Dambulla Cave Temple
The Rock Temple of Dambulla, called Jumbukola Vihara (Dambulla Cave Temple) in the Mahavamsa, the principal Pali Chronicle of Sri Lanka, is situated about forty-seven miles northwest of Kandy, the last capital of the Sinhalese kings, on the main road to Anuradhapura.
The shortest route from Colombo to Dambulla lies via Kurunegala, one of the capitals of the medieval Sinhalese kings. Another rock temple of equal fame, Aluvihare, where, according to tradition, the Buddhist scriptures were first committed to writing around the first century B.C., is located about twenty-six miles south on the Kandy-Dambulla road. The famous fortress of Sigiriya, with its beautiful frescoes, rises aloft like a gigantic cylinder at a distance of about twelve miles to the northeast of Dambulla. Dambulla is of unique interest. Its rock temples are the most extensive on the island, and one of the most ancient, in the highest state of preservation and order. Dambulu-gala (the rock of Dambulla), where these temples are situated, is almost insulated and of vast size. Its perpendicular height above the plain is about six hundred feet. Very few parts of it are covered with wood, and its surface is generally bare and black.
History
The caves of Dambulla, like the Mihintale caves, were occupied by Buddhist hermits in very early times. The antiquity of this place has been authenticated by the presence of pre-Christian inscriptions in Brahmi characters immediately below the drip-ledge of the central cave. One of these inscriptions records: "Damarakita teraha lene agata anagata catu disa sagas dine. Gamani abaya rajiyahi karite" (The cave of the Elder Damarakita, given to the Community of the four quarters, present or future. In the reign of Gamani Adhaya.) The shape of the letters in all the short inscriptions in Brahmi form at Dambulla is distinctly from the first century B.C. At that time, there was only one king known as Abhaya, also known as Vattagamani Abhaya (89-77 B.C.). This leaves no doubt that the king Abhaya referred to in the inscription is Vattagamani Abhaya. Dambulla became a popular place of residence for Buddhist monks at least from the reign of this king. Vattagamani Abhaya is one of the few kings of ancient Sri Lanka whose name and fame are not dependent on written records. He is credited by the common people with the numerous caves with drip-ledges that were abodes of Buddhist monks in ancient times. As we have seen, one or two of these caves, like Dambulla, bear inscriptions with the royal name attributed to him.
According to tradition, Vattagamani Abhaya, who fled from his kingdom, Anuradhapura, when it was invaded by South Indians, was helped by the monks residing in caves like Dambulla. The Mahavamsa records that the Buddhist scriptures were first committed to writing by Buddhist monks at Aluvihara during the reign of this king. This provides substantial evidence that great caves like Dambulla and Aluvihare in the central part of the island were residences of Buddhist monks during this early period and were also patronized by the kings of Anuradhapura.
Tradition also holds that the five seated Buddha images, including the principal one in Cave No. 4 of the Dambulla temple, were carved from natural rock during the reign of Vattagamani Abhaya. It is also believed that some of the images in Cave No. 4 were made during his reign.
