In Hindagala stands Hindagala Raja Maha Viharaya, a cave shrine and monastery in Kandy District. The temple brings together rock inscriptions, cave paintings, and a stupa, with historical references spanning several centuries. Two inscriptions are dated to the 6th and 7th centuries; some paintings date to the early 20th century, while others may be dated to the 7th century based on their style. There is also a historical episode concerning the Tooth Relic and a connection to a queen explicitly recorded as legend. These different accounts relate to different periods and do not all carry the same evidentiary weight.
Rock Inscriptions and the Temple’s History
The rock inscriptions deal with the history of the temple. Their dates in the 6th and 7th centuries AD provide two specific points of reference for the written records. These dates refer to the inscriptions and do not automatically indicate when the entire temple was built. The inscriptions and the paintings represent different forms of religious tradition: the former address the temple’s history in writing, while the latter depict religious themes. When placing Hindagala in its cultural and historical context, these forms of expression can be considered separately rather than reducing the entire complex to a single date or construction phase.
Cave Paintings with Different Motifs
The exterior of the cave façade is plastered and decorated with paintings from the early 20th century. They depict events from the life of the Buddha and scenes of punishment in hell. These should be distinguished from the ancient paintings above the present-day rock shrine, which may be dated to the 7th century based on stylistic features. This dating is tentative. The two dates refer to different paintings and are therefore not contradictory.
One painting depicts the Buddha in the Indrasala Cave in Magadhadesa, in northeastern India. The god Indra, also called Sakra, is shown as well; he visits the Buddha and questions him. The motif thus brings a named location outside Hindagala into the temple’s religious imagery. The paintings bring together different themes and proposed dates, each relating to specific depictions.
Stupa and Regional Context
Below the image house is a stupa regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s early rock-cut dagobas. Its position below the image house describes the spatial arrangement, while the designation as an early rock-cut dagoba classifies the structure. Administratively, Hindagala Raja Maha Viharaya is located in Kandukarapahala Korale, in the Udapalatha Division of Kandy District. Thus, alongside the religious imagery and written records, the temple also has a specific location within the complex and an administrative classification.
Historical Development and Traditions
A second phase in the development of Hindagala Raja Maha Viharaya is attributed to the Kandyan period of the 14th century. This is a historical dating and provides another point of reference alongside the dates of the inscriptions and paintings.
A gazetteer of the Central Province compiled by A. C. Lawrie in 1896 mentions a legend connecting a reclining Buddha statue in the middle of the cave with Queen Henekanda Biso Bandara. This connection should be understood as a legend, not as a confirmed historical event. The Tooth Relic provides a different historical reference: on its way to Kandy, it was kept at Hindagala Raja Maha Viharaya for one day. This episode describes a specific historical stop on the relic’s journey and is distinct from the temple’s development phase and the story about the queen.
Discover more destinations: Pallegama, Haliyadda, Hunnasgiriya, Hewaheta, Nortonbridge, Harangala, Udapussallawa, Meemure
For the broader travel overview: Central Province.
