The Dambulla caves in Sri Lanka

From Anuradhapura we proceeded towards Dambulla, our last destination before we returning to Kandy. Dambulla is a giant rock rising to a height of more than 160 ft. It is said that King Walagamba took refuge here back in the 1st century BC for 14 years, and helped build the first cave temple. With time, additions were made—in the 11th, 12th and 18th centuries—and today there are a total of five rock cave temples at the site, housing within them, numerous statues of the Buddha along with several small stupas.

One by one we went through the caves. In the first, there was a large statue of the Buddha in a reclining position, denoting death. In another, the legs were apart and the eyes were half open, denoting slumber. Inside the stupas, it is a different world—it is said that they contain the ashes of monks—with statues of kings and other gods, and beautiful wall paintings from a bygone era.


Interestingly, the discrepancy between the caves—they were built in different times—is very apparent. The cave temple built in the 18th century was in a state of disrepair with paint peeling off the walls and disfigured paintings, while the one next to it (built much later) had retained its bright colours.

I loved the long corridors within the caves, and their external structure—built in a style unknown to me, they appeared somewhat mystical, and extremely charming.


At the bottom of the Dambulla rock stands the Golden Temple—decked in bright colours with a golden Buddha atop it—which seems gaudy and out of place amidst its serene surroundings.


With Dambulla, it was time to sign off and say good bye to Sri Lanka. In just three days, we had visited five different cities and as many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, all of which gave us wonderful insight into the cultural heritage of our neighbouring nation.