Buddha statue of the Kodigala Temple

Year and Month; 2021.11.18

Crew ;( Ranil Hemantha,sadamali)

Accommodation; Home

Transport; Moto bicycle

Activities; Hiking, hobby, photography, mind relax, Nature Exploring, Temple

Weather; Clear sky

Notes and Special remark;

Take enough water
the Google Map route
This is a very easy hike
Recommended for family hikes
Do not pollute the environment
Parking is available near the trailhead
Use the comfortable route as it gives just a 10-minute hike
kodigala Hill Hike (1518m)

For those who are like to take an adventure experience, it is a nice place for beginners. it is an easy task to achieve and it is a nice view at top of the kodigala, it takes a 10-15minute climb with step

Author; Ranil Hemantha

Sri Lanka is unique for its unspoiled beauty. Buddhism was the cornerstone of our rich history. So it’s no surprise that there will be ancient temples on top of mountains, may be swallowed up by the ocean and in each and every city. That is our culture.

Driving on the Southern highway towards Colombo, a few miles after the Kalutara exit and a mile or two before the Panadura exit, on the right-hand side on top of a mountain the image of a Buddha statue adds tranquillity to the already green and majestic mountain tops. This is the Buddha statue of the Kodigala Aranya. Getting there is not an issue if you know the name of the place since it’s on Google maps and it will take you right to the entrance of the temple.

If you are not a google maps person, finding the place would be a bit tricky. After taking the Panadura exit, travel on the Panadura Horana road towards Imbula road. It was about a 20 minutes drive from the Panadura exit during a time there was no traffic.

The temple consists of two areas. The lower area has the bo tree and places to worship. Thereafter it’s a 10-minute climb to reach the upper level where you see the majestic Buddha statue. This area is on top of a mountain

, so the view is spectacular. The atmosphere is ideal if you want to spend time in stillness. Not sure why there aren’t too many people visiting this temple, but for those who want peace and quiet while they worship or just enjoy the surrounding, this is ideal. The 10 minutes climb is a little steep, but there are steps except for the last lap where the steps are from what was left from the ancient temple.
According to the Caretaker, there are many folk stories about this ancient temple. Some say that long years ago, people could hardly travel to the upper area of the temple due to strange and mysterious happenings. Later on in the recent past bhikkhus have used the upper area for meditation and have invoked a lot of blessing and with that, the mysteries of the past have vanished.

I recommend this detour from the Southern Highway to the Kodigala Aranya!!