Dambulu Viharaya

Dambulla Rock, about 600m above the plains, is a place where the sun shines well. There is a cave complex in this rock. There is a stone temple of ancient Buddhist value in Sri Lanka. This temple is named as Jambukola. After climbing about 350 feet in the Dambulla rock. Some of the caves here are man-made and some are naturally formed caves. .P. It is said to have been enlarged by King Wattagamini Abhaya who lived in the 1st century AD. From the 3rd century BC. It is said to be a monastery where monks lived until the 5th century. It is not dated to before the first century.

A small inscription in Dambulla states that the Thero of Dambulla lived in caves during the reign of King Wattagamini Abhaya. According to the Culavamsa, the Dambulla temple received the patronage of King Vijayabahu in the 11th century. It is said that the temple was known as Swarnagiri Cave. Today it is known as Rangiri Dambulla Viharaya. Dambulla was a place of worship during the Polonnaruwa period but did not receive royal patronage. King Senarath Rajakala renovated the temple. It is said that it took three years to repair the temple. During the reign of the king.

Paintings in the caves of Dambulla

Today, there are five caves in the Dambulla temple which are considered to be the houses of the Buddha. The statues mark an important milestone in the history of Sri Lankan art. It is important to note that a large number of artists exhibited their talents during this period. Archaeologists point out that these paintings were inspired by the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa eras. Some commentators have suggested that the paintings in Dambulla may have been inspired by the Deccan Gurukul, a South Indian Muslim-inspired tradition of painting.

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Cave No. 01- This is known as the Raja Viharaya.

Cave No. 02 – This is called the Maha Raja Viharaya. There are various seals on the Buddha statues.

Cave No. 03- This is called the Great New Temple. It was a storage room until the 18th century. The cave is completely painted.

Cave No. 04- This is known as the Western Temple. Ten Buddha statues of the same size have been created here.

Cave No. 05 – This is known as the second new temple. This is the smallest cave in Dambulla.