Dambulla - carved into the rock

Dambulla - Cave Temple

A temple carved into the rock, an unimaginable masterpiece for us, crooked, round, artistically adorned, with images and patterns flowing from the ceiling to the walls. In the pictures, I have tried to capture this, perhaps I have succeeded.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dambulla
The caves once served King Valagamba (Vattagamini Abhaya) as a refuge during his 14-year exile from Anuradhapura, when the city was occupied by the Indians. The monks of Dambulla protected him from his adversaries. When Valagamba was able to return to his throne, he built a large temple in gratitude for their help.

We are on our way from Sigiriya to Kandy and stop at the sights. After the next stop, a quiet, peaceful, and very small temple in Nalanda, we visit an Ayurvedic spice garden, which turns out to be a sales event with a business-savvy guide. We feel overwhelmed and politely buy a herbal tea, probably the most expensive of our lives. On a visit to a tea factory on another day, we are prepared and kindly decline the offer 'buy a little...'.

We conclude this 7th day of our tour with the Hindu temple Sri Muthumari Amman Kovil. The vibrant colors catch our eye, everything is overwhelmingly colorful. Unfortunately, the temple is closed for several weeks, but we admire it from the outside and watch the bustling activity around. Several weeks in February/March are a 'sacred time' for Hindus, who come in droves to pray, celebrate, and eat together. They are catered by cooks with freshly prepared food - cooked in huge pots and distributed in portions. The gigantic chariot, which is covered, is carried by dozens of men and reminds us of Rose Monday. The scale of our Christian processions seems tiny in comparison. In the end, two girls are delighted by our interest and immortalize us in a photo :-).