Dabulla
Dambulla
Dambulla is situated in the Matale District, Central Province of Sri Lanka, situated 148 km north-east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy. Due to its location at a major junction, it's the centre of vegetable distribution in the country.
Major attractions of the area include the largest and
best preserved cave
temple complex of Sri Lanka, and the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, famous
for being built in just 167 days. The area also boasts the largest rose quartz mountain range
in South Asia, and the Iron wood forest, or Na Uyana Aranya.
Ibbankatuwa prehistoric burial site near Dambulla
cave temple complexes is the latest archaeological site of
significant historical importance found in Dambulla, which is located within 3
kilometers of the cave temples providing evidence of the presence of indigenous
civilisations long before the arrival of Indian influence on the Island nation.
History
The area is thought to be inhabited from as early as the
7th to 3rd century BC. Statues and paintings in these caves date back to the
1st century BC. But the paintings and statues were repaired and repainted in
the 11th, 12th, and 18th century AD. The caves in the city provided refuge to King Valagamba (also called
Vattagamini Abhaya) in his 14 year long exile from the Anuradapura kingdom. Buddhist monks meditating
in the caves of Dambulla at that time provided the exiled king protection from
his enemies. When King Valagamba returned to the throne at Anuradapura kingdom
in the 1st century BC, he had a magnificent rock temple built at Dambulla in
gratitude to the monks in Dambulla.
At the Ibbankatuwa Prehistoric burial site near
Dhambulla, prehistoric (2700 years old) human skeletons were found on
scientific analysis to give evidence of civilisations in this area long before
the arrival of Buddhism
in Sri Lanka. Evidence of ancient people living on agriculture have
been detected in this area for over 2700 years according to archaeological
findings. (750 BC)
It was earlier known as Dhamballai. This
was ruled by Kings like Raja
Raja Chola, Rajendra
Chola, etc. during their tenure in the late 10th century and early
11th century.
Dambulla cave temple
It is the largest and best preserved cave temple complex
in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains.There are more
than 80 documented caves in the surrounding.
Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain statues and paintings. This paintings
and statues are related to Lord Buddha and his life. There
are a total of 153 Buddha
statues, 3 statues of Sri
Lankan kings and 4 statues of god and goddess. The latter 4 include
two statues of Hindu gods, Vishnu and Ganesh. The murals cover an area of
2,100 m². Depictions in the walls of the caves include Buddha's temptation by
demon Mara
and Buddha's
first sermon.