ALUVIHARA

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A Buddhist rock monastery (LONELY PLANET, Sri Lanka 2003: 222) centered on several so-called caves or cave shelters consisting of modified natural rock shelters between and beneath gneiss boulders, which have disintegrated in situ but nobody can object that it is much more imaginative to consider them fallen from the mountains high above the valley. ETYMOLOGY: Legend has it that a giant used three of the fallen rocks as a base for his cooking pot. The name Aluvihara / Aluwihara (ash temple / ash monastery) refers to the ashes of the cooking fire. So far, I found the name transcribed, called, spelled or edited as Aloo Wihara TENNENT (1859, 1860 vol. 1: 376), Aloolenne FORBES (1840, 1841 vol. 2: 282), Alu Vihare KUSCH (1973c: 22), Alu-wihara TENNENT (1859, 1860 vol. 1: 489), Aluvihara LONELY PLANET (2003: 222), lankalibrary.com (accessed 17.11.2003) Aluvihare BERGER (1992/93: 284-285); nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) Aluwihara LECLERCQ (1898a, 1998b) Aluwihare nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) Aluwihari CAVE (1901, 1902). SITUATION: At a travelling distance of 3 km north of Matale (note 1) and at an extremely picturesque setting (LONELY PLANET, Sri Lanka 2003: 222) beside the road A9 from Kandy (N07°17'47”: E080°38'06” WGS84) past –>Dambulla (N07°51'36”: E080°39'06” WGS84) to Jaffna (N09°40': E080°00'). BERGER (1992/93): Dieser buddhistische Felsentempel liegt 3 km weiter nördlich von Matale zur Linken [sic! qua: westlich] der Hauptstrasse. Er ist von einer mit Elefantenfiguren besetzten Mauer zur Strasse abgeschirmt. Man steigt über 50 Stufen zu dem Fuß eines urigen Felsmassivs empor.LEQULERQ (1998b) confirms that Aluwihara (dans un pays de nombreuses cavernes) lies au sud de Dambulla. CAVE DESCRIPTIONS: TENNENT (1859, 4th revised edition 1860, 1.IV.vii: 489): … in Ceylon the earliest rock temples were merely hollows beneath overhanging rocks, like those still existing at Dambool, and the Aluwihara at Matelle, in both of which advantage hasbeen taken of the accidental shelter of rounded boulders, and an entrance constructed by applying a façade of masonry, devoid of all pretensions to ornament. BERGER (1992/93): In dem ausgesparten Höhlengewölbe, das mit Fresken bemalt ist, finden Sie Statuen Gautama Buddhas … LEQULERQ (1998b): Au sud de Dambulla un autre temple souterrain, celui d'Aluwihara (dans un pays de nombreuses cavernes) est plutôt une série de crevasses, avec de naïves peintures, dans escaliers dans le roc, et des cellules naturelles pour le prêtres; il n#y a rien non plus d'artificiel. LONELY PLANET, Sri Lanka (2003: 222): Ancient drip ledges [note 2] line the rocks above the frescoed caves, while bats rustle in sheltered corners of the rocks. lankalibrary.com (accessed 17.11.2003): A mass of rock boulders harbouring cave shelters … There is a first cave about 25 feet long and 10 feet high … On its apex is written in bold Sinhala letters … The rock cave shelter harbours an Image House [note 3]. Its entranc doorway, overhead is surmounted with the typical Makara Thoranay motif flanked by janitors. There are also seated standing and recumbent Buddha statues of terra-cota, while the murals are adorned with paintings of Jataka stories. The cave ceilings are studded with fascinating paintings of lotus flowers in full bloom - all dating back to the Kandyan period of time. Next comes a spiral stone staircase that terminates on its summit where the sacred Bodhiya stands cloistering an image house in this rock cave shelter. The third cave is met amidst a conclave of rock boulders where is sheltered another rock cave where the Tripitakayas were written on ola leaves by the ancient Buddhist monks. CULTURAL HISTORY - rock art: LECLERCQ (1898) recorded cave paintings and engravings: … celui d'Aluwihara (dans un pays de nombreuses cavernes) est plutôt une série de crevasses, avec de naïves peintures, des ascaliers dans le roc, et des cellules naturelles pour les prêres; il n'y a rien non