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.
Beside the tranquil waters of Tissa Wewa, a rock temple carved directly into granite outcroppings has earned a reputation as something close to Anuradhapura's own open air art gallery, built by King Devanampiya Tissa in the 3rd century BCE originally as a monastic complex to house 500 high caste children ordained as Buddhist monks during his reign. Later renovated under King Kashyapa in the 5th century AD, who renamed it Boupulvan Kasubgiri Radmaha Vehera, a name honoring himself alongside his two daughters, the temple's original identity has grown genuinely complicated over time, some historians now believe the true ancient Isurumuniya actually stood a few hundred meters away at what's now called Vessagiri Vihara, this site instead corresponding to the historic Meghagiri Vihara, where the Buddha's tooth relic was reportedly kept temporarily upon its arrival in Sri Lanka in 312 CE.
Whatever its precise original name, Isurumuniya's fame today rests almost entirely on its exquisite stone carvings, most celebrated among them the so called Isurumuniya Lovers, a 6th century Gupta style relief depicting a woman seated intimately on a man's lap, her raised finger interpreted by some as a gesture of coy affection. No inscription definitively identifies the couple, but local tradition holds they represent Prince Saliya, son of King Dutugemunu, and Asokamala, a low caste maiden he loved so deeply he reportedly gave up his claim to the throne to be with her, though an alternate legend identifies the pair instead as the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati. Additional carvings scattered around the site, elephants bathing in a rock pool, a horse headed figure, and a depiction of a royal family, round out what's widely considered one of ancient Anuradhapura's finest collections of sculptural art.
Set against the quiet backdrop of Tissa Wewa's water, with a small on-site museum now housing the original Lovers carving for preservation, Isurumuniya offers a genuinely different experience than the city's towering stupas, intimate, artistically rich, and wrapped in centuries of romantic legend that's stayed alive precisely because no one can say for certain whose story it actually tells.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Around LKR 300 for foreign visitors
- Opening hours: 7:00am to 7:00pm
- Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Best time: Late afternoon
Getting there
On the southern edge of the sacred city, near Tissa Wewa.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to visit Isurumuniya Temple?
- Around LKR 300 for foreign visitors.
- What are the opening hours at Isurumuniya Temple?
- 7:00am to 7:00pm.
- How long should I spend at Isurumuniya Temple?
- Plan for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Isurumuniya Temple?
- Late afternoon.
- How do I get to Isurumuniya Temple?
- On the southern edge of the sacred city, near Tissa Wewa.