Temples to visit on Sri Lanka's south coast

The temples of Sri Lanka's south coast show a side of the region that the beaches never reveal. They are working places of worship, visited daily by local families, monks and pilgrims, and many have histories reaching back more than a thousand years.

South coast temples are also varied. In a single day you can see a monastery among granite boulders, a cave shrine with eighteenth-century murals, a modern giant Buddha and a shrine where people grind chilli to seek justice. Few other parts of the island pack so much variety into such a short distance.

At the western end of the coast, Seenigama near Hikkaduwa has a temple on an islet just offshore and the Devol Devale, a shrine to the god Devol, where people grind chilli and pepper on a stone while naming a wrongdoer. Kumarakanda temple at Dodanduwa sits on a hill above the coast road.

Near Galle, Yatagala Raja Maha Viharaya is a monastery among boulders with a reclining Buddha and murals, a few kilometres inland from Unawatuna. Kataluwa, near Koggala, has nineteenth-century murals mixing Jataka stories with figures in European dress, and Kushtaraja Gala at Weligama is an ancient rock-cut figure.

Matara has two of the coast's most interesting temples. Weherahena, a few kilometres east of town, has an underground gallery lined with hundreds of painted panels of Jataka stories and a giant seated Buddha above. Paravi Duwa is a small temple on an island off Matara's beach, reached by a footbridge.

At Dondra Head, the Devinuwara shrines include one of the oldest Vishnu temples in Sri Lanka, with a large annual Esala festival. The area was once home to a great temple destroyed by the Portuguese in the late sixteenth century, and fragments of its stonework survive.

At Dikwella, Wewurukannala Vihara has a seated Buddha of around 50 metres, stairs to its head and a hall of vivid hell scenes. North of Tangalle, Mulkirigala is a monastery on a rock rising about 200 metres from the plain, with cave shrines, reclining Buddhas and murals on five terraces.

At the eastern end of the coast, Tissamaharama's great stupa dates back more than 2,000 years, and Kirinda's temple sits on boulders above the sea. Kataragama, inland, is a sacred city shared by Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims, best visited at the evening puja.

The same rules apply at every temple on Sri Lanka's south coast. Cover shoulders and knees, remove shoes and hats before entering the shrine area, and keep voices low. Never pose for photographs with your back to a Buddha image, and do not touch statues or murals.

Most temples are free or by donation, and a small donation is appreciated when a monk or caretaker opens a shrine for you. Poya days, the monthly full moon holidays, are busier with worshippers dressed in white.

A temple day on the south coast works best focused on one area. From Galle, Yatagala and Kataluwa fit into a morning. From Mirissa, Weherahena, Devinuwara and Wewurukannala make a full day. From Tangalle, Mulkirigala at dawn and Wewurukannala in the afternoon is a classic pairing.

Lankan Stays & Trails arranges temple days with guides who can explain the murals and rituals, which adds a great deal to the experience. Without a guide, ask monks or caretakers, who are often happy to share the stories.