Dambulla is a temple on the island of Sri Lanka. Created more than two thousand years ago, it is famous for numerous Buddha statues. This largest cave temple in South Asia is still a place of pilgrimage.
Location
The Temple of Dambulla, whose photo can be viewed below, is the main attraction of Sri Lanka. It is located in the central part of the island. The city that grew next to the temple is also called Dambulla. The village 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 top of a mountain rising 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 building dates from the 1st century BC. In the process of building the temple, several rulers of Sri Lanka were replaced. He leads his story from the time of the reign of King Valagambahu. He asked the Buddhist monks for shelter when enemies occupied his hometown and the capital Anuradhapura. For 14 years, Valagambahu lived in a cave, and then erected a temple and 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, approximately half of the temple statues depicting the Buddha were plated with gold. This update happened during the reign of Nissankamalla. Since then, Dambulla has become known as the Golden Temple.
New changes brought the sacred building of the XVIII century. The Golden Temple of Dambulla became the home for a large number of artists. They decorated the walls of the structure with Buddhist-themed paintings. The total area of the applied drawings is estimated at 2100 m 2 .
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 a statue of a reclining Buddha with a length of 14 meters. At the feet of the figure is Ananda, the first disciple of a spiritual mentor. The cave houses four more Buddha statues, as well as a sculptural image of Vishnu. A chapel of a Hindu deity adjoins this part of the temple.
- 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 fluid is attracted to the cracks of the arch and due to this moves in an unusual direction, from the bottom up.
- Maha Alut Viharay. Often called the Great New Monastery. In a relatively small area (the size of the cave is 27 * 10 m), more than fifty sculptures depicting the Buddha are concentrated.
- Pachchima Viharaya. Like the next, it was created at a later period than the rest. The main attraction is a small stupa.
- Devan Alut Viharay. For some time this cave was used as a warehouse. Now it houses statues of Buddha and several other deities, including Vishnu.
On the walls of the caves numerous frescoes have been preserved. The painting attracts the eye no less than the magnificent statues of Buddha. Outside the premises described there are approximately 70 more caves, much smaller in size.
At the foot
At the base of the mountain is another, already modern attraction - the temple of the Golden Buddha. In fact, this is a museum containing 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 that you can climb to. At the entrance to the temple museum, a Bodhi tree grows .
Near the statue of the Golden Buddha, one can also see numerous sculptures of monks in orange robes, offering lotus flowers to the great teacher. Nearby is the first Buddhist radio station in Sri Lanka.
Some tips for tourists
The path 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 umbrellas from the sun and water. The monkeys that are found on the stairs only seem harmless. 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, you must definitely take off your shoes. Dambulla is a Buddhist temple: they are not allowed in shoes here.
The ancient building today remains a place of pilgrimage, prayer and meditation. Despite the numerous groups of tourists, believers come to the Buddha Temple daily. By the way, there are no other attractions in the city of Dambulla. Moreover, tourists who have been here caution against trying to find housing in this village, because it is not comfortable. The ideal option is to settle in the neighboring town of Sigiriya, beautiful and welcoming.