Joanna James
Adorned with history, spirituality and exquisite scenic beauty, Dambulla is one city that is a treat for both the mind and the soul. If you have just one day in Dambulla here is how you make the most of it.
The first thing to do as you reach Dambulla is getting to your hotel, relax a bit, freshen up and get started on your adventure. Do not leave the hotel hunt for till after you have arrived in the city. Get this out of the way in advance and make sure you find a place that suits your requirements. Thankfully Dambulla is one city that is a favourite among tourists visiting Sri Lanka hence there is no shortage of choices when it comes to hotels and resorts. If you are looking for a hotel in Sigiriya Sri Lanka, there are options like Amaya Lake that can be considered. This helps you cover the best of both Dambulla and the adjoining city of Sigiriya in one go.
The city of Dambulla greets you with the famous Dambulla Museum. It showcases the best of the city's history in a nutshell. If you are short on time this is a great place to commence your tour. In here you find all sorts of artefacts ranging from cave paintings to 18th-century frescoes. The best part is as you explore the exhibits you can learn so much about them thanks to the detailed description of each item all in the English language.
The biggest highlight of the city of Dambulla is its cave temples. This is a profound historic attraction for it dates back centuries back time. It is proof of history so perfectly preserved because even today one can see the many paintings and murals well intact. In fact, some of these works of art go back to the era before Christ. The cave temples are located at the top of the Golden temple and form part of the Royal Rock Temple complex. The complex consists of a total of 5 separate caves each with almost a 150 Buddhist statues within them. All the 5 caves are open for the public to visit but the most astounding collection of relics can be found in the Marija Viharaya. From the very top of the Cave complex, visitors get the added advantage of enjoying a stunning bird's eye view of Dambulla and the surrounding cities.
Within the Dambulla city, one can find the Iron Wood Forest. This is one interesting forest has its own share of history as well. The trees found here are believed to have been planted by those who sought sanctuary here and date back several centuries.
The Rose Quartz mountain range in the garden is one of the oldest attractions here for it is believed to be over 500 million years old. This attraction is famously known for its White, rose and violet coloured quartz deposits.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a pas...
