Visit to Dambulla Cave Temple Sri Lanka

Caves have always fascinated humankind since their origin on earth. And, why not? Caves sheltered humans from all vagaries of nature and also the wildlife. With time, as humans developed other skills they moved out. It was only spiritually inclined monks who made the caves their homes, which we now refer to as Cave Temples. Dambulla Cave Temple, in Kandy, Sri Lanka, is a great proof of that.

My first visit to Dambulla Royal Cave Temple and giant Golden Buddha Temple of Dambulla left me mesmerised by the colourful interior and grand statues of Buddha in the five caves! Read on to know the important facts about the living Buddhist monastery located in Central Sri Lanka to help yourself plan a better trip to these ancient and sacred cave temples of Buddhists.

Buddha statue in Dambulla Cave temple

What is Dambulla Cave

I had read and seen pictures of Dambulla Cave paintings and statues in several travel blogs, so I had a fair idea about what Dambulla cave is and why it is so famous. My visit to the caves satiated the deep desire to see the paintings and murals for real. A must include in list of places to visit in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

An arched gate marked the entrance to the famed cave temples of Kandy. I expected to see a huge temple-like structure over some caves after I proceeded in through a security check; instead I found a gleaming white façade with a series of arched windows covering a vast overhanging rock. For this reason they are sometimes referred to as Rock Temples of Dambulla.

The entrances to the 5 Dambulla caves are through this corridor. This is such a contrast to the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad Maharashtra which too were residences of Buddhists monks. These caves were given UNESCO heritage site tag in 1991.

Facade of Dambulla Caves

Two striking features of Dambulla Cave Temple of Kandy are that

-one, these caves are 22 centuries old, yet retained in the same way without any modification, the exterior though was given a makeover in1938, and seemed freshly painted in the recent past

-two, the paintings inside the caves cover an area of 2100sqm, probably one among the largest in world and around 153 Buddha statues, some standing, some sitting and some in reclining postures.

It was overwhelming to say the least as I explored in silence the interior of the semi lit caves under the tender gaze of the Buddha statues. Like it is said – “A cave has two great things to teach you: Light is sacred; silence is to integrate with eternity!”

All 3 Buddha Postures in Maharaja Vihara Cave II

When was Dambulla Caves Formed?

Starting from the start – this brief history of Dambulla Caves’ origin and the major developments over the centuries will help understand the significance of this sacred edifice of Buddhists.

Archaeological findings state that these caves were once used by the prehistoric cave dwellers. However, inscriptions found on the walls of these caves point out to the fact that they belong to the 1st Century BCE. You can see the Brahmi inscriptions of the central cave.

History of Dambulla Caves – The caves were occupied by Buddhist monks since 3rd century BCE. But how they came to be revered as shrines and temples for Buddhists is an interesting story.

Inscriptions on Dambulla rocks

King Valagamba of Anuradhapura was dethroned by the South Indian tradesmen. Thereafter he took the escape route to the caves of Dambulla which was known for the Buddhist monks residing there. After 12 long years of exile, he made a comeback to reclaim what was his. Grateful as he was, on his return, King Valagamba converted the caves that sheltered him into temples by constructing walled partitions under the rock overhang.

He was farsighted enough to get drip ledges made along the cave ceilings that avoided water seepage, which protected the paintings. The first three caves of the cluster of five Dambulla caves were built by him. King Vijayabahu (1055-1110 AD) during his reign over Polonnaruwa had renovated the Cave Temples. King Keerthi Nissanka Malla(1187-1196AD) is credited to have gold plated 73 Buddha images.

Maharaja Vihara Cave

Many more kings after him did their bit to enhance the images and maintain the cave temples, some as an act of thanksgiving and some out of pure devotion. In the 18th century, during the reign of the Kandy Kings, fresh paintings were added. In fact the Dambulla Cave Temple got the new name Rangiri Dambulla Cave due to the colourful makeover. (Ran means Gold and Giri means Rock).

The cave temples have a lot of relevance in modern history of Sri Lanka. The monks living here started their nationalist movement against the British in 1848 CE.

Architecture of Dambulla Rock Temple

There is no specific architecture design or style of Dambulla Caves as these are naturally formed, like I said before they are vast overhanging rocks. Over the years the reigning kings have contributed to the better maintenance of the caves. Partitions made between the caves, improved drainage to prevent damages from seepage of water, gabled entrances and arched colonnades added in 1938 have enhanced the look of the façade. The paintings inside are gilded to prevent fading, thus in spite of being the oldest they are the best-preserved in the whole of Sri Lanka.

