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The caves
Five caves lie under a vast overhanging rock
The temple has five caves under a vast overhanging rock, carved with a drip line to keep the interiors dry. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.
160 mheight of the rock over the surrounding plains
The refuge
An exiled king sheltered here for 15 years
Valagamba of Anuradhapura is traditionally thought to have turned the caves into a temple in the first century BC. Exiled from Anuradhapura, he sought refuge here for 15 years, and after reclaiming his capital he built a temple in thankful worship.
15 yearsof refuge sought by the exiled king
The gilding
Nissanka Malla gilded the caves in 1190
By the 11th century the caves had become a major religious centre. Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa gilded them and added about 70 Buddha statues in 1190. The monastery is still functional.
The statues
The caves hold 153 Buddha statues and three kings
The five caves hold 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses, including Vishnu and Ganesha. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square metres.
153Buddha statues in the five caves
The paint
The painted ceilings date mostly from the 18th century
The Kingdom of Kandy restored and painted the caves in the 18th century. Those murals are around 80% of the surviving paintings. One cave has over 1,500 paintings of Buddha covering the ceiling.
Day 2, afternoon
Next is Kandalama Reservoir.
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The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Dambulla cave temple, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.