LANKA EXCURSIONS HOLIDAYS
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        • Kiralagala
        • Arankale
        • Gurulupotha
      • provincial temples >
        • Dimbulagala
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        • Lahugala
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        • Kokabe
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        • Kalpe
      • rock temples >
        • Pidurangala
        • Sithulpahuwa
        • Buddhangala
        • Kudumbigala
        • Madagama
        • Handagala Kanda
        • Anamaduwa
        • Wilandagoda
        • Pettagangala
        • Thammennakanda
        • Isenbessagala
        • Gonagiri
        • Koskandawala
        • Sankapala
        • Andankulam
      • hermitage caves >
        • Salgala
        • Pilikuttuwa
        • Maligatenna
        • Alawwa
      • cave temples >
        • Mulkirigala
        • Ridigama
        • Degaldoruwa
        • Aluvihara
        • Varana
        • Hindagala Temple
        • Divaguhawa
        • Thambalagollewa
        • Veheragala
        • Maradankadawala
        • Aluthepola
      • medieval shrines >
        • Dambadeniya
        • Gadaladeniya Temple near Kandy
        • Lankatilaka
        • Embekke
        • Barandiya Kovil
        • Kuruwita
      • Kandyan shrines >
        • Medawala
        • Dodanwela
        • Hanguranketa
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        • Attanagalla
        • Kadadora
        • Dadagamuwa
        • Beligala
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    • Cities of Sri Lanka >
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      • Coastal Towns >
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    • Mihintale >
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      • Ramayana Sites >
        • Sita Eliya
        • Manavari
        • Divurumpola
        • Shtripura Caves
      • Christian >
        • Adisham Hall
    • Giant Stupas >
      • large ancient stupas >
        • Dighavapi
        • Yudaganawa
        • Dedigama
      • large modern stupas >
        • Kotmale Maha Seya
        • Sandagiri Maha Seya
    • Rock Buddha statues >
      • Gal Vihara
      • Aukana Buddha
      • Sasseruwa Buddha
      • Buduruwagala
      • Dowa
      • Maligawila
      • Kushtaraja Statue
      • Thanthirimale
      • Bakamuna
      • Maboda Temple
      • Rambodagalla statue
    • National Parks >
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      • Wilpattu NP
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Rock Temples of Sri Lanka - ancient Buddhist monasteries

balancing rock of the Pettagangala Temple in the Western Province of Sri Lanka
balancing rock of the Pettagangala Temple in the Western Province
Most of the ancient sites we categorise as "forest temples" and "rock temples" and "cave temples" and "cave hermitages" have in common that they served as monasteries of reclusive monks. Several of them belong to the very early period of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, which corresponds the last three BC (or BCE) centuries. Particularly cave monasteries are among the earliest Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka. In later times, some monks left the big towns and settles in groups of rocks again, whenever they did not want to share the lifestyle of monks that were more and more engaged in worldly affairs. Reclusive monks living in small monasteries were first and foremost interested in a refuge for undisturbed meditation. In contrast, the large monasteries of the capital were landowners on a large scale and therefore developed into centers of argicultural and irrigational administration. This means, they had secular functions, though the monastic rule prohibited this. Officially, the secular affairs were administered by lay helpers living as servants in the large monasteries or nearby. But the monks had a final say in all monastic affairs, of course. Nonetheless, despite their economical significance Sri Lanka's large monasteries remained to be religious places, because they were engaged in studies of Buddhist texts and producing commentary literature. The ambition of a monk in the capital was to be a scholar. Another religious activity of monks, particularly of those living in or near villages, were priestly functions such as giving spiritual advice, providing religious education and executing burial ceremonies. Forest monks living in rock shelter also served the needs of nearby villages. But, as said, the main purpose of a life as a reclusive in simple rock shelters was meditation.
To be honest, there is not a big difference between "rock temples" and "cave temples" in Sri Lanka, We differentiate between them just for a practical reason, viz. to avoid having too many places within only one category of our sub-menu titles. The criterion for our categorisation is not a historical, but a touristical one. In some cases, the main attraction of an ancient monastery is the rock in itself or a stupa atop the rock. In such cases we call it a "rock temple". If the the rock shelters are more interesting for today's travellers - may it be because the caves are numerous or are carry important inscriptions - then we sort the site as a "cave temple". And if the paintings in the caves are the main attractions, it's usually a "Kandyan cave temple", because most surviving murals in cave temples are from the Kandy period.

