Where is the Dambulla Cave Temple?

The Dambulla Cave Temple or the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a cave monastery with five sanctuaries situated in central Sri Lanka. The Sinhalese people call it Dambulu gala, which means Dambulu rock. The temple is also called the Rangiri Dambulu Viharaya.

It has been a sacred pilgrim centre for 22 centuries and remains the largest and best-preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka. These natural caves used to be inhabited by Buddhist monks. Over the course of time the caves were transformed with amazing images of the Buddha and vibrant rock paintings.

Dambulla is perhaps the largest and most outstanding Buddhist complex in all of southern and south-eastern Asia. What makes the site so remarkable is its continuous tradition of practising Buddhist rituals and pilgrimage for two millennia. Before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka these cave complexes were likely inhabited by prehistoric Sri Lankans. The Golden Temple of Dambulla was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

Picture Credit : Google

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