The new construction at Dambulla Rock.
Heritage, natural, cultural or constructed is inherited by us from our ancestors and we should feel obligated to pass them on to future generations, carefully preserved in a way that everyone can enjoy their original beauty.
Lanka is blessed with an interesting ancient culture, but are we doing enough to both protect and share it with all. Relative to it's size, the UN has recognized more heritage sites in Lanka than in India and most nations in the World.
Since returning to Lanka few months ago I have taken opportunities to travel to places I have not visited for many years. Few weeks ago I joined the Archaeological Society of Sri Lanka on their annual trip which this year was to Ritigala and Dambulla. On the first day we visiting the very interesting ruins at Ritigala about which I had known very little. We arrived at Dambulla that evening to stay overnight at a Vihara. When we drove into the complex I wondered why someone had built a Mahayana Temple at Dambulla. I was shocked to hear that it was at the base of the historic rock.
The huge golden statue was clearly foreign and was out of place. Below the statue was a museum and Cybercafe. The Cybercafe had closed early that evening due to the lack of patronage, probably because it cost Rs5/- per min. It clearly catered only for the foreign tourist rather than the local community who could have benefited by the Internet access.
On the side there was an entrance with a fake rock surface which looked like what you would find at the House of Horror at any carnival. It was the entrance flight of step up the rock. I can just see the tourists on a rushed trip around the island being shown this new Statue and thinking they had visited Dambulla. Ignorant of the glorious temples and paintings on the top of the rock which takes more time and effort to visit.
It reminded me of a Lankan Hotelier in Australia explain to me how Japanese tourists are shown the Southern Cross. They are taken out in the evening and shown any 4 bright stars toward the south which form a cross. As an astronomer, I offered to help him show the proper Southern Cross, but told him that at some times of the year they would need to wake up early morning before sunrise. Ignorance is bliss I was told; that information was not useful. The Japanese tourists expected to see the Southern Cross in the evening after sunset and any tour guide should know better than to disappoint them.
Next day we first toured the very nice Archaeological museum outside the temple. It chronologically traced the history of Lankan paintings from ancient pre=history to the modern era. We then toured ruins around the Somawathie Chaitya at the base of the rock which were being archaeologically restored. Hardly visited by most who visit Dambulla I was glad to have joined this trip and be guided to the numerous caves that had been used for meditation. It was a great step back in time which was to be later followed by visit to even more ancient pre-Vijaya megalithic burial mounds at Ibbankatuwa.
I was glad to find that part of the original climb up to the Dambulla rock had still been preserved next to the Archaeological museum, I remembered glorious feeling of climbing up that bare rock about 20 years ago, with nothing but the Forrest and rillow around you, Now the natural beauty was broken by a huge painted concrete statue. I say that with no disrespect. A Buddha statue needs to be artistically made to give that feeling of peace when you are near it. I did not meet anyone on the trip who had a positive impression on this huge statue. Many of the knowledgeable pointed out the basic errors of even the posture of the hands. All of the Buddhist to whom I showed these pictures had the same reaction and most of them didn't even know that such a destruction of a heritage site had happened at Dambulla.
Should our heritage sites be for sale to any rich foreign nation who wish to build their culture at Lankan sites. How are the temple authorities motivated to allow it. I was told that construction at Dambulla is contracted at Rs20,000/- per square foot. It clearly seemed the well known process of over valued foreign aid.
Restoration of Buddhist sites is a controversial issue. For some of us who marvel at the structures as they were built and survived the many centuries of wind and rain, is itself the beauty. Many see the need to rebuild the sites as places or worship to their former glory. Ruwanvalisaya is one such clear example. Early Photographs taken in the late 19th century show the former glory, now buried under concrete. More recent restorations such as at Jetavanaramya tries to arrest the decay while preserving the glory of the ancient site.
What has been done in Dambulla is neither. Other than an attempt to get some entry in the Guinness book of records as the largest whatever it have neither preserved or rebuilt the heritage of Dambulla. It just reflects ignorance and cheap tourist taste. Another outrageous construction over the Aukana Buddha statue in the 1980's has recently been removed by the experts who realized that on the long term it could hurt more than protect the statue. It will not be that easy to restore the sanctity at Dambulla.