Everywhere a Buddha

Next stop was dusty Dambulla. None of these little northern towns have all that much going for them other than an intersection with a clock tower and some commercial streets. Most streets offer the same collection of stores, and the stores the same selection of products and services. It all feels comfortingly familiar, or maddeningly identical.

Dambulla offered convenient access to two places of interest: the Cave Temples and Sigiriya, a ruined palace complex perched on top of a giant honking rock.


The caves, which are reachable via a mostly vertical hike, are part natural, part carved out of a rocky overhang where some important figure ( let’s say, a king) had to hide out because of some invaders, and being saved by this lucky hide out, wanted to do something for the Buddha in gratitude. Hence, he dedicated the place as a Temple, and it has been accumulating Buddhas every since. There are now about four large caverns filled with Buddhas in different poses, shapes and sizes. There are Buddhas painted on the ceiling, Buddhas standing in long rows, big Buddhas reclining and giving you the lazy eye. It is a Holy Place, and people offer flowers and prayers ( how they chose which one to offer to, I can’t guess). I’d read that the Buddha had requested that people not make images of his person to worship, but clearly you cannot get everything you want ( you should try not to want anything at all, in fact).



Sigiriya, as yet unconquered.

After seeing many, many Buddhas we took the bus ( packed cheek to jowl as always) to Sigiriya. On the hike up, there’s a rock overhang that protects some very old frescoes of some very topless ladies. The literature assures us that these were high class court ladies, which may be true, supposing that all high class court ladies were stacked like Sports Illustrated models (will share video soon). Moving on, you climb past some really cool, very fortressy huge stone claws at the the base of the main rock. Not much of the palace that was on top remains, but the view is stunning. Nothing for miles but soft green tree tops.