Mahamevna Monastery, Kumbalwela

damithudaya (77)in #steem-atlas • 21 hours ago

Ella town in Sri Lanka is famous not only for its misty mountains and amazing landscapes but also for the spiritual sites hidden within its greenery. Mahamevna Monastery in the Kumbalwela area is such a place where hundreds of pilgrims visit daily for meditation and religious activities, and to see the insane beauty of it.

Being located at the top of a mountain in a popular tourist hub and known for its stunning features, visiting the Mahamevnawa Monastery in Kumbalwela has been a must for travelers. So, let me share my experience here in our visit to Ella.

The Location

Well, it's situated in Kumbalwela, a small city between Ella and Bandarawela, in the Badulla district, Sri Lanka. As I have said earlier, this area is known for many tourist attractions. You can easily reach the Monastery junction via the Ella-Wellawaya road.

Anyway, from there we have to travel to the mountain peak which is around 3.5km-journey to the top. Well, the access is road reasonably good, where you can travel even by bus.

The access road

Parking Spaces

Many pilgrims even travel by foot to the top, by a private vehicle, or by a Tuk Tuk for Rs. 700 (18 Steem), and there is a bus service managed by the monastery for just Rs. 60 (1.5 Steem per person). As there are many options, you can use any convenient way.

There are plenty of parking spaces available at the top for free. As you can see in the image, a few buses can comfortably park there for free.

The view from below

The view from the top

One of the most amazing features of the Kumbalwela Monastery is its location. On the way to the top, you can see the thick plantations touching the horizon, the singing of birds, and the gentle touch of cold wind. And when you reach the top, the 360 around the area is just magical. This setup has increased the value of the place.

History and the Management of the Monastery

On 14 August 1999, Venerable Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero formed the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Network based in Polgahawela, Sri Lanka. And now the world has embraced his vision, with 80+ locations in Sri Lanka, 45+ branches overseas, and 1000+ monks.

With his guidance, in 2007, Kumbawela Monastery was started to build with a different approach. It's spread over 48 acres, and with the difficulty of access and the delicacy of the work, it took 17 years to complete and opened for the public in August 2024. Now the place is home to 30+ monks with many activities for the spiritual development of the community.

The Features and Facilities

Once you reach the entrance by vehicle, there is a short distance and hundreds of steps to climb to the monastery. Everything from the start and at the location is well-organized and pleasing to the eye.

The free Food Stall

There is a free food stall managed by the monastery. Even from the outside, it looks modern and comfortable. They have decorated it well, and the people working in there strictly follow the healthy guidelines. We received delicious Finger Millet Herbal Porridge during our visit. If you needed there's a seperate restuarent besides it as well.

Flower Shops

Place to keep slippers

There are a few flower shops. They are not expensive, and you can buy some flowers for Rs. 100 (2.5 Steem). We should remove our footwear and caps before entering the premises.

The starting point to climb the steps

As you can see, it has a unique vibe. There are beautiful carvings on each side of the steps, and the workmanship is very neat. The cream and white color paintings with rocky walls and plantations have doubled that unique beauty.

While enjoying the surrounding view and the beautiful carving, we can reach the top in around 10 minutes. It's just amazing. This monastery is a bit different from a typical temple. It's not a minimalistic, simple place. There are thousands of statues and carvings here and there. Each and every detail is very neat and carefully executed.

The Buddha house/ Temple building with statues and images

Just at the entrance, you will be treated by two big and beautiful cement elephants. At the center, we can see the temple building. It's 20 feet high, and on top of it, the stupa is located, which is 100 feet high.

The inside of the temple house is just like heaven, as you can see in the above image. According to their policy, we can't take photographs inside. We should remember to wear clothing that covers knees and shoulders, or else they will provide towels to cover them.

There is a big Buddha statue of Gautama Buddha at the center. And there are statues of the other 6 Buddhas who appeared in the world in the last hundred aeons: Vipassi, Siddhi, Vessabhu, Kakusanda, Konagamana, and Kassapa. There are images of Jathaka stories, important incidents in Buddhism, all around the place, statues of deities, etc. They have made the interior very modern and luxurious with lighting, glass ceilings, wood flooring, wood carvings, inscriptions etc. Regularly, fresh flowers are replaced by the volunteers working there.

The Stupa

On top of this building, you can see the 100-foot-high Stupa. Surrounding it, there are 6 small stupas, dedicated to each Buddha. That's why the place is also known as "Sri Satbudhu Maha Seya". Its design is impressive, and the koth itself is 15 feet high.

Place to light lamps and insense sticks

The Bodhi Tree

Apart from those, we can see the other basic features in a temple here as well. On one side, there's a small Bodhi tree which is covered with a golden pillar wall and a gate. And there are separate places to light lamps and incense sticks.

There is a restroom, free drinking water, and sanitary facilities at the top as well.

Beautiful carvings around the Temple

Not only inside the temple house, the surroundings of the temple are simply amazing and beautiful. There are various carvings and statues of deities, animals, flowers, etc.

They haven't even spared a column or beam of the building. All of them are decorated with beautiful works. The color combination is particularly pleasing to the eye. At the entrances, there are guard stones, as well. As you can see in the above images, there are no words to express the beauty of it.

The Water Foutains and Duck Pond

It's not over with the creativity in this place. In the other corner, there are ponds and water decorations. In the first image, you can see water flowing from the top between two sets of stairs. That work is so delicate.

There are ducks and fish in the nearby pond as well. All these improvisations have increased the beauty of the place.

The Book Store

Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero regularly publishes books, including his teachings associated with the Theravada Buddhism of Gautama Buddha. There is a bookstore on the premises with so many books for the spiritual development of people.

The Meditation Services

Instructions to be followed

This monastery is not just about the physical appearance. There are more than 30 monks living here in small huts in the nearby forest reserve. We can hear regular Dhamma preachings, and we can join the evening chanting at 6:00 pm as well.

The monastery is famous for meditation activities, and as you can see in the first notice, we can get the help of monks as per the schedule. They guide in meditations, and we can clarify any Dhamma-related questions with them. We can arrange one-to-one sessions as well.

And as you can see in the instructions, we should follow them to respect the premises. We should be careful in our clothing and behaviour.

Overall Experience

Kumbalwela Buddhist Monastery offers something different in the tourist hub of Sri Lanka. Rather than a typical temple, it provides a beautiful appearance in an amazing location. To be honest, it's a bit luxurious than the Buddhist teaching, but the service and the influence on society are much higher.

So, overall we had an amzing experience, and it's a must visit destination by all.

The Place	Mahamevna Monastery, Kumbalwela
Type of place	Monastery/ Temple
Contact no:	+94 766117718
Time	Every day from 6 AM–9 PM
Entrance	Free
Location	on Google Maps
Social Media/Website	Official Website, Facebook, YouTube
Time of Visit	1st of June, 2025