neilmanda

NAGADEEPA ISLAND

Nagadeepa / Nainativu is one of the islands belonging to Sri Lankan Government in the Palk Bay off the Jaffna Peninsula.
Reaching to Nagadeepa is from the village of Kurikattuwan, takes about 30-minute boat ride over the Palk Bay. The distance between Nagadeepa and Jaffna is about 28 km. Kayts Island also situated in close to Nagadeepa. Jaffna City is about 400 km away from Colombo.
There are a Buddhist Temple, a Hindu Kovil and a mini bazaar stretching for about a hundred meters between these two shrines. The population of the island is approximately 3500 Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils and Muslims. This island is visited by thousands of Sinhalese Buddhists and other communities on the pilgrimage to the Buddhist temple and Hindu Kovil. The Buddhist Temple is considered as one of the 16 holiest Buddhist Sites in Sri Lanka by virtue of being a location Buddha had visited in the 6th century B.C.
Naga Vihara & Hindu Kovil are visited by almost all the Pilgrims and visitors. There is a Bus for public transportation. You can have a visit around the Island by this Bus.

Visitors are going towards the jetty to get in a hiring Boat

After getting down to Nagadeepa Island Jetty

The front side of the Naga Vihara

Name display in Sinhala Language of Naga Viharaya

Naga Viharaya

The entrance of Naga Viharaya symbolizing Cobras Pillers

Visitors are engaging in Religious activities & reading Historic descriptions

The Nagadeepa island is known as the place where Lord Buddha came during his second visit to Sri Lanka, after five years of attaining Enlightenment, to intervene and mediate in settling a dispute between two Naga Kings, Chulodara and Mahodara over the possession of a gem-studded throne.