Dambulla Rock Cave Temple

Tour/Activity , Sri Lanka

About this activity

Buddhist history and practices with a resident monk.

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Dambulla Rock Cave Temple

The rock cave temples of Dambulla consists of 5 caves which have been converted to shrines. During an invasion from South India in the 1st century BC, the Sinhalese king Walagambahu took refuge in the caves at Dambulla and through meditation gained the strength to drive the invaders away. As a token of gratitude he declared the caves as a sacred area and built the first cave shrine. Since then 4 more caves were converted into shrines and are today an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from around the world.