Let's give an example of the arbitrariness of our sub-menu-titles. Due to it's numerous attractions - and mainly because it's the home of our managing director and the location of his guesthouse "First House Mihintale" - Mihintale is a completely separate sub-menu title in our manu bar. But it's an ancient site, of course, and "ancient sites" are another sub-menu-title in our list. Moreover, Mihintale is a major pilgrimage site, "pilgrimage sites" forming yet another sub-menu title. So for both kinds of sites we have different categories, though Mihintale (and others) fit in both of them. What now would be the correct category in our list of sub-sub-menus of the sub-menu "ancient sites"? Again, there are many options to categorize Mihintale, it fits into several of our categories: As Mihintale is a large excavation site, it could be called a "ruined city". As the main temple is a Vatadage, we could categorize Mihintale as a "stupa temple". "Image houses" also play a role in Mihintale. It's also a "prehistoric site" in the sense that Wassamale in the northern outskirts of Mihintale was a refuge of the significant prehistoric king Pandukabhaya. Doramadalawa, as this refuge is called in the chronicles, also has a "Kandyan cave shrine". And concerning the difference between rock temples and cave temples, that we arbitrarily introduced in our sub-menus: Rajagirilena in Mihintale is shaped by its rocks, the immense boulders of Rajagirilena are the predominant feature from the perspective of a visitor. So "rock temple" would be a suitable category for Mihintale. However, close to the pond known as Kaludiya Pukana are caves still inhabited by monks. So our category "hermitage caves" also applies to Mihintale. And almost all cave or rock temples of Sri Lanka can also be placed under our sub-menu title "forest monasteries". You see: Each subsumption is debatable, and our differentiation or classification system is only for convenience, not of art-historical relevance.


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Pidurangala near Sigiriya
Pidurangala near Sigiriya
Sithulpahuwa in Yala National Park
Sithulpahuwa in Yala National Park
Buddhangala near Ampara
Buddhangala near Ampara
Kudumbigala near Kumana National Park
Kudumbigala near Kumana National Park
Madagama near Horowupotana
Madagama near Horowupotana
Handagala Kanda hermitage
Handagala Kanda hermitage
Paramakanda Rock of Anamaduwa
Paramakanda Rock of Anamaduwa
Pettagangala in Siyane Korale
Pettagangala in Siyane Korale
ancient stupa of Thammenakanda
ancient stupa of Thammenakanda
Isenbessagala in the Vanni region
Isenbessagala in the Vanni region
Gonagiri rock
Gonagiri rock
Koskandawala in Siyane Korale
Koskandawala in Siyane Korale
Sankapala near Embilipitiya
Sankapala near Embilipitiya
Andamkulam near Trincomalee
Andamkulam near Trincomalee
Sri Lanka destinations A-Z
Tips for planning your round tour
Sri Lanka's Travel Regions
Find a list of 270 Sri Lanka travel destinations & attractions:

CLICK HERE


Our illustrated list of places of interest is sorted by travel regions,
more precisely: by 
22 most recommendable places for overnight stays.
All 270 sights are within day-trip distance from  one of those 22 major locations.
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Terms and Conditions
Why travel with Lanka Excursions Holidays?

