Aluvihare Rock Temple

Aluvihare is a set of caves among boulders above Matale, and its significance is textual: it was here, by the accepted account, that the Buddhist canon which had been transmitted orally for centuries was committed to writing on palm leaf in the first century BC, during a period of famine and instability that threatened the oral lineage. Caves hold painted interiors and reclining Buddhas, and a library and palm-leaf writing demonstration continue on site.

What you actually see

• The writing tradition - the site where the Pali canon was first put on palm leaf.
• The painted caves - shrine interiors with murals and reclining figures.
• The palm-leaf manuscripts - the library and a demonstration of the writing method.
• The boulder setting - shrines built among granite boulders on the hillside.

When to go

January to April is the driest and most comfortable. Mornings are quietest. Poya days bring pilgrims.

Honest expectations

One cave holds vivid painted scenes of hell that some visitors find disturbing. Shoes must be removed and the rock gets hot. The climb between caves involves steps.

Nearby

Matale is south, and Dambulla is north.