Attanagalla Temple in Gampaha District

Traditionally, Attanagalla Rajamaha Viharaya in Gampaha District has been considered to be the place where King Sirisanghabo beheaded himself in order to help a poor peasant. The most comprehensive account of this story is told in the chronicle of the Attanagalla monastery. It’s the most famous royal legend of Sri Lanka. The narrative of King Sirisanghabo’s self-sacrifice resembles that of Jataka stories. Jatakas are canonical stories about previous incarnations of the historical Buddha. His self-sacrifices in his previous lies were the reason why his Karma was good enough to find enlightenment and become a Buddha in his final incarnation. Sirisanghabo‘s self-beheading in favour of a fellow being thus is the story of a future Buddha. The king thereby turnes out to be a Bodhisattva, a being that will become a Buddha in a future incarnation. As the site of a Bodhisattva, Attanagalla is an extraorinarily holy place in Sri Lanka. The architecture is by and large modern and the decorations are gaudy. However, there is a unique roofed Vatadage in the centre of the compund that dates from the Kandy period.