Maligatenna Rajamaha Viharaya
Maligatenna Rajamaha Viharaya
4.5
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4.5
17 reviews
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Dr. Dharshana Weerakoon
Gampaha, Sri Lanka530 contributions
Dec 2015 • Family
This is an ancient Cave temple which is located in Malwatuhiripitiya village, Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. The temple is located on the Gampaha - Wathurugama Road and approximately 1.6 km away from the ancient temple Pilikuththuwa Raja Maha Vihara.
Written 4 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chandika W
Gampaha, Sri Lanka23 contributions
Apr 2016 • Family
This less-explored-by-foreign-tourist-temple is located about 10 kilo meters from the Gampaha town. Can reach there by public transport by 205 bus from Gampaha town. Has buses every 15 minutes during the day time. You will also see nice paddy field etc. on your way from Gampaha to this place. Especially a foreigner can get an idea about the village situation in Sri Lanka. (One can reach Gampaha town from Colombo Fort by train. There are plenty of trains throughout the day, and takes 30-60 minutes depending on the type of train.)
A nice place for you to see ancient temples of Sri Lanka and also as a mind relaxing experience. After climbing several steps from the ground level, you reach the cave temple. After visiting that, you can proceed upwards through rocks and nice wilderness to the summit of that mountain range. Possibly the highest point in this area and on a clear day, you will be able to see the sea with the Colombo port in the background! Even if the sea is not visible, a nice scenic view can be seen, and you can spend an hour or so there enjoying the beauty and seeing other Buddhist structures of the temple.
I advise you to take some biscuits etc. together with water or some soft drinks as for some people, the hike through the wilderness may be a tiring experience.
I think there is no charge even for foreigners, which I am not too sure. Even if they charge, it cannot be an exorbitant amount as in other tourist-explored "famous" temples.
Will take about 1-3 hours for the whole experience, depending how fast you climb up and down.
After this, one can again go to Gampaha town and take a train to either Colombo Fort, Galle/Matara (Down South) or to Kandy/ Badulla (Central cooler hill country) etc.
A nice place for you to see ancient temples of Sri Lanka and also as a mind relaxing experience. After climbing several steps from the ground level, you reach the cave temple. After visiting that, you can proceed upwards through rocks and nice wilderness to the summit of that mountain range. Possibly the highest point in this area and on a clear day, you will be able to see the sea with the Colombo port in the background! Even if the sea is not visible, a nice scenic view can be seen, and you can spend an hour or so there enjoying the beauty and seeing other Buddhist structures of the temple.
I advise you to take some biscuits etc. together with water or some soft drinks as for some people, the hike through the wilderness may be a tiring experience.
I think there is no charge even for foreigners, which I am not too sure. Even if they charge, it cannot be an exorbitant amount as in other tourist-explored "famous" temples.
Will take about 1-3 hours for the whole experience, depending how fast you climb up and down.
After this, one can again go to Gampaha town and take a train to either Colombo Fort, Galle/Matara (Down South) or to Kandy/ Badulla (Central cooler hill country) etc.
Written 14 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
psrupasinghe
colombo2 contributions
May 2014 • Family
This is NOT Maligatenne raja maha viharaya. This one is Uruwala walagamba raja maha viharaya. it has a written history of 700+ years old. major attraction is that it is a cave temple. King walagamba was living here in exile. during a south indian invasion.
You can climb the rock behind the temple and reach anotherr shrine room and dagoba on it . a long range view can be seen around .
You can climb the rock behind the temple and reach anotherr shrine room and dagoba on it . a long range view can be seen around .
Written 4 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Isuru Premaratne
Gampaha, Sri Lanka246 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
The trip to Maligathenna is a short one if you are coming from Colombo. Better to go on Poya days. Otherwise the place is not crowded and you feel very lonely there. But it's not unsafe. The ancient cave temple is dating back to 1st century BC and the current structures are built in 18th century AD. There's a climb to the peak of the mountain. When you get there, you can have a 360 degree look around. During normal clear sky days, you can even see the buildings of Colombo city, the Colombo harbor and many more surrounding rocks. The path way to peak is not very steep. Steps are constructed and very safe. you do not need any previous rock climbing experience to go there.
Plenty of parking space is available. Best time to visit is in the afternoon 02:30 to 5:30 pm. Otherwise the rock will be heated due to sunlight. It will be a nice trip to kids as well. But make sure you wear appropriate clothing since the place is a Buddhist temple. Please do not use liquor. Maintain the peaceful environment.
One of the main attraction is the narrow pass between two huge rocks. (see the picture)
Public transport is available only up to main road. After that you need to get three wheeler for hire. Otherwise use a private vehicle.
Plenty of parking space is available. Best time to visit is in the afternoon 02:30 to 5:30 pm. Otherwise the rock will be heated due to sunlight. It will be a nice trip to kids as well. But make sure you wear appropriate clothing since the place is a Buddhist temple. Please do not use liquor. Maintain the peaceful environment.
