Cave Temple

 

I love all caves :)..  This is the Dambulla Cave Temple ((Sinhala: දඹුලු ලෙන් විහාරය dam̆būlū len vihāraya, Tamil: தம்புள்ளை பொற்கோவில் tampuḷḷai poṟkōvil), also know as the Golden Temple of Dambulla.   It is now a World Heritage Site and is located in Sri Lanka.  The cave is located in a rock that towers 197 feet above the surrounding plains.  There are more than 80 caves in the area,  but only 5 of these caves are major tourist attractions.   The caves are adorned with statues and paintings, all related to Lord Buddha and his life.  In the caves, you will find 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of Sri Lankan kings, and 4 statues of gods and goddesses such as Vishu and Ganesh.   There is also a massive mural of Buddha performing his first sermon.  The temple made of 5 caves that have been converted into shrine rooms.  They were build from 993 AD to 1250 AD.  It is believed that prehistoric Sri Lankans lives in these cave complexes before they were used as Buddhist temples.  The oldest skeleton found in the area is believed to be 2700 years old.  The  caves are also home to thousands of swallows that swoop into the cave at dusk each day :).