Dambulla cave temple, Buddhist cave temple in Matale District, Sri Lanka.

Dambulla cave temple is a Buddhist monastery complex carved into a granite outcrop about 160 m above the surrounding plains in Matale District, Sri Lanka. Five caves hold murals and statues, with ceilings and walls completely covered in religious imagery.

A king from Anuradhapura sought refuge in these caves in the 1st century BCE and later founded the monastery as a gesture of gratitude. Successive rulers expanded the site over centuries, funding new paintings and statues.

The temple complex is also called the golden rock temple, as pilgrims have been bringing offerings to its shrines for centuries. Today, worshippers come regularly to meditate before the Buddha figures and leave gifts at the altars.

Visitors should remove shoes and hats before entering the caves and wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees. The site sits on a hilltop and requires a climb up a stairway that takes around 15 to 20 minutes depending on your pace.

The 14 m Buddha in the first cave, Devaraja lena, is seated and hewn from the living rock, not reclining. At its feet stands Ananda, the Buddha's favourite pupil, and at its head Vishnu, credited in tradition with creating the caves.