Dambulla caves complex

Dambulla, the Srilankan cave temple with Buddha statues

Dambulla town is best known as a Cave temple complex.

It is located in Matale district, in the central part of Sri Lanka, about 70 kilometres north of Kandy town, and 148 kilometres northeast of Colombo town.
The ancient rock fortress Sigiriya is very close, about 17 kilometres. These two sites belong to Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle; you can visit both in one day if you have limited time.

Dambulla Caves temple was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1991, and it became one of the most famous tourist attractions in Sri Lanka.

 

History of Dambulla Caves

Dambulla Caves  are the largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist temple from the 1st century BC, carved in a huge and 160 meters high rock.

There are more than 80 caves in this area. But the most important are five caves with 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of Sri Lankan kings and 4 statues of god and goddess, as well as different paintings and murals.

It is believed that King Valagamba found refuge in these caves in the 1st century BC. Five months after becoming king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of  Sri Lanka, he was overthrown by a rebellion. When he regained his throne after fifteen years, he helped the monks and made the caves into a fantastic rock temple, as a sign of gratitude. After his death, the next kings continued to paint and decorate the caves. The cave complex was repaired and repainted several times in the 11th, 12th, and 18th centuries.

 

And today the Dambulla monastery is still active.
Here you can see the young and old monks who perform their daily rituals.

Monks in Dambulla complex

Monks in the Dambulla complex

 

Five Dambulla Caves

It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to get to the temple by a steep path and about 200 stairs.

Path to Dambulla caves

The path to the Dambulla cave temple

 

So, when you climb to the top, first, you need to take off your shoes before you enter the caves. There is a “shoe take care service” in front of the complex and it costs only 25 LKR (0,15$). Well, it is one of the most sacred Buddhist places, so please respect it.

in front of the entrance in Dambulla caves

in front of the entrance in Dambulla caves

 

And when you finally enter the Dambulla complex, you find an unusual view.
In front of you, there is a huge rock, white-painted colonnades, and a corridor, leading to the main five caves.

Dambulla cave temple

Dambulla cave temple

 

In the courtyard, in front of the caves, there is a large and old Bodhi tree. After the darkness, the hot and humid air in the caves, the fresh air, and the Bodhi tree are perfect for relaxing a little bit. And of course, a little monkey is there.

Bodhi tree

The bodhi tree and the monkey in the courtyard

 

As I have already mentioned, the five caves are the most important in the Dambulla cave complex.

 

The first cave: Deva Raja Viharaya or „The Cave of the Divine King“

Well, the first cave is very small, with a 14-meter-long statue of Buddha. It shows Buddha in the Parinirvana status (the last moments), in the lying position, with a hand under the head.

Buddha's last moments, Cave 1

Buddha’s last moments, Dambulla Cave 1

 

The Buddha statue was carved out of one granite rock.
His feet are coloured in red, white and golden flower motifs.

 The Buddha’s feet, cave 1

The Buddha’s feet, Dambulla Cave 1

 

In the corner, at his feet, there is the statue of his loyal pupil Ananda and a statue of Vishnu, one of the principal gods in Hinduism. This cave was repainted many times because it sustained a lot of damage.

Dambulla cave 1, a statue of Hindu God Vishnu and pupil Ananda

Dambulla Cave 1, a statue of the Hindu God Vishnu and pupil Ananda

 

The second cave: Maha Raja Viharaya or “The Cave of the Great Kings”

 

The Stupa in passage cave 2

A white stupa in the passage of Dambulla Cave 2

 

It is the biggest and the most attractive cave in the complex, about 50 meters wide and seven meters high. This cave is known as “The Cave of the Kings” because here you can see the statue of two kings.

One is a wooden statue of king Valagamba (known as Vattagamani Abhaya as well), who honoured the monastery in the 1st century BC.

A statue of the King Valagamba in Cave 2

A statue of King Valagamba in Dambulla Cave 2

 

The second statue is the statue of King Nissanka Malla (1198-1206 AD), one of the rulers in the Polonnaruwa kingdom. He gilded the caves and added about 50 Buddha statues in the 12th century. Because of the gold, the temple got the name Ran Giri, which means the Golden Rock.

A statue of the king Nissanka Malla and Buddha statues, Dambulla cave 2

A statue of King Nissanka Malla and Buddha statues, Dambulla Cave 2

 

In this cave, you can also see the reclining Buddha statue.

Dambulla cave 2, the statue of reclining Buddha

Dambulla Cave 2, the statue of the reclining Buddha

 

The whole cave including the ceiling is painted in vibrant colours and murals of Buddha images.
And it looks amazing despite the darkness inside.
Here you can see 56 Buddha statues in different positions and life moments.

Cave 2

Buddha statues in the Cave 2

 

There is also one stupa with a circular pedestal with a few figures of the seated Buddha.

Cave 2 Cobra hood above Buddha head

Cave 2, Cobra hood above Buddha’s head

 

Here you can see the big standing gilded Buddha statue.
The Dragon Arch (Makara Torana) was constructed above his head.

Cave 2, the standing gilded Buddha statue

Dambulla Cave 2, the standing gilded Buddha statue

 

A water vessel in the second cave

In the second cave shrine, there is something very interesting: it is a water vessel. Actually, the water flows in the opposite direction, from the floor to the ceiling. From the topwater drops into the small pool and vessel. It is considered a miracle and used only for sacred purposes. Also, it is believed that it will never dry up.

Buddha statues in Cave 2 and water vessel, Dambulla

Buddha statues in Cave 2 and water vessel

 

 

Cave 3: Maha Alut Viharaya or “The Cave of Great New Temple”

The third cave is also painted in vibrant colours.

