Kande Viharaya Temple Tourism

Type of destination: Buddhist Temple

Ideal visit duration: 1-2 hours

Kande Viharaya Temple, located in Bentota, Sri Lanka, is a historic Buddhist temple famed for its religious significance and architectural beauty. The temple's name, 'Kande Viharaya,' translates to 'Mountain Monastery,' reflecting its elevated position that offers stunning views of the surrounding area. Established in 1734 during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe, it has become an important cultural landmark. The centerpiece of the temple is the majestic Kande Viharaya Buddha statue, which is one of the tallest sitting Buddha statues in the world, standing at 48 meters (approximately 160 feet) in height. This iconic statue is revered by devotees and admired by tourists for its grandeur and the sense of peace it exudes. The temple complex includes a Bo tree, Dagoba (stupa), Relic Chamber, Image House, and residential quarters for monks. The intricate murals and carvings within the premises depict various scenes from the life of Buddha and Jataka tales, illustrating the temple's rich artistic heritage. Kande Viharaya is not only a place of worship but also a center of learning, with a library that conserves ancient manuscripts.

Top 5 Reviews on Kande Viharaya Temple

atyagi13

Wrote on 20th Apr, 2024

Beautiful and Diverse: A Must-Visit Temple

Despite the scorching heat making it a bit difficult to roam around barefoot, visiting Kande Viharaya Temple was a beautiful experience. While the main statue of Lord Buddha was under renovation durin..

andreassY5975NI

Wrote on 4th Jul, 2023

Chained elephant!

They put a poor elephant in chain, neclected it. Don‘t support such a temple and monks who couldn‘t care less by visiting. Not worth visiting at all.

Russicum

Wrote on 29th Apr, 2023

Second time - excellent

Well… I was here second time. I’ve been amazing mood))) impressions, emotions. The Sri Lankans had a New Year's holiday. I saw many flowers ???????????? incredible performance. Also I took pictures w..

M6606JFbriand

Wrote on 16th Aug, 2022

Lack of compassion to poor elephant

Very interesting temple spoilt by the mistreatment of an elephant. The same elephant I saw 2 years ago is still chained to the same spot. It is embarrassing that a Buddhist temple would treat an anima..