Nillakgama tree temple

Nillakgama is a very small archaeological site, 55 km south of Anuradhapura and 10 km east of Galgamuwa by road. It’s not an amazing must-see. However, the off-the-beaten-track destination of Nillakgama is somwhat special, since the small ancient temple is the best-preserved Bodhigara, some say, the only one, because there are only foundations left of all other Bodhigaras that were excavated in Sri Lanka. Prior to the discovery of Nillakgama, the existence of Bodhigaras was only known from ancient Buddhist literature and from drawings at the railings of the earliest Buddhist stupas. A Bodhigara is a temple for tree worship. The object of veneration was not a relic or Buddha image, but a tree planted on an altar in the centre, which grow through an opening in the roof. The tree does not exist any more in Nillakgama. But the specifiv architecture and some extraordinary decoration can be studied at this hidden gem.

Read our detailed report about Nillakgama here...