Quick answer
The three temples loop is a half-day circuit of Embekke Devale, Lankatilaka Vihara and Gadaladeniya Vihara, three fourteenth-century temples 12 to 16 kilometres west of Kandy near Pilimathalawa. Embekke is known for its carved wooden pillars, Lankatilaka for its whitewashed image house on a rock outcrop, and Gadaladeniya for its South Indian-style stone shrine. By car or tuk-tuk the loop takes three to four hours from Kandy. Each temple charges foreign visitors a small separate fee.
Key takeaways
- Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya were both founded in 1344, during the Gampola kingdom.
- The drummers' hall at Embekke Devale has 32 timber pillars, each carved with a different set of panels.
- The three temples lie within about five kilometres of each other and can be linked on foot in two to three hours of walking.
- Gadaladeniya was built largely of stone by a South Indian architect, which is unusual for a Sinhalese Buddhist temple.
- The village of Pilimathalawa, at the start of the loop, is the traditional centre of Kandyan brass work.
What the three temples loop is
The three temples loop links Embekke, Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya, which were built when the capital was at Gampola in the fourteenth century. They survive in close to their original form because the area became a backwater when the court moved to Kandy.
The countryside of the three temples loop is part of the appeal. Narrow lanes run between paddy fields, home gardens and small villages where brass founders and wood carvers still work. Tour coaches cannot use most of these roads, so the temples stay quiet even in high season.
Embekke Devale: the carved pillars
Embekke Devale is a shrine to the god Kataragama, built in the reign of Vikramabahu III in the 1370s. Its fame rests on the digge, the open drummers' hall in front of the shrine, whose 32 wooden pillars are carved on every face.
The carvings at Embekke are small, lively and secular. Look for the wrestlers, the dancing woman, the double-headed eagle, the mother suckling a child, and the entwined swans. The roof is as clever as the pillars: 26 rafters meet at a single giant wooden pin without a nail.
- →Wrestlers, soldiers on horseback and dancers.
- →Mythical creatures: the hamsa swan, the lion and the double-headed eagle.
- →Floral and lace-like patterns unique to each pillar.
- →The single roof pin, called the madol kurupawa.
Lankatilaka: the temple on the rock
Lankatilaka Vihara stands on a bare granite outcrop called Panhalgala, with views across fields to the hills. It was built in 1344 by a minister of Bhuvanekabahu IV. The tall white building combines a Buddhist image house with shrines to gods set into its outer walls.
The interior of Lankatilaka holds a seated Buddha under a dragon arch, surrounded by Kandyan-period paintings. A long rock inscription beside the entrance records the temple's endowments in Sinhala and Tamil. The approach from the front is a steep stairway cut into the rock; a gentler road reaches the rear.
Gadaladeniya: the stone temple
Gadaladeniya Vihara was founded in 1344, the same year as Lankatilaka, on another rock outcrop near the main road. Its architect, Ganesvarachari, came from South India, and the stone pillars, cornices and dancing figures could belong to a temple in Tamil Nadu.
Gadaladeniya's main shrine holds a seated Buddha, with a separate chamber for Vishnu. In the courtyard stands an unusual dagoba under a roof, with four smaller dagobas on a cross-shaped base around it. The site has been under conservation, so scaffolding is sometimes present.
Route, order and getting around
The usual order for the three temples loop is Gadaladeniya first, then Lankatilaka and Embekke, since Gadaladeniya is closest to the Colombo road at Pilimathalawa. The reverse works equally well and can be quieter. From Kandy the drive to the first temple takes 30 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic through Peradeniya.
Walking the three temples loop is a pleasure in dry weather. The lanes between Embekke and Lankatilaka cross rice fields for about three kilometres, and Gadaladeniya is a further three. Lankan Stays & Trails arranges the loop with a car that drops walkers at one end and meets them at the other.
- →By car or tuk-tuk: three to four hours from Kandy and back.
- →On foot between temples: about six kilometres, two to three hours plus visits.
- →By bicycle: quiet lanes, some short steep climbs.
- →Add on: Peradeniya botanic gardens on the way back, for a full day.
Tickets, dress and timing
Each temple on the three temples loop sells its own ticket, usually the equivalent of one to three US dollars for foreign visitors. Carry small notes. A resident caretaker or monk often unlocks the shrine and explains the paintings, and a small tip is appreciated.
Dress for the three temples loop as for any temple in Sri Lanka, with shoulders and knees covered. Shoes come off at each site, and the rock at Lankatilaka gets very hot by late morning, so socks help. Start by 8 to finish before the heat, or go after 3 in the afternoon.
- →Dress: covered shoulders and knees; socks for hot stone.
- →Best light: early morning at Lankatilaka, late afternoon at Embekke.
- →Facilities: few shops and no restaurants at the temples; bring water.
Frequently asked questions
How far are the three temples from Kandy?
The three temples lie 12 to 16 kilometres west of Kandy, close to the town of Pilimathalawa on the Colombo road. The drive to the nearest, Gadaladeniya, takes 30 to 45 minutes. The whole loop with visits takes three to four hours.
Can you walk the three temples loop?
You can walk between the three temples on country lanes, a distance of about six kilometres that takes two to three hours without visits. Most walkers take a tuk-tuk or bus to Embekke, walk to Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya, and catch a bus back from Pilimathalawa.
Which of the three temples is the best?
Embekke is the most memorable for most visitors because of its carved wooden pillars, which are unlike anything else in Sri Lanka. Lankatilaka has the finest setting and architecture. Gadaladeniya is the most unusual. If you can see only one, choose Embekke or Lankatilaka.
How much does the three temples loop cost?
Each temple charges a separate entry fee, typically the equivalent of one to three US dollars. A tuk-tuk for the half-day loop from Kandy usually costs US$15 to US$25, and a car with a driver a little more. Agree the price and the waiting time in advance.
Do you need a guide for the three temples near Kandy?
A guide is not essential, since caretakers at each temple give short explanations. A knowledgeable guide adds a good deal at Embekke, where the meaning of the carvings is not obvious, and helps with the walking route between the temples.
What is Embekke Devale famous for?
Embekke Devale is famous for the fourteenth-century wood carvings in its drummers' hall. Each of the 32 pillars carries different panels of dancers, wrestlers, animals and mythical beasts, and the roof timbers are joined by a single wooden pin.