Declare Vedukkunari and Samalankulam Buddhist Heritage Sites, Says Monk

05-Oct-2026

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Kalakamuwa Sandabodhi Nayaka Thera has publicly called on the Department of Archaeology to declare the hill housing the Adi Sivan Temple at Vedukkunari in Vavuniya, as well as the hill at Samalankulam where a Pillaiyar temple is located, Buddhist heritage sites and take steps to protect them without delay.

He also called for police and military personnel to be deployed in the areas to prevent what he described as deliberate destruction. He said he would continue conducting religious observances with members of the public until action was taken.

The monk made these remarks in response to reports that he had participated in prayers at Vedukkunari Hill and intended to continue religious observances in the coming days near the Pillaiyar temple at Samalankulam.

He said a group of Buddhist devotees had visited Vedukkunari Hill last week under his leadership to conduct religious observances. He maintained that the activity was neither directed against the Tamil people nor intended as an act of encroachment.

He added that the group had no intention of conducting religious observances at Samalankulam either, but said certain matters needed to be clearly understood.

Regardless of what historical books might state, Vedukkunari Hill and Samalankulam were highly significant to the origins of Buddhism and should therefore be protected as Buddhist heritage sites, he claimed.

Sandabodhi Thera said he was pursuing the matter for that reason and that his actions had been wrongly interpreted as an attempt at encroachment.

He outlined three demands.

First, both locations should be recognised as Buddhist heritage sites and immediately declared archaeological sites, a decision he said fell within the authority of the Director of Archaeology.

Second, their designation as archaeological sites should be formally announced through a Gazette notification.

Third, police and security personnel should remain deployed in the areas to ensure their protection.

He said there would be no problem if these measures were implemented. According to him, he had been observing the two locations for a long time and had become increasingly concerned about what he described as recent efforts to damage their Buddhist heritage.

He said Buddhists could not remain patient indefinitely while their rights were being eroded and that it was inappropriate to remain passive in the face of such developments.

He therefore began conducting religious observances in the areas. He said he would discontinue them once his demands were accepted and implemented, but that the observances led by him would continue until then.