Dambulla Cave Temple

The nondescript town of Dambulla is famous for its Cave Temples and is certainly a destination not to be missed on a trip to Sri Lanka.

There are 5 temples, dimly lit caves with golden statues that stare back at you from every angle.  The cave walls and roofs are covered by art, some of it rather faded but with enough detail to give us a sense of what this place must once have looked at.

Steve tells me the grottos remind him of similar places of worship in Greece.  It is lightly raining when we get there but fortunately the rains cease for long enough to take photos outside.  The custom here is that you remove your shoes before you enter.  Thankfully, the rains have cooled the rock so walking bare foot is not an issue. I still keep my socks on for good measure.  Monkeys dart about everywhere looking for scraps of food and once again devotees dressed in white go through each cave asking for blessings.   

Once the devotees and travellers have gone home, these caves would be incredibly places for meditation.  These temples are considered the spiritual heart of Sri Lanka and are masterpieces of Sinhalese Buddhist art.  We take our fill of photos and leave as the monks move in for their daily ritual ceremony.