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Sri-LankaDescription and is it worth a visit
Ravana cave and ancient temple (Rawana Ella Cave and Rawana Ella Temple) – two attractions near Ella that are visited jointly with one ticket. In the cave itself there is nothing to see – this is an ordinary small dark cave, even more like just a grotto about 30 meters deep. Inside, there are no stalactites familiar to caves, and birds have placed their nests on the ceiling instead. But a kind of entertainment is the climb to the cave itself, if you do not have time to walk around the neighborhood. The entrance to the cave is high, and you have to overcome the ascent of more than 600 steps. For the locals, the cave is also a cultural site, since according to the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, it was in this cave that Ravana kept the kidnapped wife of Rama Sita imprisoned.
After exploring the cave, you can visit the small Buddhist ancient cave temple Rawana Ella Temple, which from the entrance to the cave will have to go down and walk a little further along the road. It is believed that this temple is also associated with King Ravana. Inside the temple, there are frescoes on the walls and ceiling dating back to the period of the Kingdom of Kandy.
🕐 Working hours
During daytime.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
150 rupees (0.45 USD, see currency of Sri Lanka) for visiting Venus and the temple.
🚶 How to get there
The cave is 3 kilometers from the center of Ella (cave on the map, temple on the map). You can walk here, a round-trip tuk-tuk trip will cost about 2000 rupees after haggling (6.04 USD).
To get there yourself on foot, go from the center down along the main road towards Ravana falls. You need to go 2 kilometers to a small bridge over the river. This place can also be reached by any bus for no more than Rs 20. Immediately after the bridge, you need to turn right onto a narrow asphalt road that will lead you up, and in a little less than a kilometer you will reach the ticket office where you need to buy a ticket. After buying a ticket, you will open the door to the stairs to the cave, which you need to climb 120 meters. After visiting the cave, you need to go down again to the ticket office, and go further along the horizontal road to the cave temple.