Mulkirigala Rock Temple

Mulkirigala is a rock some two hundred metres high with cave temples cut into it on five terraces, climbed by a long stone stair, with reclining Buddhas and painted interiors on each level and a stupa at the summit. Its scholarly importance came in 1826, when a British official found palm-leaf manuscripts in the library here that gave the key to reading the Mahavamsa chronicle, which unlocked much of the island's early history.

Background

The rock rises 205 m, ringed by four smaller rocks named Benagala, Kondagala, Bisogala and Seelawathiegala, and the temple lies about 2 km from the Mulkirigala junction, reached from Dikwella or Tangalle. The Bodhi Vamsa chronicle names a Giriba Viharaya, now identified with this temple, where one of 32 saplings grown from the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi was planted. King Datusena added a stupa in 461-479 AD, and King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1782) developed the site further. In the 18th century the Dutch called the rock Adam's Berg. Seven viharas stand within five compounds, and the oldest cave inscription, in Early Brahmi, dates from the 2nd-1st centuries BC. Protection as an archaeological monument came on 8 April 1988.

Source: Wikipedia, "Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara"

What's there

• The five terraces - cave shrines cut at successive levels up the rock.
• The reclining Buddhas - large figures in several of the cave temples.
• The painted interiors - Kandyan-period murals across the shrine ceilings.
• The summit stupa - the dagoba at the top with views over the coastal plain.

When to go

November to April is the season on this coast. Mornings are coolest for the climb. Poya days bring pilgrims.

Practical notes

The climb is over five hundred steps in heat, with shoes off on the upper terraces where the rock is very hot. Photography inside is restricted. Monkeys are aggressive about bags.

Nearby

Tangalle is south, and Rekawa is southeast.

Key facts