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Ancient · Buddhist · Sri Lanka
Aluvihare Rock Temple
Aluvihare, Matale, Matale District · 7.4972°, 80.6219°
Gautama Buddha (reclining, standing and seated images)AnuradhapuraRock cave temple
Sacred since
300 BCE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
3rd c. BCE (Devanampiyatissa)
Anuradhapura
History & significance
A cave monastery north of Matale, traced to the reign of Devanampiyatissa, whose caves carry painted walls and ceilings, Buddha images and early inscriptions. It is remembered above all as the place where the Pali Canon was first committed to writing under King Walagamba in the 1st century BCE; the site was declared a protected monument in 1974.