Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

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Ancient · Buddhist · Sri Lanka

Somawathiya Chaitya

Somawathiya National Park, Polonnaruwa District, North Central Province · 8.1209°, 81.1689°

Right canine tooth relic of Gautama BuddhaAnuradhapura
Sacred since
200 BCE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
2nd c. BCE (reign of Kavan Tissa)
Anuradhapura

History & significance

A stupa on the Mahaweli floodplain in Polonnaruwa District, built in the reign of King Kavan Tissa by Prince Giri Abhaya to enshrine the Buddha's right canine tooth relic, which he received from Arahat Mahinda. It takes its name from the prince's wife, Princess Somawathi, sister of the king, and the couple handed the completed shrine to the monks.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-28 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Anuradhapura