Dambulla Cave Temple
The great cave temple of Dambulla is 100m to 150m above the road in the southern part of the village in Dambulla, which consists of two separate areas divided by about 1Km of unbuilt up-country. The walk up to the temple begins along a vast, sloping rock face (steps have been built over the steepest bits). The temple is open from 6am to 7pm. There is no Cultural Triangle entrance fee, but you must make a Rs. 200 donation and there is an office for this purpose at the foot of the rock, just above the car park (your receipt is checked at the entrance to the temple). Photography inside and outside the caves is prohibited.
From the level of the caves you have superb views over the surrounding country side; Sigiriya is clearly visible to the north-east, only 19Km away.
The caves’ history is thought to date back to around the 1st century BC when King Walagamba, driven out of Anuradhapura, took refuge here. When he regained his throne he converted the caves in to a magnificent rock temple. Late kings made further improvements, including King Nissanka Malla who had the temple interior gilded,
there are five separate caves containing 150 Buddha images. As dusk draws in, hundreds swallows swoops and dart around the cave entrance.
CAVE I (Devaraja Viharaya) The first cave has a 15m long reclining Buddha. Ananada, the Buddha’s most loyal disciple, is depicted nearby. There are other seated Buddhas as well as a statue of Vishnu, for which the cave is named.
CAVE II (Maharaja Viharaya) This is arguably the most spectacular of Dambulla’s caves. It measures some 52m from east to west and 23m from the entrance to the back wall. The highest point of the ceiling is 7m. It is so named because it contains two statues of kings: a painted wooden statue of King Walagamba is on your left as you enter; and another, of Kirthi Sri Nissankamalla, is farther inside. The main Buddha statue, which appears to have once been covered in gold leaf, is situated under a makara thorana, an ornamental archway, with the right hand raised in abharya mudra. Of particularly note are the brilliantly coloured frescoes – depicting scenes relating to the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, meritorious deeds done by kings and great battles – covering the walls.
CAVE III (Maha Aluth Viharaya) This cave, the new great temple, was built in the 18th century by King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe of Kandy, one of the last of the Kandyan monarchs. This cave is too filed with Buddhas and frescoes.
CAVE IV (Panchima Viharaya) This relatively small case is not, as its name suggests, the most western of the caves – that title belongs to cave V. the central Buddha figure is seated under a makara thorana, with its right hand raised in dhyana mudra. The small dagoba (Buddhist monument), called Soma chetiya, in the center was broken onto by thieves who believed that it contained jewellery belonging to Queen Somawathie.
CAVE V (Devana Aluth Viharaya) this newer cave was once used as a storehouse, but it’s now called second new temple. It features a huge reclining Buddha. Hindu deities including Kataragama and Vishnu are also present.
