Wonderful sculptures and paintings in the five caves, some dating back thousands of years.
We left our hotel at Sigiriya after an early breakfast so that we could get to Dambulla as it opened, before many people arrived and while it was not so hot.
It's quite a steep climb up the steps of the granite outcrop, 160m high, to get to the entrance. There, shoes and bags are stored in lockers before you can enter.
The caves are magnificent with many Buddha statues and reclining Buddhas. The walls and ceilings completely painted including a "thousand Buddhas" in ranks on the ceiling. There are two massive caves, two smaller, and one virtually filled with a reclining Buddha.
We first went into the Maharaja Cave Temple. This is the largest of the cave temples and named after Valagamba the "Great King".
The caves are said to be associated with King Valagamba who fled here and spent the next fourteen years in the area during his exile from Anuradhapura. After he was restored to the throne in 89BC he returned to establish two cave temples. However, 2nd century BC inscriptions here suggest the complex is older than that.
The majority of the statues - over 50 - are of the Buddha. There are also statues of three kings: Valagamba (103 and 89-77BC), Nissankamala (1187-1196) and Kirti Sri Rajasina (1747-1781). The statue of Nissankamala is the only surviving contemporary statue of him.
A small dagoba is surrounded by eight seated Buddhas, two with protective cobra hoods.
The walls and ceiling are covered with paintings.
Maharaja Cave Temple is truly magnificent, you could spend a long time here looking at all the wonderful paintings and statues.
From here we went next door, west, to the Maha Alut Cave Temple. This is much younger than the Maharaja Cave Temple, dating from the 18th century during Kirti Sri Rajasinha's reign. It may have been converted from a store room to become the second largest temple at Dambulla. At 25m x 27m it is roughly square, the ceiling rising to over 10m at its highest point. Gold and yellow Buddhas line the walls. A large reclining Buddha was carved directly out of the rock face.
The reclining Buddha is particularly beautiful.
The remaining three temples are much smaller.
Paccima Cave Temple possibly dates back to the reign of Valagamba and its dagoba is said to have contained the jewellery of his second wife Soma Devi.
Devana Alut Cave Temple is also said to have been converted from a store room. It dates from the 19th century and contains eleven Buddha statues created from brick with a plaster coating.
There are two seated Buddhas with protective cobra hoods - they sit on the coils of the snake.
Finally we visited Devaraja Cave Temple, the most easterly of the temples. The space inside is almost entirely taken up by a reclining Buddha. This is said to be the oldest of the cave temples, from the reign of Valagamba, who is said to have taken a close interest in the carving of its six statues.
It was incredibly hot and humid in this temple, very uncomfortable.
There are great views of the surrounding countryside from the steps leading down.
