Mulkirigala – Our Favorite Sri Lanka Temple

Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara near Tangalle, in south Sri Lanka is a unique Buddhist temple built ascending a 205 meter (673 foot) natural rock formation.  The temple consists of many caves containing reclining Buddhas and painted ceilings, along with a Stupa at the summit.  From the top you can hike around the back to a gigantic rock cliff with fantastic views of the lush surrounding area.

We rode a tuk tuk from Hiriketiya for about 40 min to reach the Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara rock temple.  The entrance fee is 500 rupees for foreigners.  There are many monkeys to greet you and encourage you, hooting and hollering at you as you are sweating your way up the long staircases.

The temple was constructed in the 3rd century and contains a tree germinated from the Bodhi tree in which Buddha supposedly gain enlightenment under.  We didn’t see the tree, unfortunately, because we only read about it after.  So take a picture for us when you go! 😉  We did make a video though.  The video shows our journey starting in Hiriketiya and ending at this temple.  Check it out!

On the way up to Mulkirigala’s highest stupa there are four or five caves, each containing a reclining Buddha statue and beautifully painted ceilings.  Don’t forget to buy some flowers at the bottom to leave as an offering for Buddha in one of the caves!

Along the way there are several guys who will give you a blessing and put a bracelet on you.  You can recognize which people go to temple because of the string around their wrists.  They give the blessing mostly in Sinhalese but do their best to translate a bit to English.  We know it means something like “Buddha and the monks bless you.  Have a long and happy life!”

The highlight of Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara rock temple for us is the overlook at the top.  Sitting on top of a giant rock, it feels like you can see all of Sri Lanka.  It’s a great place to meditate for a minute or two.

When in Sri Lanka don’t miss Mulkirigala Rock Temple.  It was our favorite temple in Sri Lanka and one of the most unique we’ve been to anywhere.

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Stay tuned for big news about our plans for 2019.  We’re about to take this adventure thing to the next level!!!