| City | Dambulla |
| Known for | Rock Temple |
| Location | 148km from Colombo |
| Existing since | 1st century B.C. |
| Places of interest | The beautiful rock temple of Dambulla consists of five caves under a huge rock. Each of them is filled with Buddha statues & images. The largest cave carries some 48 statues of Lord Buddha alone, with statues of some Hindu gods, (Vishnu and Saman). The statues of the Hindu gods date back to the 12th century, when Hinduism took root in Sri Lanka and started influencing the arts. The history of the caves themselves dates back to the 1st century B.C., when King Valagam Bahu who was escaping the invading army that drove him out of Anuradhapura, took refuge in these caves. There is a colossal figure of the reclining Buddha caved out of the living rocks, some 14 meters long. |
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Remarks |
World heritage site declared by UNESCO |