+ We are a local agency owned and run by Sri Lankans, not part of international holdings
+ We are well known for our direct and personal relationships with travellers 
+ We facilitate authentic meetings with locals who are not from the tourism sector 
  + We follow a strict policy not to push guests to visit shops and shops and shops
+ We have an unrivalled expertise to show you places off the beaten path
+ We provide genuine information instead of clichés and tourism industry slogans

Our ambition is to provide high-quality information in preparation of your Sri Lanka holidays
... and even more superb travel experiences

we also run our own guesthouse near Anuradhapura:
First House Mihintale
First House Mihintale
87, Missaka Mawatha, Mihintale 50300, Sri Lanka.
0094 71 6097795
Rooms in Mihintale

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Lanka Excursions Holidays
Registration Number SLTDA - TA - 02179
255/24, "Green Park" Dawatagahawatta, Thimbirigaskatuwa, Mahahunupitiya East, Negombo, Sri Lanka
Office: +94 31 223 991
Hotline: +94 71 6097795

[email protected]
Lanka Excursions Holidays office hours 8.00 to 6.00 p.m. daily (except from June Fullmoon Day)
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Picture
if not stated otherwise, texts and photos provided  by Ernst A. Sundermann
all rights reserved, © 2016 Lanka Excursion Holidays
  • Home
    • Welcome
    • Terms
    • Italian Guiding & more
    • Guida Turistica Italiana
    • payments
    • по-русски
  • About
  • Info
    • Where is Sri Lanka
    • Names of Sri Lanka
    • Tips for planning Sri Lanka tours
    • Travel Regions >
      • Cultural Triangle images
      • Central Highlands images
      • Western Plains images
      • Southwest Wet Zone images
      • Deep South images
      • Eastern Shores images
      • Northern Province images
    • off the beaten path >
      • highly recommended
      • around Colombo
      • around Yapahuwa
      • around Anuradhapura
      • around Jaffna
      • around Trincomalee
      • around Polonnaruwa
      • around Sigiriya
      • around Kandy
      • around Nuwara Eliya
      • around Arugam Bay
      • around Hambantota
      • around Bentota
      • all over Sri Lanka
    • Things to do
    • Slide Show >
      • Famous Places Slide Show
      • Less-known Sites Slide Show
  • Tours
    • tailor-made tours
    • Food Safaris in Sri Lanka >
      • Negombo Food Safaris
      • Negombo Food Tour - private
      • Colombo Food Tour - private
      • Trincomalee Beach BBQ - private
      • Trincomalee City & BBQ - private
      • Trincomalee City & Lunch - private
      • Trincomalee Food Tour - private
      • Pigeon Island Food Tour - private
      • Nilaveli Seafood tour - private
      • Nilaveli Food Excursion - private
      • Anuradhapura Food Safari - private
      • Polonnaruwa Food Safari
      • Sigiriya Food Safari
      • Kandy Lunch Food Tour - colonial
      • Kandy Lunch&Dinner Tour - colonial
      • Galle half-day Food Safari
      • Galle full-day Food Safari
      • Galle two-days Food Safari
    • Jeep Safaris >
      • Yala Safaris
      • Yala Block 2 Safaris
      • Bundala Safaris
      • Udawalawa Safaris
      • Kumana Safaris
      • Gal Oya Safaris
      • Wilpattu Safaris
      • Minneriya or Kaudulla Safaris
      • Hurulu
    • MICE
    • Nuwan's Personal Guided Tours
    • 4-days classic
    • 8 days tour
    • 6 days Buddhist Pilgrimage
    • 7 days Buddhist Pilgrimage
    • 4 weeks honeymoon tour
    • your-price-choice
    • pinnawela+kitulgala
    • 3 days 2 nights
    • 4 days 3 nights
    • Sri Lanka Transport Service
    • 7 days with 4 hikes
    • 10 days with 7 hikes
    • 2-days trek Knuckles-5-Peaks
    • 15 days with 7 means of travel
    • Bentota beach holidays
    • Nilaveli beach holidays
    • Services >
      • Outdoor Anuradhapura
    • Tripadvisor
    • Cambodia
    • Nepal
    • deutsch >
      • 15 days with 3 surf beaches
  • Attractions
    • World Heritage Sites >
      • Anuradhapura World Heritage Site
      • Polonnaruwa World Heritage Site
