Degaldoruwa is just
a few miles away from Kandy close to Kundasale. This is considered as a Cave
Temple with Kandyan era Paintings and Architecture.The Degaldoruwa Temple was
built in 1771 AD by King Rajadi Rajasinha and was initiated during the reign of
his elder brother King Kirti Sri Rajasinha [1747-1782 AD].
The temple had been
built at a place where two rocks were touching each other from above and
below.The rock mass has a height of about 40 feet. A Cave had been made by
breaking the rocks large enough to accomodate the Shrine Room of the Buddha and
an area leading to the Shrine Room.Degaldoruwa
paintings were started by King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe, the king had died before
they were completed. It was during the reign of his younger brother, King
Rajadhi Rajasinghe, who succeeded him, that they were completed. After the work
was done, the king had handed it over to Moratota Dhammarakhkhita Nayaka Thera,
who was his teacher.
The paintings at the
temple were the work of four painters.Among them, Devendra Mulachari is
regarded as the leader. Devaragampola Silvattenne Unnanase was the best known
out of them .Hiriyale Naide and Nilagama Patabendi are the other two painters.
Four Jathaka stories
are seen in the ‘budu-ge’,Vessantara Jataka, Sattubhatta Jataka, Sutasoma
Jataka and Mahaseelava Jataka are the four stories of the Bodhisatva which are
depicted at Degaldoruwa .
Apart from the Jathaka
stories, the life of the Buddha is also painted.In the Shrine Room ceiling,
which is a rock surface, is also painted the scene of the Lord Buddha and the
Mara and his forces. There is also a painting of Mahi Kantawa or the Earth
Godess on the ceiling.
There is a Bo tree
and a Stupa at a terrace above the summit of Rock Temple and a path with carved
steps on the rock from the lower terrace and then an ascend of a pathway
leading to Bo Tree and Stupa area.
