Twelve miles from
Sigiriya is Dambulla, a vast isolated rock mass 500 ft high and a mile
round the base. The famous rock temple dating back to the first century
BC is found here. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the King during his 14
year exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne, he built the
most magnificent rock temples of the island.
The view from the top of this rock is breathtaking. A series of five caves have been turned into shrines. The first cave is a recumbent image of the Buddha 47 ft long, cut out of the rock. There are images of deities associated with Buddhism. The frescoes on the walls and ceiling could be dated to the 15th - 18th centuries.
The second cave, the finest and the largest of all, contain not less than 150 life size statues of gods. There are numerous images of the Buddha as well. The ceiling too is covered with frescoes, which depict great events in the life of the Buddha and landmarks in the history of the Sinhala people.