Aluvihare
Aluvihare අලුවිහාරය அலுவிஹாரை | |
|---|---|
suburb | |
 Entrance to Aluvihare rock temple | |
  Aluvihare | |
| Coordinates: 7°30′N 80°37′E / 7.500°N 80.617°E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Central Province |
| District | Matale |
| Division | Matale Division |
| Government | |
| • Type | Matale Municipal Council |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time) |
| Postal Code | 21054 |
| Area code | 066 |
Aluvihare (Sinhala: අලුවිහාරය Tamil: அலுவிஹாரை) is a suburb of Matale, in Central Province of Sri Lanka.[1] It lies 3.5 km (2.2 mi) north of Matale and 150 km (93 mi) north-east of the capital Colombo.
The suburb is situated on the Kandy-Jaffna highway (A9).
It was founded by Valagamba of Anuradhapura, around 300 B.C. but did not receive the name Aluvihare until a later date. The Aluvihare family originated from the area, an important family responsible for looking after the Aluvihare Rock Temple, and thus serving the Buddhist community in Sri Lanka.[2]
Today, Aluvihare is a popular attraction for both tourists and Buddhists wishing to visit the Aluvihare Rock Temple.
See also
References