Visit to Dambulla

Dambulla temple is one of the key tourist attraction site among locals as well as foreigners. I have passed Dambulla in many times but never been at this temple for proper evaluation. Therefore this trip was planned to visit at Dambulla cave temple on our way to Aliya resort at Habarana.
As usual we are leaving bit late from Colombo for these kind of relaxed trips. First stop was Badagamuwa forest reserve situated few kilometers away from Kurunegala town at Dambulla road.

Badagamuwa Forest Reserve (බඩගමුව රක්ෂිතය)
Badagamuwa forest reserve is a common place where most of the vehicles stop for meals on their way to Dambulla from Kurunegala. But there is less attention to the surrounding forest reserve when they stop. Badagamuwa forest reserve spreads to 213.6Ha. There are paved pathways to have a walk in the forest. Birds observation desk built on a tree is a nice place to the spend time. It was kind of an abortorium and some educational matters are also displayed.

Enter to Badagamuwa Forest Reserve

Site plan of the forest reserve

Members of the trip: Rakitha and Heshan

Graffiti wall

දඩු ලේනා

Cross section of a tree. This brought back my memories to grade 9.

The lake

Foot path around the lake

Foot path around the lake

small open theater

We didn’t spend much time at Badagamuwa and moved to Dambulla.

Endless appetite…. At Hela Bojun Hala

First we visited at Dambulla Somawathiya temple which is a lesser known place but situated at closer to Dambulla cave temple. It is located at Dambulla Walagamaba Pirivena road. This is my second visit to this temple as I needed to visit couple of caves situated above the temple.

Dambulla Somawathiya Vihara complex (දඹුල්ල සෝමාවතී විහාරය)
It is said the remains of Queen Somawathiya has placed here to build Dagaba at Vihara complex. But historical evidence suggests this might be Chatapabbata Vihara built by King Saddathissa (137-119BC) at the base of Dambulla cave temple. Archeologists have dated the initial constructions of the brick Dagaba to the 5th or 6th century AD and subsequent renovations to the 8th to 10th century.
It indicates classical Pabbatha Vihara where four ritual shrines within the designated quadrangle.

Somawathiya Vihara Complex

Bodhigara

Bodhigara and Dagaba

Chapter house

Dagaba

Dagaba

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There are 80 caves around Dambulla rock and two of them can be seen just above Somawathiya Vihara complex. There is a foot pathway just in front of bathing well to these two caves.

The cave

The cave

Dambulla cave temple (දඹුල්ල ලෙන් විහාරය)
1. It was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1991.

2. Dambulla cave temple is one of ten sacred caves in the world.

3. There are five main caves at temple premises named as,
Cave-1: Devaraja Wiharaya (දේවරාජ විහාරය)
Cave-2: Maharaja Lena (මහ රාජ ලෙන): Largest, 52m long, 23m deep and 7m height.
Cave 3: Maha Aluth Wiharaya (මහා අලුත් විහාරය)
Cave 4: Pachchima Wiharaya (පච්චිම විහාරය)
Cave 5: Devani Aluth Wiharaya (දෙවනි අලුත් විහාරය)
In addition 80 more caves around the rock.

4. There are four routes to reach Dambulla cave temple from the base of the rock: Golden temple route, Whale back route, the route for limited mobility people and historical route (Raja Mawatha)

5. The cave has a long history with clear evidence of continued use as a Buddhist Wiharaya for over 23 centuries. Folklore says this cave complex was shown to King Walagamaba by Veddha hunters during his hidden era of the life. Later when he regained the kingdom, he has converted the caves into a place of shrine. Later in Polonnaruwa kingdom, King Wijayabahu Great (1055-1100) has renovated Dambulu Wiharaya. The name of King Nissankamalla (1187-1196) comes with Dambulla temple as he renovated Dambulla temple further and renamed it as “Swarnagiriguha” after painting Buddha statues in gold. In 18th century King Sri Veera Narendrasinghe (1707-1739) has handed over to the temple a tudapata (palm leaf documents). Majority of wall and ceiling paintings you see today, belongs to renovations done at this period. And Maha Aluth Wiharaya / cave 3 was also established during this period. Devani Aluth Wiharaya / Cave 5 was built during 19th century. Dambulu Wiharaya has involved in a final bid for freedom from the British, which ended with the clergy of the Dambulla Wiharaya being tried for treason.

