On our way to see an ancient cave temple near Baddegama, we saw the huge Buddha statue raised at Peraliya in memory of the 1500 train passengers and the numerous other people killed by the terrible tsunami in December 2004.  It has been placed on an island in the middle of a pond that has been created at the site of the train crash.  The statue, which is a replica of the Bamyan Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, was donated by the Japanese.

The Wawulagala Shri Shailakutarama Purana Gallen Viharaya is a very ancient cave temple near the village of Baddegama.  It is now in the care of the Department of Archaeology for the region, although there is a resident priest and the temple is in use.  Some 70% of Sri Lankans are Buddhists and the religion has been practiced here since the third century BC.  When we arrived, the Buddha’s maxims in Pali, followed by melodious singing and chanting, were being relayed on a loudspeaker, which somewhat spoilt the otherwise numinous atmosphere.

The temple premises which seem to date from the fifth century, are scattered over several large boulders and within the largest, which is surmounted by the ancient stupa, is the cave temple, with a large reclining Buddha.  There are several very ancient wall paintings relating the story of the Buddha and of the arrival in Sri Lanka of the son and daughter of the Indian ruler Ashoka who had converted to Buddhism.  Most of the ancient paintings of the Kandy period are very faded, but the lotus flower decoration of the roof surface of the cave and other parts of the cave have more recently been re-painted.

 

The solitary priest showed us round this little visited temple, which felt a tranquil and spiritual place.  He then served us fresh coconut water.