The Dambulla Cave Temple, which dates back to the first century BC, is Asia's most treasured cave temple. It has five caves under a vast rock that overhangs the temple. A drip line carved into the underbelly of the Rock keeps the interiors dry. The ceilings of the caves are adorned with intricate patterns of religious images painstakingly painted to follow the natural contours of the rock. Inside, there are images of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, gods, and goddesses. The cave monastery is the best-preserved historical structure in Sri Lanka, dating from the second and third centuries BC. It is still a living Shrine that attracts thousands of devotees and curious visitors.

The temple has five caves that have been imaginatively converted into shrines. The cave temples built at the base of a 150m high rock from the first century BC to 993 AD and between 1073 -1250 are the most inspiring cave temples in Sri Lanka. The cave temple is reached by walking down the gentle slope of the towering Dambulla rock, which provides a magnificent view of the plains below, with the Sigiriya rock fortress rising out of the flat landscape. You will undoubtedly have Homeric thoughts, because a trip to Sri Lanka is the most enjoyable odyssey you can take in Asia.