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| Dambulla cave temple | |
|---|---|
දඹුල්ල රජ මහා විහාරය | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| District | Matale |
| Province | Central Province |
| Location | |
| Location | Dambulla |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
  Shown within Sri Lanka | |
| Coordinates | 7°51′24″N80°38′57″E / 7.85667°N 80.64917°E /7.85667; 80.64917 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Cave Temple |
| Official name: Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple | |
| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (vi) |
| Designated | 1991 |
| Reference no. | 561 |
| Designated | 30 August 1957 |
Dambulla cave temple (Sinhala:දඹුල්ල රජ මහා විහාරය,romanized: Dam̆būlla Raja MahaVihāraya;Tamil:தம்புள்ளை பொற்கோவில்,romanized: Tampuḷḷai Poṟkōvil), also known as theGolden Temple of Dambulla, is aWorld Heritage Site (1991) inSri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country.[1] This site is situated 148 kilometres (92 mi) east ofColombo, 72 kilometres (45 mi) north ofKandy and43 kilometres (27 mi) north ofMatale.
Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m (520 ft) over the surrounding plains. There are more than eighty documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related toGautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues ofgods and goddesses. The latter includeVishnu and theGanesha. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square metres (23,000 sq ft). Depictions on the walls of the caves include the temptation by the demonMara, andBuddha's first sermon.
Prehistoric Sri Lankans would have lived in these cave complexes before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka as there are burial sites with human skeletons about 2700 years old in this area, atIbbankatuwa near the Dambulla cave complexes.
This temple complex dates back to the first century BCE.[2] 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 andbodhisattvas, as well as various gods and goddesses.
The Dambulla cave monastery is still functional and remains the best-preserved ancient edifice in Sri Lanka. This complex dates from the third and second centuries BC, when it was already established as one of the largest and most important monasteries.Valagamba of Anuradhapura is traditionally thought to have converted the caves into a temple in the first century BC. Exiled fromAnuradhapura, 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.Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa gilded the caves and added about 70 Buddha statues in 1190. During the 18th century, the caves were restored and painted by theKingdom of Kandy.
The temple is composed of five caves of varying sizes and magnificence.[3] The caves, built at the base of a 150m high rock during theAnuradhapura (1st century BC to 993 AD) andPolonnaruwa times (1073 to 1250), are by far the most impressive of the many cave temples found inSri Lanka. Access is along the gentle slope of theDambulla Rock, offering a panoramic view of the surrounding flat lands, which includes the rock fortressSigiriya, 19 km away. 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 kingsValagamba andNissankamalla, andAnanda - the Buddha's most devoted disciple.
The first cave is calledDevaraja lena (lena in Sinhalese meaning cave), or "Cave of the Divine King." An account of the founding of the monastery is recorded in a 1st-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 favourite 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 godsSaman and Vishnu, which pilgrims often decorate with garlands, and finally, statues of KingVattagamani Abhaya, who honoured the monastery in the 1st century BC., andKing 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 calledMaharaja lena, "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 theBodhisattvas Maitreya andAvalokiteshvara orNatha. There is also a dagoba and a spring which drips its water said to have healing powers, out of a crack in the ceiling. Distinctive tempera paintings on the cave ceiling dating from the 18th century depict scenes from Buddha's life, from the dream ofMahamaya to temptation by the demonMara. Further pictures relate important events from the country's history.
The third cave, theMaha Alut Vihara, the "Great New Monastery" acquired ceiling and wall paintings in the typicalKandy style during the reign of KingKirti Sri Rajasinha (1747–1782), the famous Buddhist revivalist. In addition to the 50 Buddha statues, there is also a statue of the king.
The shrine rooms are representative of many epochs ofSinhala sculpture andSinhala art. The Buddha statues are in varying sizes and attitudes - the largest is 15 meters long. One cave has over 1,500 paintings of Buddha covering the ceiling.
Conservation at the Dambulla Temple Complex has primarily concentrated on the preservation of its mural schemes. Senake Bandaranayake reports that the schemes were cleaned during an initial conservation project during the 1960s which involved the cleaning of the murals and the application of a protective coating.[4]
Subsequent conservation strategies at the Dambulla Temple Complex (mainly since 1982) have focussed on maintaining the integrity of the existing complex which has remained unaltered since the reconstruction of the temple veranda in the 1930s. This strategy was agreed upon during a collaborative project betweenUNESCO, The Cultural Triangle Project of Sri Lanka and the Temple Authorities of Dambulla which ran from 1982 to 1996.[4]
As the Dambulla Temple remains an active ritual centre, the conservation plans of the 1982-1996 project were directed at improving the infrastructure and accessibility of the site in accordance with its UNESCO World Heritage status. This involved the renovation of hand-cut paving within the complex and the installation of modern lighting. Further investment in the Temple's infrastructure has seen the construction of a museum and other tourist facilities located away from the historical complex.[4]
More recent inspections by UNESCO in 2003 have proposed an expansion to the existing protected zone around the complex in order to minimise damage to surrounding archaeological features.[4]
The conservation project undertaken between 1982 and 1996 focussed mainly on the preservation of the eighteenth-century mural schemes which represent around 80% of the total surviving paintings at Dambulla. By the late 1990s, the majority of these schemes remained in excellent condition, with the schemes of the larger shrines (Vihara 3 and Vihara 2) still retaining most of their eighteenth-century features.[4]
Cleaning was not undertaken during the 1982-1996 project which instead focussed on the implementation of a series of remedial measures to stabilise the murals as well as developing a long-term conservation strategy to minimise further human or environmental damage.[4]
