Dambulla Cave Temple

Eight of Sri Lanka’s most visited places have been listed as UNESCO world heritage sites. Among them is the beautiful and ancient rock temple complex of Dambulla. Widely known as the Ran Giri or the Golden Temple for its gilded interior and intricate paintings, Dambulla is the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka and has been a place of worship for over 20 centuries.

Located on top of a 160 meter high rock in the central part of Sri Lanka, the five caves of the temple have an air of spirituality and magnanimity that comes with the stunning statues and some of Sri Lanka’s most evocative and important art related to Gautama Buddha and his life. The major attractions of the cave temple include 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four others of gods and goddesses.

Held to be a pilgrim’s destination since the 1st Century BC, history records that King Valagamba of the Anuradhapura Kingdom was given refuge in the caves while fleeing, and he later carved the caves into magnificent rock temples. Murals and more paintings have been added along the way by several other kings giving an insight into the artistic talents of the ancient days.

Even though the main five caves of the Dambulla cave temple hold the attention, more than eighty other caves have been documented and is believed to have been burial grounds for the prehistoric Sri Lankans. The temple was listed as a UNESCO site in 1991, and to date is one of the most beautiful sites in Sri Lanka.






Written By: Kavisha Perera