Temples & Culture in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka wears its faith openly, and its temples are where most travelers first feel the depth of the island's history. Buddhism has shaped the country for over two thousand years, and its dagobas, image houses and cave shrines are still living places of worship rather than museums, with evening drumming and offerings of lotus flowers most days.

The headline stops are the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy and the golden cave temples of Dambulla, but almost every town has a temple worth a quiet half hour. Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, remove your shoes and hat before entering, and never turn your back to a Buddha statue for a photo.

Temples & Culture to visit in Sri Lanka

Abhayagiri Dagoba — The heart of a once-great monastic city that housed thousands of monks, its huge restored stupa surrounded by the ruins of shrines, ponds and refectories.
Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) — A sacred 2,243 metre peak crowned by a shrine over a footprint revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike, climbed through the night for a famous sunrise.
Atadage — The oldest building in the Quadrangle, a Tooth Relic shrine from the reign of Vijayabahu I, its slender stone pillars still standing amid the ruins.
Avukana Buddha Statue — A magnificent 12 metre standing Buddha carved from a single granite rock in the 5th century, its detail so fine that rain running off the nose is said to fall between the toes.
Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue | Bahirawakanda Buddha — A 26 metre white seated Buddha on a hilltop above Kandy, one of the tallest in the country, with a sweeping view over the city and lake.
Brief Garden, Bentota — Brief Garden was the life's work of Bevis Bawa, who acquired the estate, originally a rubber plantation, from his mother in 1929 and spent decades quietly turning it into an artistic retreat.
Dambakolapatuna Sri Sangamiththa Buddhist Temple — A seaside temple marking the ancient port where the nun Sangamitta is said to have landed with the sacred Bodhi sapling, with a serene shrine looking out over the northern sea.
Degalldoruwa Raja Maha Viharaya | Cave Temple — An 18th century cave temple on the edge of Kandy famous for its vivid Kandyan-era ceiling and wall paintings telling Jataka tales.
Devinuwara Devalaya — An ancient temple town at Devinuwara near the island's southern tip, a centuries-old pilgrimage site to the god Upulvan, with a historic devalaya and a big annual festival.
Dimbulagala Raja Maha Vihara — An ancient rock monastery on a forested hill east of Polonnaruwa, honeycombed with meditation caves and old inscriptions, with a climb to a summit dagoba and wide views.
Dowa Ancient Rock Temple — An ancient cave temple between Bandarawela and Badulla, believed to date to the first century BC under King Walagamba, with an unfinished standing Buddha carved straight into the rock face.
Embekka Devalaya — A 14th century shrine celebrated for the finest wood carvings in Sri Lanka, with intricate timber pillars of dancers, wrestlers and mythical beasts in its drummers' hall.
Gadaladeniya Raja maha viharaya — A 14th century stone temple near Pilimatalawa built in a South Indian style, set on a rock outcrop with fine carvings and a moonstone at the entrance.
Gal Vihara — The crowning glory of Polonnaruwa: four serene Buddha images cut from a single granite wall in the 12th century, including a 14 metre reclining Buddha of extraordinary grace.
Galmaduwa Raja Maha Viharaya — An unusual, never-finished temple near Kandy topped with a tower that mixes Buddhist, Hindu and even Gothic-looking arches, unlike anything else on the island.
Gangaramaya Temple — Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important temples in Colombo, Sri Lanka, a treasure-house of Buddha statues, gifts and curiosities gathered from across Asia around a working monastery. being a mix of modern architecture and cultural essence.
Geoffrey Bawa Gardens — What makes Lunuganga significant beyond its beauty is what it represents, this was essentially Bawa's laboratory, the place where he tested and refined the ideas that would go on to define what's now called Tropical Modernism, an architectural style that's since influenced buildings across South and Southeast Asia.
Girihandu Seya | Thiriyai — An ancient stupa on a forested hill north of Trincomalee, believed by many to be the very first stupa in Sri Lanka, built by two merchant brothers who met the Buddha.
Hatadage — A stone relic shrine in the Quadrangle built by King Nissanka Malla to house the sacred Tooth Relic, its doorway framing three standing Buddha statues.
