AC | INTERNET | PARKING | 24 HOUR SECURITY | |
|
|
| | |
Nestled upon a rocky summit 160 metres above the central city of Dambulla, this UNESCO World Heritage Site features sanctified caves with centuries of tales that have shaped the five immaculate Buddhist shrine rooms open for visitors today.
A 14-metre rock state of the Lord Buddha sits in the Devaraja Lena, otherwise known as The Cave of the Divine King. The adjacent Maha Raja Vihare, also known as the Cave of Great Kings, perpetuates the Buddhist veneration with 56 statues of the Lord Buddha and other deities. The same cave houses a large statue of the ancient King Valagamba, who took refuge in these very caves for fourteen years due to a South Indian invasion, but upon regaining power of his kingdom, converted them to the sacred site we know them as today.
|