Dating back to the 1st
Century BC, this is the most impressive cave temple in
Sri Lanka. It has five caves under a vast overhanging
rock, carved with a drip line to keep the interiors dry.
In 1938 the architecture was embellished with arched
colonnades and gabled entrances. Inside the caves, the
ceilings are painted with intricate patterns of
religious images following the contours of the rock.
There are images of the Lord Buddha and bodhisattvas, as
well as various gods and goddesses.
The temple is composed of five caves, which have been
converted into shrine rooms. The caves, built at the
base of a 150m high rock during the Anuradhapura (1st
Century BC to 993 AD) and Polonnaruwa times (1073 to
1250), are by far the most impressive of the many cave
temples found in Sri Lanka. Access is along the gentle
slope of the Dambulla Rock, offering a panoramic view of
the surrounding flat lands, which includes the rock
fortress Sigiriya, 19kms away. Families of friendly
monkeys make the climb even more interesting. Dusk
brings hundreds of swooping swallows to the cave
entrance. The largest cave measures about 52m from east
to west, and 23m from the entrance to the back, this
spectacular cave is 7m tall at its highest point. Hindu
deities are also represented here, as are the kings
Valgamba and Nissankamalla, and Ananda - the Buddha's
most devoted disciple.
Within these shrine rooms is
housed a collection of one hundred and fifty statues of
the Buddhist Order and the country's history. These
statues and paintings are representative of many epochs
of Sinhala sculpture and art. The Buddha statues are in
varying sizes and attitudes - the largest is 15 metres
long. One cave has over 1,500 paintings of Buddha
covering the ceiling.
The Dambulla cave monastery is still functional and
remains the best-preserved ancient edifice in Sri Lanka.
This complex dates from the 3rd and 2nd Centuries BC,
when it was already established as one of the largest
and most important monasteries. King Walagambahu is
traditionally thought to have converted the caves into a
temple in the 1st century BC. Exiled from Anuradhapura,
he sought refuge here from South Indian usurpers for 15
years. After reclaiming his capital, the King built a
temple in thankful worship. Many other kings added to it
later and by the 11th century, the caves had become a
major religious centre and still are. King Nissanka
Malla gilded the caves and added about 70 Buddha statues
in 1190. During the 18th century, the caves were
restored and painted by the Kandyan Kings.
The first cave is called
Devarajalena, or "Cave of the Divine King." An account
of the founding of the monastery is recorded in a
first-century Brahmi inscription over the entrance to
the first cave. This cave is dominated by the 14-meter
statue of the Buddha, hewn out of the rock. It has been
repainted countless times in the course of its history,
and probably received its last coat of paint in the 20th
century. At his feet is Buddha's favorite pupil, Ananda;
at his head, Vishnu, said to have used his divine powers
to create the caves.
In the second and largest cave, in addition to 16
standing and 40 seated statues of Buddha, are the gods
Saman and Vishnu, which pilgrims often decorate with
garlands, and finally statues of King Vattagamani, who
honored the monastery in the first century B.C., and
King Nissanka Malla, responsible in the 12th century for
the gilding of 50 statues, as indicated by a stone
inscription near the monastery entrance. This cave is
accordingly called Maharajalena, "Cave of the Great
Kings." The Buddha statue hewn out of the rock on the
left side of the room is escorted by wooden figures of
the Bodhisattvas Maitreya (left) and Avalokiteshvara or
Natha (right). There is also a dagoba and a spring which
drips its water, said to have healing powers, out of a
crack in the ceiling. Valuable tempera paintings on the
cave ceiling dating from the 18th centurydepict scenes
from Buddha's life, from the dream of Mahamaya to
temptation by the demon Mara. Further pictures relate
important events from the country's history The third
cave, the Maha Alut Vihara, the "Great New Monastery,"
acquired ceiling and wall paintings in the typical Kandy
style during the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha
(1747-1782), the famous Buddhist revivalist. In addition
to the 50 Buddha statues, there is also a statue of the
king.
The fourth and fifth caves are smaller; they date from a
later period and are not of such high quality. A small
Vishnu Devale between the first and second caves
attracts many worshipers.
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