Isurumuniya Temple — A charming rock temple beside a lotus pond, famous for its exquisite ancient stone carvings, including the tender sculpture known as the Isurumuniya Lovers.
Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque (Red Mosque) — A striking red-and-white striped mosque in the bustle of Pettah, its candy-cane bands and Indo-Saracenic domes making it one of Colombo's most photographed landmarks.
Japanese Peace Pagoda — A gleaming white Buddhist stupa built by Japanese monks on Rumassala hill, ringed by golden reliefs of the Buddha's life and looking out over the sea toward Galle Fort.
Jetavanaramaya — A colossal red-brick stupa that was once the third-tallest structure in the ancient world, built in the 3rd century and still awe-inspiring in its sheer scale.
Kadurugoda Viharaya Archaeological Site - Kantharodai — A cluster of dozens of small ancient coral-stone stupas packed together in a quiet garden, the remains of an early Buddhist monastery that thrived on the peninsula.
Kataragama Sacred City — One of the island's holiest pilgrimage towns, sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims alike, centred on the Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya beside the Menik Ganga river.
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara — A revered Buddhist temple on the Kelani River, said to have been hallowed by a visit from the Buddha, famous for its vivid modern murals and its grand January perahera.
Kiri Vehera — A serene white stupa at Kataragama dating back over two thousand years, a quiet Buddhist counterpoint to the busy devalaya a short walk away.
Kiri Vehera — A well-preserved white stupa in the northern monastery whose original lime plaster still gleams, giving it the name that means the milk-white dagoba.
Kirinda Beach & Temple — A rocky headland crowned by a Buddhist temple above a wild beach near Yala, tied to the legend of Queen Viharamahadevi and offering wide views along the coast.
Lankapatuna Samudragiri Vihara — A coastal temple south of Trincomalee marking the spot where legend says the Sacred Tooth Relic was first brought to Sri Lanka, with a hilltop stupa over the sea.
Lankaramaya — A smaller, elegantly restored stupa from the 1st century BC set on a raised platform and ringed by three concentric rows of stone pillars.
Lankathilaka Viharaya | Lankathilaka Image House — A soaring brick image house with walls 17 metres high framing a huge, now headless standing Buddha, its towering roofless nave one of the most atmospheric ruins in the city.
Mahiyangana Raja Maha Vihara — One of Sri Lanka's most sacred temples, believed to mark the site of the Buddha's first visit to the island over 2,500 years ago. Its great white stupa is said to enshrine a lock of the Buddha's hair.
Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Kovil — An ancient and important Murugan temple in the north with a tall carved gopuram, tied to a legend of a princess cured of a horse-like affliction, hence its name.
Medirigiriya Vatadage — A beautifully preserved circular relic house crowning a low rock, reached by a stone stairway, ringed by concentric rows of pillars and seated Buddhas in a peaceful rural setting.
Mihintale — The mountain where Buddhism first came to Sri Lanka, where the monk Mahinda met King Devanampiyatissa, reached by a grand stairway to stupas, caves and a summit view.
Mirisawetiya Stupa — A large restored white stupa built by King Dutugemunu beside the Tissa Wewa reservoir, a peaceful and less crowded corner of the ancient city.
Mulkirigala Rock Temple — A dramatic cave-temple monastery climbing a 200 metre rock in terraces, sometimes called a little Sigiriya, with reclining Buddhas and old murals under the overhangs.
Muthiyangana Raja Maha Vihara — An ancient Buddhist temple in the heart of Badulla town, one of the sixteen sacred places (Solosmasthana) said to have been hallowed by the Buddha, with a white stupa and old shrine rooms.
Nagadeepa Purana Vihara — An ancient Buddhist temple on the island of Nainativu, one of the few places said to have been visited by the Buddha himself, its silver-domed stupa a serene pilgrimage site.
Nagapooshani Amman Temple — A soaring, brightly painted Hindu temple on Nainativu island dedicated to the goddess Parvati, one of the most important Shakti shrines in the country.
Keerimalai Naguleswaram Temple — One of the five ancient Shiva temples of the island, a revered northern shrine beside the Keerimalai springs, restored after wartime damage.
Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil — The grandest Hindu temple in the north, a golden-towered shrine to Lord Murugan whose daily rituals and vast August festival are the beating heart of Jaffna's religious life.
