Ambuluwawa
Four faiths on one summit
Ambuluwawa is a hilltop complex near Gampola in central Sri Lanka, crowned by a white spiral tower about 48 metres tall. Unusually, the site holds Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian places of worship together on one summit, and is set within a biodiversity reserve.
The account
Ambuluwawa is a genuinely odd building and a genuinely serious idea. The tower is a white spiral rising some 48 metres from a ridge above Gampola, and the staircase that winds around its outside narrows as it climbs until, near the top, it is a ledge barely wide enough for one person, with a handrail and a very long drop.
It is not for everyone and there is no shame in stopping partway. People do get stuck at the narrow section, and passing someone coming down requires cooperation.
The point of the place is at the base. Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian shrines share the summit deliberately — a multi-religious complex built as a statement about coexistence in a country that has had painful reason to make one. It is a young site by Sri Lankan standards, completed in 2006, and it is a piece of argument rather than a piece of antiquity.
The surrounding reserve is worth the walk in its own right. On a clear morning the view runs across the Kandyan hills; by afternoon it is usually cloud.
In brief
- Tower height
- approximately 48 metres
- Completed
- 2006
- Summit altitude
- approximately 1,087 metres
- Nearest town
- Gampola, 20 minutes
- Note
- the upper staircase is narrow and exposed
- Region
- Kandy, Central Province
- Coordinates
- 7.1616, 80.5297
Questions about Ambuluwawa
Is Ambuluwawa Tower safe to climb?
- The structure is sound, but the upper staircase is very narrow and exposed, with a handrail on one side only. Anyone uncomfortable with heights should stop below the narrow section. It is not suitable for small children, and passing others near the top requires care.
How far is Ambuluwawa from Kandy?
- About 30 kilometres, or an hour by road via Gampola. The final approach is a steep, narrow road with tight switchbacks; tuk-tuks manage it, but larger vehicles sometimes park below and visitors walk the last stretch.
