Maligathenna Rajamaha Viharaya, situated in the village of Malwatuhiripitiya, is one of the many ancient cave temples of an area historically known as Siyane Korale. Though located not far from Gampaha and near the A1 mainroad from Colombo to Kandy, the archaeological sites of Siyane Korale are rarely visited by foreigners, because they are not mentioned in ordinary pocket guides. However, Maligathenna as well as Pilikuththuwa and Varana and Petthagangala are extraordinarily beautiful sites and well worth a detour.

Maligathenna is the highest hill in Gampaha District. The monastery officially recognized as an archaeological site is located at ist eastern foot. The history of Maligathenna Rajamaha Viharaya goes back to the early times of Buddhism on the island. According to Brahmi inscriptions found in the nearby temples of Pilikuththuwa and Varana, the temples of the Siyane Korale served as abode of reclusive Buddhist monks as early as in pre-christian centurues. The temples are ascribed to Valagamba, the famous king known as Vatthagamni Abhaya in the ancient chroinicles. Maligathenna is said to have served as one of his hiding places during his years in forced exile from Anuradhapura. However, many cave entrances can be dated to the late Anuradhapura period.

Another legend has it, that Maligathenna Rajamaha Viharaya was a place honoured by the presence of the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha, which is now enshrined in Kandy. When the Christian King Don Juan Dharmapala of Kotte helped the Portuguese to destroy Buddhist culture, the guardian of the Sacred Tooth brought this national palladium to Maigathenna for safekeeping for a while.

The main temple complex of Maligathenna consists of two terraces called Pahala Maluwa and Ihala Maluwa. On the very top of the Maligathenna hill is a stupa plus the site of an ancient Bo-tree.

This history of the cave temple known as Sankapala is beliebed to trace back to the times of Dutugemunu (Dutthagamani). Sri Lanka’s most famous king reigned in the 2nd century BC. Ten giants are said to have been Dutugemunu's helpers in his campeign against the foreign invaders in Anuradhapura. One of these giants was Pussadeva, who informed the people about victories by blowing a conch shell. After the war, the area of Sankapala was granted to the loyal warrior by the king, the conch was entombed in the rock at the top of Sankapala, wgich became a Vihara, a Buddhist monastery, since Pussadeva lived as a hermit at this place. The caves of the Sankapala rock were restored as a Buddhist Vihara during the reign of the Kandyan king Rajadhi Rajasinghe. Most decorations that can be seen today are from the 20th century. Sankapala has become a popular pilgrimage destination. Buddhist devotees also venerate Hindu deities at cave temples called Devales within the compound of the Sankhapala Vihara.

Nalanda Gedige between Matale and Dambulla is Sri Lanka‘s only complete stone temple from the Anuradhapura period. The temple built in the 8th or 9th century is situated in the geographical center of the island, presumably on a much earlier place of worship. The temple that can be seen today is not at the original site any more, since it has been shifted to a new location due to the consruction of a reservoir in the 1980s. That’s why Nalanda Gedige is called „Sri Lanka’s small Abu Simbel“. The building is influenced by the classical Southindian style of temple architecture which had been developed in the 7th century by the Pallavas near Chennai. The temple consists of a temple tower called Sikhara sheltering the sanctum and a ceremonial hall in front of it called Mandapa on a shared platform, which is the typical arrangement of all Indian temples. Nalanda Gedige seem s to have been dedicated to a Tantric version of Buddhism. Nalanda Gedige is the only temple in Sri Lanka decorated with erotic depiction. Though this kind of sexually explicit carvings is typical of North Indian temples, it’s quite rare in Southern India and Sri Lanka and seems to indicate foreign influence.

Buddhangala near Ampara is one of the earliest Buddhist hermitages of Sri Lankan history. It was established in the 2nd century BC by Chitra; a princess of the Digamadulla area of ancient Rohana. Some say it was inhabited by reclusive monks even before Monk Mahinda introduced Buddhism in the Anuradhapura Kingdom in the 3rd century BC. A meditation center has been reestablished in th 20th century. The caves and ruins and modern monastic buildings spread across five flat gneiss rocks. Buddhangala is a rewarding half-day trip for visitors of Gal Oya National Park.

