Dambulla, Sri Lanka

After breakfast, we hopped on the buses for a 30 minute commute to the Dambulla Cave Temples, a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site. These beautifully constructed caves date back to the 3rd century B.C. We saw 5 caves that were converted into cave temples housing 153 Buddhist statues. Cave 1 has a large recumbent Buddha. Cave 2 has painted ceilings and many Buddhas and a water pot with an unknown water source of continuous dripping water. The nimbus on the forehead of many Buddha’s is a symbol of enlightenment. Cave 3 has a dragon arch above the Buddha in the center of cave. All of the paintings on the ceiling are Buddhas. Caves 4 and 5 are not original….they were added later. This is a UNESCO World heritage site.   Our guide this morning is Denver. The Sri Lankan workers at the hotel and on our tours are very attentive and friendly. It appears that there still remains that bit of British influence. One of the guards at the temple saw me having trouble tying my sarong so he rushed over and dressed me properly to enter the temples. Very sweet. The Blue water lily is the national flower of Sri lanka This afternoon we rode by bus for 30 minutes to visit the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, a wonder of ancient engineering. I climbed about 1/3 of the way up, but Jim did the entire 1200 steps to the top. He said it was a very treacherous climb with narrow uneven stone steps, but the view from the top was amazing. We had an unbelievable evening! The local dancers and musicians did a fantastic performance that lasted for almost 45 minutes. Hoping my video’s reflect what a great performance it was. They are very proud of their traditions and love to have an opportunity to share them. Then we had a fabulous grand buffet along with music by a local rock band. They were very good and had everyone up on their feet dancing. The food here in Sri Lanka has been absolutely delicious. Then we joined Bruno and Judy on the patio by the pool. Judy and I enjoyed our wine while the boys smoked cigars and popped open Jim’s bottle of Bourbon to wind down the evening. We will all sleep well tonight! Heritance Kandalama Golden Temple of Dambulla A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, this cave monastery, with its five sanctuaries, is the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist mural paintings (covering an area of 2,100 m2 ) are of particular importance, as are the 157 statues.  Located at an elevation of 1118 feet from the sea level rises a massive rock from the surrounding plains of Dambulla of 600 feet high and over 2000 feet in length. It is home to the Worlds most acclaimed Cave complex of magnificent Buddha Images and Rock Paintings of vivid colours and shapes constructed and painted from around 2nd Century BC (Anuradhapura era ) and continued up to the Kandyan era of the 18th Century. Sinhalese people call it ‘ Dambulu Gala’ ( Dambulla Rock) and the Temple is called as the ‘ Rangiri Dambulu Viharaya’ (Golden Rock Dambulla Temple). Ancient City of Sigiriya The ruins of the capital built by the parricidal King Kassapa I (477–95) lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some 180m high (the ‘Lion’s Rock’, which dominates the jungle from all sides). A series of galleries and staircases constructed of bricks, plaster and metal provide access to the site. Sigiriya rock plateau, formed from magma of an extinct volcano, is 200 meters higher than the surrounding jungles. The fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains. The moat around the site was originally filled with alligators. Since 3th century BC the rocky plateau of Sigiriya served as a monastery. In the second half of the 5th century king Kasyapa decided to construct a royal residence here. After his death Sigiriya again became a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century, when it was abandoned.  The main entrance is located in the northern side of the rock. The western wall of Sigiriya was almost entirely covered by frescoes, created during the reign of Kasyapa.  Eighteen frescoes have survived to this day.  The frescoes are depicting nude females and are considered to be either the portraits of Kasyapa’s wives and concubines or priestess performing religious rituals. One of the most striking features of Sigiriya is its Mirror wall. In the old days it was polished so thoroughly that the king could see his reflection in it. The Mirror wall is painted with inscriptions and poems written by the visitors of Sigiriya. The most ancient inscriptions are dated from the 8th century.  Sigiriya has water gardens, cave and boulder gardens, and also terraced gardens.   The palace and fortress complex is recognized as one of the finest examples of ancient urban planning. Considering the uniqueness of Sigiriya UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site in 1982.