Dambulla had been a famous cave-dwelling since several centuries before Christ. This over hanging rock located about 120 meters above the surrounding plain said to have had seventy three caves in its cluster. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries Dambulla temple has seen some improvements with royal patronage.
The last revival of the present temple complex took place during the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy. Several image houses including Dev Raja Vihare, Maha Raja Vihare, Pas Pilima Vihare and Aluth Vihare were completed at this revival. The entire cave temple complex has exquisite murals covering 2000 m2 and 161 statues of different figures in various postures resembling a mixture of religious and secular sculptures. Dambulla Cave Temple was declared a World Heritage Site in 1991 by the UNESCO.
Duration : 43 Minutes Language : English / Sinhala