One of the main attraction is the narrow pass between two huge rocks. (see the picture)
Public transport is available only up to main road. After that you need to get three wheeler for hire. Otherwise use a private vehicle.
Written 30 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anton Edema
Wattala, Sri Lanka125 contributions
May 2017 • Family
Maligatenna: Hasangani Edema
Situated not very far from the heart of Colombo, about six kilometres from the Miriswatta junction is the infamous rock temple Maligathenna. It took us about one and half hours to reach our destination and as sign boards are very limited asking for directions might not be a bad idea to avoid misdirection. As they have renovated the area recently a few meters away from the original entrance is another concreted road, through which you could take your vehicle somewhat closer to the temple premises.
According to historic evidences, the Maligatenne temple runs back as far as the Anuradhapura kingdom up until the Kotte period, where ancient ministers and kings sought sanctuary from time to time. However looking at various stories that which takes prominence is of King Walagamba, who seeked refuge during the invasion of the Indian Chola Army. Thus the drip ledges carved into the caves within the temple premises and en route to the dagoba atop the mountain are regarded as that which had been done during this era.
In addition the temple is also shrouded in many legends related to the Tooth relic, where it was brought to be hidden from both Magha, an Indian Invader and during the Portuguese invasion. During the era of King Don Juan Dharmapala, who embraced Christianity, other Kings of the era such as King Mayadunna conspired to conceal the Tooth Relic in the Maligathenna Temple. When the Diyawadana Nilame of Hiripitiya was given the message to bring the Tooth Relic to the Central area of the country. The Tooth Relic rested here before being carried to Delgamuwa and then to Kandy. Thus the name of Maligathenna was derived because the premises provided a haven for the Tooth Relic.
We didn’t spend much time exploring the temple premises, as much interest was given to hiking through to the Uda Maluwa. However just before you enter the temple premises, as it was renovated recently you can’t miss the pre-historic carvings of a dog, a bird and of the sun on either side of the stairway leading up. Unfortunately as they have been painted, it has lost its original appearance. An untarnished carving could be found just before you enter the path way that leads to the Uda Maluwa as well.
The hike up to the Uda Maluwa, situated atop the mountain is what I was indeed looking forward to during this trip. It was a tedious one especially as it had rained the previous night. Therefore we encountered a few slippery areas as well as a kithul tree which thankfully had fallen atop a cave and did not bar our path upward. Ensure to take enough water and sun screen and bug spray. Also beware of snakes and meditating couples, who seems to be at every nook and corner of the place. According to many this is considered to be the highest point of the Gampaha District. At times resting, or pushing our way up grabbing on to rocks and vines, we continued our journey upward which was bordered by a few caves and stone steps at certain points.
On our journey upward, we came across a wind gap which was called Old Degaldoru Kurubil Stone steps. According to folk lore, a monk named Mittasabha, attained nirvana here. The path to the top is adorned by beautiful wild flowers. The greenery surrounding the path is definitely breath taking, thus ensure to take as less plastic and other pollutants on your journey, ensuring that we safeguard and leave unharmed the natural beauty and bio diversity of the premises.
Closer to the summit we were greeted by a panoramic view which was beautiful. Etched in stone, a flight of steps led us up to the Uda Malwa, where the scenic view was filled with every colour and more of green on a colour palatte. Situated atop is a small Dagoba and the infamous ancient rock pond. It is said that despite the any form of dry weather the pond never runs dry. We also encountered colourful and rare butterflies some as big as your hand fluttering by. Although it was a strenuous climb the panoramic vista was indeed completely worth it.
Situated not very far from the heart of Colombo, about six kilometres from the Miriswatta junction is the infamous rock temple Maligathenna. It took us about one and half hours to reach our destination and as sign boards are very limited asking for directions might not be a bad idea to avoid misdirection. As they have renovated the area recently a few meters away from the original entrance is another concreted road, through which you could take your vehicle somewhat closer to the temple premises.
According to historic evidences, the Maligatenne temple runs back as far as the Anuradhapura kingdom up until the Kotte period, where ancient ministers and kings sought sanctuary from time to time. However looking at various stories that which takes prominence is of King Walagamba, who seeked refuge during the invasion of the Indian Chola Army. Thus the drip ledges carved into the caves within the temple premises and en route to the dagoba atop the mountain are regarded as that which had been done during this era.
In addition the temple is also shrouded in many legends related to the Tooth relic, where it was brought to be hidden from both Magha, an Indian Invader and during the Portuguese invasion. During the era of King Don Juan Dharmapala, who embraced Christianity, other Kings of the era such as King Mayadunna conspired to conceal the Tooth Relic in the Maligathenna Temple. When the Diyawadana Nilame of Hiripitiya was given the message to bring the Tooth Relic to the Central area of the country. The Tooth Relic rested here before being carried to Delgamuwa and then to Kandy. Thus the name of Maligathenna was derived because the premises provided a haven for the Tooth Relic.
