My Missing Countries/ Sites List

Complete List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Missing and Received can be seen HERE

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Sri Lanka - 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.” 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage

Dambullah Cave Temple is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains.There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include Vishnu and the Ganesha. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square metres (23,000 sq ft). Depictions on the walls of the caves include the temptation by the demon Mara, and Buddha's first sermon.
Prehistoric Sri Lankans would have lived in these cave complexes before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka as there are burial sites with human skeletons about 2700 years old in this area, at Ibbankatuwa near the Dambulla cave complexes.

Three beautiful stamps used for postage are as below:-
  • Right most stamp - issued in 2016 at the eve of "World and Sri Lanka Cub Scouts Centenary 1916-2016". 
  • Center Stamp - a part of a set of 10 stamps issued on Solar System in 2014 and shows the Sun
  • Left most stamp - The Greater Flamingos stamp on the left side is a part of 4-stamp set issued by Sri Lanka on World Wetland Day and the birds are shown in Chundikulam National Park.
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