Pidurangala

Although many tourists visit Sigiriya they usually tend to neglect Pidurangala- a temple located close to Sigiriya. It is believed this was built in the same era as the Sigiriya by king Kashyapa. It can be easily accessed by the road from Sigiriya Temple. From the entrance of Sigiriya there is a road to left. By following this about 1km you can reach Pidurangala Temple. In the base of the hill there are some ruins including a ruins of a stupa and a chapter house. The climbing of the hill is easy initially. After about 20 minutes of ascend you will come across a statue of a reclining Buddha. This is made out of clay and brick and it had been reconstructed following destruction by treasure-hunting vandals. From this point onwards the climbing becomes difficult. But the view from the top of the hill is magnificent. This is considered to be a monastery for Buddhist monks as ruins of a stupa, image house, chapter house and a meditation hall have been excavated and restored.