Destination
Garandigala Rajamaha Viharaya
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Travel approximately two miles from Galewela via Kala Wewa Road to Dakunumulle Junction, turn right and proceed about half a mile to see this temple on the left.
King Kashyapa III, who reigned in the Anuradhapura Era, is believed to have built this temple (1276-732).
The temple is said to have earned its name because the rock outcrop where it stands was inhabited prolifically by rat snakes (Garandiya) according to folklore. Some historians however argue that it is because the very appearance of these rock plains resembles the form of a rat snake from a distance. Among the ancient ruins here are those of a Dagoba, Vihara Mandiraya and four very large rock caves. About eight beds made of stone have been discovered in one of the caves.
The ancient Garandigala epigraph found here is special because it is the only such epigraph found in Ceylon with figures of a dog and a crow engraved in it. Historians are of the view that this epigraph represents a fairly developed stage in the evolution of the Sinhala language.
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