Nagadipa Temple

Jaffna & the North


This is the North’s only major Buddhist pilgrimage site. According to legend, the Buddha came to the island to prevent war between a naga king and his nephew over ownership of a gem-studded throne. The solution: give it to the temple instead. The precious chair and original temple disappeared long ago, but today there is an attractive silver-painted dagoba. Just behind, three happy-looking Buddhas sit in a domed temple. It's a 10-minute walk south from Naga Pooshani Amman Kovil along the coast road.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Jaffna & the North attractions

1. Naga Pooshani Amman Kovil

0.43 MILES

This lovely complex is an airy Hindu temple set amid mature neem trees. The main temple deity is the naga goddess Meenakshi, a consort of Shiva. (The term…

3. Fort Hammenhiel

8.46 MILES

A tiny islet in the bay is home to the pocket-sized Fort Hammenhiel, a small Portuguese-built bastion that passed on to the Dutch in the 1650s. The thick…

4. Kayts

8.61 MILES

Kayts is a moody little village with a few scuttled fishing boats down by the ferry dock and some big old bayan trees. This was the port from which…

5. St Anthony's Church

8.62 MILES

Built in 1820, this large colonnaded church is dishevelled, but the faithful have strung colourful garlands from the soaring rafters. Immediately west,…

6. Chaatty Beach

10.05 MILES

Chaatty Beach is no white-sand wonder, but it’s passable for swimming and has changing rooms, picnic gazebos and snack vendors. It's just 11km from Jaffna.

7. War Memorial

10.92 MILES

About 2km north of the AB19 along a dirt track is a sombre memorial to Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa and others. In 1992, the LTTE set…

8. Casuarina Beach

12.77 MILES

An attractive stretch of sand with good swimming and, as the name indicates, a shoreline backed by mature casuarina trees. It's popular with folks from…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "sri-lanka/nainativu-nagadipa/attractions/nagadipa-temple/a/poi-sig/1460316/1327596",
      "destination": "Jaffna-&-the-North",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Sri-Lanka",
      "region": "Jaffna-&-the-North",
      "position": "superzone"
    }