Lazy me instead of making a daytrip to Polonnaruwa, I cross over to the temple opposite by guesthouse, The Golden temple. With the huge Buddha demonstrating the dharmachakra mudra, I’m fascinated by the exterior. There is a nearby Buddhist broadcasting station and a bookstore in the temple. That’s not all, the cave temples on top of the golden temples is enthralling. It reminds me of Ajanta cave in India except the wall murals and the statues are all in color.
Asisa (bestow blessing) instead of varada (also bestow blessing) mudra is very popularly used in the Buddha statues. All are in standing position which makes it interesting, looks as if Buddha is revealing his right hand sideways, concealing something with the other hand holding his robe. I bumped into Prue when she is about to leave the caves, how coincidental! Well, I’ve been reading a lot about the Caves so I thought maybe I can get to use my new found knowledge and explain to them the wall murals in cave 2 that I really like, which depicts the Buddha enlightenment under the Bodhi tree confronted by Mara.
I met Emma on my way back from the temple, I met her during my trip in Sigiriya, even though we are supposed to meet for dinner but it’s late and I want to take more rest before I venture to another ancient city tomorrow morning, Polonnaruwa.
Know more about Dambulla
Food
Vegetable noodles - The vegetables are fresh and the gravy on the noodles is delicious!
I’m intrigued by the Buddha statues carved on the rocks, but why are they all in dyhna (meditation) mudra where the bhumispara (earth-witness) mudra is always the popular one. I figure the cave used to be the dwellings of monks meditating perhaps that’s why they have that mudra.
The cave 2, temple of the great kings to me is the most amazing among all. The wall murals of Buddha life stories are magnificent especially the depiction of the Buddha great enlightenment except I’ve a question why the buddha’s palm is face outward in the earth witness mudra and why are the palm colored in red with funky graphic patterns? If someone has the answer, please email me. 
Asisa (bestow blessing) instead of varada (also bestow blessing) mudra is very popularly used in the Buddha statues. All are in standing position which makes it interesting, looks as if Buddha is revealing his right hand sideways, concealing something with the other hand holding his robe. I bumped into Prue when she is about to leave the caves, how coincidental! Well, I’ve been reading a lot about the Caves so I thought maybe I can get to use my new found knowledge and explain to them the wall murals in cave 2 that I really like, which depicts the Buddha enlightenment under the Bodhi tree confronted by Mara.
I met Emma on my way back from the temple, I met her during my trip in Sigiriya, even though we are supposed to meet for dinner but it’s late and I want to take more rest before I venture to another ancient city tomorrow morning, Polonnaruwa.
Know more about Dambulla
Food
Vegetable noodles - The vegetables are fresh and the gravy on the noodles is delicious!
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