Dambulla
Home to Sri Lanka's largest and best-preserved cave temple complex, where five painted chambers hold more than 150 Buddha statues beneath a golden rock face.
Art, Spirituality and Ancient Cave Temples.
The Dambulla Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been a place of pilgrimage for more than 2,000 years. Its five caves, carved into and beneath a massive granite outcrop, are covered floor to ceiling in painted murals depicting the life of the Buddha, alongside statues ranging from small seated figures to a 14-metre reclining Buddha.
Dambulla sits conveniently between Sigiriya and Kandy, making it an easy, worthwhile stop on the way between the Cultural Triangle and the Central Highlands, usually paired with a look at the modern Golden Temple at its base.
Plan Your Visit
What to Experience
The Painted Caves
Five interconnected cave shrines with murals and statues spanning more than two millennia of devotion.
The Reclining Buddha
A 14-metre carved statue occupying the largest of the five cave chambers.
Panoramic Viewpoint
Sweeping views across the surrounding plains from the temple's elevated rock entrance.
Dambulla in Pictures
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