Sithulpawwa Rock Temple

Sithulpawwa is a rock rising out of the dry jungle inside the Yala boundary, and it was a monastery from around the second century BC, at one time holding a very large community of monks in caves cut into the rock across the site. A stupa stands on the summit reached by a stepped climb, with the jungle running to the horizon in every direction. Elephants and leopards move through the surrounding forest and the road in crosses their country.

What you actually see

• The summit stupa - a dagoba on the rock top with jungle in every direction.
• The rock-cut caves - monastic shelters cut into the outcrops across the site.
• The drip ledges - carved grooves above cave mouths to keep the rain out.
• The jungle setting - a working temple inside a national park boundary.

When to go

November to April is the drier window. Mornings are coolest for the climb. The access road can be closed when the park is shut.

Honest expectations

The road runs through wild country and elephants are a real hazard; do not walk it. Shoes must be removed on the hot rock. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Kataragama is west, and Yala is all around.