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The golden temple of Dambulla

Dambulla is a monastery in Sri Lanka perched on top of a hill: its five richly decorated caves shelter 157 statues. It is located between Kandy and Sigiriya. The golden temple of Dambulla and its caves (The Golden Temple in Dambulla) is an essential step of the cultural triangle.

History of the golden temple of Dambulla

One century before Christ, a fallen king (Vattagamini Abhaya) lived there for 14 years. When he recovered his throne, out of gratitude for this site which hid it for a long time, he ordered to decorate richly the caves.

Visit of Dambulla

The most important things to visit are the caves of the golden temples of Dambulla. Buy entrance tickets at the foot of the hill (1500LKR) then climb to the top (15-20 minutes). Be careful of monkeys that are often aggressive. At the top, leave your shoes at the locker room (25LKR) and visit the 5 caves of the site. The photos are tolerated, but do not put your back turned to a Buddha.

To see also

At the foot of the hill, inside the kitsch building, a museum you can block. Above, an imposing golden statue of Buddha. The rest of the city has no interest.

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Visit also

Itinerary Sri Lanka
Sigiriya
Nuwara Eliya
Elephant Orphanage
Kandy
Yala National Park
Polonnaruwa
Mackwoods tea plantation
Galle

Notes and references ▼