Dambulla Cave Temple Complex

You can walk from the golden temple directly to the cave temple. As a tourist, you have to walk right down to buy tickets at the ticket counter. It is very tempting to walk past the warning signs. It is not worth it, as you will not be allowed to enter the temple. So better to take the small detour in purchasing.

Dating to the first centuries BC, the Dambulla Cave Temples are the largest and best preserved Buddhist cave temples in the country. The impressive cave system, also known as the "Golden Temple of Dambulla", has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.

In the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC, the Dambulla Cave Temple was considered one of the most important monasteries in Sri Lanka. In the 1st century BC the first cave was converted into a temple by King Valagambahu, after having served him as a hiding place from the South Indian pursuers during his exile from Anuradhapura for more than 15 years. By the 11th century others followed his example and over time created the massive gilded temple complex and thus the religious center of Sri Lanka.

Since 1991, the cave temples of Dambulla are Unesco World Heritage Sites, beautiful.