Taking a turn off from the road to the entrance of Kumana National Park and a short distance from the Eastern beach of Paanama, Kudumbigala is a monastery of more than 200 cave accommodations; a 600 acre large hermitage built in 2nd century BC by King Devanampiyatissa. It is believed to be the legendary 'Chethiya Pabbatha' hermitage of the Kingdom of Ruhuna. After a challenging hike up the bare rock, you reach the summit with a spectacular 360 aerial view of Kumana and the Arugam Bay beaches. The other unique sight at the top is this Cylindrical Stupa - which is the only remaining in #SriLanka. It is similar in design to the Dhamma Chakka #Stupa in #Sarnath #India. ~ kUrUtU