Thanthirimale Temple
North Central Province
About Thanthirimale Temple
Thanthirimale, alone in the forest country forty kilometres north-west of Anuradhapura, guards one of Buddhism's tender travel stories: when the nun Sangamitta carried the Bodhi sapling from India in 288 BC, the procession rested here for the night - and a shoot from the sacred tree, one of the celebrated 'eight saplings', was planted where it still grows on the great rock. The ancient monastery around it puts its art straight into the living stone: a serene reclining Buddha and a fine seated Buddha carved into the outcrop's faces, ponds cut into the summit, and drip-ledged caves with prehistoric-to-monastic layers below. The wide rock catches sunset over an ocean of forest, with elephants sometimes trumpeting in the distance. Remote enough to deter crowds, Thanthirimale on a poya evening - white-clad villagers, oil lamps on bare stone - is old Sri Lanka intact.
Top Activities
- ✓Rock-cut reclining and seated Buddhas
- ✓The ancient Bo tree of the eight saplings
- ✓Summit ponds and sunset views
- ✓Prehistoric cave shelters
- ✓Poya-night lamp ceremonies
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Combine with a Wilpattu safari day - the park boundary is close.
Carry water; facilities are basic village-temple standard.
Barefoot on hot rock is real - time your visit for late afternoon.
Quick Info
Best Time
May to September; late afternoon
Weather
Hot and dry; the bare rock is fierce mid-day, glorious at dusk.
Estimated Daily Budget
8.5647°N, 80.2314°E
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