Dambulla - Buddha Temple in Sri Lanka

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Dambulla is a temple on the island of Sri Lanka. Created over two thousand years ago, it is famous for its numerous Buddha statues. This largest cave temple in South Asia is still a place of pilgrimage.

Location

The Dambulla Temple, the photo of which can be seen below, is the main attraction of Sri Lanka. It is located in the central part of the island. The city that grew up next to the temple is also called Dambulla. The settlement is located quite close to Colombo. The two cities are separated by about 148 km.

Dambulla is a temple carved into the rock. It is located on the top of a mountain that rises 350 meters above the city. A long staircase leads to the entrance, which is vigilantly "guarded" by nimble monkeys and various merchants.

Dambulla Temple: History

The sacred structure dates back to the 1st century BC. During the construction of the temple, several rulers of Sri Lanka were replaced. It traces its history from the reign of King Valagambahu. He asked for shelter from Buddhist monks when the enemies occupied his hometown and capital Anuradhapura. For 14 years, Walagambahu lived in a cave, and then erected a templeand brought it as a gift to Buddhist monks. The entrance to Dambulla is decorated with an inscription that testifies to the authenticity of this story.

In the 12th century, about half of the statues of the temple, depicting the Buddha, were covered with gold. This renewal happened during the reign of Nissankamalla. Since then, Dambulla has become known as the "Golden Temple".

The 18th century brought new changes to the sacred building. The golden temple of Dambulla has become a home for a large number of artists. They decorated the walls of the building with paintings of Buddhist themes. The total area of the applied drawings is estimated at 2100 m2.

Five caves

Dambulla is a temple consisting of several caves. The main ones are five:

• Devarajalena. Cave of the Divine King. The main thing that attracts the eye here is the statue of the reclining Buddha, 14 meters long. At the feet of the figure is Ananda, the first disciple of the spiritual mentor. The cave contains four more Buddha statues, as well as a sculptural image of Vishnu. Attached to this part of the temple is the chapel of a Hindu deity.
• Maharajalena. Cave of the Great Kings. This is the largest area of the temple. Here is a stupa, which is surrounded by eleven sculptures depicting the Buddha. In addition, the cave has a vessel for collecting water from the ceiling. The liquid is attracted to the cracks in the vault and due to this it moves in an unusual direction, from bottom to top.
• Maha Alut Viharaya. Often referred to as the Great New Monastery. On a relatively small area (cave dimensions - 2710 m)more than fifty sculptures depicting the Buddha.
• Pachchima Viharaya. Like the next one, it was created in a later period than the rest. The main attraction is a small stupa.
• Devana Alut Viharaya. For some time this cave was used as a warehouse. It now houses statues of the Buddha and several other deities, including Vishnu.

Numerous frescoes have been preserved on the walls of the caves. The painting attracts the eye no less than the magnificent statues of Buddha. Outside the described rooms there are approximately 70 caves, much smaller in size.

At the foot of

At the base of the mountain there is another, already modern attraction - the Temple of the Golden Buddha. In fact, this is a museum that houses a huge collection of Buddha statues from a variety of materials, from stone to gold. The roof of the three-story building is decorated with a golden Buddha figure, which you can climb up to. A Bodhi tree grows at the entrance to the temple-museum.

Next to the statue of the golden Buddha, you can also see numerous sculptures of monks in orange robes offering lotus flowers to the great teacher. The first Buddhist radio station in Sri Lanka is located nearby.

Some travel tips

The way to the top of the mountain takes a lot of time. At the same time, the temperature in Sri Lanka is often not the most comfortable. Experienced travelers note that it is better to take sun umbrellas and water with you. The monkeys that meet on the stairs only seemharmless. If they notice food, they can attack the whole flock.

Ticket offices for entering the cave temple and the museum are different and are located at the foot of the mountain. Before visiting the sacred building, be sure to take off your shoes. Dambulla is a Buddhist temple: shoes are not allowed here.

The ancient building remains a place of pilgrimage, prayer and meditation today. Despite the numerous groups of tourists, believers come to the Buddha temple every day. By the way, there are no other attractions in the city of Dambulla. Moreover, tourists who have been here warn against trying to find housing in this settlement, since it is not comfortable. The ideal option is to settle in the neighboring city of Sigiriya, beautiful and hospitable.