Katharagama

katharagama is a most holy place in southern part of sri lanka as there is a God temple and Buddhist holy Bodhi tree, Few legends have about God katharagama, According to the Tamils belief the deity skanda also known as murugan, Arumugam, kandasami, subramanyam, that legend explains further more as god skanda came to sri lanka as a noisy quarrel with his wife Thevani, later he married 16 years old “walli” from katharagama area.

Some Sinhala legend says when the third visit of Lord Buddha king mahasena has ruled here and after listening to sermons of Buddha he followed Buddhism and improve the mind and collect merit as who is that deity after death

There is a Buddhist shrine, that some legend says Sapling of the Boo tree from the original Boo tree was planted at katharagama that boo tree behind the temple is one of the eight sapling of sri maha boodhia, king mahasen has built the pagoda it is named locally “kiri vehera” that pagoda is built on that where the place was committed to the Buddha’s ceremony by king mahasena.

Annually katharagama procession commenced July; the inaugural procession commenced at valli Amma devalya it started at the auspicious time, second day of procession begins at main Devalaya,two days before last night that procession has announced to dedicated procession for God, it called God procession the last day the procession proceed to kiri vehera(pagoda) there after that procession travel up to wali amma Devalya from there that final procession conducted up to maha Devalya ,in this procession which are more exciting procession event possible to see as fire work and hanging to perform to their promises for the god and including cultural procession event Decorated Elephants, Drummers ,Down south dancers ,The procession coordinated by lay custodian (Basnayaka Nilame) of katharagama Devala and Chief incumbents of Temples.