Dambulla

Dambulla cave temple in Sri Lanka also known as the Golden Temple of Dambullais a world heritage site in Sri lanka. It is situated in the central part of the Sri lanka. Dambulla was designated a World Heritage site in 1991. The name Dambulla derives from Damba - Rock and Ulla - fountain. One sees the incessant drip of water from the fountain within the main image house. There are over 80 caves in the surrounding and some of them have been used by the monks as meditation locations.

Dambulla is sited on a gigantic rock which towers more than 160m above the surrounding land. Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain the statues and the paintings. The temples contain 153 Buddha images, 3 images of kings and 4 images of gods and goddesses. Hindu statues are believed to be of the 12 century AD and the latest paintings are of the late 18-century.There are also 4 main monasteries and it was within this complex that the monks began the militant nationalist movement against the British in 1848.

King Valagambahu is traditionally thought to have converted the caves into a temple in the 1st century BC. Exiled from Anuradhapura, he sought refuge here from South Indian usurpers for 15 years. After reclaiming his capital, the King built a temple in thankful worship. The temple is a perfect location to view evolution of the ancient Sri Lankan arts. Dambulla is a unique and important historical site because of the amalgamation of the material from many years.

This site is situated 148 km east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.

The Golden Temple of Dambulla

The caves have a mixture of religious and secular painting and sculpture. There are several reclining Buddha's, including the 15m long sculpture of the dying Buddha in Cave 1. The frescoes on the walls and ceiling from the 15th-18th centuries; the ceiling frescoes show scenes from the Buddha's life and Sinhalese history. Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Lord Buddha and his life. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square meters. Depictions on the walls of the caves include the temptation by the demon Mara, and Buddha's first sermon.

The Rose Quartz Mountain Range