Dabulla Nature 0 Dabulla 12:29 AM <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Dabulla</span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IEVL9b_k4k4/TeH2OrYNrSI/AAAAAAAAAHE/csrbCfWSP9c/s1600/Dabulla+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IEVL9b_k4k4/TeH2OrYNrSI/AAAAAAAAAHE/csrbCfWSP9c/s320/Dabulla+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Dambulla</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">is a part of the Cultural Triangle declared by UNESCO is on the main road from Sigiriya to </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><st1:city><st1:place><span class="apple-style-span">Kandy</span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="apple-style-span"> about 19Km from <a href="http://www.srisarigama.blogspot.com/">Sigiriya</a>. There are over 80 caves in the surrounding and some of them have been used by the monks as meditation locations.Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain the statues and the paintings. Since it's founding in the 1 century BC by King Valagamba, many improvements and additions have been carried out to the sculptures and paintings over the years. Hindu statues are believed to be of the 12 century AD and the latest paintings are of the late 18-century. The temple is a perfect location to view evolution of the ancient Sri Lankan arts. <a href="http://www.srisarigama.blogspot.com/">Dambulla</a> is a unique and important historical site because of the amalgamation of the material from many eras.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="apple-style-span">Dambulla was designated a World Heritage site in 1991. The caves has a mixture of religious and secular painting and sculpture. There are several reclining Buddha's, including the 15m long sculpture of the dying Buddha in Cave 1. the frescoes on the walls and ceiling from the 15th-18th centuries; the ceiling frescoes show scenes from the Buddha's life and Sinhalese history. Cave 2 is the largest and most impressive, containing over 150 statues, illustrating the Mahayana influences on Buddhism at the time through introducing Hindu deities such a s Vishnu and Ganesh.</span><br /> <span class="apple-style-span">A new large white Buddha (similar to the ones in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span class="apple-style-span">Kandy</span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="apple-style-span"> and Mihintale) is planned for Dambulla. There is little evidence of monks who are housed in monasteries in the valley below where there is a monks' school.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"Dambulla The <st1:place><st1:placename>Golden</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Rock</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Temple</st1:placetype></st1:place>"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /> </span></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 15.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Rajamaha Temple of Rangiri Dambulla (<st1:place><st1:placename>Golden</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Rock</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Temple</st1:placetype></st1:place>) Located north of <st1:city><st1:place>Kandy</st1:place></st1:city> and considered by most to be the centre point of <a href="http://www.srisarigama.blogspot.com/">Sri Lanka</a>. Dambulla is a town built around a vast isolated rock mass and a <st1:place><st1:placename>World</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Heritage</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place>, declared by UNESCO.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 15.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The name Dambulla derives from Damba - Rock and Ulla - fountain. One sees the incessant drip of water from the fountain within the main image house.<br /> This complex of caves at Dambulla is one of the most impressive Buddhist Temples in the world. It was here that KingVattagamini Abhaya (Valagamba) took refuge in the 1st century BCE. He later turned the caves into a rock temple. Later kings made further improvements, including King Nissanka Malla who had the temple interior gilded, earning it the name of Ran Giri - Golden Rock.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hwt5nfiN7s8/TeH2NVDeaPI/AAAAAAAAAHA/1AB-sHqT4QI/s1600/3462389427_da2ff91b0e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hwt5nfiN7s8/TeH2NVDeaPI/AAAAAAAAAHA/1AB-sHqT4QI/s320/3462389427_da2ff91b0e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /> </b></span></div><div style="line-height: 15.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Dambulla Viharaya contains an abundance of valuable material from the very earliest times till the late eighteenth century, and shows the evolution of the Singhalese Buddhist art. Such vast material in one place, combined with a long history, is a rare find anywhere.<br /> The temples contain 153 Buddha images, 3 images of kings and 4 images of gods and goddesses. There are also 4 main monasteries and it was within this complex that the monks began the militant nationalist movement against the British in 1848.<span class="apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">History</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WySLjJ1I4yo/TeH2StkLbwI/AAAAAAAAAHI/FGRNRdd9BP8/s1600/dabulla_temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WySLjJ1I4yo/TeH2StkLbwI/AAAAAAAAAHI/FGRNRdd9BP8/s320/dabulla_temple.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="apple-style-span">Whilst the area is thought to be inhabited from as early as the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="text-decoration: none;">3BC</span>, it is said that during the first century BC King Vattagamini Abhaya (also known as Valangamba / Valagam Bahu), took refuge at Dumbulla whilst fleeing from an army that had driven him out of</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.srisarigama.blogspot.com/">Anuradhapura</a></span>. He later created a cave temple on the site.</span><span class="apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>In the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none;">5th century</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the stupa was built.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none;">12th century</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>saw statues of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Saman added to the complex.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>In<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none;">1848</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>a nationalist movement started at Dumbulla to oust the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none;">British</span>.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br /> <div style="line-height: 17.25pt; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Cave 4: Photography was banned for a time in recent history because a tourist sat on a Buddha statue to have her picture taken. You can see in this picture that this Buddha is more brightly painted than any other in this room. If you visit these sites, you must be respectful.The rule in the cave temples is that while you can take photos of the Buddhas, you cannot take photos of people. This prevents people from taking disrespectful photos of themselves or others with the Buddhas.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 17.25pt; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What follows is a slide show of some of the photos I took while climbing the stairs to the caves and inside all five caves. If you click on any picture, you will get a description of it. The <st1:place><st1:placename>Dambulla</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Cave</st1:placetype></st1:place></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b> temples are a magnificent artistic tribute to the Kandyan artists of the late 18th century, who brought the walls to vibrant life, especially in Maharaja Vihara or Cave 2, the largest of the cave temples. However, some of the surviving art goes back much earlier and has survived amazingly well.</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div> Dabulla Dabulla Dambulla is a part of the Cultural Triangle declared by UNESCO is on the main road from Si... Read more »
Dabulla
Dabulla