Dambulu Somavathi complex

Dambulu Somavathi complex Dambulu Somavathi complex Dambulu Somavathi complex

The site is situated somewhat behind its more famous Dambulla Rangiri Raja Maha Viharaya, adjoining the Sri Valagamba Pirivena and is relatively unknown to the usual pilgrim and tourist to Dambulla.

Here the Somawathi Chaithiya dedicated to the queen of King Valagamba is still in the process of being rebuilt. Its vast brick mass looms incomplete up towards the blue skies. Around it is displayed an ancient ‘Siri Pathula’ stone and some stone alter slabs.

What is interesting here is that the old path to the Dambulla cave temple lies from this site. Called the ‘Raja Mawatha,’ it includes a flight of carved stone steps on the rock. On this rock are cut steps, trekked by the royals of yore, to worship at the Dambulla cave shrines above. Short records have been found cut into the sides of these rock steps. Some of these are by ancient kings. One such record that has been deciphered records that the ‘Lord of men, King Kutakanna Abhaya (41-19 BC) was responsible for making thirteen steps of the flight.

Dambulu Somavathi complex Dambulu Somavathi complex Dambulu Somavathi complex

About Central Province

The Central Province of Sri Lanka consists primarily of mountainous terrain. The province has an area of 5,674 km², and a population of 2,421,148. Some major towns include Kandy, Gampola (24,730), Nuwara Eliya and Bandarawela. The population is a mixture of Sinhalese, Tamil and the Moors.

Both the hill capital Kandy and the city of Nuwara Eliya are located within the Central Province as well as Sri Pada. The province produces much of the famous Ceylon tea, planted by the British in the 1860s after a devastating disease killed all the coffee plantations in the province. Central Province attracts many tourists, with hill station towns such as Kandy, Gampola, Hatton and Nuwara Eliya. Temple tooth or Dalada maligawa is the main sacred place in Centrel province.

The climate is cool, and many areas about 1500 meters often have chilly nights. The western slopes are very wet, some places having almost 7000 mm of rain per year. The eastern slopes are parts of the mid-dry zone as it is receiving rain only from North-Eastern monsoon. The Temperatures range from 24°C at Kandy to just 16°C in Nuwara Eliya, which is located 1,889 m above sea level. The highest mountains in Sri Lanka are located in the Central Province. The terrain is mostly mountainous, with deep valleys cutting into it. The two main mountain regions are the central massif and the Knuckles range to the east of Kandy.

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