Palace in the Sky - Dimbulagala

Dimbulagala Temple is situated south of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Polonnaruwa & this is one of the picturesque temples in the country. It's a dangereous road climbing up this mountain but then again, there were 70 year old men & women climbing with us on that day.

One must jump from one rock to the other in order to get to the top. There're no steps or roads cut in this mountain. It's an authentic jungle hike.

It's said in the legends that, the late chief monk of Dimbulagala, had seen a dream / vision of a beautiful temple in the thick jungle & he had been told to visit this place before it gets destroyed. Then the monk had journeyed into the jungle & when he felt that he could go no further, he had met a villager carrying milk. The villager had graciously given milk to the monk & the monk had asked him where the temple was. The villager had pointed the way with his hand & when the monk turned back to thank the man, he was no where to be seen.

The chief monk was a person who feared no one. He was very strict in controlling the temple & he himself initiated the resurrection of Dimbulagala & its suburbs. Thousands depend on this temple & its monks to create their way of life. The service rendered by the chief monk is immeasurable.

The Dimbulagala chief monk was assassinated by the LTTE during the civil war.

This beautiful "Palace in the sky" stands to this day with all its majesty & it's a breathtaking view of the entire area from the top of the mountain. There're many ruins in the vicinity as well.