Dambulla
Dambulla Cave Temple
Sri Lanka has many cave temples but the Rangiri Dambulu Viharaya or the Golden Rock Temple of Dambulla is the most venerated, celebrated and most probably the most visited.
The cave complex that consists of the five viharayas has a spectacular setting on a massive rock some 1118 ft. above sea level and surrounded by the plains of Kurunegala on one side and the rock of Sigiriya and the mountain of Ritigala on the other.
The rock which soars upwards some 600 ft above the surrounding plains at one point, gape and enfolds to creates the caverns that mother the caves. Almost as if in thanksgiving to nature’s gift the cave temples celebrate – a veritable art gallery filled with thousands of images of the Lord Buddha in sculptures and paintings.
It is believed that the initial temple here was built by King Valagamba in the first century BC in gratitude for giving him refuge and shelter when fleeing the the invading Cholas. But it is most probable that these caves were in occupation many centuries before. After King Valagamba succeeding kings added to its maintenance, repair and prosperity.
Dambulla Golden Temple
The Rock Temple (Rangiri Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya)and The Golden Temple(Rangiri Dambulla Uyanwatta Rajamaha Viharaya) are interconnected temples with single administration. The history of Rock Temple goes back to the first century B.C., commenced by the King Vattagamini Abhaya and thereafter kings, Maha Parakramabahu, Nissankamalala, Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe and five cave temples, particularly named, Devaraja Viharaya, Maharaja Viharaya, Maha Alut Viharaya. Paschima Viharaya and Devena Alut Viaharaya respectively.
Within these five caves is housed a collection of 157 valuable images of the Buddha and Bodhisatta etc. Inside the caves the rock surfaces, ceiling and side walls are covered with paintings executed with indigenous traditional colour schemes to an extent of about 22,000 square feet. The inscription in the premises records that the temple had been named “Rangiri Dambulla” when the images were painted in gold by King Nissankamalala of the Polonnaruwa regime. The temple with its historical, archeological and artistic significances had in the year 1991, been declared one of the world heritages sites by the UNESCO
