In the Matale district, there’s a special place with lots of cool things to see. It’s known for having the biggest and most well-kept cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. Also, it’s where lots of vegetables are distributed around the country. One interesting thing about this area is that it has the largest rose quartz mountain range in South Asia and something called the Iron Forest, which is also called Na Uyana.

The cave complex is really old, with statues and paintings that are over 2,000 years old! But people fixed them up in the 11th, 12th, and 18th centuries. King Walagamba, who ruled in Anuradhapura, spent 14 years making sure this place was safe. When he was done, he turned the big rock into a temple, and now it’s called the Golden Temple. It’s one of the biggest and best temples in Sri Lanka.

Inside the caves, there are five big caves filled with statues and paintings showing the life of Buddha. There are 153 statues of Buddha, three statues of Sri Lankan kings, and four statues of gods and goddesses. The paintings on the walls tell stories about Buddha’s life.

The first cave is called “Devaraja Lena,” and it has a huge 14-meter-long statue of Buddha. The second cave has lots of standing and sitting Buddha statues. There’s also a museum where you can see old stuff up close. Don’t miss out on visiting this amazing Golden Temple when you’re around!