Things to See >> Religion & Culture >> Pothgul Vihare

Pothgul Vihare

Pothgul Vihare

Pothgul Vihare in Ratnapura is well renowned for its cave paintings and the statue of the reclining Buddha. Its history dates back to the 1st century BC.

 
An interesting sculpture of a devil with his mouth open and a figure ready to jump in is a representation of the Buddha sacrificing himself in one of his 550 lives. The temple can be reached by ascending over 450 steps.
 
(Content Source : Travel Sri Lanka Magazine)
(Image Source   : pothgulviharaya.com)
 

Pothgul Vihare Pothgul Vihare Pothgul Vihare

Nearby Attraction

Adam's Peak

Adam's Peak  is a 2,243 metres (7,359 ft) tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well-known for the Sri Pada "sacred footprint", a 1.8 m rock formation near the summit, in Buddhist tradition held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Shiva and in Muslim tradition that ...



The Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Sinharaja Forest Reserve

The Sinharaja Forest Reserve is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic and many of them are considered rare. There is much endemic wildlife, especially birds, but the reserve is also home to over 50% of Sri Lanka's endemic species of mammals and butterflies, as ...



The Sinharaja Forest Reserve

The Sinharaja Forest Reserve

The Sinharaja Rainforest would perhaps be the most natural hotspot in the country - teeming with exotic flora and fauna and of great academic interest to naturalists. The World Heritage Sight remains untouched and no commercialisation is allowed in its environs in a bid to maintain its biodiversity.



Bopath Ella

Bopath Ella

Yet another wonderful waterfall, Bopath Ella with a height of 30m, is situated on the Kuru Ganga. The name Bopath is derived from Bo – the ficus religiosa, the sacred tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment - and from Pata – which means “leaf.” This is because this waterfall has three ...



The National Museum of Ratnapura

The National Museum of Ratnapura

The National Museum of Ratnapura is housed in the famous 19th-century Ehelepola Walauwa on the Colombo Road in Ratnapura. There is a collection of pre-historic fossils of elephants, rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses found in gem pits from the Balangoda area. There are items of local art and culture such as musical instruments, ...



Maha Saman Devale

Maha Saman Devale

Maha Saman Devale is located 2km from Ratnapura. The shrine was first built by King (Pandita) Parakramabahu II in 1270AD. It is dedicated to the guardian deity of Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak), Saman. The temple was re-built by King Parakramabahu V1 in the 15th century. It was then destroyed by the Portuguese and a church was ...