The cross road goes to Walagamaba Pirivena will connect you to the historical route of Dambulla cave temple. We have selected this route to reach the temple and got down along golden temple route.

Historical route of Dambulla cave temple

Neighbor of Dambulla rock-Dahiya Kanda

Ibbankatuwa Lake and Beliya Kanda

Ibbankatuwa Lake

Entrance to cave temple

Surrounding mountains are nicely seen to Dambulla rock temple, including Dahiya Kanda, Wahigala Pathana, Kalundawa, Beliyaknada, Erawulagala, Sigiriya and Pidurangala. It was not difficult to view Knuckles range also behind Wahigala Pathana.

Kalundawa (front) and Wahigalapathana (behind)

Knuckles range is seen at the end of Wahigalapathana

Sigiriya and Pidurangala

Kandalama Lake, Sigiriya and Erawula Gala

Let’s move to the cave temple.

Dambulla cave temple

Rest of cave temple under the drip ledge

Cave with drip ledge…

Buddha statue of cave-5 (Devani Aluth Viharaya)

Reclining Buddha statue at Devani Aluth Wiharaya

Veranda

.	Seated Buddha statue under Makara Thorana.

Statue of King Rajasinghe at cave 3

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Statue of King Walagamaba….

Ceiling paintings….

.	Small Dagaba surrounded by 11 seated Buddha statues

Fish swimming along the wet surface

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.	Small Dagaba at verandah

Buddha Parinirwanaya at cave 01

Dambulla inscription

Tourists with a guide at Dambulla inscription.

Painted door

Dambulla-Trinco road

පතොක් මල්

Dambulla golden temple
Dambulla golden temple is the 21st century addition to Dambulla complex. Golden Buddha statue and small golden Dagaba are main components of the temple. In addition Buddhist museum also gets tourist attractions.

Golden temple of Dambulla Uyanwatte RMW

Entrance to Buddhist museum

Buddhist museum

Buddhist museum

Dambulla mural museum and Dambulla Bodhiya are also interesting places to visit. Mural museum was under renovation during our visit.

Aliya resort and Spa
This was the last destination of this journey. Our main objective of the trip was to spend the day at Aliya resort and Spa.
Aliya resort is located at Habarana, exactly at Awudangawa. Theme of the hotel is elephant -“Aliya” (අලියා) and hotel setting is done according to that. Sigiriya and Pidurangala comes in a single frame above the swimming pool at Aliya resort. Hotel has paved foot pathways like ancient Sigiriya. Cycling path, paddy museum and spa are main attractions of the hotel.

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.	Swimming pool with view of Sigiriya and Pidurangala

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Baby pool

.	Main building connecting to swimming pool

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.	Sigiriya and Pidurangala. Nuwaragala Kanda is seen between them

The spa…

Paved paths like ancient Sigiriya

Paddies

Paddy museum

Inside paddy museum

paddy museum

paddy museum

Sri Lankan authentic restaurant

Sri Lankan authentic restaurant

Play ground around which different plants are planted by cricketers

The lobby….

The lobby….

Lightings around foot pathways….

Lightings around foot pathways….

Lightings around foot pathways….

Swimming pool at night

Swimming pool at night

Entrance

The roof

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Sun rise

Sun rise

Sun rise

Sun rise

Cycling

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Three men team

Awudangawa Lake
We had a short visit at Awudangawa Lake after check out from the hotel. It is just
1 km from the hotel towards Sigiriya. Lake Bund is not mortable for a car. Awudangawa Lake is a nice view point as well as a bathing place.

Along lake bund

View of Sigiriya and Pidurangala over Awudangawa Lake

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Sigiriya

Rest of mountains at Dambulla

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Thanks for reading