He ruled Ruhuna, at the same time as Kelani Tissa of Maya Rata.
As with his son Dutugemunu, Kavan Tissa's figure is mostly swathed in myth and legend.
[1] The main source of information on his life is Mahavamsa, the historical poem about the kings of Sri Lanka, which portrays Kavan Tissa as "devoutly believing in the three gems, [and] he provided the brotherhood continually with... needful things".
[4] Chapter 15 of the Mahavamsa has been called, either by Geiger or by previous scribes, "The acceptance of the Mahavihara".
This name of Damila occurs both in the Mahavamsa and in the Culavamsa (Small Chronicle).