Lumbini, where Prince Siddhartha was born in India was earlier known as Dambadiva; It was a little pastoral village nestling in the mountain frontier of present day Nepal in the 8th Century B.C.
You will be surprised to hear that now you can visit Lumbini in Sri Lanka itself; Buddhists go on pilgrimages to Dambadiva where the hallowed sites connected with the life and times of Siddhartha Gauthama are located. As every Buddhist cannot afford to go on a pilgrimage to Dambadiva, Ven. Gilimale Chandraloka Thera has created replicas of almost all the sacred structures found in Dambadiva to help such pilgrims. When you enter this sacred site, you will feel that you are going round the sacred places of Dambadiva.
This sacred site which is known as Asu Maha Shrawaka Raja Maha Viharaya is along the Colombo-Ratnapura-Pelmadulla-Embilipitiya main highway near the Nonagama junction off the 22rd kilometre post from Rathnapura. From there, you need to turn off and travel along a mountain winding metal led narrow road running to about 12 kilometres.
There are replicas of sacred places such as Buddha Gaya, Lumbini, Kusinara and Jethawanaya at the site.
