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.
About 40 km northwest of Anuradhapura, in the picturesque valley of the Malwathu Oya, Thanthirimale Raja Maha Viharaya sits among massive boulders and dense forest, its history stretching back to a period tradition holds predates even the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Scholars have suggested the site may correspond to the long lost Panduvasdewu Nuwara, legendary kingdom of King Panduwasdewa, grandfather of Sri Lanka's first recorded king Pandukabhaya, and prehistoric rock paintings found in the surrounding hills at Billewa and Andiyagala, depicting tigers, peacocks and buffaloes, offer genuine evidence of settlement here reaching back even further into antiquity.
By the 3rd century BCE, when King Devanampiya Tissa selected sites for planting saplings from the first thirty-two shoots of the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree, Thanthirimale, then known as Thivanka Bamunu-Gama, was chosen as one of these sacred locations, and the Bo tree planted here nearly 2,300 years ago still stands today at the temple, its foliage notably bright colored and distinct from other sacred Bo trees across the island. The site holds even deeper significance in the story of Buddhism's arrival in Sri Lanka, according to the Mahavamsa, Theri Sangamitta and her escort rested here for one night during their sacred journey carrying the Bodhi sapling itself from Dambakola Patuna to Anuradhapura, the local Brahmin chief clearing the whole area and covering it in white sand to receive the procession.
Today the temple features a massive reclining Buddha statue carved directly from the surrounding rock, alongside a Samadhi statue in meditation posture standing roughly eight feet tall, ancient meditation caves bearing Brahmi inscriptions, and the ruins of what was once a substantial monastic library. Each year during the Poson season, the entire temple complex is illuminated, drawing devotees from across the country to witness Thanthirimale's ancient glory restored, if only briefly, to something of its original, luminous grandeur.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Donation
- Opening hours: Daylight hours
- Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hours
- Best time: Late afternoon
Getting there
About 45km northwest of Anuradhapura by rural roads.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to visit Thanthirimale?
- Donation.
- What are the opening hours at Thanthirimale?
- Daylight hours.
- How long should I spend at Thanthirimale?
- Plan for 1 to 1.5 hours.
- When is the best time to visit Thanthirimale?
- Late afternoon.
- How do I get to Thanthirimale?
- About 45km northwest of Anuradhapura by rural roads.