Pidurangala Rock

Pidurangala Rock is a rocky outcrop located in central Sri Lanka, in the Matale District, about north of the more well-known Sigiriya rock.

Geology

These bare peaks rise abruptly from the low-lying plains that extend from the central mountain range of the country. They are inselbergs, hardened granite outcrops deriving from solidified magma plugs of former volcanoes.

History

The rocks form the site of a former Buddhist monastery, and Pidurangala Rock is also an archaeological site. Caves house a temple, Sigiri Pidurangala Raja Maha Viharaya, which is believed to have been built by King Kashyapa in the 5th century, and a monumental brick statue of a reclining Buddha. King Kashyapa's stupa is near the entrance to the monastery, and there are remains of another stupa on the top of the outcrop.