Pothgul Viharaya

Dating back to the 1st century B.C this temple built by King Valagambahu has cave paintings and a statue of the Reclining Buddha. An interesting sculpture of a devil with his mouth open and a figure ready to jump in is a representation of the Buddha sacrificing himself in one of his 550 lives. The temple can be reached by an ascent over 450 steps.

The cave image house at the temple is the most historically significant section of the temple. The 27 cubit (40 feet) reclining Buddha statue across the image house is carved out of the natural rock. Statues of deities Saman and Vishnu are found close to the head of Buddha statue.

At the end of the compound with the Bo tree there is a natural well known as ‘Daru Pokuna’ (child pond). There is a belief that the water of the pond has medicinal properties. Below the rock there are two meditation cells and at the end of the Vihara compound is a cell used by guards. A secret tunnel is visible. The ceiling of the cave is covered with beautiful frescoes.

Project Details

  • Location : Pothgul Viharaya
  • Address : Pothgul Vihara Mawatha, Ratnapura
  • Distance : 11 Km From Hotel