The Temple of Golden Buddha Dambulla at the base is a new attraction. The giant Golden Buddha statue and Buddhist Museum at Dambulla are worth a visit. The exterior has resemblance to Chinese architectural style. Sadly it was closed when we visited. We had to be content with photography of the temple gleaming brightly at noon.

Golden Temple and Buddhist Museum Dambulla

Famous Five Caves of Dambulla

Unlike the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, UNESCO site in India, the Dambulla Cave Temple Complex in North Central Province, Sri Lanka, is just a cluster of 5 caves. There are in fact more than 80 caves around Dambulla, but only these five caves have the truly amazing artwork on ceilings and the statues of the Enlightened One! They are:

Devarajalena Vihara, the Lord of the Gods Temple – Cave I – the first cave, a small one, nonetheless important for 45ft long statue of reclining Buddha. The image represents The Buddha during his last illness, about to enter Parinirvana. It is the stage of great salvation after death that can only be attained by enlightened souls.

Devarajalena Vihara Cave I

Maharaja Vihara Cave of the Great Kings – Cave II – the second cave is the largest of all. It gave goosebumps just to think that I was standing in a cave built in the 1st century BC. Have you been to something so old?

This cave was built by the King Vittagamini Abhaya However the majority of its fine and famous frescoes that we get to see today were added in the 1700’s at the behest of the kings of Kandy. The cave has two entrances, a small stupa and a pot enclosed in a metal cage that collects water dripping from the ceiling.

Cave II Dambulla Cave Temple

Maha Alut Viharaya or The Great New Monastery – Cave III –This cave was built by King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe of Kandy in the 1700’s. On entering you will find a statue of the king himself to your left. Find a massive reclining Buddha and 50 Buddha statues, some sitting and few standing. The cave ceiling has paintings of complex geometric designs and scenes from the Buddha’s life, typical of the Kandy art that date back to the mid 18th century.

King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe of Kandy

Paccima Viharaya or The Cave of Western Temple – Cave IV – this was the westernmost cave once. The name stuck even after one more cave temple came up to its right. A small cave with a statue of seated Buddha in dhyana mudra and many more seated Buddha images identical to the main one, much smaller in size than Cave II and Cave III.

Paccima Viharaya with wall murals, stupa and Buddha images

Devana Alut Viharaya or The Cave of Second New Temple – Cave V – Can you believe this cave was once used as a storehouse? The reclining Buddha image here is about 32 ft. long. Look around and you will see eleven Buddha images. Two seated Buddha statues have the hooded Mucalinda Cobra, a snake-like being, who protected the Gautama Buddha after his enlightenment. All statues are vibrantly colored.

Seated Buddha images in Devana Alut Viharaya in Dambulla Cave Temple

Tour Time to Explore Dambulla Caves

Depending on your photography interests the time required to tour the five caves of Dambulla can take anywhere between one to two hours.

Important tips to Travel to Rock Temple in Dambulla

• Open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Arrive early or slightly late in the noon to avoid the intense heat. Take water along.
• The ticket for foreigners is LKR 1500. It is free for Sri Lankans.
• Try to take both the paths, stairs while going up and the slope while descending, so that you can enjoy views on both sides of the hill.
• Cover your knees and shoulders, remove your hat and take off your shoes before entering the Dambulla Rock temple. It is a commonly followed norm in many sacred destinations like the Vatican church, Meteora monasteries in Greece and all Hindu Temples. A sarong, therefore, is a must-have packing item during travels.
• There are monkeys around who may snatch your bags and food, be cautious.

Major Attractions near Dambulla Caves

Other places of interest near Dambulla Cave Temple are -Ibbankatuwa prehistoric burial site, the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, famous for being built in just 167 days, the largest rose-quartz mountain range, the Iron wood forest Na Uyana Aranya.

Have you been to any of these? Let me know in the comment box.

Conclusion

If you are planning to travel to central Sri Lanka then Dambulla Cave Temples is a must inclusion in the list of places to visit in Kandy. I am glad we could manage to do this trip to Dambulla Caves. We had a wonderful experience and it took us around 5 hours to complete the trip to the cave temples. If you have marked just one temple in your itinerary for Sri Lanka, then let this be the one!

Further reading – 20 Rock Cut Temples of India.

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