Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day in Sri Lanka
Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day is a Sri Lankan public and bank holiday associated with the arrival of Theri Sanghamitta and a Bodhi-tree sapling in Anuradhapura. Its religious meaning and its place in Sri Lanka’s holiday laws make it a day of Buddhist observance and a day off for people covered by holiday provisions.[1][3]
A day with legal status
Sri Lanka’s Holidays Act declares every Full Moon Poya Day a public holiday and a bank holiday. It says public holidays are to be kept as holidays, and banks are to observe bank holidays as close holidays. These provisions apply to Unduvap because it is a Full Moon Poya Day.[1]
The Department of Labour says people employed in or about a shop or office are entitled to a holiday on a Full Moon Poya Day. Its guidance does not provide an extra day in lieu when Poya falls on a weekly holiday, weekly half-holiday, or certain other leave days. This entitlement is specific to workers covered by the relevant shop and office provisions; it does not establish that every business must close.[2]
Sanghamitta and the Sri Maha Bodhi
Unduvap is significant in Sri Lanka because it commemorates Theri Sanghamitta’s arrival from India with a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree. Sri Lanka Tourism identifies Anuradhapura as the place where the sapling was planted and says worshippers continue to pay tribute to the Sri Maha Bodhi there.[3]
A 2025 account from the High Commission of India in Colombo also connects Sanghamitta’s arrival with Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day and the sapling brought to Sri Lanka. It describes traditions associated with families in villages near Anuradhapura who have responsibilities for safeguarding the sacred tree.[4]
Observance and practical effects
A 2025 account from the High Commission of India in Colombo describes village families near Anuradhapura who have responsibilities for safeguarding the sacred tree.[4]
For practical planning, expect banks to be closed under the Holidays Act, and note that workers covered by the shop and office provisions have a Poya holiday. Check transport schedules and opening hours with the provider before travelling or arranging business.[1][2]
Frequently asked questions
Is Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day a public holiday?
Yes. Sri Lanka’s Holidays Act declares every Full Moon Poya Day a public holiday and a bank holiday.[1]
Who gets a day off?
The Department of Labour says workers covered by the shop and office provisions are granted a holiday on a Full Moon Poya Day. The law does not provide an additional day in lieu when it coincides with specified weekly or other leave days.[2]
Are banks open?
The Holidays Act says every bank holiday is to be observed as a close holiday in every bank, so banks are closed for the holiday.[1]
Where is the holiday’s main place of homage?
Sri Lanka Tourism identifies the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura as the tree to which worshippers pay tribute in connection with Unduvap.[3]
Sources and references
Sources used for Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day in Sri Lanka:
- Holidays Act- Ministry of Science and Technology, Sri Lanka
- Salary/wages/Leave- Department of Labour, Sri Lanka
- Buddhism - A Way of Life- Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau
- High Commissioner of India Visits Descendants of Sanghamitta Maha Theri’s Entourage- High Commission of India, Colombo