Shrine Room
The Dhowa Cave Temple is located six kilometres from Bandarawella on the road to Badulla. It is 210 km (130 mi) east of Colombo and 120 km. (75 mi) south of Kandy.
The temple complex consists of a cave, small stupa, image house, and the 11.58 m (38 ft) statue of the Buddha carved out of the rock face. Dating back to the 1st century B.C. the carving is an example of Mahayana sculpture. The statue has not been completed, however. It is believed that when King Walagamba disappeared overnight work on the statue stopped.
At the rear of the image house is a cave that was once the sanctuary of the king while taking refuge from an Indian invasion. This was one of the temples he built in the Uva Province.
A tunnel known as Ravana Guhawa is said to extend 11 km (6.8 mi) from the rear of the image house to the Ravana Maha Viharaya at Ella and the Bogoda Raja Maha Viharaya. However, the entrance to the tunnel, once guarded by a clay king cobra, was sealed by the temple to keep vandals and treasure hunters away.
The temple and tunnel are decorated with murals depicting Jataka stories. The temple also has an ornamental gateway.
The Dhowa Cave Temple complex was designated as a heritage site and protected archaeological monument in 1966.