Deeghawapi
Buddhist shrine in Ampara District, Sri Lanka
Deeghawapi (Pali: Dīghavāpī, "long reservoir") is a Buddhist sacred shrine and an archaeological site in the Ampara District of Sri Lanka, historical records dating back to the 3rd century BCE. Water reservoirs, called "tanks", were an important feature of the hydraulic civilization of ancient Sri Lanka, and temples and cities were built around them. The importance of Dighavapi is connected with legends about visits to this site by the Buddha himself, and many allusions to Deeghawapi in the ancient chronicles as well as in the Pali literature. In more recent (medieval) times, the Sinhalese kings have settled Moor and Dutch settlers in the neighbouring areas. The construction is expected to be finished by the end 2023.
Legend and Ancient History
The Mahavamsa, an ancient chronicle written in the 5th century, and the Dipavamsa of an earlier date, contain a mixture of legend and historical facts. These chronicles state that the Buddha himself visited the village, and on the spot where he sat in meditation a cetiya was later erected (Mhv. Ch.i.78). The Dipavamsa and the important Pali work, the Samantha Pasaadika. (Ch i. v.89) also have allusions to Dighavapi.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Deeghawapi” as buddhist shrine in Ampara District, Sri Lanka. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as buddhist shrine in Ampara District, Sri Lanka. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5249992. Authority coordinates are 7.284, 81.787. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2023.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Deeghawapi”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Deeghawapi primary sources, Deeghawapi archive and Deeghawapi research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Deeghawapi”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Deeghawapi” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.