PIDURAGALA CAVE no. 1

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

No locally known name has been identified for an unspecified cave (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974, 1983: 114, 253) or rock-temple (FORBES 1840, 2: 12; 1841, 2: 12), which is used as an image house containing statues. SITUATION: Near the base or at the foot of the hill of Piduragala or Pedurugalla (note 1), which lies about a mile [1 or 2 km] to the north of Sigiriya (N07°57': E080°45'), above the modern temple and at a point, where a flight of steps made of rubble (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1983: 114) lead to the summit.CAVE DESCRIPTION 1840: The priest informed me that his cave-temple had been long in a state of ruin and choked up with rubbish; that its length is one hundred and twenty cubits [56 m], its breadth twelve cubits [5.6 m], and that two of the statues which it contained were cut from the solid rock. Near this temple are the ruins of a dagoba ; and thirty-six stone pillars point out the site of the assembly-hall of the priests (FORBES 1840, 2: 12; 1841, 2: 12). CAVE DESCRIPTION 11974: Th old image houses within a cave … have now been renovated. Above the drip ledge of this cave is an inscription [note 2 (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 251; 1983: 253). CULTURAL HISTORY: … copies of Nagara inscriptions which appear on the rock of Sigiri, and on the neighbouring hill … the rock-temple of Pedurugalla … (FORBES (1840, 2: 12; 1841, 2: 12). The caves at Piduragala are associated with the brief history of –>Sigiriya (Kasyapa ruled between 459 and 477 A.D.) and archaeological evidence indicates that they have been used by Buddhist anchorites in pre-Christian times (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 251; 1983: 253). old image houses within a cave … have now been renovated. Above the drip ledge of this cave is an inscription [note 2 (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 251; 1983: 253). CULTURAL HISTORY: … copies of Nagara inscriptions which appear on the rock of Sigiri, and on the neighbouring hill … the rock-temple of Pedurugalla … (FORBES (1840, 2: 12; 1841, 2: 12). The caves at Piduragala are associated with the brief history of –>Sigiriya (Kasyapa ruled between 459 and 477 A.D.) and archaeological evidence indicates that they have been used by Buddhist anchorites in pre-Christian times (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 251; 1983: 253).