We didn’t spend much time exploring the temple premises, as much interest was given to hiking through to the Uda Maluwa. However just before you enter the temple premises, as it was renovated recently you can’t miss the pre-historic carvings of a dog, a bird and of the sun on either side of the stairway leading up. Unfortunately as they have been painted, it has lost its original appearance. An untarnished carving could be found just before you enter the path way that leads to the Uda Maluwa as well.
The hike up to the Uda Maluwa, situated atop the mountain is what I was indeed looking forward to during this trip. It was a tedious one especially as it had rained the previous night. Therefore we encountered a few slippery areas as well as a kithul tree which thankfully had fallen atop a cave and did not bar our path upward. Ensure to take enough water and sun screen and bug spray. Also beware of snakes and meditating couples, who seems to be at every nook and corner of the place. According to many this is considered to be the highest point of the Gampaha District. At times resting, or pushing our way up grabbing on to rocks and vines, we continued our journey upward which was bordered by a few caves and stone steps at certain points.
On our journey upward, we came across a wind gap which was called Old Degaldoru Kurubil Stone steps. According to folk lore, a monk named Mittasabha, attained nirvana here. The path to the top is adorned by beautiful wild flowers. The greenery surrounding the path is definitely breath taking, thus ensure to take as less plastic and other pollutants on your journey, ensuring that we safeguard and leave unharmed the natural beauty and bio diversity of the premises.
Closer to the summit we were greeted by a panoramic view which was beautiful. Etched in stone, a flight of steps led us up to the Uda Malwa, where the scenic view was filled with every colour and more of green on a colour palatte. Situated atop is a small Dagoba and the infamous ancient rock pond. It is said that despite the any form of dry weather the pond never runs dry. We also encountered colourful and rare butterflies some as big as your hand fluttering by. Although it was a strenuous climb the panoramic vista was indeed completely worth it.
Written 19 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mytrips H
Gampaha, Sri Lanka61 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
few months ago my family with a friend visited Maligathenna. It was like a hiking tour. Maligathenna is famous for rock caves. King Walagamba was build Maligathenna Temple, also Dutch had been using the temple as their camp later. There are some building there, which were build by Dutch. The place is very calm and peaceful. We found a local guide there and he explained lot of things related Maligathenna. To cover all the places in Maligathenna including rock caves, Balumgala(the watchtower rock) and ancient saying on rocks will take 4 to 5 hours.
Anyway it was a nice trip and thanks the Local guide who we met there and helped us lot.. (unfortunately I dont remember his name)
Anyway it was a nice trip and thanks the Local guide who we met there and helped us lot.. (unfortunately I dont remember his name)
Written 9 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SohanDTK
Gampaha, Sri Lanka48 contributions
Nov 2019 • Friends
I have been several time to this temple with my family and with my friends since 2010. I would like to recommend this place for any one who loves calm place and do meditation. And still this place is non touristic place. If you are finding place to travel around gampaha this is one of the best place. But you really have to take care your self with monkeys. They are trying to steal your things.
Written 6 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sahe
Florida Keys, FL3 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
Our chauffeur Dimuth took us to the ancient temple located top of a huge rock near Colombo, we spend our last evening in srilanka on top, we could see around Colombo and beautiful sunset. Very historical place in a village hidden area.
Written 29 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Prasunmed
194 contributions
Feb 2019 • Friends
Very beautiful buddhist temple located on the rock. This place is very famous among Sri Lankan buddhist people. If you want to visit this place go in the morning as I went in day time at 12 it was somewhat difficult to me because of temperature.
You can visit this temple by public transport also. If you travel by bus go to Miriswatta Junction from colombo in colombo- Kandy A1 road. Then from miriswatta junction you have to go about 5 km to right side. Buses also available in this route.
If you like hiking this is one of nice place. On the top of rock you can see nice view of Gampaha city.
This is buddhist temple. So short dresses ,black dresses are not allowed. Before enter you have to remove your shoes.
You can visit this temple by public transport also. If you travel by bus go to Miriswatta Junction from colombo in colombo- Kandy A1 road. Then from miriswatta junction you have to go about 5 km to right side. Buses also available in this route.
If you like hiking this is one of nice place. On the top of rock you can see nice view of Gampaha city.
This is buddhist temple. So short dresses ,black dresses are not allowed. Before enter you have to remove your shoes.
Written 10 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ariya R
Auckland Central, New Zealand14 contributions
Nov 2018
In November 2018, we visited this ancient temple with several rock caves scattered around the area. The original condition of some of the natural rock caves is lost because of more recent construction of walls and additions of rooms etc. Archeology department needs to enforce what they state on public notice boards. Yet, it is a place worth visiting.
Written 18 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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