Dambulla Temple

Dambulla temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is the largest and best preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka. It has been a fully functioning temple since its inception over two thousand years ago. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Lord Gautama Buddha and his life. The beauty of the cave temple is its setting into five huge caverns high on a mountainside. Inside are 153 Buddha statues in various reposes, three statues of ancient kings, and four other statues including those of Vishnu and Ganesh.

The ceiling and walls have been painted and repainted over the centuries by the resident monks and contain some interesting juxtapose of imagery including those of royal life.

The Dambulla cave monastery is still functional and remains the best-preserved ancient edifice in Sri Lanka. Today, Dambulla cave temple is a World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka.