Sri Lanka: Dambulla's temples

In Dambulla's temple caves

Paul Engel

If you travel to Sri Lanka, Dambulla's temple caves should be on your list with must-visit sights. The caves were turned into temples centuries ago and inside, you can find wonderful sculptures and captivating paintings which will make your trip to Sri Lanka even more memorable.

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You can access Dambulla's cave temples via the new temple of Or, under the eye of the 30 meters high Buddha. The cave temples are very sacred and can be reached by a path that crosses the hill. Keep in mind that the climb might take a while because there are multiple traders along the way who will try to sell you anything "as an offering to Buddha". When you reach the entrance you will have to go through metal detectors and leave your shoes. If you want to avoid the fee for leaving your shoes, you can take a backpack with you.

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Dambulla's cave temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are five different size caves containing more than 150 representations of Buddha. The whole site can be visited in about an hour because the different temples are very close to each other.

Paul Engel

The second cave, called Maharaja Viharaja, is definitely the most impressive of the site. It is 50 metres long and the ceiling is up to 7 metres high. The room is full of numerous representations of Buddha, each more beautiful than the previous one.

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The Great New Monastery is also very impressive because of the huge Buddha that will welcome you at the entrance. You will be astonished by the painter's amazing work. The last cave that you are going to visit is much smaller but inside you can find even more statues of Buddha, as well as statues of the Hindu gods, Murugan and Vishnu.

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Updated 22 January 2018