Sri Lanka is a beautiful tropical island where locals have tended to follow the Buddhist religion throughout the ages. With over two millennia of history in Buddhism, Sri Lanka is what one would call a ‘Buddhist’s Heaven’.
Sri Lanka has hundreds of sites with Buddhist temples or Buddhism related architecture, most of which have historical value.
Though many are famous both as historical sites and religious sites, there are some gems hidden in plain view and only known to the local. However, well known or unknown the sites the fact remains that all Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka are venerated by Buddhists and respected by the other minor religious sects that make the island their home.
The main Buddhist sites of Sri Lanka are notably concentrated in the areas where there were once the capital kingdoms of Sri Lanka, places like Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy. The comprehensive list of Buddhist sites compiled below is segregated according to those locations, so that a visitor can plan their viewings appropriately