Dambulla
Overview
This cave monastery, with its five sanctuaries, is the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka and has been a sacred site for over two millenniums. The site is on a hill 525 ft high overlooking the surrounding area. There are 157 stunning Buddha statues and Buddhist mural paintings covering an area of 22,600 square ft, there is a colossal 170 ft long reclining Buddha in the largest cave. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is not to be missed if you are in the region.
At its foot, you will find the Golden Temple and nearly a 100 ft standing Buddha, there is a museum dedicated to Buddhism before climbing the stairs leading to the sanctuary. The climb is not too steep, and it doesn’t take long to get to the top.
This is a historic monument, and the temples are also a pilgrimage site. The atmosphere as you mingle with devotees placing symbolic offerings in the laps of the Buddhas, the scent of incense hanging in the air is an experience to have.
At Dambulla, there is a huge wholesale fruit and vegetable market, probably the biggest in Sri Lanka that offers an opportunity to look at the vast range of produce grown on the island. What you see being wheeled about with manic energy (one needs to be very cautious not to get in their way) is to be sold in Colombo the next day.
The caves at Dambulla are within the Cultural Triangle and can be easily visited from Kandy, the capital of the hill country to the north of Dambulla.
Habarana is a small village where some high-class resorts are located and a convenient point to stay and visit the Cultural Triangle.
