Dambulla Cave No. 3 (Maha Alut Vihara): King Kirti Sri Rajasinha murals and reclining Buddha?
What 18th-century Kandyan revival murals and massive carved stone Buddha statues distinguish the "Great New Temple" inside Dambulla?
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3 Answers from travellers
Cave No. 3 at Dambulla, known as Maha Alut Vihara (Great New Temple), was commissioned in the 18th century by King Kirti Sri Rajasinha during the Kandyan Buddhist cultural revival. The cave contains a monumental 9-meter reclining Buddha carved directly out of the granite rock shelf, alongside 50 standing and seated statues. The rock ceiling is completely blanketed in exquisite Kandyan-style tempera murals painted in rich vermilion reds and orpiment yellows, depicting Buddhist Jataka tales, the Thousand Buddhas, and a portrait of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha in ceremonial royal dress.
A masonry partition wall separating Cave 2 and Cave 3 was added during the Kandyan era to enclose the sacred shrine room from open rock verandas.
The natural granite ceiling dips low over the reclining Buddha’s feet; conservators use digital hygrometers to monitor relative humidity in this enclosed space.
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