Idée #370 – Visiting the Golden Temple of Dambulla in Sri Lanka
The city of Dambulla is built around a wide granite rock which contains an important complex of caves, Raja Maha Vihara, dating Ier century. Dambulla finds its origin in the leak of râja Vattagamani Abhaya, dethroned by Anurâdhapura in 104 BC by Tamils, which finds refuge near caves and settles a new city there. Restored on its throne, It creates an important complex rupestral member of a religious order there.
The site of the Golden temple, the most important and the best protected from the complexes of caves of Sri Lanka, consists about eighty caves, five sanctuaries, and four main monasteries there. The rupestral temple contains 157 statues, 153 images of the Buddha, 3 royal images and 4 images of divinities. Murals, recovering 2 100 square meters, represent, among others Buddha’s temptation by the devil Mara and his first sermon. We find also statues of the Indian divinities Vishnou and Saman there. The site is registered on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Golden Temple, Dambulla, Sri Lanka
