Along with Adam’s Peak, Kataragama is an important place for pilgrimages in Sri Lanka. Being a holy site for Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus, there is a sprawling complex of buildings of all three religions across the Menik Ganga.
King Dutugemunu built a shrine here to the Kataragama Deviyo, the resident god, in the 2nd century BC.
The Buddhist Kiri Vehera dates back to the 1st century BC.