Dambulla cave temple

 The city of Dambulla is situated in the Matale District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, situated 148 km north-east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy. The Dambulla Temple (Rangiri Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya) And The Golden Temple (Rangiri Dambulla Uyanwatta Rajamaha Viharaya) are interconnected temples with single administration. The history of Rock Temple goes back to the first century B.C., commenced by the King Vattagamini Abhaya and thereafter kings, Maha Parakramabahu, Nissankamalala, Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe and five cave temples, particularly named, Devaraja Viharaya, Maharaja Viharaya, Maha Alut Viharaya. Paschima Viharaya and Devena Alut Viaharaya respectively.Prehistoric Sri Lankans would have lived in these cave complexes before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka as there are burial sites with human skeletons about 2700 years old ( 700 BC) which have been unearthed in this area at Ibbankatuwa near Dambulla cave Compounds.

           

This monastery is existing east of Rock Temple. The Dambulla Cave dwelling monks later, due to lack of basic requirements had housed their monastery adjoining the main road associating the rock grottoes and hence the history of Golden Temple does not exceed 250 years, which has been commenced as a monastery of Rock Temple monks that has now been converted to a monastery intact.