Home · Places · North Central

heritage · North Central

Isurumuniya Rock Temple — Anuradhapura

Cover photo: Vlada (Unsplash)

District

Anuradhapura

Province

North Central

Best for

Art lovers and couples; see the famous Isurumuniya Lovers carving at sunset

Map

See it on the map

About this place

Rock temple near Tissa Wewa, famed for the 5th-century Lovers, royal family and elephant carvings. Visit late afternoon and stroll the Tissa Wewa bund afterwards. Small separate ticket (a few hundred LKR); tuk-tuk from the centre in minutes.

Visitor brief

Good to know before you go

• Modest dress required at this working temple; remove shoes before rock terraces.
• Visit late afternoon and combine with a stroll on the Tissa Wewa bund at sunset.
• Small separate ticket (~a few hundred LKR); timings roughly 8 AM-6 PM.
• The famous Lovers carving is housed in a sheltered area; photography rules are posted on site.
• Modest behaviour: it is an active worship site, not only a monument.

How to travel there

In Anuradhapura near Tissa Wewa; a few minutes by tuk-tuk from the town centre or Sacred City.

Where to stay

Anuradhapura town: mid-range hotels and guesthouses; budget lodges near the centre.

Nearby places

Tissa Wewa bund, Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, Ruwanwelisaya, Isurumuniya museum

Read the full guide →