Cave 3 Dambulla

Cave 3 Dambulla

 

The frescoes represent the history and some life moments of Buddha. It was constructed during the rule of King Kiti Sri Rajasinha (1747–1782), in the Kandyan period. There are 50 statues of Buddha and the statue of King Kiti in this cave as well.

Cave 3, Dambulla

That’s me, in Cave 3

 

Also, there is one big reclining Buddha statue, with his head on a pillow.
Here you can see the seated Buddha statue with the Dragon Arch (Makara Torana) above his head and shoulders.

Dambulla cave 3, a seating Buddha statue with Dragon Arch

Dambulla Cave 3, a seating Buddha statue with Dragon Arch

 

Cave 4: Paschima Viharaya or” The Cave of Western Temple”

The fourth cave is called the Western Temple. Here you can see the Buddha statues in the meditation pose.

 Buddha statues in a meditative pose, Dambulla cave 4

Buddha statues in a meditative pose, cave 4

 

There is one Buddha statue in the sitting position, under a dragon archway as well.

Dambulla cave 4, Buddha and the Makara Torana

Cave 4, Buddha and the Makara Torana

 

In the centre is a small dagoba, with a crack on one side, made by the thieves who broke in. They believed that the dagoba contained the jewellery of Vattagamini Abhaya’s wife.

The ceiling is also painted in vibrant colours, and some of them were repainted in the early 19th century.

The ceiling in Dambulla cave 4

The ceiling in Cave 4

 

 

Cave 5: Devana Alut Viharaya or “The Cave of Second New Temple”

This cave is the “youngest” of all the caves and it was the former storehouse.
Here the statues were built of brick and plaster, while others were made of granite rock.

 Buddha statues, Dambulla cave 5

Buddha statues, the cave 5

 

In this cave, you can see one reclining Buddha statue, about 10 meters long, and several standing and seated Buddha statues.

Cave 5, reclining Buddha

Dambulla Cave 5, reclining Buddha

 

What to know before visiting Dambulla caves

  • The best time for visiting the temple is during the morning or afternoon, to avoid the heat and crowd.
  • Wear comfortable shoes because you need to walk 10-15 minutes to the top on a steep path and climb about 200 steps.
  • Bring a bottle of water with you; it is very hot and humid inside the caves, and outside during the climbing, as well.
  • A temple is a sacred place, so you have to dress properly: cover the shoulders and knees, it applies to both women and men.
  • Remove your hat, sunglasses, and shoes when entering the temple.
  • Do not touch the face or other parts of the Buddha statues, and do not sit close to or climb on statues, it is not allowed.
Little monkey on the roof, the entrance of Dambulla cave 1

Little monkey on the roof, the entrance of the Cave 1

 

  • Pay attention to monkeys. They are everywhere, trying to steal something from you: food, sunglasses, paper towels or anything that may be interesting to them.
  • Ask permission before taking pictures, because taking photos is strictly forbidden at some sites.
  • Do not turn your back to Buddha when taking a photo, and especially do not take selfies, it is a huge sign of disrespect.
  • Switch off your mobile phone or switch it to silent mode during the visit.

 

The Golden Temple 

After visiting the Dambulla Caves, you can take another way to come down. These stairs are a little bit wider and it is easier to walk down to the bottom of the rock. Little monkeys are everywhere around you. In a word, take care of your belongings.

From the top, there is a fantastic panoramic view of the surrounding forest and nature.

The stairs to the bottom of the Golden temple

The stairs to the bottom of the Dambulla Temple

 

There you can find a modern building with a gold-colour Buddha statue, about 30 meters high.
In this building, there is the Golden Temple Buddhist Museum, and you enter it through the open lion’s mouth 🙂

 

A modern building of the Golden Temple, Dambulla

A modern building of the Golden Temple

 

 Next to the museum, there is a line of Buddhist priest statues, dressed in orange.

The Golden Temple museum with statues of the Buddhist priest, Sri Lanka

The Golden Temple Museum with statues of the Buddhist priest, Dambulla

 

In the courtyard, there is also a beautiful golden-coloured bell-shaped pagoda.

Golden coloured bell-shaped pagoda, Golden temple, Sri Lanka

Golden-coloured bell-shaped pagoda, Golden temple, Dambulla

 

The tickets and visiting time in Dambulla Caves

For tourists, the single ticket costs 1.500 LKR, which is about $10. You can buy it in a ticket office at the bottom of the hill. The Dambulla caves are open from 7 AM to 7 PM.
It is always good to take a local guide who will tell you the story about the history of the temple. A visit to Dambulla Caves takes approx. 1 to 1.5 hours.

 

How to reach Dambulla?

Generally, it depends on the location of your accommodation. Well, the best way to visit Dambulla is an organized tour.

The cave complex is located 2 kilometres from Dambulla town. If you are located in Sigiriya, you can take a taxi or a tuk-tuk because it is only 17 kilometres away. Or you can take a local bus to Dambulla.

 

Dambulla, the sacred place of Buddha statues

In a word, Dambulla is the largest cave temple in Sri Lanka. Also, it is the best-preserved temple considering that the first Buddha images were created over 2000 years ago.

For tourists, it is a little bit unusual place because everywhere around you, you can see Buddha statues in different sizes and positions. So Buddha is standing, Buddha is lying. Or Buddha is sitting in the five caves decorated with murals and paintings which cover about 2,000 square meters.

And for the Buddhists, Dambulla is one of the most sacred temples. It is the pilgrimage site where pilgrims can feel the connection with their spiritual teacher, Buddha.

 

Whether you are a tourist, monk or pilgrim, you will be amazed by the fantastic colourful murals and images on the walls and Buddha’s statues in the Dambulla cave temple.

Golden temple

Amazing Golden Temple, Dambulla

 

 

 

 

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