Growing up in a Sri Lankan Buddhist family meant that, almost each school holiday, you got to go on family pilgrimages to Buddhist temples in different parts of the island. My childhood memories are filled with such long-winded yet delightful journeys; they were always looked forward to, because, well, who doesn’t love a road trip!
My father, with his deep interest in archaeology and Buddhism, would read up historical details of these temples, and tell us names of the kings who built this Buddha statue and that Buddhist stupa, and in which centuries. I believe that this practice instilled in me a love for history and an admiration for the artistic talents of my ancestors. It also made me understand how closely interrelated Sri Lanka’s past is with the history of Buddhism.
In this article, I traverse down memory lane and also take you through historical and, sometimes, literary, architectural and mythological detail related to Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. From the world-renowned Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa temples, to the relatively lesser known sacred locations of southern Mulgirigala and northern Nagadeepa temples, this article details several Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. And, let’s begin at the Dambulla Cave Temple.
Hello
Good blog