Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Golden Temple, Dambulla


A pleasant 12 km drive from Sigiriya or Kandy is the town of Dambulla. This junction town is known for its cave temples, whose history as a Buddhist place of worship dates back to perhaps the 1st century BC. The 30 m (98 ft) high Golden Temple, located at the base of the hill, commanded attention in all its kitchy glory. Built in 2000 with Japanese donations, entrance to the building was up a series of reddish stairs and into what looked like the tonsils of a lion-like creature. To one side, a large number of orange-clad monk sculptures were lined up like ducks, adding to the cheesiness of the place.

No comments: