Kooragala Forest Hermitage

Kooragala Forest Hermitage, located within the Thanjanthanna Grama Niladhari division of the Balangoda Pradeshiya Sabha area, is one of the oldest Buddhist cultural heritage sites. Today, it is a protected site under the Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka. From the Thanjanthanna Mangara Temple along the Balangoda-Kalthota road, head south for about 1.05 km along a road to reach the Kooragala rock plateau. From there, an ancient stairway carved into the rock extends for approximately 100 steps, leading to a terrace midway. From this terrace, you can access the main rock cave complex to the left, with the Hituwangala rock cave located to the southeast. The site is commonly known as “Kooragala,” referring to the highest point of the rock plateau, which rises over 1,500 feet above sea level. At the summit, the surrounding landscape unfolds beautifully, with distant paddy fields, small reservoirs, and terraced landscapes forming a picturesque scene reminiscent of the views from Sigiriya, Dambulla, Mihintale, and Sithulpawwa. The hermitage has meditation shelters suitable for long retreats, with several ancient stone-lined caves used by monks. Among these, two inscriptions have been discovered, dating back to 2nd–1st century BCE, written in early Brahmi script in ancient Sinhala language.