Highlights
- Named after the famous Buddhist university of Nalanda in India
- Buddhist and Hindu design meet in one building
- It blends Sinhala and Tamil traditions with tantric elements
- Built of stone in a style rare on the island
- The only shrine in Sri Lanka of its kind
- A carving of Kubera, god of wealth, sits on the shrine
Overview
Nalanda Gedige is an ancient stone shrine near Matale, in the very centre of Sri Lanka, a short way off the Kandy to Dambulla road. It is unusual because it combines Hindu and Buddhist architecture in one building. Its design follows South Indian Hindu temples of the Pallava style, yet it has Buddhist features and was used for Buddhist worship.
History
There are no inscriptions that date the shrine, so its age is estimated from its style. Most scholars place it between about the 8th and 10th centuries AD, a period of strong South Indian influence. The word "gedige" usually means a building made of brick or stone with a vaulted roof. In the 1970s and 1980s, the shrine was taken apart and rebuilt on higher ground, because the original site was to be flooded by a reservoir built under the Mahaweli scheme.
What you see
- The plan: like a Hindu temple, with an entrance hall (mandapa) that was once roofed, a short passage and a bare inner sanctum, with a path around it.
- Buddhist features: a moonstone, a balustrade with makara (dragon) figures, and carvings of dwarfs.
- Carvings: including some with tantric themes, which are rare in Sri Lanka.
- Kubera: a figure of the god of wealth seated on a lotus base, on the southern side.
The stone is well cut and fitted, and the building stands quietly on a grassy mound beside the reservoir.
How long it takes
About thirty to forty-five minutes.
When to go
Morning or late afternoon, when it is cooler. The site is rarely crowded.
Getting there
Nalanda Gedige is about 25 km north of Matale, and about 30 minutes by road south of Dambulla. Turn off the A9 near Nalanda town; the site is about 1 km from the main road.
Practical tips
- A small entry fee may be charged; check at the site.
- Remove shoes near the shrine and dress modestly.
- Do not climb on the stonework.
Combine with the Dambulla cave temple or a spice garden on the A9. Join our Cultural Triangle package, or see things to do in Dambulla and Dambulla hotels.
Prices are as of October 2026 and may change.
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