UNDUVAPA POYA (SANGHAMITTA DAY)

This Buddhist festival takes place on the last full moon day of December, and commemorates the visit of Sanghamitta, the eldest daughter of Emperor Ashoka, who brought the cutting of the Bo tree (Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi) to the island. In honor of this historic event, devotees come to the Mahameuna Garden in Anuradhapura, where this tree, considered the oldest in the world, is located. They come to pay homage to the Bo tree and observe the five precepts of Buddhist ethics.