Dambulla Cave Temple Cave 1 (Devaraja Vihara): 14-meter reclining Buddha and Ananda statue?
What architectural scale and gilded stucco craftsmanship define the monumental reclining Buddha inside Cave 1 (Temple of the King of Gods) at Dambulla?
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3 Answers from travellers
Cave No. 1 at Dambulla, known as Devaraja Vihara (Temple of the King of Gods), is the first major shrine encountered upon entering the upper cave terrace. The sanctuary is dominated by a monumental 14-meter (46-foot) reclining Buddha carved directly from the living gneiss rock face, depicting the master entering Parinirvana. The entire sculpture is coated in finely polished white lime plaster and painted robes touched with gold leaf. At the feet of the reclining Buddha stands a carved stone statue of his devoted disciple Ananda, while at the head stands a statue of the deity Vishnu.
The rock ceiling above the reclining statue displays remnants of ancient orange and red tempera murals that were repainted during later Kandyan restorations.
Visitors must remove footwear at the courtyard boundary before stepping into the cool, shaded stone veranda fronting Cave 1.
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