The 8th-century Nalanda Gedige is to the east of Route 9, about 22km north of Aluvihara. A temple which is sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus, it has some rather weathered erotic Tantric rock carvings. The temple stands beside a large tank or reservoir. The style is unusual for Sri Lanka, and archaeologists have drawn parallels with the 7th-century shore temple at Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu, India.