The Madunagala Hermitage  (also referred as Madunagala Temple) is situated a few miles away from Ambalantota, in the jungle. The journey takes about 30 minutes along the tarred road. A red dirt road leads to the temple about 12.5 kilometres away. The road winds in all directions and is joined frequently by other roads and choosing the correct road is near impossible for someone without a guide.

Thick scrub jungle with thorny bushes, cacti and stunted trees dot the landscape. The land is dry due to poor rainfall even though the soil is rich. It’s impossible to see far on either side of the road since cacti and the bushes crowd thickly together.

We are treated to a sight of a bevy of peahens with tiny brown chicks as they feed by the road. As soon as we see them they scurry into the bush. Just around the bend we see a gorgeous peacock with a resplendent tail and iridescent blue-green neck. On top of a tall leafless tree a majestic serpent eagle sits surveying the terrain for potential prey. We first visit the dining area, where many devotees from all over Sri Lanka and the world come to give alms to the monks. They come in the evening and prepare the breakfast consisting of sago or cunji and some simple fare for lunch. Before leaving the next day, they boil a pot of water to be used for tea for the next group of alms  givers. The monks don’t eat dinner.

It is advisable not to wear short dresses or consume alcohol before arrival as these practices are discouraged and quite possibly you may not be allowed to enter the premises.

The Madunagala Hermitage (Madunagala Temple) dates back to the time of the Anuradhapura period. It was founded by Sri Gnananandabhimana Mahanayake Mahimi who retreated into the jungle. It is said that when he first preached here, wild pigs had congregated to listen to him. The tranquility of the temple is broken only by the infrequent bird-call. We pass a white statue of the founder monk and make our way past the water-tank from which water is pumped to the almsgiving-hall. Proceeding along the rocks we pass a small weed-filled pool for cleansing feet, climb some steps and witness another statue of the monk together with statues of the pigs gazing up at him, placed in a cleft in the rock where he preached. We see a small house on top of the rock where the Mahanayake stayed. Close by is the Vehera Vasaya, an octagonal building on top of the rock with a pond about a foot deep next to it.