha's tooth relic is kept in a great pagoda and venerated by the king and people." — Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang), Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Si-Yu-Ki, c. 640 CE

"The inhabitants of this island are Buddhists and their king is a Buddhist. There is a great temple here where the Buddha's tooth is kept, and the king honors it greatly. The people are gentle and their customs differ from those of the Muslims." — Ibn Battuta, Moroccan traveler, Rihla, c. 1344 CE

Sacred Narrative

Sri Lanka became a major center of Theravada Buddhism following the mission of Mahinda (son of Emperor Ashoka) in the 3rd century BCE. The Sri Mahabodhi at Anuradhapura — a descendant of the original Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya — is still alive today and one of the oldest continuously worshiped sacred sites in the world.

The island's Buddhist tradition includes protective deities like Sathara Kanda Deva, Kanda Deva, and Kelaniya Raja (the deity who protects the Kelaniya temple where Buddha himself is said to have preached).

Chinese pilgrims Faxian (5th century) and Xuanzang (7th century) both described the flourishing Buddhist monastic life. Ibn Battuta (14th century) was impressed by the devotion and the famous tooth relic. Vesak celebrations in Sri Lanka are among the most spectacular in the Buddhist world, with illuminated pandals spanning miles. Poson commemorates Mahinda's arrival with pilgrimages to Mihintale.

The Kandyan Perahera (procession) with the sacred tooth relic remains one of the most important Buddhist rituals in Sri Lanka, drawing hundreds of thousands of devotees.