The Ridi Vihara or Reedi Viharaya near Ridigama in Kurunegala District is actually one of the most rewarding heritage destinations in Sri Lanka, because it has caves with Kandy paintings that are second in in size and quality only to Dambulla and it has one of the few Polonnaruwa-period stone temples that are in a sound condition till the present day. „Ridi Vihara“ is a Sinhalese term meaning „Silver Temple“. The name refers to a famous episode from the the reign of Dutthagamani of Anuradhapura, who is the Sinhalese national hero who built the first giant stupa of the world. The caves of Ridi Vihara are believed to be the place where an silver ore was discovered just in time to provide enough silver to pay for the completion of the Ruwanweliseya stupa and to be used for ist basement. According to the chronicles, the cave of Ridi Vihara was donated to the Buddhist Sangha out of gratitude for the silver miraculously found here. Ridi Vihara those days was the abode of Arahants, enlightened beings.

Find more about the Ridi Vihara in Ridigama here...

Seruwawila Mangala Rajamaha Viharaya, also known as Seruvila, is one of the two most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province. It claims to be one of the places visited by the Buddha, although the ancient chronicles mentione only Dighavapi, which is 161 km further south, is mentioned as such a place in Eastern Sri Lanka. In contrast to all other 16 places visited by the historical Buddha, which are counted as Solosmasthanas, Seruwawila is believed to be a place visited also by the other Buddhas of the present aeon. Relics of all 4 Buddhas who already lived in aour aeon are said to be enshrined in the stupa of Seruwila. This is extraordinary, as there is only one other stupa in the world containing relics of all 4 Buddhas (Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa with and Gotama), which is the famous golden Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar.

In 1922, the dagaba from the period of Dutthagamani’s father Kavantissa (2nd century BC) was re-discovered by Ven. Dambagasare Sumedhankara Thero, who reestablished the temple. The conservation work was completed in 1931. In 1962, Seruwawila was declared an an Archaeological Reserve.

Danture is not a major attraction and it’s rarely visited by foreign tourists indeed, thought the village is situated in only 6 km distance from Gadaladeniya, which is the northernmost of the three so-called Western Temples from the late medieval Gampola period. Among historians, Danture is famous for being the battleground in 1594 when the Portuguese attempt to occupy Kandy finally failed.  Danture‘s main attraction for today’s traveller is nothing more than a typical village temple. However, this one is worth mentioning and maybe worth visiting for lovers of ancient art due to one of the best example of a Tampita temple. „Tampita“ means „pillars“. Tampita temples are small shrines built on stilts to protect them rats and vermins. The mainly wooden constructions are typical of the Kandyan period. More about Danture...

Dambakola Patuna is the modern spelling of the most important ancient natural harbour of the Jaffna Peninsula, which is situated at its northern coastline, to the west of the famous Shiva temple of Keerimalai (Naguleshvaram). Dambakola is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in northern Sri Lanka. The sanctuary is known as Samudda Pansala. The temple that can be seen today was built in the late 20th century by the Sri Lankan Navy during the civil war at the place of the ancient Jambukola Viharaya, of which almost nothing remains. The stupa at Dambakola Pattuna commemorates the landing place of the first sapling of the sacred Bo tree which was brought by Ashoka’s daughter Sanghamitta, who was the first Buddhist nun of the island.

Read our detailed description of Dambakola Pattuna here...

Koskandawala, formally recognized as an archaeological site, is one of the ancient rock temples in the rural region of Siyane Korale in Gampaha District to the northeast of Colombo. It’s situated in between the larger ancient complexes of Pilikuttuwa, Maligathenna and, a little bit farer away, Warana. The full name of the tempe is Koskandawala Sri Sunandarama Pirivena Raja Maha Viharaya.

Traditionally, Attanagalla Rajamaha Viharaya in Gampaha District has been considered to be the place where King Sirisanghabo beheaded himself in order to help a poor peasant. The most comprehensive account of this story is told in the chronicle of the Attanagalla monastery. It’s the most famous royal legend of Sri Lanka. The narrative of King Sirisanghabo’s self-sacrifice resembles that of Jataka stories. Jatakas are canonical stories about previous incarnations of the historical Buddha. His self-sacrifices in his previous lies were the reason why his Karma was good enough to find enlightenment and become a Buddha in his final incarnation. Sirisanghabo‘s self-beheading in favour of a fellow being thus is the story of a future Buddha. The king thereby turnes out to be a Bodhisattva, a being that will become a Buddha in a future incarnation. As the site of a Bodhisattva, Attanagalla is an extraorinarily holy place in Sri Lanka. The architecture is by and large modern and the decorations are gaudy. However, there is a unique roofed Vatadage in the centre of the compund that dates from the Kandy period.