Quick answer
Degaldoruwa Cave Temple is an eighteenth-century Buddhist rock temple at Amunugama, about seven kilometres north-east of Kandy across the Mahaweli River. It was begun under King Kirti Sri Rajasinha and completed in the 1780s under his brother Rajadhi Rajasinha. The shrine is cut into a boulder and covered with well-preserved Kandyan murals of Jataka stories and the defeat of Mara. A tuk-tuk from Kandy takes 20 to 30 minutes. Allow 45 minutes at the temple; a monk or caretaker unlocks the painted room.
Key takeaways
- Degaldoruwa Cave Temple was completed in the 1780s and its murals are regarded as the finest of the Kandyan school.
- The paintings at Degaldoruwa are attributed to a group of artists led by the monk Devaragampola Silvatenne.
- The temple lies about seven kilometres from central Kandy, on the far bank of the Mahaweli River.
- One mural at Degaldoruwa shows a soldier in Mara's army holding a musket, a detail drawn from eighteenth-century life.
- The reclining Buddha in the inner cave at Degaldoruwa is carved from the living rock.
What Degaldoruwa is
Degaldoruwa Raja Maha Vihara is a royal temple built into a rock roughly 12 metres high. Its name is usually explained as "the cleft between two rocks". The cave was enlarged by hand, given a tiled porch and timber doors, and divided into an outer hall and an inner shrine.
The patronage of Degaldoruwa came from the last Kandyan dynasty. Kirti Sri Rajasinha, who revived Buddhist ordination in 1753, ordered the work, and Rajadhi Rajasinha finished and endowed it. The temple has never been abandoned, which is one reason the paintings are in such good condition.
The murals and how to read them
The murals of Degaldoruwa cover the walls of the outer chamber in horizontal bands. Each band tells a Jataka, a story of one of the Buddha's previous lives, with the same characters appearing again and again as the tale moves along the wall.
Reading the Degaldoruwa murals is easier once you know the conventions. Figures are shown in profile or three-quarter view, with no shadows or perspective. Trees and buildings divide one scene from the next, and backgrounds are a deep red.
- →Vessantara Jataka: the prince who gives away everything, including his children.
- →Sutasoma Jataka: the king who tames a man-eating ruler.
- →Sattubhatta and Mahasilava Jatakas: tales of wisdom and patience.
- →The defeat of Mara: demons attack the meditating Buddha, one of them with a gun.
Details worth looking for
The Degaldoruwa paintings are a record of eighteenth-century Kandy as much as of ancient India. Courtiers wear the hats and jackets of Kandyan chiefs. Elephants carry howdahs of the period, and ships, carriages and musicians are drawn from life.
The inner cave at Degaldoruwa holds a reclining Buddha cut from the rock and painted, with a ceiling of lotus patterns above it. The doors between the chambers are of jak timber with brass fittings. Parts of the outer hall were blackened by lamp smoke over the centuries and later cleaned.
Getting there from Kandy
Getting to Degaldoruwa from Kandy means crossing the Mahaweli River at Lewella or Katugastota and following village roads to Amunugama. The distance is about seven kilometres, and a tuk-tuk takes 20 to 30 minutes each way. Ask the driver to wait.
Buses run from Kandy to the area, although the stop is some way from the temple. Keen walkers can cross the Lewella footbridge behind Udawattakele and follow lanes for about four kilometres. The final approach is a short flight of steps beside a bo tree.
- →Tuk-tuk: 20 to 30 minutes each way from the lake.
- →Time at the temple: 30 to 45 minutes.
- →Entry: by small ticket or donation; carry small notes.
- →Light: a torch helps in the inner cave, but do not use flash.
Visiting with care
Visiting Degaldoruwa needs more patience than a museum. The painted chamber is kept locked, and the resident monk or caretaker opens it when visitors arrive. On poya days and during ceremonies the temple is busy with villagers and the monk may be occupied.
Etiquette at Degaldoruwa is as for any working temple: covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, quiet voices. Photography without flash is usually allowed if you ask. Do not touch the walls, since the pigments are fragile. Lankan Stays & Trails sends travellers with a guide who can narrate the Jataka panels scene by scene.
Who should make the trip
Degaldoruwa suits travellers with an interest in art, storytelling or quiet places. Anyone who enjoyed the painted caves at Dambulla will find it a rewarding smaller cousin, with later paintings that are easier to see at close range.
Degaldoruwa is not a priority on a one-day visit to Kandy. On a second or third day it combines well with a drive along the Mahaweli, the weaving villages of the Dumbara valley or a late-afternoon return through Katugastota.
- →Go if you like painting and want to escape the crowds.
- →Combine with Dambulla on a longer route to compare two periods.
- →Skip if temples are starting to blur into each other.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Degaldoruwa Cave Temple?
Degaldoruwa Cave Temple is in the village of Amunugama, about seven kilometres north-east of central Kandy on the opposite bank of the Mahaweli River. It takes 20 to 30 minutes to reach by tuk-tuk or car, crossing the river at Lewella or Katugastota.
What is Degaldoruwa temple known for?
Degaldoruwa temple is known for its eighteenth-century murals, widely considered the best surviving examples of the Kandyan school of painting. They show Jataka stories and the Buddha's victory over Mara in bright bands of red, yellow and white on the cave walls.
Is there an entrance fee at Degaldoruwa?
Foreign visitors to Degaldoruwa are usually asked for a small ticket fee or donation, typically the equivalent of one to three US dollars. There is no formal ticket office, so have small notes ready. A tip for whoever unlocks the shrine is customary.
How old are the paintings at Degaldoruwa?
The paintings at Degaldoruwa date from the 1770s and 1780s, the last decades of the Kandyan kingdom. Work on the temple began under Kirti Sri Rajasinha and was completed under his successor Rajadhi Rajasinha, who formally offered it to the monk in charge.
Can you take photos inside Degaldoruwa Cave Temple?
Photography inside Degaldoruwa is generally permitted without flash, although you should ask the monk or caretaker first. Flash damages the pigments. As in all Buddhist temples, do not pose with your back to a Buddha image.
Is Degaldoruwa better than Dambulla?
Degaldoruwa and Dambulla are different in scale. Dambulla has five large caves and more than 150 Buddha images. Degaldoruwa has one small painted cave of exceptional quality and almost no visitors. See Dambulla first, and Degaldoruwa if you want more.