CONVERGENCE SEPT-OCT 2017

Special Feature
Golden Temple of Dambulla
A UNESCO World Heritage site, this cave monastery has five sanctuaries, 157 statues
and happens to be the largest best-preserved cave-temple complex in the country.
A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, each route leading to the temple are long
granite steps and as such if you're visiting the temple, it is best to visit and climb
the temple either in the morning or in the evening.
Inside the ceilings of the caves there are colourful religious images as well as those
of various gods and goddesses. There are images of the Lord Buddha and
bodhisattvas. The caves are built at the base of a 150 metre-high rock during the
Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa era.
Buddhist stupas within the caves
Golden Temple of Dambulla
A cistern at Sigiriya
Steps leading up the fortress
Ancient drawings
within the cave
Sigiriya
Some may look at it from afar and
wonder what is the big deal about this
huge rock located within a jungle? It's
common to think that way but did you
know that this rock once served as a
fortress during the Anuradhapura era
and included caved temples, bathing
pools and ponds? It also served as a
hermitage for Buddhist monks during
earlier times and known for its ancient
paintings (frescoes) exhibiting a uniquely
Sri Lankan style.
As for the rock itself, it is a lava plug left
over from an ancient long extinct
volcano. One of Asia's most important
archaeological site, Sigiriya can be
accessed through a series of galleries
and staircases emerging from the mouth
of a gigantic lion. The fortress was
designated as a UNESCO World
Heritage site in 1982 and today, its
remains include the extensive network
of gardens, reservoirs and other
structures. If you wish to learn more
about Sigiriya, don't forget the museum
located outside the main entrance.
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