Dambulla
If you wish to retire to a comfortable natural
surroundings, blend with nature yet experience
the inspiring excursions to places of archaeological,
cultural or wildlife interest then look no further
than Dambulla. Located 147 kilometers from Colombo
it is a destination that could be reached 5
hours by train or 3 to 4 hours by private bus
or hired transport. The drive in through the
wild protected forest areas is sure to be the
best of experiences you will et when traveling
to this new town. Tropical jungles, calm waters
and the rocky mountain countryside of Kandalama,
offers the eco-friendly visitor absolute luxury.
The usual objective is to witness the famous
elevated cave temple with its frescoes and sculpture
galore, not to mention the incredible view of
the countryside.
Around a century ago, Dambulla was a mere collection
of wattle-and-daub huts and ‘native shops’
that extended for no more than 200 metres. True,
it was the location of a spacious and comfortable
rest-house, but that was about all the place
had to offer the 19th century tourist, except,
of course, the experience of a visit to the
famous cave temple on the massive rock that
provided the backdrop to the village. In addition,
the rest-house was sometimes used as a night
stopover before an early morning excursion to
the nearby rock of Sigiriya the eighth wonder
of the world.
Today, Dambulla is an extensive and modern market
town, a commercial hub of Sri Lanka’s
North Central Province, with one of the country’s
newest international cricket stadium, and eco
resort which lures many tourists and fans of
the sport periodically.
Like Sigiriya, Dambulla is a vast isolated rock
mass, which houses a rock temple (formerly caves).
Some of its frescoes are over 2,000 years old
– and there is a colossal figure of the
recumbent Buddha caved out of the rock, some
14 metres long. There
is a climb to the caves that sit atop a hillside,
and stunning views spread out over the Sri Lankan
countryside.
There is no doubt that the view from Dambulla
is one of the very best in the island. The series
of five caves comprising the Raja Maha Vihara
which could be reached by climbing up a huge
whale hump of rock above the town. At the entrance
to the first cave, the Deva Raja Vihara in which
you will find the 16 meter reclining statue
of Buddha, and a Makara Torana with mythical
figures. It is imperative to state that all
caves are full of Buddha images in a various
positions and magnificent frescoes depicting
from the life of Buddha and historical events
from the in Sinhalese history. The second cave
that consists of large images of the Hindu Gods
is the Maha Raja Vihara, where the ceiling is
covered with colourful murals. The significance
of this cave is the fissure from where the water
from the pool at the foot of the cave which
has never dried up and this water is considered
very sacred. The fourth cave, the largest and
the most remarkable of the caves dates back
to the 2nd century to the times of King Valagampa,
who as history says took refuge in these caves
from invader had turned them in to temples later.
Dambulla is a small market town that is the
location of undoubtedly the most impressive
of all the many cave temples in Sri Lanka. You
can see the marvellous silhouette of Sigiriya
also from this vantage. Monkeys run wild around
the caves, screeching to one another and perching
precariously on ledges and tree tops gazing
out at the view. While the surrounding
area - in particular Kandalama - has seen the
emergence of expansive new hotels promoting
eco tourism and nature adventures, Dambulla
still relies heavily on its small but evergreen
rest-house. The richly painted cave temples
which have now been designated as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site continue to attract a multitude
of travelers and pilgrims alike while the landscape
of scrub jungle plains and distant blue-hued
hills remains as breathtaking as it did to early
tourists.
The local produce - market has now moved into
the most central place - Dambulla, with the
government encouraged new business entrepreneurs
thus has constructed the building to facilitate
activities of the Economic Centre. Not only
the local produce, but also a sizeable proportion
of the up country vegetable market has moved
in here
Therefore, Dambulla has become a attractive
place not only for devotees and businessmen
but also for tourists and sportsmen and is expected
to grow in the near future. It is a place to
rediscover the pleasure in harmony with nature,
to rediscover the cool of crisp, clean air,
unpolluted and cool while you laze in the shining
sun of Dambulla.
