Kande Vihara Temple, Aluthgama, Sri Lanka

Kande vihara temple is a major Buddhist temple in Kalutara District, Sri Lanka. This temple was established in the year 1734 and it is one of the popular temples in Sri lanka.The temple got its name “Kande Vihara” (Mountain Temple) because the temple was built on a top of a hill. This 18th Century temple has a 160ft tall seated Buddha statue, makes it one of the world’s tallest Buddha statue. This enormous statue has been drawing both locals and foreigners to this historic temple.

On the way to temple you can see this enormous statue from a distance , that gives you an “awe” feeling. Once you step inside the temple you can see a Bodhi tree thought be more than 300ys old,There’s a beautiful stone moonstone, a classic feature of architecture first seen in Sri Lanka’s Anuradhapura Kingdom. Other than that there is a museum, Library, statues of Sri Lankan past kings and hindu gods.

Due to the heat and tiredness I had I didn’t took any photos inside or of the temple,but you can see more photos from google here >> https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrE1xuW9j9f0wsAxHVXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0ZTc3bzVwBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQzA2NzJfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw–?p=kande+vihara&fr2=piv-web&fr=mcafee

Kande Viharaya Temple is located near a beautiful and busy (during season times) coastal side named “Beruwala”. Moragalle beach is a hidden gem located inside Beruwala to the coastal side. My next Blog will be about this and I hope to do a vlog as well. Stay tuned.

How to reach :

Go south and take the Colombo to Galle route(Bus: Aluthgama), When you pass Beruwala, you will spot a Kaluwamodara Bridge( You can ask the bus conductor), which is about 36 miles away from Colombo. Get on the bridge and turn left at its end. After about half a mile, you will reach the Kande Viharaya. The total travel time to get to the temple will be approximately around 03 hours excluding any traffic on the roads. If you come by train (train schedule: http://slr.malindaprasad.com/index.php?from=FOT&to=ALT) you have to get down from “Aluthgama” and come towards Colombo side to Beruwala, same for when you come by Express way buses from Kadawatha,Sri Lanka.

Travel tips for visitors :

Note that you have to cover your shoulders , arms and knees, plus you have to remove shoes and caps/hats. There are no entrance tickets for both foreigners and locals.

If you are a foreigner, it’s restricted to use public transportation in Sri Lanka due to the Corona Virus, so know before you go.