Sri Lanka reveals itself in small, deliberate details. A ritual repeated at dawn, a symbol appearing again and again, a gesture that feels instinctive to locals and unfamiliar to visitors. At first, these moments pass quietly, noticed but unexplained.
Look a little closer and it becomes clear that very little here is random. Everyday customs are shaped by centuries of belief, island rhythms, and lived tradition. What seems ordinary often carries meaning far deeper than it appears.
What Is the Significance of the Bo Tree (Bodhi Tree) for Sri Lankans?
The Bo Tree, or Bodhi Tree (Ficus religiosa), holds immense spiritual significance in Sri Lanka. It is directly connected to Buddhism, which took root on the island during the reign of India’s great Buddhist king, Ashoka. In 288 BC, a sapling from the original Bodhi Tree in India — under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment — was sent to Sri Lanka at Ashoka’s behest. His daughter, Theri Sangamitta, carried the sacred sapling across the sea.
At the time, Sri Lanka was ruled by the Sinhalese king Devanampiya Tissa. The sapling was planted in what is now the historic UNESCO World Heritage City of Anuradhapura. Located within the Mahamewna Gardens, the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi has since become one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Sri Lankan Buddhists and receives millions of devotees each year.
Bodhi Trees are often planted within Buddhist temple complexes, and visitors can frequently be seen offering flowers and prayers at their base. The sight of devotees circumambulating the tree or meditating beneath its canopy is common and deeply tied to the belief that the Bodhi Tree brings spiritual peace, clarity, and protection.
The Practice of Hanging Coconuts
In Sri Lanka, it is quite common to see coconuts tied with coloured threads or ribbons hanging outside homes. This practice is believed to invite prosperity, good health, and protection from evil. Coconuts are highly symbolic in Sri Lankan culture, often associated with wealth, abundance, and success, and their presence outside a home is thought to ward off misfortune.
Drawing from several cosmologies — particularly Buddhist and Hindu traditions — the coconut holds deep cultural and ritual importance. The practices of hanging, breaking, or offering coconuts are intrinsic to Hindu rituals, especially in South India, which has significantly influenced Sinhalese culture. The coconut is considered sacred, pure, clean, and life-giving, with every part of the nut believed to possess beneficial properties.
The coconut finds mention as early as the 2nd–1st century BC in Sri Lanka’s historical chronicle, the Mahawamsa. From this text, we also learn of the origins of the Sinhalese people, tracing their lineage to the Indian prince Vijaya and the yakka (demon tribe) princess Kuweni. Kuweni betrayed her people by helping Vijaya defeat her tribe and gain power. Though she became his consort and bore him children, Vijaya later abandoned her to marry an Indian princess.
According to legend, Kuweni cursed Vijaya and his descendants, and Sri Lanka is sometimes referred to as a “cursed land” as a result of these maledictions. Within this cultural framework, coconuts are regarded as auspicious objects capable of deflecting the evil eye and negative energies.
Historical records suggest that coconut milk was used for sacred bathing rituals of deities in temples as far back as the 2nd–1st century BC. Over time, the coconut expanded its ritual role beyond temples and entered domestic religious practices, valued for its sanctity, purity, and protective symbolism.