Negombo Trip Overview
The Dambulla rock is 160m high and is surrounded by more than 80 documented caves. Five popular caves contain the major attractions, with several statues and paintings that are related to Buddha’s life. These caves vary in sizes and magnificence. 4 statues of Gods and Goddesses, including one of Vishnu and Ganesha.
King Walagamba converted the caves into a temple in the 1st century BCE. Exiled from Anuradhapura, he sought refuge here from South Indian invaders for 15 years. After reclaiming his capital, the King built a temple in thankful worship. Many other kings added to it later and by the 11th century, the caves had become a major religious centre. King Nissankamalla gilded the caves and added about 70 Buddha statues in 1190 AD. During the 18th century, the caves were restored and painted by the Kandyan Kings.
Additional Info
Duration: 10 hours
Starts: Negombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Negombo Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Negombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
The Dambulla rock is 160m high and is surrounded by more than 80 documented caves. Five popular caves contain the major attractions, with several statues and paintings that are related to Buddha’s life. These caves vary in sizes and magnificence. 4 statues of Gods and Goddesses, including one of Vishnu and Ganesha.
King Walagamba converted the caves into a temple in the 1st century BCE. Exiled from Anuradhapura, he sought refuge here from South Indian invaders for 15 years. After reclaiming his capital, the King built a temple in thankful worship. Many other kings added to it later and by the 11th century, the caves had become a major religious centre. King Nissankamalla gilded the caves and added about 70 Buddha statues in 1190 AD. During the 18th century, the caves were restored and painted by the Kandyan Kings.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Sigiriya The Ancient Rock Fortress, Sigiriya 21120 Sri Lanka
Since the 3th century BC Sigiriya was used as a monastery and after eight centuries it was turned into a royal palace. The construction and early history of the palace and fortress of Sigiriya is connected with several tragic events in the relationship of two royal brothers – Kasyapa and Moggallana. King Kasyapa (477-495 AD) illegally took the throne. The legal heir of the throne Maggallana was forced to escape to India. Fearing an attack by his brother Kasyapa decided to move the capital from Anuradhapura to the central parts of Sri Lanka. He constructed a royal palace on a high rock to make sure it will not be invaded by the right heir of the throne Maggallana. The palace – Sigiriya was constructed using the most advanced technologies of the time and was richly decorated with colorful frescos.
Stop At: Pidurangala Rock, Pidurangala,Sigiriya, Sigiriya 21120 Sri Lanka
The UNESCO World site of Sigiriya (Lion Rock) in Sri Lanka has quite the view and is justifiably one of the most visited sites in Sri Lanka but there’s a view to rival this just Pidurangala Vihara (Sinhala: පිදුරංගල විහාරය) is an ancient Buddhist temple situated in Pidurangala village of Matale District, Sri Lanka. The temple was constructed on a massive rock called Pidurangala, which is located a few kilometers north of the historical fort Sigiriya
Stop At: Dambulla Royal Cave Temple, Kandy – Jaffna Highway, Dambulla 21100 Sri Lanka
Dambulla cave temple (Sinhalese: Dam̆būlū Len Vihāraya, Tamil Tampuḷḷai Poṟkōvil) also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country.[1] This site is situated 148 kilometres (92 mi) east of Colombo , 72 kilometres (45 mi) north of Kandy and 43 km (27 mi) north of Matale Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains.There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include Vishnu and the Ganesha.
