Golden Temple of Dambulla

The Golden Temple of Dambulla is an important Buddhist shrine and monastery. Dambulla has been a sacred place since the second century BC. It has earned the name Golden Temple because of its gilded interior.

The temple consists of 5 separate caves that are hewn from a big rock. The caves were originally used as hiding places. Later on in history they were embellished more and more by several kings. On the inside, the caves are decorated with religious and secular paintings from the 15th and 16th century.

The most remarkable sights at the scene are the 157 wonderful buddhist (and also hindu) statues inside. Among them is a 15 m long reclining Buddha.

Year	Decision	Comments
1991	Inscribed	Reasons for inscription

Visit August 1996

Lots of stairs lead up to the temple. Except for the seemingly endless walk up there, the groups of monkeys are also still in my memory. They are certainly not shy and it is not recommended to eat something with some of them around: you loose it in a second ... Dambulla is one of the numerous attractions of Sri Lanka, but not the most impressive one (neighbouring Sigiriya is the no. 1 contender for that).

Reviews

Sanchita Jindal (India):
Sanchita Jindal, New Delhi, India

Been to Dambulla Rock Temple/ Golden Temple on 31st July 2010. Besides the unbelievable craftsmanship, the temple has so much serenity, calmness and peace that as soon as I entered the temple inside where reclining Buddha is, I said ‘WOW’ to myself. Enjoyed the climb to the temple as the surrounding is lush gorgeous green with Sigiriya at a distance. Inside the temple, the series of statues of Buddha, each one carved beautifully and the painting on the ceiling is stunningly breathtaking. Went to Sigiriya also where you have to climb 1222 steps however, nothing to beat Rock temple. It would be good if somebody can direct at the entrance only that foreigners have to buy ticket, it would have saved climbing two times up to quite a distance, however enjoyed this too as the weather was very good with slight rains.A memorable experience. I am impressed by the upkeep of the temple- absolutely clean.

Date posted: August 2010

Rob Wilson (UK):
Sri Lanka must be the easiest country in the world to tick off all the WHSs! The temples of Dambulla are lovely and a work of exceptional craftsmanship. They are a must see for anyone in the area.
It is just a shame that the temples are not included on the cultural triange ticket.

Date posted: July 2008

():
Actually if you are going to vist Sri Lanka it is a placethat u want miss.Be there open to all..No matter of religon.....After visiting it enjoy with fresh fruits..,Local delicasy...People are very friendly there..

dr Bernard De SilvaMD (USA):
I visit Dambulla,very often,sometimes twice per year.
Always see something more beautiful,and more rewarding.
The climb is easy,if taken in stride,done early morning and late afternoon.
But it is also fun to do it ,in the hot sun,maybe use a hat or umbrella or enjoy the glorious sweat.

It can stir the imagination,of how many centuries the people here,looked from the great rock and what they saw and thought.
Only a tiny fraction is reflected in the visible ,tangible evidence they left.
We have to reconstruct the rest ,from the adjoining areas,and the clues left there.
This makes the story more complete,and leave a lot for the imagination to complete.
The charge for the cutural triangle,is affordable,and when compared with any museum in the world,can anything offer this variety,quality and quantity ,all at the same time.
Most visitors spend only a day or two.
But to rally grasp it,appreciate the value,it takes much more and often a week,in the open air museum of the historical places of Sri Lanka,is not sufficient.
but we have to the best,with the time and resources available to us.
After travelling all over the world,I have yet to come across any place more beautiful and more rewarding

Pradeep Indika (Sri Lanka):
this is a unbelivable temple I like it
Pradeep

Tim Edmund (USA):
The climb (long, but not arduous) was exciting due to the monkeys playing beside the paths. The surrounding scenery is gorgeous, with views of Sigiriya in the distance. The cave temples are stunning examples of Buddhist art. The caves are virtually a chronological history of ancient Sri Lankan art, beginning with the first cave which dates to the 1st or 2nd century BCE. The successive caves go through the next many centuries up to about the 15th or 16th century. The paintings and statuary are among the most beautiful in the world of this type. The ceiling painting are so detailed that they appear to be fine cloth billowing overhead. There is a rock cistern that catches water dripping from the ceiling, but it never fills up or overflows. Fascinating experience.

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