Myella Kanda Ancient Cave Temple
Take the Moneragala-Siyambalanduwa highway. Turn off at Kodayana and go
up to Kotiyagala. Walk along a jungle track for six miles and you reach two
large caves on the slope of a mountain called Myella kanda.
This huge cave shrine has a recumbent Buddha image made of brick and clay.
Its head, chest and lower section have been damaged by treasure hunters,
but the parts that are intact indicate that it is a pure white statue with
flowing robes. It is typical of the Anuradhapura period statues.
The ceiling of this cave is completely covered with a series of paintings
centring on the recumbent Buddha statue. Among the paintings are exquisite
designs, some very uncommon compared with early paintings like Sigiriya.
Then there are the female figures similar to the Apsaras at Sigiriya and
Vessagriya.
Looking for material for a publication on Sinhala Buddhist art, renowned
photographer Gamini Jayasinghe and a keen student of archaeology Dharmasena
Rassapana accompanied by well-known artist Kusana Manjusri did the trek to
the Myella caves and found the place fascinating. They also found a cave
with visuals of prehistoric or Veddah rock art. "One was a sketch of
a figure riding an elephant. It looked like a primitive form of art done
with the finger immersed in clay or ash in white," author Rassapana
explained.
Elephants figure prominently in these cave paintings. "We noticed
four distinct features in them. One elephant is engaged in water sports,
another is carrying a lotus in its trunk. A third gives the impression it
is ready to run. Lastly the frontal view of a moving elephant is shown. In
the middle of an intricate ceiling design, there is also an elephant within
a circle with its tail bent."
Sunday Times - May 09, 2004
Created : May 23, 2010
Updated :
May 23, 2010
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