Aluvihare Rock Temple, Matale, Matale Overview

The Aluvihare Rock Temple is also called Matale Alu Viharaya. It is a sacred Buddhist temple situated in Aluvihare, Matale District of Sri Lanka. Surrounded by hills, the gorgeous Aluvihara cave is located 30 kilometres north of Kandy on the Matale-Dambulla road.

The history of Aluvihare Rock Temple goes back till the 3rd Century B.C. It was during the rule of King Devanampiyatissa. The King was the one who built the dagoba, the Aluvihare. He also planted a Bo sapling and founded the temple after the introduction of Buddhism to the country during his rule. The temple has many caves, stupas and religious paintings.

History of Aluvihare Rock Temple

The temple is of great historical importance. During the invasion of Sri Lanka, the old monks considered this temple to be the safest place to transcribe the various doctrines of Buddhism. The old library of Aluvihare Rock Temple is the one which had safely housed the volumes of this transcribed manuscripts for many centuries. This old library was destroyed during the Matale Rebellion in 1848. Many parts of the temple complex were damaged too by this incident. The after effects of this tragedy are still quite evident at the temple grounds.

How To Reach Aluvihare Rock Temple, Matale

You can take a Tuk Tuk to the temple if you are around the area. If you are travelling from Colombo, take the bus that goes towards Kurunegala, and you’ll reach in about 3-4 hours. You can even travel by train or taxi, which will take about 2.5 hours to reach the temple.