Degaldoruwa Cave Temple
Central Province
About Degaldoruwa Cave Temple
Degaldoruwa Raja Maha Vihara, tucked under a granite outcrop across the Mahaweli from Kandy, is the place to see Kandyan painting at its absolute peak. Built in the 1770s under King Kirti Sri Rajasinha, the modest cave shrine explodes inside with colour: every inch of rock ceiling and wall carries murals by the master painter Devaragampola Silvat Thena - Jataka stories unspooling in continuous narrative bands, battle scenes, processions, and a celebrated panel of the Buddha's victory over Mara, all in the deep ochres, reds, and blacks of the classic Kandyan palette, miraculously unrestored and original. A 9-metre reclining Buddha fills the inner sanctum, carved from the living rock. Ten minutes from Kandy's crowds yet visited by a handful of people daily, Degaldoruwa is the connoisseur's counterpart to the Temple of the Tooth - small, quiet, and artistically supreme.
Top Activities
- ✓The Kandyan mural cycle
- ✓Rock-cut reclining Buddha
- ✓Quiet riverside village lanes
- ✓Combine with Kandy city sights
- ✓Photography (no flash) of the paintings
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
The caretaker monk unlocks the shrine - a donation is customary.
Bring a torch or use your phone light to study the ceiling panels.
No flash photography; the pigments are original and fragile.
Quick Info
Best Time
Year-round
Weather
Mild Kandyan climate; the cave stays cool.
Estimated Daily Budget
7.3106°N, 80.6689°E
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