Dhowa rock temple
Dhowa rock Temple is one of the heritage sites in Sri Lanka, situated in central mountain of Uva province. Dhowa is small ancient village which is situated on Badulla, Bandarawela main road. This Temple is situated 210 km east of Colombo and 120 km south of Kandy.[1]
The Dowa rock temple could be considered as a Mahayana Sculpture with a huge unfinished Buddha image carved into the rock face. The temple dates back to Before Christ times.[2][3] It has been built safely inside a ring of mountains. A beautiful river is flown across the plateau. Hence, the area had earned the name, Dowa.
History
It is believed, the temple bears a history dating back to about 2,000 years.In the olden days the Dowa Temple was known as the Kumbaltissa Ariyagala Vehera. It had been named after its Chief Priest who had served as a sanctuary for King Walagamba and thus he turned the cave into a temple.[4]
The work of the temple had not been completed during the reign of King Walagamba.But the work had been fully completed during the Kandyan Kingdom.
Attraction
The 38 ft rock carved Buddha statue and the ornamental gateway are the main attractions of the temple. The statue is in the state of ruins due to fasy decaying.
Folk tales hold that the half finished Buddha statue was carved by king Walagamba himself while hiding in this caves due to foreign invasions. The king is said to have left the area before he could finish carving the statue; thus leaving it half finished.
Paintings
The paintings of the shrine room had been decorated with the influence of the Kandyan era. These paintings depict various Jathaka stories. The canopy of the rock is decked with paintings of lotus and various other flowers. And Also among these paintings the Ath-Gon Satana (battle between a tusker and a bull) is featured. The priority had been given to the cobra image in the structure of the temple. The cobra had been featured in the paintings as well as on the jug used for serving water to Buddha.