Stupa with sitting Buddhas around it, in the Dambulla complex of cave monasteries, Sri Lanka
Last updated: 25
Aug
2022

Buddhist caves in Sri Lanka – Place of early Sanghas

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Origin of Buddhist caves in Sri Lanka

According to traditional Sri Lankan chronicles such as the Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa, Buddhism was introduced into the island in the third century BCE after the Third Buddhist council by the elder Mahinda and by the elder nun Sangamitta.

Mahinda is associated with the site of Mihintale, one of the oldest Buddhist site in Sri Lanka. Mihintale includes numerous which may have been used by the early Sri Lankan sangha.

List of Buddhist caves in Sri Lanka

While there is few artistic or architectural remains from this initial period, there are Buddhist caves that have survived that contain numerous Brahmi inscriptions which record gifts to the sangha by householders and chiefs.

This is a list of well-known Buddhist caves in Sri Lanka.

Lahugala Kota Vehera

or Kota Vehara Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient Buddhist temple situated in Lahugala, Ampara District, Sri Lanka. The temple is located in Pansalgoda Grama Niladari division of Lahugala DS and lies on Colombo – Batticaloa main road about 10 km (6.2 mi) far from Pothuvil town. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The designation was declared on 10 October 2014 under the government Gazette number 1884. The protected include the ancient Dagaba, building sites with stone pillars, flight of steps carved on natural rock plain and drip ledged caves. The Stupa in the Vihara has been identified as one of four Kota Vehera Styled structures found around Sri Lanka.

Maligatenna Raja Maha Vihara

is an ancient Cave temple located in Malwatuhiripitiya village, Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. The temple is located on the Gampaha – Wathurugama Road and approximately 1.6 km (0.99 mi) away from the ancient temple .

Samangala Aranya Senasanaya

or Samangala Forest Hermitage is an ancient Cave temple in Ampara, Sri Lanka. The temple is located west from the Kohombana junction of Ampara – Mahaoya main road, approximately 23 km (14 mi) away from the Ampara town. The monastery has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

Samanabedda cave temple

is an ancient Buddhist temple situated in Uhana, Ampara District, Sri Lanka. The temple lies on the Ampara – Mahaoya main road, approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) away from the town of Ampara. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. It is believed that the temple was built by king Saddha Tissa.

Piyangala Aranya Senasanaya

or Piyangala Forest Hermitage is an ancient Buddhist temple in Ampara, Sri Lanka. The temple lies on the Ampara – Mahaoya main road, approximately 27 km (17 mi) away from the town of Ampara. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

Pilikuththuwa Raja Maha Vihara

Pilikuththuwa Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient Cave temple situated in Pilikuththuwa, Sri Lanka. It is located on the Gampaha – Wathurugama road approximately 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away from the Miriswatta junction and 1.6 km (0.99 mi) from the ancient Buddhist temple, Maligatenna Raja Maha Vihara. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

Paramakanda Raja Maha Vihara

is an ancient Buddhist temple in Puttalam District, Sri Lanka. The temple is located in Paramakanda village approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) distance from the Anamaduwa town. The site has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The designations were declared on 1 November 1996 and 6 June 2008 under the government Gazette numbers 948 and 1586.

Nikasala Aranya Senasanaya

or Nikasala Forest Hermitage is an ancient Cave temple in Panduwasnuwara DS, Sri Lanka. The temple is situated at Dematawakanda in Kanduboda-Moragane Village, about 5 km (3.1 mi) far from the ancient kingdom of Panduwasnuwara. The monastery has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The designation was declared on 6 July 2007 under the government Gazette number 1505.

Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara

is an ancient Buddhist temple in Mulkirigala, Sri Lanka. It has been built on a 205 m (673 ft) high natural rock, surrounded with another four rocks known as Benagala, Kondagala, Bisogala and Seelawathiegala. The temple site is located about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Mulkirigala junction and can be reached from either Dikwella or Tangalle towns. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The designation was declared on 8 April 1988 under the government Gazette number 501.

