Dambulla Sri Lanka
Dambulla is a large town situated in the Central Province in the Matale district. It is almost a 3 hour 45 minute drive away from the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. It is one of the major tourist spots in Sri lanka because of its large cave temples. Dilra Tours offers Dambulla tour holiday packages, contact us for details on the travel package.
The Golden Temple of Dambulla or the Cave Temple was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991. The rock goes up to a height of 160 meters. There are more than 80 known caves in the surrounding area. Out of which 5 contain statues and paintings linked to Gautama Buddha and his life. You can find at least 153 Buddha Statues, 3 statues of Lankan Kings and 4 statues of Gods and goddesses. You can find sketches on the walls that are related to Buddha's First sermon and the temptation of the Demon Mara. Before the introduction of Buddhism in the country, it is said that many prehistoric Sri Lankans would have occupied these caves due to the massive burial site just outside these caves. In a place called Ibbankatuwa, you can find human skeletons over 2700 years old.
Other than this, Dambulla is well known for its Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. This cricket stadium can seat 30,000 people and was built in just 167 days overlooking the Dambulla Rock and Reservoir.
Other things to do include a visit, are the Popham’s Arboretum, a magical oasis and forest. Here, the experienced guide will walk you through the natural forest teaching you about the local flora and fauna. You can visit the Jathika Namal Uyana which is an Ironwood Forest. Ironwood trees are the national tress of Sri Lanka. Once you are on the highest point you have an amazing view where you can relax for some time in the shade before climbing back down.
If you are an arts fanatic then you should visit the Painting Conservation and Research center to learn more about Paintings and art that you can see around in the Cave Temples. With a rich nature and religious significance Dambulla is a definite place to visit if you are planning of a tour around Sri Lanka.
The Golden Temple of Dambulla or the Cave Temple was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991. The rock goes up to a height of 160 meters. There are more than 80 known caves in the surrounding area. Out of which 5 contain statues and paintings linked to Gautama Buddha and his life. You can find at least 153 Buddha Statues, 3 statues of Lankan Kings and 4 statues of Gods and goddesses. You can find sketches on the walls that are related to Buddha's First sermon and the temptation of the Demon Mara. Before the introduction of Buddhism in the country, it is said that many prehistoric Sri Lankans would have occupied these caves due to the massive burial site just outside these caves. In a place called Ibbankatuwa, you can find human skeletons over 2700 years old.
Other than this, Dambulla is well known for its Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. This cricket stadium can seat 30,000 people and was built in just 167 days overlooking the Dambulla Rock and Reservoir.
Other things to do include a visit, are the Popham’s Arboretum, a magical oasis and forest. Here, the experienced guide will walk you through the natural forest teaching you about the local flora and fauna. You can visit the Jathika Namal Uyana which is an Ironwood Forest. Ironwood trees are the national tress of Sri Lanka. Once you are on the highest point you have an amazing view where you can relax for some time in the shade before climbing back down.
If you are an arts fanatic then you should visit the Painting Conservation and Research center to learn more about Paintings and art that you can see around in the Cave Temples. With a rich nature and religious significance Dambulla is a definite place to visit if you are planning of a tour around Sri Lanka.
