Pidurangala Rock
An ancient Buddhist temple on a rock about 1 km north of Sigiriya. The path climbs past the temple and a reclining Buddha to a bare summit with the best view of Sigiriya itself, which makes it a favourite climb at sunrise.
- Where
- Sigiriya, Central Province, Sri Lanka
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 7.9658, 80.7624
Get the Pidurangala Rock stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Pidurangala Rock. 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 Pidurangala Rock
Sigiriya 1.0 km
A granite column about 180 metres high rising out of the plain near Dambulla, crowned with the ruins of a 5th century royal citadel. Climbers pass painted frescoes and the polished Mirror Wall, then a pair of giant lion's paws, before the last stairs to the summit.
Minneriya National Park 9.6 km
A park around the ancient Minneriya tank, built by King Mahasen in the 3rd century AD. In the dry season elephants from the forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee gather on its shrinking shores to feed.
Dambulla Cave Temple 17 km
A cave temple high on a rock above Dambulla, a World Heritage Site since 1991. Its five caves are filled with Buddha statues and their ceilings are painted edge to edge with murals, a shrine that has been in use for more than two thousand years.
Ritigala 20 km
A forested mountain in central Sri Lanka, 43 km from Anuradhapura, that hides the ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery. Its rock inscriptions date back to the 1st century BCE, and stone paths and platforms lie scattered under the trees.
Parakrama Samudra 24 km
A vast, shallow reservoir beside Polonnaruwa, made of five separate tanks joined by narrow channels. It takes its name, the sea of Parakrama, from King Parakramabahu I, who built it.
Polonnaruwa Vatadage 26 km
A circular relic house in ancient Polonnaruwa, the best preserved of its kind in the country. It was built either by Parakramabahu I for the Tooth Relic or by Nissanka Malla for the Buddha's alms bowl, and four seated Buddhas face its four entrances.
Hatadage 26 km
A relic shrine built by King Nissanka Malla to hold the Tooth Relic of the Buddha, in the sacred quadrangle of Polonnaruwa. Only its brick and stone walls survive, and in a chamber inside stand three Buddhas carved from granite.
Rankoth Vehera 27 km
A large stupa built by King Nissanka Malla, who ruled from 1187 to 1196, closely modelled on the Ruwanweli stupa of Anuradhapura. Its name means gold pinnacled stupa, and with the Kiri Vehera it is one of the two most revered in Polonnaruwa.
More hidden gems in Central Province
Questions
Where is Pidurangala Rock?
Pidurangala Rock is in Sigiriya, Central Province, Sri Lanka. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Sigiriya (1.0 km), Minneriya National Park (9.6 km), Dambulla Cave Temple (17 km).
How do I get the Pidurangala Rock stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Pidurangala Rock 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 Pidurangala Rock 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.
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