Dambulla Royal Cave Temple is situated in the center of Sri Lanka. It is also named as the “Golden Temple of Dambulla”. In Sinhala, it is addressed as the “Dambulla Raja Maha Viharaya”. It has a significant historical value thus making it a World Heritage Site.
About the destination
Dambulla Royal Cave Templeis the largest and best-preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has five caves and 157 statues of Buddha. The names of the caves are the Cave of ‘Lord of the Gods’ (Deva Raja Viharaya), the Cave of ‘Great Kings’ (Maha Raja Viharaya), the Cave of ‘ Great New Temple’ (Maha Aluth Viharaya), the Cave of ‘Western Temple’(Paschima Viharaya), the Cave of ‘ Second New Temple’ (Devana Aluth Viharaya). The caves date back to the first century B.C. There are also beautiful paintings that cover the roof and walls. The temple is a very historic one and it has been in use for more than 22 centuries now but it is still good as new.
It is also believed to have been a burial site as skeletons dating back to 2700 years were found in the place. It is also mentioned that Valagamba later turned this cave into a temple back in the past.
How to reach your destination
From Colombo
Take the McCallum road then go on the Colombo-Katunayake expressway and exit from the Kelaniya interchange. Turn right onto Avariwatta Road and turn right onto Airport Road.
Turn left onto Ekala – Kotadeniyawa Road and turn left onto Ambepussa – Kurunegala Highway. Turn right onto Kandy Road to reach your destination.
From Dambulla
You have to head southwest on Ambepussa – Kurunegala – Trincomalee Highway. Turn left at Permasakara Hotel onto Link Road. Turn right at Transco onto Kandy Road, Kandy – Jaffna Highway to reach your destination.
Special Information
The opening hours are between 7 am to 7 pm.
The ticket counter closes at 5 pm so it is better to grab your tickets beforehand.
The entry fee for an adult is 1500 rupees.
You should wear modestly in the sense you have to cover your shoulders and knees, you should remove any caps or hats before entering as a symbol of respect.
