Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu
A Roman Catholic shrine to Mary in Mannar District with more than 400 years of history. It is the holiest Catholic shrine on the island, revered by Tamil and Sinhalese Catholics alike and visited by Buddhists, Hindus and Protestants too.
- Where
- Madhu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 8.8549, 80.2029
Get the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Northern Province volume with your photos and a note.
Near Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu
Wilpattu National Park 52 km
One of the oldest national parks in Sri Lanka, 1,317 square kilometres of dry zone forest on the northwest coast. It is known for its willus, natural sand rimmed basins that fill with rain, and more than a hundred such lakes and tanks lie scattered through it.
Abhayagiri Vihara 58 km
The ruins of a vast monastery north of ancient Anuradhapura, once a great centre of Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Its humped dagaba rises above bathing ponds, carved balustrades and moonstones, and it was the first keeper of the Tooth Relic on the island.
Samadhi Buddha 58 km
A seated Buddha in deep meditation, carved from dolomite marble and a little over two metres tall, in Mahamevnawa Park. It may once have been gilded with jewelled eyes, and is the only one of four figures around a bodhi tree shrine to survive largely intact.
Thuparamaya 59 km
The earliest documented Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, built when the monk Mahinda brought Buddhism to the island. Its small bell shaped stupa is ringed by slender stone pillars that once held up a roof over it.
Ruwanwelisaya 60 km
A great white stupa built by King Dutugemunu around 140 BC, said to enshrine the largest collection of the Buddha's relics anywhere. Also called the Maha Thupa and Swarnamali Seya, it is the heart of worship in ancient Anuradhapura.
Jetavanaramaya 60 km
A brick stupa begun by King Mahasena in the 3rd century, which at 122 metres was the tallest in the world and the third tallest structure on earth when it was built. It rises from the ruins of the Jetavana monastery and is believed to enshrine part of the Buddha's girdle.
Lovamahapaya 60 km
The remains of a great building between the Ruwanweli stupa and the Sri Maha Bodhi, called the Brazen Palace because its roof was covered in bronze tiles. What survives today is a field of some 1,600 stone pillars.
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi 61 km
A sacred bo tree grown, by tradition, from a cutting of the tree at Bodh Gaya under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, brought here by the nun Sangamitta, daughter of Ashoka, in 236 BC. At more than 2,300 years, it is the oldest living tree planted by people with a known date.
More hidden gems in Northern Province
Questions
Where is Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu?
Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu is in Madhu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Wilpattu National Park (52 km), Abhayagiri Vihara (58 km), Samadhi Buddha (58 km).
How do I get the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Northern Province volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Northern Province volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.