Dambulla

The Great Cave Temple of Dambulla is 100 to 150 meters above the road in the southern part of the village of Dambulla. The gigantic rock towering more than 160 m above the surrounding area is 1.5 km around its base and 550 km summit. These caves were the refuge of King Walagamba when he was exiled for 14 years. On his return to the throne in the 1st century BC, King Walagamba had a magnificent rock temple built in Dambulla. Dambulla too has been designated as a World Heritage site. The caves feature a mixture of religious and worldly paintings and sculptures, several reclining Buddha statues and a 15 m long sculpture of the dying Buddha. The famous Dambulla frescoes on the walls and ceiling dates back to the 15th-18th Centuries.