Interesting Place near Tangalle: Seated Buddha

If you want to visit interesting place near Tangalle do not miss Wewurukannala Buduraja Maha Viharaya. Having a name that is difficult to remember, it takes pride in the biggest statue of seated Buddha in Sri Lanka. 

It is enough to tell a tuk tuk driver: “To the sitting Buddha Temple”. He will know where to take you. The temple is close to Dikwella, a town easy to reach from Tropical Garden by tuk tuk within half an hour.

Rising to a height of 50 meters, the deep orange statue of Buddha is visible from a long distance. Stairs will lead you up as high as the head of the statue. Here you can enjoy a spectacular view of the surrounding area. You will walk through halls decorated with frescoes depicting traditional Buddhist scenes. You can also look into the “hall of sinners” where life-size statues show in graphical detail the torments suffered by those who succumb to the earthly temptations lining the path to enlightenment.

It is recommended to combine the trip to the temple with bathing at the renowned local surfing beach Hirikytiya or with a visit to the Blow Hole.