The Sinhala Buddhist lay community accepts a large body of beliefs and religious rituals that are tolerated by Buddhist monks and integrated into Sinhalese religion.
Although, strictly speaking, the word Kataragama refers to the place-name of a certain area in southern Sri Lanka
Kataragama, Kacharagama or Kadiragama...whatever name you may call it, it's a place of worship for all. People from all religions gather here to pray to the Kataragama God
Sri Lankans believe that the water collected at the diya kaepima (water-cutting) ceremony is sacred and to touch this water or to bathe in it is considered particularly efficacious to remove evil.
God Kataragama is popularly known among the Hindus as God Skanda and the Saivites of South India call the god Subrahmanya.