Nelligala International Buddhist Centre — A modern hilltop temple complex ringed by white stupas and Buddha statues, with a 360 degree view over the hills around Kandy that is especially good at sunset.
Pabalu Vehera — A brick stupa built by a queen of Parakramabahu, ringed by small image houses and known for the glass beads found here that gave it its name.
Paravi Duwa Temple — A serene island temple set on a rocky outcrop just off Matara beach, reached by a short footbridge over the surf, a peaceful spot to watch the sea.
Polonnaruwa Vatadage — An exquisite circular relic house at the heart of the sacred Quadrangle, its stone terraces, guardstones and moonstones among the finest ancient carving in the country.
Sri Ponnambalawaneswaram Kovil — A magnificent Hindu temple to Lord Shiva built entirely of hand-carved South Indian granite, its intricate columns and sculptures a rare masterpiece of stone craft in the city.
Potgul Vihara — A circular brick library and monastery on the shore of Parakrama Samudra, thought to have stored sacred manuscripts, with fine acoustics under its once-domed hall.
Rankoth Vehera — The largest stupa in Polonnaruwa, a 54 metre red-brick dome built in the Anuradhapura style, rising above the ruins of the northern monastery.
Ruwanwelisaya — A magnificent white stupa built by King Dutugemunu over two thousand years ago, ringed by a wall of stone elephants and one of the most revered dagobas in the country.
Samadhi Buddha Statue — A serene 4th century seated Buddha carved in dolomite marble, captured in deep meditation, widely regarded as one of the finest ancient statues in the country.
Sambodhi Chaithya — An unusual white stupa raised high on two great arched pillars near the harbour, with a shrine room inside the dome reached by a stairway and views over the port.
Sandagiri Seya — An ancient brick stupa near Tissamaharama, part of the old Ruhuna monastic city, quieter than the main dagoba and ringed by the ruins of ancient shrines.
Sandahiru Saya — Sandahiru Seya is a second largest hemispherical stupa in Sri Lanka located in Anuradhapura.
Sasseruwa Buddha | Ras vehera — A tall, unfinished standing Buddha hewn into a rock face amid an old cave monastery, said in legend to be the abandoned twin of the nearby Aukana statue.
Seema Malakaya Temple — A serene meditation temple floating on Beira Lake, designed by the celebrated architect Geoffrey Bawa, its timber pavilions and rows of Buddha statues a calm retreat in the city.
Seetha Amman Temple — A colourful Hindu temple tied to the Ramayana legend, said to mark where Sita was held captive, with curious circular marks on the riverside rocks nearby.
Seruwila Mangala Raja Maha Vihara — An ancient stupa south of Trincomalee said to enshrine a forehead-bone relic of the Buddha, a revered pilgrimage site set among paddy fields and forest.
Shiva Devale — The oldest surviving building in Polonnaruwa, a compact stone Hindu temple built entirely of stone during the Chola period, still remarkably intact.
Shri Badrakali Amman Hindu Kovil — A large, richly decorated Hindu temple in Trincomalee town dedicated to the goddess Kali, its vivid gopuram and painted interior a feast of colour.
Sithulpawwa Rock Temple | Raja Maha Viharaya — An ancient forest monastery on a rock within the Yala landscape, once home to thousands of monks, with cave shrines and a summit stupa looking out over the wilds.
Somawathi Raja Maha Viharaya — A revered ancient stupa said to enshrine a tooth relic of the Buddha, set within a national park on the Mahaweli floodplain that is also home to wild elephants.
Srī Pattini (Kannaki) Shrine — The Sri Pattini Devalaya in Kandy is dedicated to the goddess Pattini, known in Tamil tradition as Kannaki, one of the few female deities among the four guardian gods honoured in the city's Esala Perahera. Unlike the other three Devales, which are tied to gods associated with protection, prosperity, and worldly success, Pattini holds a distinct place as a goddess linked to chastity, healing, and the curing of disease, her worship woven from both Sinhalese Buddhist and Tamil Hindu tradition.
Sri Lankathilake Rajamaha Viharaya | Lankatilaka — A striking 14th century temple built on a rock near Kandy, blending Sinhalese and South Indian design, with old murals and a commanding view over paddy fields.
