Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cave III (Maha Alut Viharaya)
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
This cave, the New Great Temple, was said to have been converted from a storeroom in
the 18th century by King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe of Kandy, one of the last Kandyan mon-
archs. It is also filled with Buddha statues, including a beautiful reclining Buddha, and is
separated from Cave II by only a masonry wall.
Cave IV (Pachima Viharaya)
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
The relatively small Western Cave is not the most westerly cave - that position belongs to
Cave V. The central Buddha figure is seated under a
makara torana,
with its hands in
dhy-
ana mudra
(a meditative pose in which the hands are cupped). The small dagoba in the
centre was broken into by thieves who believed that it contained jewellery belonging to
Queen Somawathie.
Cave V (Devana Alut Viharaya)
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
This newer cave was once used as a storehouse, but it's now called the Second New
Temple. It features a reclining Buddha; Hindu deities, including Kataragama (Murugan)
and Vishnu, are also present.
Golden Temple
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
At the foot of the cave temples hill stands the modern Golden Temple, a kitschy structure
completed in 2000 using Japanese donations. On top of the cube-shaped building sits a
Buddha image in the
dhammachakka mudra
(wheel-turning pose) and a huge neon sign.
Dambulla Museum
MUSEUM
Re-creations of art from the cave temples, artefacts and detailed English-language explan-
ations are presented in a large building some 500m south of the main caves' parking area.
The displays are a good primer on Sri Lankan art - from cave paintings to 18th-century
frescoes. Staff are keen to show you around.