Mawaragala Aranya Senasanaya

or Mawaragala Forest Hermitage is an ancient Buddhist temple in Mahiyangana, Sri Lanka. Situated in Dambana, the temple locate about 15 km (9.3 mi) away from the ancient temple Mahiyangana Raja Maha Vihara. The temple has been declared as one of archaeological sites in Sri Lanka.

Aluvihare Rock Temple

The is a sacred Buddhist temple located in Aluvihare, Matale District of Sri Lanka. Surrounded by hills, the Aluvihara cave temple is situated 30 km north of Kandy on the Matale-Dambulla road. The history of Aluvihare Rock Temple is traced back to the 3rd Century B.C to the reign of King Devanampiyatissa. It is believed that the King built the dagoba, planted the Bo sapling and founded the temple after the introduction of Buddhism to the country during his reign.

Asgiriya Raja Maha Vihara – Gampaha

Asgiriya Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient Cave temple situated in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. The temple is located on top of a hillock on the Gampaha – Minuwangoda road and approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) away from Gampaha town. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The designation was declared on 22 November 2002 under the government Gazette number 1264.

Kuragala

is a pre-historic archaeological site with ruins of ancient Buddhist Cave temple complex, dating back to the 2nd century BC, in Balangoda, Sri Lanka. The temple complex is located on the Balangoda – Kaltota road (B38) approximately 24 km (15 mi) distance from the Balangoda town. The site has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological reserve in Sri Lanka. Kuragala is considered as the oldest archaeological site found in the Intermediate Zone.

Koskandawala Raja Maha Vihara

Koskandawala Sri Sunandarama Piriven Raja Maha Vihara is an old Buddhist temple in Koskandawala, Sri Lanka. The temple is located on Yakkala – Radawana road approximately 2.66 km away from Yakkala town. The temple has been formally recognized by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

Ibbagala Raja Maha Vihara

is an ancient Cave temple in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. The temple is situated in middle of the Kurunegala town and lies in the mid valley area of the Ethagala Rock. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

Gonagolla Vihara

is an ancient cave temple situated in Ampara District, Sri Lanka. The vihara is also known as Punchi Seegiriya by the locals since the temple contains ancient frescoes similar to those in Sigiriya. The site is in Kotmale Canal Settlement in Wewagampattuwa Division and lies about 4.8 km (3.0 mi) east of Kohombana Junction on Ampara – Gonagolla Road. The temple has been formally recognised by the government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The designation was declared on 10 October 2014 under the government Gazette number 1884.

Fa Hien Cave

, also Pahiyangala Cave, is situated in the district of Kalutara, Western Province, Sri Lanka and according to a rural legend, named after an alleged resident during historical times, namely Buddhist monk Faxian. However, there is no archaeological or historical evidence to support this legend. Nonetheless, the site is of archaeological significance as Late Pleistocene human fossilized skeletal remains were discovered in the cave’s sediments during excavations in the 1960s, the 1980s and in 2013.

Dimbulagala Raja Maha Vihara

is situated 16 kilometres south east of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. The Dimbulagala range houses a number of caves cut into the rock with Brahmi inscriptions over their drip ledges. This forest hermitage of medieval times and holy abode since time immemorial, home to some of the most valued fragments of early frescoes was called the Gunners Quoin by the British. This Buddhist monastery which was abandoned after the times of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa was restored to the present status in the 1950s due to the efforts of Kithalagama Sri Seelalankara Thera, who was the chief incumbent of the Vihara until his death in 1995.

Dambulla cave temple

also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. This site is situated 148 kilometres (92 mi) east of Colombo, 72 kilometres (45 mi) north of Kandy and 43 km (27 mi) north of Matale

Buddama Raja Maha Vihara

is a historic Cave temple in Buddama village, Monaragala district, Sri Lanka. Buddama is a rural village lying off Siyambalanduwa town and is known as one of the earliest settlements in the country. Currently the temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

Batatotalena Cave

The , also known as the Diva Guhava in Buddhist literature, is a cave system in Sudagala, 8 km (5 mi) away from the town of Kuruwita, in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka.

Warana Raja Maha Vihara

is an ancient Buddhist temple situated in Thihariya, Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. The temple is located approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) away from the Colombo – Kandy highway. Currently this temple has been recognized as an archaeological protected site in Gampaha District by Archaeological department.

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