Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(admission Rs 250, workshop payment by donation; 6.30am-6.30pm)
Set in a chasm in the hills, surrounded by giant boulders, this monastery is an intriguing
site. There's a unique series of monastic caves, some spectacular religious paintings and a
stupa or two. It's easily accessible (just off the road, 3km north of Matale).
Legend has it that a giant used three of the rocks as a base for his cooking pot, and the
name Aluvihara (Ash Monastery) refers to the ashes from the cooking fire.
Reclining Buddha Cave
The first cave you come to contains a 10m reclining Buddha and impressive lotus-pat-
tern murals on the ceiling. Another is filled with cartoon-like murals of the realms of hell -
if you're considering straying from the straight and narrow, you may think twice after see-
ing the statues of devils meting out an inventive range of punishments to sinners in the af-
terlife. One scene shows a sexual sinner with his skull cut open and his brains being ladled
out by two demons.
Buddhaghosa Cave
Up a flight of rock steps is a cave dedicated to Buddhaghosa, the Indian scholar who is
supposed to have spent several years here while working on the Tipitaka. Although histor-
ies affirm that Buddhaghosa lived in Anuradhapura in the 6th century AD, there's no clear
evidence he stayed at Aluvihara. Nonetheless the cave walls are painted with scenes show-
ing Buddhaghosa working on
ola
(palm-leaf) manuscripts.
Summit
Stairs continue to the summit of the rock bluff, where you'll find a dagoba and sweep-
ing views of the surrounding valley. To the west, atop a rocky outcrop 150m above the
monastery, is a seated golden Buddha offering protection and blessings with an
abhaya
(palm facing-outward) gesture.
Workshop
The Tipitaka was first transcribed from oral and Sinhalese sources into Pali text by a
council of monks held at Aluvihara in the 1st century BC. Two thousand years later, in
1848, the monks' library was destroyed by British troops putting down a revolt. The long
process of replacing the
ola
manuscripts still occupies monks, scribes and craftspeople
today. You can see their
workshop
(a donation includes having your name inscribed on a
small length of
ola
).
