Danagirigala Cave Temple
Verification: in review · Coordinates: unverified
What is this site?
Isolated mountain-top cave monastery featuring early Brahmi drip-ledges, an ancient , and an intact series of Kandyan-period wall paintings.
Why it matters
Combines 2,000-year-old epigraphs with folk-school Kandyan murals in a natural hill-country setting.
Description
Served as a refuge for King Valagamba in the 1st century BCE; renovated during the 18th-century Kandyan Buddhist revival under Kirti Sri Rajasinha. Associated patrons (as supplied): King Valagamba, Kandyan Era Monks. Key features to look for: Flight of steep steps cut into the rock face climbing to the caves; Kandyan Sittara paintings covering the overhanging rock ceiling; Seated stone Buddha statue sheltered beneath the rock brow; Panoramic view of the Kegalle countryside and surrounding forest.
Photos
No rights-cleared photographs yet.
Historical and scholarly sources
- Reference as supplied in project dataset (pending verification): Protected Monument Cadastre
Visiting responsibly
Dress modestly at religious sites, remove shoes and hats where requested, never climb on monuments or pose with your back to Buddha images, and follow guidance from custodians and the Department of Archaeology.