Lankatilaka Vihara
A Buddhist temple with Hindu shrines built into it, set on a rock in Udunuwara a few kilometres from Gadaladeniya. It is considered the finest building of the Gampola era, and its tall white image house still rises over the surrounding paddy fields.
- Where
- Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 7.2339, 80.5647
Get the Lankatilaka Vihara stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Lankatilaka Vihara. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Central Province volume with your photos and a note.
Near Lankatilaka Vihara
Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya 5.4 km
Botanic gardens about 5.5 km west of Kandy, by the Mahaweli River, holding more than 4000 species of plants. They are best known for their orchid house, and also grow spices, medicinal plants and long avenues of palms, with the National Herbarium attached.
Ceylon Tea Museum 8.4 km
A museum of tea in the old Hanthana Tea Factory, built in 1925, about 3 km south of Kandy. Its floors hold the machines that once rolled and dried the leaf, and the top floor has a tea room looking out over the hills.
Kandy Lake 10 km
An artificial lake in the heart of Kandy, built in 1807 by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe beside the Temple of the Tooth. Locals call it Kiri Muhuda, the Sea of Milk; fishing is banned, and a shaded path runs around its edge.
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic 11 km
A Buddhist temple in the royal palace complex of the old Kandyan kingdom, home to the relic of the Buddha's tooth. The relic was long held by Sinhalese kings, and the temple is a World Heritage Site because of it; each year it is paraded through Kandy in the Esala Perahera.
Udawatta Kele Sanctuary 11 km
A 104 hectare forest reserve on the ridge above Kandy's old royal palace. Under the kings it was Uda Wasala Watta, the garden above the palace; today its trails and tangled lianas are known for their birdlife.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage 21 km
A breeding and care centre for Asian elephants near Kegalle, home to the largest captive herd in the world: 71 animals across three generations in 2023. Each day the herd is walked down to the river to bathe.
Ramboda Falls 24 km
A 109 metre waterfall at the Ramboda Pass on the A5 road between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. It is formed by the Panna Oya, a tributary of the Kothmale Oya, and falls from about 945 metres above sea level through tea country.
Sri Muthumariamman Temple 28 km
A Hindu temple in Matale dedicated to the goddess Mariamman. Its tall gopuram gateway is covered in rows of brightly painted figures of gods and guardians, and it is one of the best known Hindu temples in the central hills.
More hidden gems in Central Province
Questions
Where is Lankatilaka Vihara?
Lankatilaka Vihara is in Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya (5.4 km), Ceylon Tea Museum (8.4 km), Kandy Lake (10 km).
How do I get the Lankatilaka Vihara stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Lankatilaka Vihara and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Central Province volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Lankatilaka Vihara before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Central Province volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.