About this experience
Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara is a rock temple in the south of Sri Lanka, reached from the towns of Dikwella or Tangalle. The temple is built into a giant rock 205 m tall, ringed by four smaller rocks named Benagala, Kondagala, Bisogala and Seelawathiegala. Locally it is called Punchi Seegiriya, or Little Sigiriya.
The chronicles link the site to King Saddhatissa in the 3rd century AD, and later kings kept adding to it. King Datusena gave it a stupa, and King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe developed it further in the 18th century. In Dutch times the rock was known as Adam's Berg, after a belief that Adam and Eve were buried here.
The way up passes through several terraces holding seven smaller temples. At the foot are the museum and the lower temple. Higher up, the Paduma Rahath Vihara holds the largest reclining Buddha image on the site, and caves along the route hold figurines, murals and a small painted pagoda. The government lists the whole rock as an archaeological site.
Your entry is booked as part of a guided visit. An English-speaking local guide joins you at the temple and explains the caves and paintings as you climb. Booking through Lakpura means the ticket is arranged before you arrive.