Sri Maha Bodhi — The sacred fig tree grown from a cutting of the tree the Buddha sat under, planted here in the 3rd century BC and the oldest historically recorded tree on earth still tended today.
Sri Maha Kataragama Devalaya Kandy — The Sri Maha Kataragama Devalaya in Kandy is one of the four Devales tied to the city's famed Esala Perahera, dedicated to the deity Kataragama, also known as Skanda or Murugan, a guardian god deeply revered by both Buddhists and Hindus across Sri Lanka.
Sri Natha Devalaya Kandy — The Nātha Devāla is a historic shrine located on the terrace in front of the Royal Palace complex in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Tradition holds that the shrine existed even before the arrival of the Tooth Relic in Kandy
Sri Vishnu Devala Kandy — The Maha Vishnu Devalaya is a premier spiritual pillar of Kandy, dedicated to Lord Vishnu as the protective deity of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Rebuilt by King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe, this architectural gem features a distinctive multi-tiered roof and houses the sacred site where the Kap Situveema ritual initiates the Kandy Esala Perahera.
St. Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade — A much-loved Catholic shrine near the harbour revered by people of all faiths, drawing crowds who come to seek the blessings of St. Anthony, especially on Tuesdays.
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic | Sri Dalada Maligawa — Sri Lanka's holiest Buddhist shrine, home to a relic of the Buddha's tooth kept in a golden casket. The nightly drumming and puja draw pilgrims from across the island.
Thanthirimale — A serene rock temple in the countryside northwest of Anuradhapura, with a reclining and seated Buddha carved into the rock, ancient ruins and a revered bodhi tree.
Thirukoneswaram Kovil — A dramatic Hindu temple to Lord Shiva perched on Swami Rock high above the sea, an ancient site of pilgrimage crowned with colourful gopurams and sweeping ocean views.
Thivanka Pilimage | Thivanka Image House — A brick shrine at the far north of the city holding a thrice-bent Buddha statue and, on its inner walls, the best-preserved ancient frescoes in Polonnaruwa.
Thuparamaya — The oldest stupa in Sri Lanka, said to enshrine the Buddha's collarbone relic, ringed by slender stone pillars that once supported a wooden roof over the dome.
Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara — A vast white dagoba rising above Tissamaharama, one of the oldest and largest ancient stupas in the south, once the heart of the Ruhuna kingdom.
Vallipuram Alvar Kovil — One of the oldest and most revered Vishnu temples in the north, near Point Pedro, an ancient site linked to a famous gold-plate inscription found in its grounds.
Velgam Vehera — A serene ancient Buddhist monastery in the forest near Trincomalee, notable for the Tamil inscriptions that show centuries of shared Sinhala and Tamil patronage.
Vessagiriya — A cluster of huge boulders that sheltered an early forest monastery, with cave dwellings, drip-ledges and inscriptions tucked among the rocks and trees.
Weherahena Temple — A Buddhist temple near Matara known for its huge seated Buddha and a warren of underground tunnels lined with hundreds of painted scenes from the Buddha's life.
Wewurukannala Vihara — Home to the tallest Buddha statue in Sri Lanka, a 50 metre seated figure, reached past a hall of vivid, sometimes gruesome tableaux depicting sin and karma.
International Buddhist Museum — A museum in the old High Court building by the Temple of the Tooth, with rooms devoted to Buddhism across many countries, from Thailand to Japan.
Yatagala Raja Maha Vihara — An ancient rock temple near Unawatuna with a large reclining Buddha and old murals under a natural rock overhang, set in a calm hillside garden.
Yatala Wehera | Yatala Stupa — A restored ancient stupa near Tissamaharama ringed by a rare wall of carved elephant heads, with a small museum of relics from the old Ruhuna kingdom.

Frequently asked questions

What should I wear to visit a temple in Sri Lanka?: Cover your shoulders and knees, and be ready to remove shoes and hats before entering. Carry socks if you are visiting midday, as stone floors get very hot.
Which temple is the most important to visit?: The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy is the most revered, home to a relic of the Buddha. The evening puja between 6:30 and 8pm is the most atmospheric time to go.