Bogoda Cave

Connecting the road to Kandy from Badulla over Uma Oya to Royal Cave Temple by Bogoda Wooden Bridge built in the period of Kandyan kingdom which is one of the fascinating part of Sri Lanka s history.

The cave temple was one of it built during the 1st century bc by king Walagambahu as confirmed by a brahmin scripture at the temple. The temple had been renovated during the Kandyan era and painted with folk art in the image house with beautiful paintings.

On the right side of the temple there are few steps that led down to a platform. Here there is a old tunnel that had been used by a king as an escape route from the enemies according to the legends.

The wooden bridge constructed using only wood without even a single nail and legend says the deck is from a single tree. It is 2.4 metres or 7.9 ft tall, tiled roof structure for its entire span of nearly 15 metres or 49 ft length, with a 1.5 metres or 4.9 ft breadth. Wooden fences of the bridge are decorated in various kandyan period designs and have been erected on either sides.

The structure of the bridge is standing on a huge tree trunk of 11 metres or 36 ft in height. Jack fruit with the botanic name of Artocarpus heterophyllus logs and Kumbuk Terminalia arjuna logs were mainly used as the constructive material of the bridge. Furthermore, Kaluwara Diospyros ebenum timber and Milla timber were used for the wooden decorations.