Mulkirigala: Ancient caves carved
into the rock

I almost didn’t go to Mulkirigala.

It wasn’t part of some carefully planned itinerary. I was staying in Rekawa, enjoying the slower rhythm of the south, when Pubudu convinced me that we should go.

So one day, I got on the back of his scooter and we set off.

The journey itself became part of
the memory.

And then, after the ride from Rekawa, we reached Mulkirigala.

I had no idea how much I was about to
love it.

More than a temple

Mulkirigala is not the kind of place you fully understand from the outside. A huge rock rises above the surrounding greenery, while the temple complex is built across several levels of the rock, with natural caves transformed into shrine rooms. Reaching the temple is part of the experience because you have to climb through the trees and up the stone steps before you reach the caves. Sri Lanka Tourism describes Mulkirigala as a popular excursion from Tangalle, around 20 kilometres to the north, with several caves containing wall paintings and
Buddha statues.

The site has a long Buddhist history, and the caves have been used as places of religious practice and worship over many generations. What you see today is a mixture of natural rock, cave shrines, paintings, statues and later additions that have developed around the site over time.

But even knowing something about its history does not really prepare you for the feeling of
being there.

You are climbing into the rock itself, surrounded by greenery and gradually leaving the world below behind.

The climb is part of the story

Before we could reach the caves, there was one important thing left to do: climb.

And let me tell you something. Getting to the top is one thing. Getting back down is another story.

The path takes you upwards through the greenery, with stone steps leading from one level of the temple complex to another. Some parts are quite manageable, while others become noticeably more strenuous, which is something Sri Lanka Tourism also points out when describing the climb.

At the time, though, I wasn’t thinking about any of that. I was mostly thinking about one thing: how am I going to get back down from here?

My knees were already negotiating with the rest of my body.

At one point, I honestly considered rolling down the hill. It seemed faster and, in that particular moment, possibly less painful.

But the climb creates something important. By the time you reach the caves, you have left the road, the noise and everyday life below you. You have climbed far enough that the surroundings begin to feel completely separate from the world you started in.

And then you enter.

Inside the rock

This was the moment when Mulkirigala completely won me over.

The caves are dark and cool, and the natural shape of the rock creates a feeling of being completely enclosed by the mountain. Buddha statues occupy the shrine rooms, while painted surfaces bring colour to the stone around them. Some of the murals are associated with the Kandyan artistic tradition, and archaeological research into the temple has also documented painting techniques used in southern Sri
Lankan temples.

There is something very different about seeing religious art in a cave rather than in a conventional building. The rock is still there above you, around you and beneath you. The paintings and statues do not feel like objects placed in a museum. They belong to
the space.

You naturally slow down as you move through the caves because there is so much to look at. The paintings, the statues, the shape of the rock and the quietness all seem to belong together.

And then there is the light.

It comes into the caves differently from one place to another, catching parts of the paintings and statues while leaving other sections in shadow.

It is one of those places where photographs can show you what it looks like, but they cannot really reproduce what it feels like to stand there.

A living place of faith

This was something I understood even more clearly because of Pubudu.

Before we entered the sacred area, he bought me flowers.

We carried them up with us and left them as an offering near the Buddha.

It was a small moment, but it changed the way I saw the place.

Mulkirigala was not simply something I had come to see. It was not just another historical site where tourists arrive, take photographs and move on.

People still come here to pray. They still bring offerings. The temple remains a place of Buddhist worship, and standing there with flowers in my hands made that impossible
to forget.

Suddenly, I wasn’t just visiting history.

I was standing inside something that was still alive.

What to know before you go

If you are visiting Mulkirigala, remember that this is a sacred place as well as a historical site. Dress respectfully and make sure your shoulders and knees are covered. You will also need to remove your shoes before entering the sacred areas.

I had to cover my legs, and I was given a large shawl to wear before entering.

That meant walking barefoot.

And yes, after climbing all those steps, my feet probably had a few opinions about
that too.

But honestly, it became part of
the experience.

That barefoot moment stayed with me longer than I expected. After Mulkirigala, I found myself walking barefoot whenever I could. There was something about it that simply felt right, a small kind of freedom I had never really noticed before.

The climb is another thing to keep in mind. Some sections are strenuous, so comfortable clothing and shoes for the approach are a good idea. A light scarf or shawl is also useful if you need to cover your shoulders or legs before entering the sacred areas.

And once you are inside, slow down. There is no reason to rush through the caves.

A quiet place worth the climb

Mulkirigala does not have the same international fame as some of Sri Lanka’s better known cultural sites, and perhaps that was part of what made it special to me.

There was something peaceful about climbing higher through the greenery, discovering another terrace, another cave and another Buddha image along the way. The higher you go, the more the surrounding countryside begins to open up, and the effort of the climb starts to
feel worthwhile.

Sri Lanka Tourism specifically recommends making it to the summit for the views over the surrounding countryside.

I had travelled from Rekawa on the back of a scooter with someone I had only recently met, trusting him enough to let him take me somewhere I knew almost nothing about. That journey became one of my favourite memories from Sri Lanka.

Not because everything was easy. The climb certainly wasn’t, and the way back down was definitely not easy either. By the time we started descending, my legs were questioning every decision I had ever made.

But then there were the caves, the paintings, the Buddha statues and the flowers we had carried to the top. There was something about standing inside that ancient rock, surrounded by all of it, that made the effort completely worth it.

A story hidden in the rock

There is also a fascinating historical detail connected with Mulkirigala that gives the place
another layer.

One of the caves was used as a library, and in 1826 a British administrator discovered palm leaf manuscripts there. According to Sri Lanka Tourism, the manuscripts were important in the work of translating the Mahawamsa, the great historical chronicle of Sri Lanka.

I love details like this because they remind you that places like Mulkirigala were never simply about what you can see today.

People lived, worshipped, studied and preserved knowledge here.

The caves were not just beautiful spaces carved into a rock. They were part of a much larger cultural and religious world.

And somehow, that makes standing there feel even more meaningful.

Why part of me stayed at Mulkirigala

There are places you visit and remember because they were beautiful. And then there are places that stay with you for reasons you cannot completely explain.

Mulkirigala is one of those places for me.

Maybe it was the adventure of getting there. Maybe it was Pubudu convincing me to go. Maybe it was the ride from Rekawa, through a part of Sri Lanka I would probably never have seen otherwise.

Maybe it was the kindness that made me trust a person I had only just met enough to climb onto the back of his scooter and disappear down the road with him.

Or maybe it was simply the moment when I stepped inside those caves and
looked up.

Whatever the reason, I left with the feeling that I had found something special. Somewhere between the climb, the bare feet, the enormous shawl around my legs and my dramatic plans to roll back down the hill, a small part of my soul stayed there.

A few moments from my visit

Some places are difficult to explain. Sometimes, the best way to remember them is simply through the moments you brought home.