Avukana Buddha
While most people who head to Dambulla do so for the Dambulla Cave Temples or the massive Sigiriya site, the surrounding area also has several interesting attractions which are perfect if you have a free morning or afternoon. One of these is the Avukana Buddha, a 40-foot tall standing Buddha carved from sheer rock in the 5th century.
Legend has it that the statue resulted from the competition between a master and a pupil about who could finish their rock-hewn standing Buddha first (the other standing Buddha is located at Reswehera, another great day-trip stop). The master built the Avukana Buddha and finished first, which explains the technical mastery of the Avukana Buddha and the unfinished nature of the statue at Reswehera (otherwise known as Sasseruwa).
