Dhowa Rock Temple

Dhowa Rock Temple is a Buddhist cave temple beside the village of Dhowa on the Badulla to Bandarawela road in Uva Province, Sri Lanka, about 7.5 km north of Bandarawela. It is known for a large unfinished standing Buddha carved into a rock face beside a stream. It suits travellers between Ella and Bandarawela who want a short, quiet stop.

Built by King Valagamba while hiding in Uva

The temple is believed to have been built by King Valagamba in the first century BC, when he sheltered in Uva after a South Indian army overran the Anuradhapura kingdom. That makes it more than two thousand years old by tradition. The government declared it an archaeological protected monument on 1 November 1996.

An 11 m Buddha left uncarved in the granite

The Buddha figure, about 11 m tall, is cut into a vertical granite face and was never completed. It is cited as an example of Mahayana sculpture in Sri Lanka. The carving is easy to miss from the road.

Murals and the two guardian figures

The image house in the cave is covered in colourful murals and paintings of the Buddha. Two guardian figures flank its entrance, one holding an elephant in its mouth and the other a bull; they are said to represent the demon leaders Watuka and Kuvera.

A 30-minute stop on the Badulla road

It sits right beside the Badulla road and the railway, so it is an easy stop between Ella and Bandarawela. Entry is free and donations are welcome. A visit takes about 30 minutes.