Tissamaharama is a town in south-eastern Sri Lanka. It used to be the capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom of Ruhuna as early as the 3rd century B.C. Only few buildings from that period can still be seen today. It is said that Lord Buddha visited Tissamaharama on his third visit to Sri Lanka and a sacred tooth relic and forehead bone relic are enshrined in a dagoba. It is one of the sixteen scared places in relation to Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The most prominent attraction in town is the Tissa wewa, which is a man made reservoir, and is bustling with astonishing bird life.