The Degaldoruva rock cave temple was built under the patronage of King Kirthi Sri Rajasingha in 1771. The murals can be considered the most magnificent examples of Kandyan style art- they are priceless historical documents which cannot be reproduced under modern conditions.
The origin of the Degaldoruva temple is rooted deeply in legend. The two large rock boulders fused together at the cave temple had been opened in the past with a gap in between. One day, a villager had gone through the gap to see what lies between them, to find a heap of golden sickles lying hidden in the gap. He had taken one of the sickles and gone to his paddy-field. He used it and replaced it in the evening on his way home. This continued for some time with him replacing the golden sickle after work each day.
On the last day of the harvesting he took two sickles and replaced only one on his way home. The guardian of this treasure noticed it and appeared in front of the villager and demanded that he return the other sickle. The frightened villager ran back to the field and brought the other sickle and placed it in the gap. Thereafter, the gap was sealed by fusing the two rock boulders together. Other villagers too came to know of this event and informed King Kirthi Sri Rajasingha who instructed to clean the cave and construct a temple on the instructions of the elders.
The origin of the Degaldoruva temple is rooted deeply in legend. The two large rock boulders fused together at the cave temple had been opened in the past with a gap in between. One day, a villager had gone through the gap to see what lies between them, to find a heap of golden sickles lying hidden in the gap. He had taken one of the sickles and gone to his paddy-field. He used it and replaced it in the evening on his way home. This continued for some time with him replacing the golden sickle after work each day.
On the last day of the harvesting he took two sickles and replaced only one on his way home. The guardian of this treasure noticed it and appeared in front of the villager and demanded that he return the other sickle. The frightened villager ran back to the field and brought the other sickle and placed it in the gap. Thereafter, the gap was sealed by fusing the two rock boulders together. Other villagers too came to know of this event and informed King Kirthi Sri Rajasingha who instructed to clean the cave and construct a temple on the instructions of the elders.
