Aluvihara Temple

The Name of the Aluvihara Temple (Ash Monastery) refers to the Ashes from the cooking fire. Aluviharaya is a scared Buddhist temple situated in the Matale District, 30km south of Kandy city. The temple is surrounded by lush green hills which provide a spectacular view and it is one of the popular temples in Sri Lanka with a rich history. The temple was built in the 3rd century B.C by King Devanampiyatissa where the Pali Canonical scriptures were completely written for the first time on palm leaves. At the hillside above, there is a huge seated golden Buddha offering protection and blessings with an abhaya (palm facing-outward) gesture. A path leads from behind the museum for the stiff 30-minute uphill hike here.