What to know before you go.
Researched by Sarisara, with sources.
Isurumuniya is a small Buddhist temple built against a rock outcrop beside the Tissa Wewa, one of the ancient reservoirs of Anuradhapura. King Devanampiyatissa, the same king linked to the story of Mihintale, is said to have built it in the 3rd century BC for monks of noble birth. Centuries later, King Kasyapa I restored it and gave it a new name, though the old name stuck.
Most visitors come for the stone carvings rather than the temple buildings themselves. The best known is a pair of figures carved into the rock, usually called the ‘Isurumuniya Lovers’ — some historians read them as a prince and a royal woman from an old love story, others as two deities. Nearby is a carving showing a king and his attendants, thought to show King Dutugemunu, and another panel of elephants bathing and playing in water, with lotus flowers carved around them. These carvings are over a thousand years old and are considered some of the finest stone art from ancient Sri Lanka.
The temple sits inside the old city of Anuradhapura, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is still a working place of Buddhist worship today, with monks living on site — so while you come mainly to see the carvings, you are also walking into an active temple.
Entrance tickets are not included in Sarisara prices. Please pay them in cash at the gate.
Last checked: 21 Oct 2026. Prices are set by the temple and can change.
This ticket is not included in your Sarisara price and is paid in cash at the gate. There is no separate South Asian/SAARC price — everyone above the child age pays the same LKR 500. One other source gives a higher figure, LKR 1,000; two independent sources agree on LKR 500, which is used here, but your guide will confirm the exact price on the day. A separate Anuradhapura sacred-city ticket does not cover Isurumuniya — it must be bought on its own.
Cover your shoulders and knees, and take off your shoes before entering the temple buildings.
Not dressed right? Not confirmed whether clothing can be borrowed or bought at the gate. It is best to arrive dressed correctly, to be safe.
Opening hours are reported by two independent sources as 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. No separate list of puja or ceremony times was found for this specific temple.
Department of Archaeology (archaeological protected monument; not independently confirmed as the day-to-day manager of this specific temple) Official website
Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka
Trips, experiences and stays in and around Anuradhapura.
It means “may you live long”. It is how we say hello in Sinhala, and how we greet you every time you come back.
One free account keeps your trips, your saved places and your messages with your guide in one place.
Fire dancers light the road before the elephants of the Esala Perahera.
