Securing prominence as one of the more unique sacred monuments among the historical sites in Ruhuna, the Kiri Vehera is an ancient stupa believed to date back to 3rd century BC and built by King Mahasena, brother of King Devanampiyatissa. The Kiri Vehera is also amongst one of the 16 sacred sites of Buddhist pilgrimage in Sri Lanka.

Historical records say that when the Buddha made his third and last visit to the island in 6th century BC, he met King Mahagosha aka Mahasena, a regional ruler of Kataragama, at the site where the stupa now stands. Having listened to the Buddha’s sermon, the king built the stupa as a token of gratitude. Legend has it that in building the stupa, the king deposited a hair relic of the Buddha, the golden seat the Buddha sat on during his sermon, and the sword that Prince Siddhartha used to cut his hair off at the time of his renunciation.