A landmark for over two thousand years
Dambakola Patuna refers to the ancient port of the northern peninsula where Sanghamitta, the daughter of the historical Indian emperor Ashoka, landed following the arrival of Buddhism to Sri Lanka over two thousand years ago. With her, Sanghamitta brought a sacred sapling from the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. This very sapling was then used to plant by King Devanampiyatissa to plant the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura – currently the oldest surviving human-planted tree in the world. Today, no remnants of the ancient port exist, nor do ruins of a temple that was built to commemorate the arrival of the sapling. However, the Sri Lankan Navy has since built a new temple in modern times named the Sri Sanghamitta Viharaya – which serves as one of the key Buddhist landmarks of Sri Lanka’s northern province.
From North Gate by Jetwing, the journey to Dambakola Patuna takes 45 minutes by road. And with the Sri Sanghamitta Viharaya located on a coastline which marks the northern edge of our island, the sight of India’s southern shores is not a rarity on a clear day over the blue waters of the Palk Strait.