BUDUGALA CAVES

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The so-called Budugala caves including the Budugala Cave Temple (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1983: 154, 247) or temple cave (note 1) are small decorated rock shelters (WILSON 1988: 23) with unspecified decorations (certificates?, medals? speleothems? rock art? cave paintings?), which were used in the 2nd century by Buddhists as troglodyte monastic dwellings and meditation retreats. Nowadays they are only a monument to the past (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 245, 1983: 154, 247). Nearby lies –>Kurugala Cave and the –>Jailani Muslim shrine. SITUATION 1: In the vicinity of the Circuit Bungalow at Uggal Kaltota (note 2), both Budugala cave temple and Kurugala cavern lie at a walking distance of two miles (about 3 km) from MP 14 (mile post 14, kilometre 22.5) on the road from Balangoda (note 2) initially ESE and later NE to Uggal Kaltota (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: ?; 1983: 154). SITUATION 2: From Balangoda, the road [south-east] to Uggal Kaltota descends rapidly for twenty miles [32 km] along a ridge of hills hat falls away sharply into the plains beyond the Welawe river. In the lower reaches of this ridge are three sets of caves: Those at Budugala, Kuragala and Diyainna. The Budugala caves … lie at the very bottom of the escarpment about two miles [3 km] from Kaltota, which is where this part of the road from Balangoda ends [or, perhaps, ended in the 1970ies]. Budugala is reached via a track (motorable in dry weather) along an irritation channel. Clearly visible from this track is the massive Kurugala rock [note 4] on the mountainside above (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 245; 1983: 247). CAVE POTENTIAL: Cavers fond of pot-holing will be exited to learn that both Budugala and Kurugala [the village near the cave –>Hituwa Lena] are accessible by car along a reasonable metalled road with numerous pot-holes (WILSON 1988: 23).The so-called Budugala caves including the Budugala Cave Temple (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1983: 154, 247) or temple cave (note 1) are small decorated rock shelters (WILSON 1988: 23) with unspecified decorations (certificates?, medals? speleothems? rock art? cave paintings?), which were used in the 2nd century by Buddhists as troglodyte monastic dwellings and meditation retreats. Nowadays they are only a monument to the past (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 245, 1983: 154, 247). Nearby lies –>Kurugala Cave and the –>Jailani Muslim shrine. SITUATION 1: In the vicinity of the Circuit Bungalow at Uggal Kaltota (note 2), both Budugala cave temple and Kurugala cavern lie at a walking distance of two miles (about 3 km) from MP 14 (mile post 14, kilometre 22.5) on the road from Balangoda (note 2) initially ESE and later NE to Uggal Kaltota (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: ?; 1983: 154). SITUATION 2: From Balangoda, the road [south-east] to Uggal Kaltota descends rapidly for twenty miles [32 km] along a ridge of hills hat falls away sharply into the plains beyond the Welawe river. In the lower reaches of this ridge are three sets of caves: Those at Budugala, Kuragala and Diyainna. The Budugala caves … lie at the very bottom of the escarpment about two miles [3 km] from Kaltota, which is where this part of the road from Balangoda ends [or, perhaps, ended in the 1970ies]. Budugala is reached via a track (motorable in dry weather) along an irritation channel. Clearly visible from this track is the massive Kurugala rock [note 4] on the mountainside above (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 245; 1983: 247). CAVE POTENTIAL: Cavers fond of pot-holing will be exited to learn that both Budugala and Kurugala [the village near the cave –>Hituwa Lena] are accessible by car along a reasonable metalled road with numerous pot-holes (WILSON 1988: 23).