AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Mihindu Viharaya is a beloved neighborhood Buddhist temple situated along Buthgamuwa Road in Kotikawatta, on the eastern fringe of Colombo. Named after Arahant Mahinda — the great missionary monk who brought the Buddha's teachings to Sri Lanka in the third century BCE — this quiet vihara serves as both a place of worship and a community spiritual anchor for the surrounding area. Visitors describe a calming atmosphere, attractive Buddha statues, and a welcoming space for meditation and Dhamma study.↗↗
What sets Mihindu Viharaya apart from the grand heritage temples of Sri Lanka's ancient capitals is its role as a living local temple — the kind where children attend Dhamma school on weekends, families gather for full-moon observances, and monks deliver sermons during the annual Katina season. It is the everyday face of Sri Lankan Buddhism: accessible, unpretentious, and deeply rooted in community life.↗↗
A Temple Named for Sri Lanka's Spiritual Founder
The name Mihindu is the Sinhala form of Mahinda, the Arahant who, according to the great chronicle Mahavamsa, traveled from India to Sri Lanka at the direction of Emperor Ashoka and converted King Devanampiyatissa to Buddhism. The hilltop where they met — Mihintale, literally "Mahinda's Plateau" near Anuradhapura — remains one of the country's most sacred pilgrimage sites. Temples bearing the name Mihindu Viharaya dot the island, each honoring this foundational figure. The Kotikawatta temple carries the same dedication, keeping alive the memory of the monk who made Sri Lanka a stronghold of Theravada Buddhism.
