If the idea of a monastery built into a cliff, sounds intriguing, try to drive 3 miles down the road to the North of Matala, 20 km from Kandy to see Aluwihare. This unique group of monastic caves, picturesquely situated among the rocks, which are located high above the valley. The legend says that the giant used three rocks as the basis for his pots, and the name of Aluvihara (ash monastery) belongs to ashes from cooking on the fire.

Aluvihara is one of the most important cultural sites in Sri Lanka. It is believed that Buddhist doctrines were first written on palm leaves here in the 1st century BC, during the reign of king Vattagamani Abaya. This entry Dhamma known as the "Tripitaka" and now she is the main steering book of Dhamma for Theravada Buddhism. Two thousand years later, in 1848, the library of the monks was destroyed by British troops. A long process of recovery of the manuscript, and remains of monks, scribes, and craftsmen. For a small fee in the form of donations to the temple, you can visit their workshop for writing on palm leaves.

In the first cave in which you find yourself, the image is 10 meter long reclining Buddha and the impressive painting in the form of Lotus flowers on the ceiling. The other is filled with cartoonish painting of a sphere of hell: before to deviate from the straight path to heaven, you will think twice after seeing the statues of devils punishing sinners in the afterlife. In one of the scenes shows the sinner with an open skull and two demons, cutting his brains.

Despite the historical significance of Aluvihara, painting and sculpture that can be seen in its cave temples are modern.

Upstairs is a cave Buddhaghosa - idise Indian scholar who is supposed to have spent several years here during the work on Tipitaka. Although historians argue that Buddhaghosa lived in Anuradhapura in the 6th century of our era, there is no clear proof of this. However, the cave walls are painted with scenes showing how Buddhaghosa work on manuscripts.

Stairs lead to the top of the cliff, where you will find the Dagoba (a place for storage of relics) and enjoy stunning views of the surrounding valleys.