Golden Temple of Dambulla description and photos - Sri Lanka: Dambulla (Topic)

Golden Temple of Dambulla description and photos - Sri Lanka: Dambulla. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Golden Temple of Dambulla.

Photo and description

Dambula Cave Temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla, located in the central part of the island, 148 km east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy, since 1991 has been UNESCO World Heritage Site. This still functioning monastery attracts many pilgrims from different countries.

This is the largest and best-preserved cave complex of temples in Sri Lanka. It rises 160 m above the surrounding plain. There are more than 80 caves in the vicinity, but most of the tourists are attracted by 5 of them, in which there are statues and paintings. These paintings and sculptures are associated with Buddha and his life.

The prehistoric population of the island lived in these caves even before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. This is evidenced by burials with human skeletons, which are more than 2700 years old.

The cave temple dates back to the 1st century BC. It consists of five caves under a huge overhanging rock, with drip lines carved to keep the interior dry. In 1938, the complex was decorated with arched colonnades and pediments. Inside the cave, the ceilings are painted with intricate patterns of religious images in accordance with the contours of the rock. There are images of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, as well as various gods and goddesses.

Dambula Cave Monastery is still operational and remains the best preserved ancient buildings in Sri Lanka.

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Topic: Golden Temple of Dambulla description and photos - Sri Lanka: Dambulla.