Dambulla Cave Temples, Sri Lanka
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Dambulla caves have a long history.
Photos by Jim Shubin, text by Laurie McAndish King
The shrine rooms at Dambulla sit beneath a massive stone outcropping that rises above green plains on the island nation of Sri Lanka. Filled with magnificent art, they are the visible part of a vast, ancient cavern. Seeing these cultural treasures was one of the highlights of our visit.
The caves were occupied by Buddhist hermits during the reign of King Vattagamani Abhaya (89–77 BCE). Much later, King Nissanka Malla (1187–96), set on making his presence felt throughout Sri Lanka, spent lavishly at Dambulla. Nissanka Malla — “The Inscription King” — confused later scholars by regularly adding his own inscriptions to the existing work of other kings. Dambulla was repaired and further embellished by the kings of Kandy during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Today the shrine rooms are filled with a mixture of religious and secular painting and sculpture representing Sri Lanka’s evolving artistic styles.
More than 150 statues of the Buddha, as well as various statues and paintings depicting Buddhist history, are on display. Hindu deities are also included, because Buddhist rulers sometimes married Hindu princesses, and wanted them to feel comfortable worshiping together in the same location.
Devaraja Viharaya (Temple of the King of the Gods) is almost entirely filled with a 46-foot reclining Buddha carved from a single piece of rock, and still joined to the rock at the back. The statue (above) depicts the parinibbana (the last moment) of the Buddha.
Maha Raja Viltaraya (The Temple of the Great King) is the largest and most impressive cave at 172 feet long and 75 feet wide. Painted in brilliant colors, it bursts with an enormous array of Buddhas. The main statue is a life-sized standing Buddha (below) with his right hand in the Abhaya mudra or “Have No Fear” posture.
The walls are covered with exceptional murals, including several depicting
the trials and temptations suffered by the Buddha on the night he attained enlightenment. (He resisted both an attack by hoards of hairy demons and the advances of a crowd of alluring maidens.)
Toward one end of the room, perpetually dripping rainwater has filtered slowly through the rock roof. The water is caught in a vessel and used exclusively for sacred purposes. Buddhists believe the water will never stop falling, even during a severe drought.
The third cave is an impressive 90 feet long and 80 wide; its immense rock surface is painted with richly colored frescos depicting Buddhist history. The space is dominated by a meditating Buddha seated beneath a makara torana (dragon arch), and surrounded by 50 other Buddhas (mostly life-sized) and a 30-foot reclining Buddha.
The Dambulla caves are in the center of Sri Lanka, in a must-see area called the Cultural Triangle. When you visit these magnificent treasures, be sure to see the nearby Temple of the Tooth, another sacred Buddhist site. In the meantime, Ayubowan—May you have the gift of long life.