      • Sigiriya World Heritage Site
      • Dambulla World Heritage Site
      • Kandy Sacred City
      • Galle Fort
    • Ancient Sites >
      • prehistoric sites >
        • Pahiyangala
        • Batadomba Lena
        • Belilena
        • Padavigampola
      • ruined cities >
        • Yapahuwa
        • Tissamaharama
        • Panduwasnuwara
        • Ramba Vihara
        • Dehadu Kadulla
      • stupa temples >
        • Medirigiriya
        • Thiriyai
      • image houses >
        • Nalanda
        • Velgam Vehera
        • Divulwewa
      • Pansukulika Monasteries >
        • Ritigala
        • Manakanda
        • Kiralagala
        • Arankale
        • Gurulupotha
      • provincial temples >
        • Dimbulagala
        • Haththikuchchi
        • Lahugala
        • Kalupokuna
        • Kokabe
        • Menikdena
        • Namal Uyana
        • Dematamal Viharaya
        • Nillakgama Bodhigara
        • Kalpe
      • rock temples >
        • Pidurangala
        • Sithulpahuwa
        • Buddhangala
        • Kudumbigala
        • Madagama
        • Handagala Kanda
        • Anamaduwa
        • Wilandagoda
        • Pettagangala
        • Thammennakanda
        • Isenbessagala
        • Gonagiri
        • Koskandawala
        • Sankapala
        • Andankulam
      • hermitage caves >
        • Salgala
        • Pilikuttuwa
        • Maligatenna
        • Alawwa
      • cave temples >
        • Mulkirigala
        • Ridigama
        • Degaldoruwa
        • Aluvihara
        • Varana
        • Hindagala Temple
        • Divaguhawa
        • Thambalagollewa
        • Veheragala
        • Maradankadawala
        • Aluthepola
      • medieval shrines >
        • Dambadeniya
        • Gadaladeniya Temple near Kandy
        • Lankatilaka
        • Embekke
        • Barandiya Kovil
        • Kuruwita
      • Kandyan shrines >
        • Medawala
        • Dodanwela
        • Hanguranketa
        • Padeniya
        • Attanagalla
        • Kadadora
        • Dadagamuwa
        • Beligala
      • Ambalamas >
        • Panavitiya
        • Karagahagedara
        • Awariyawala
        • Ranamure Pihilla
        • Bogoda
    • Cities of Sri Lanka >
      • Major Cities >
        • Colombo
        • Kandy attractions
        • Nuwara Eliya
        • Trincomalee
        • Ratnapura
        • Batticaloa
        • Kurunegala
        • Matale
        • Kalutara
        • Matara
        • Badulla
      • Coastal Towns >
        • Kalmunai
        • Pottuvil
        • Hambantota
        • Tangalle
        • Chilaw
        • Puttalam
        • Trincomalee attractions
      • small towns >
        • Avissawella
        • Embilipitiya
        • Habarana
        • Kilinochchi
        • Bibile
        • Giritale
        • Rattota
        • Giriulla
    • Mihintale >
      • Mihintale attractions
      • Katupotha Kanda
      • Guesthouse Rooms
      • Rent my Villa
      • Activities around Mihintale
      • Picnic at Kaludiya Pokuna
      • car
      • Day trips by car
      • Mihintale-sightseeing
      • Hiking in Mihintale
    • Sacred Places >
      • buddhist sites >
        • Mahiyangana
        • Kelaniya
        • Seruwila
        • Somawathiya
        • Nelligala
        • Bhadravathi
      • Sinhalese Shrines >
        • Maha Saman Devale
        • Seenigama
      • Tamil Hindu Temples >
        • Munneshvaram
        • Ketheesvaram
        • Kataragama
        • Kanniyai
        • Madampe
      • Ramayana Sites >
        • Sita Eliya
        • Manavari
        • Divurumpola
        • Shtripura Caves
      • Christian >
        • Adisham Hall
    • Giant Stupas >
      • large ancient stupas >
        • Dighavapi
        • Yudaganawa
        • Dedigama
      • large modern stupas >
        • Kotmale Maha Seya
        • Sandagiri Maha Seya
    • Rock Buddha statues >
      • Gal Vihara
      • Aukana Buddha
      • Sasseruwa Buddha
      • Buduruwagala
      • Dowa
      • Maligawila
      • Kushtaraja Statue
      • Thanthirimale
      • Bakamuna
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