Location: Kataragama
Top Things to do in Kataragama
5 Things to Do in Kataragama That You Shouldn't Miss
Kataragama (Sinhalese: කතරගම, translit. Kataragama , Tamil: கதிர்காமம், translit. Katirkāmam) is a pilgrimage town sacred to Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and indigenous Vedda people of Sri Lanka. People from South India also go there to worship. The town has the Kataragama temple, a shrine dedicated to Skanda Kumara also known as Kataragama deviyo. Kataragama is located in the Monaragala District of Uva province, Sri Lanka. It is 228 km ESE of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Although Kataragama was a small village in medieval times, today it is a fast-developing township surrounded by jungle in the southeastern region of Sri Lanka.
Restaurants in Kataragama
1. Kataragama Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 288 reviews
Reviewed By Rock J - Sri Lanka
Katirkāmam Murukaṉ Kōyil') in Kataragama, Sri Lanka, is a temple complex dedicated to Buddhist guardian deity Kataragama deviyo and Hindu War God Kathirkamam. It is one of the few religious sites in Sri Lanka that is venerated by the Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and the Vedda people.[3] For most of the past millennia, it was a jungle shrine very difficult to access; today it is accessible by an all-weather road. The shrines and the nearby Kiri Vehera are managed by Buddhists, the shrines dedicated to Teyvāṉai and Shiva are managed by Hindus and the mosque by Muslims.
2. Sella Kataragama Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 40 reviews
Reviewed By Veronika K
I was not taking pictures here, becase it was full of people ready for ceremony. It is better to cover your knees and shoulders. You can buy flowers and food at market in front of this temple. There are free walking cows eating trash (flowers and fruit).
3. Kataragama Perahera Festival
Overall Ratings
5 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By gloglozz - Milan, Italy
It has been one of the best experience in my life, very intensive and beautiful. Everything is surrounded by a magical, religious and spiritual atmosphere. The songs are lovely, the sound captures you; the evening performance lasts an hour and a half and it's captivating.
Hindu people are very nice, it was weird because in the afternoon we were the only Westerners in the park and people, especially kids, stared at us with curiosity.
We didn't plan to visit Kataragama, but we changed our schedule after talking with a guy we met at Adam's Peak . It was at the end the most interesting place we visited during our trip through Sri Lanka.
It is a little bit complicated to go there if you use public transport - which means bus - and also to go from Kataragama to Passekudah, but it worth it. From Kataragama it's also very easy to go to Yala (another entrance, not the one from Tissa) and avoid the terrible line I heard about.
There are also a lot of shops where you can buy gifts and souvenir - I bought some Shiva 's paintings, Ganesh's, trousers...
If you are looking for a niche city and for an intensive life experience, focused on a particular culture, Kataragama Perahera Festival is the place to go.
4. Yala Safari Team
We do Yala Budget Safari, Yala Tours, Yala Sightseeing, Yala Camping Site .We are locals & experienced to do safari in Yala National Park in Sri Lanka. We have been doing safari since 2003 & We have luxury 4 x 4 drive jeeps with experienced drivers & well knowledgable tour guides. Our aim is to show you the leopards during your adventure tour to Yala. That is our main purpose.
5. Yala Safari Team
We do Yala Budget Safari, Yala Tours, Yala Sightseeing, Yala Camping Site .We are locals & experienced to do safari in Yala National Park in Sri Lanka. We have been doing safari since 2003 & We have luxury 4 x 4 drive jeeps with experienced drivers & well knowledgable tour guides. Our aim is to show you the leopards during your adventure tour to Yala. That is our main purpose.
