Nalanda Gedige

Nalanda Gedige is a small stone building of around the eighth to tenth century, put together entirely in dressed stone in the Pallava manner of south India, with a porch, a passage and a shrine chamber, and carved panels on the exterior. It appears to have been Buddhist despite the Hindu architectural form, which makes it unusual. When the Bowatenna reservoir was built in the 1970s the entire structure was dismantled and rebuilt on higher ground.

Background

The original site is thought to mark the geographical centre of Sri Lanka. An inscribed pillar of the 9-10th century A.D., dug up on the site and written in Sinhala, sets out rules for the temple and shows that it was a Buddhist monastery. Some scholars link the building to a Mahayana cult with strong Tantric learning. Over the sanctuary, the south side of the tympanum carries a figure of the god Kubera, a feature seen only in Sri Lanka. Archaeological interest dates from 1893, and in 1911 a small gang from the Sigiriya labour force cleared the jungle from the ruin. The shrine stands one km east of the A9 road, 20 km north of Aluvihare.

Source: Wikipedia, "Nalanda Gedige"

What to look for

• The Pallava form - south Indian stone architecture on a Buddhist building.
• The carved panels - relief work on the exterior walls.
• The relocation - a building taken apart and rebuilt to escape the reservoir.
• The reservoir setting - the building on a rise above the Bowatenna water.

When to go

January to April is the driest. Mornings are quietest. The site is small and open through the day.

Good to know

The building is small and the visit takes half an hour. Some carving is worn and hard to read. Being a reassembly, the exact original arrangement of some stones is uncertain.

Nearby

Matale is south, and Dambulla is north.

Key facts