Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day
| Date | Type |
|---|---|
03 Jan 2026 Saturday | BankPublicMercantile |
22 Jan 2027 Friday | BankPublicMercantile |
Overview
Duruthu Poya, falling on the first full moon of January, commemorates the earliest of the Buddha's three legendary visits to Sri Lanka, recorded in the island's ancient chronicles, the Mahavamsa and Dipavamsa. According to these texts, nine months after attaining enlightenment, the Buddha travelled to Mahiyangana in what is now Uva Province to make peace between two warring factions of yakkhas, a tribe described in the chronicles as supernatural beings who then dominated the island. During the visit, he is said to have preached to a local chieftain named Sumana, who later came to be venerated as the deity God Saman, and gifted him sacred hair relics enshrined in a stupa that became Mahiyangana's dagoba, regarded as the first stupa ever built in Sri Lanka. Duruthu Poya also traditionally opens the pilgrimage season to Adam's Peak (Sri Pada), which continues through to Vesak in May. In modern Colombo, the day is most visibly marked by the Duruthu Perahera at Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, a major procession with traditional drummers, dancers and decorated elephants that draws large crowds each January.
Significance
According to the Mahavamsa chronicle, the Buddha visited Mahiyangana in the central highlands on this Poya day to settle a dispute between two groups of demons (yakkhas), an event Buddhists regard as the beginning of Buddhism's presence on the island.
How it's observed
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara near Colombo, traditionally linked to a later Buddha visit, holds a major Duruthu Perahera (procession) with drummers, dancers and decorated elephants around this time. As with every Poya day, alcohol sales are banned island-wide and many businesses close or shorten their hours.
See the Sri Lanka long weekends list or use the interactive holiday planner.