Top 7 Caves 스리랑카

In this cave monastery, the "shining cave", the Pali Canon was written down for the first time after 300 years of oral tradition. 500 Arahats gathered here for the 4th Council and supposedly spent 7 months writing it down. Therefore, it is definitely a Buddhist must-see.

This Buddhist Temple is more than 2000 years old and developed over the eight kingdoms of the Sinhalese monarchy. Impressive the way how the main temple is integrated into a cave. Overnight stay is possible.

The Mulkirigala rock monastery sits on the cliffs of a 600-foot-high rock, surrounded by jungle and watched by families of monkeys. The series of caves and structures have played an important role in Buddhism and Sri Lanka's history. The origins of the temple are unclear. However, local legend says that King Saddhatissa was hunting near the rock when a villager told him about an impressive rock that would be suitable for a large temple. So the king agreed and built the temple in the 3rd century and named it Mu Kivu Gala. It was later known as Mulkirigala. The history of Mulkirigala Rock Monastery dates back over 2,000 years to King Kawantissa, a famous ruler of the Ruhuna Kingdom. King Kawantissa is said to have recognized the spiritual significance of the rock and initiated the construction of the first cave temple. Over the centuries, various kings including King Devanampiyatissa, King Dutugemunu and King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe contributed to the development and preservation of the temple. Source: https://srilankatravelpages.com/de/auflistung/felsenkloster-mulkirigala/

There is a beautiful Buddha statue next to a stupa and towards the entrance of the museum. 30 meters high, built from 1998-2001. There is also a monastery and a school for young monks on the site. Here you can also watch monkeys doing gymnastics on the Buddha. This part of the site can be visited without admission. Entrance to the temple is chargeable. The complex is located just 2 kilometers from the center of Dumballa.

Ancient temple complex with 3 temples. The main temple was built in a cave and the rock ceiling is painted. According to estimates, the cave temple was built in the 3rd-2nd c. century before Christ

Just downhill from the cave temple

Coming from ticket counter there is a great view point to worlds end.

The largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. The temple is composed of five caves of varying size and magnificence.