plus d$$artificiel. FORBES (1840, 1841 vol. 2: 281-282) translates rock inscription 21 into Walagambahoo 1st … discovered many caves and situations eligible for the formation of rock- temples, where he afterwards built wihares. He brought together five hundred of the principal and most learned priests, at a cave in Matale called Aloolenne, and, for the first time had the tenets of Budhism reduced to writing, which occurred in the 217th year, 10th month, and 10th day, after they were promulgated orally by Mihindoo. He succeeded at length in raising an army in the Maayaa division of the island, and vanquished the usurpers of his throne. He restored the former religious edifices, and built Abhaayagiri daagoba, one hundred and eighty cubits high, at Anooraadhapoora [Anuradhapura]. To commemorate the recovery of his Queen from captivity, he erected a daagoba one hundred and forty cubits high, and called it after her, Soowana-raamaya daagoba; the Damboolla [–>Dambulla] wihare, and other wihares. KSCH (1973c: 22-23) considers the Alu Vihare temple cave to be a Höhlentempel (cave temple) and mentions not very good restored frescoes on the walls in addition to a large statue of Buddha and several small, in cases new statues. CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: The rock shelters have been used by Buddhist monks as troglodyte hermitage retreats or mediation cells (note 4) and serve, in parts, as profitable temple caves (note 5), which exploit cheap fears (note 6) and establish a sacred corporate identity that invokes ancient (note 7) and up to date celebrities, including such as His Royal Highness Crown Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia and the late Premier Srimavo Dias Bandaranaike.$artificiel. FORBES (1840, 1841 vol. 2: 281-282) translates rock inscription 21 into Walagambahoo 1st … discovered many caves and situations eligible for the formation of rock- temples, where he afterwards built wihares. He brought together five hundred of the principal and most learned priests, at a cave in Matale called Aloolenne, and, for the first time had the tenets of Budhism reduced to writing, which occurred in the 217th year, 10th month, and 10th day, after they were promulgated orally by Mihindoo. He succeeded at length in raising an army in the Maayaa division of the island, and vanquished the usurpers of his throne. He restored the former religious edifices, and built Abhaayagiri daagoba, one hundred and eighty cubits high, at Anooraadhapoora [Anuradhapura]. To commemorate the recovery of his Queen from captivity, he erected a daagoba one hundred and forty cubits high, and called it after her, Soowana-raamaya daagoba; the Damboolla [–>Dambulla] wihare, and other wihares. K$artificiel. FORBES (1840, 1841 vol. 2: 281-282) translates rock inscription 21 into Walagambahoo 1st … discovered many caves and situations eligible for the formation of rock- temples, where he afterwards built wihares. He brought together five hundred of the principal and most learned priests, at a cave in Matale called Aloolenne, and, for the first time had the tenets of Budhism reduced to writing, which occurred in the 217th year, 10th month, and 10th day, after they were promulgated orally by Mihindoo. He succeeded at length in raising an army in the Maayaa division of the island, and vanquished the usurpers of his throne. He restored the former religious edifices, and built Abhaayagiri daagoba, one hundred and eighty cubits high, at Anooraadhapoora [Anuradhapura]. To commemorate the recovery of his Queen from captivity, he erected a daagoba one hundred and forty cubits high, and called it after her, Soowana-raamaya daagoba; the Damboolla [–>Dambulla] wihare, and other wihares. KSCH (1973c: 22-23) considers the Alu Vihare temple cave to be a Höhlentempel (cave temple) and mentions not very good restored frescoes on the walls in addition to a large statue of Buddha and several small, in cases new statues. CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: The rock shelters have been used by Buddhist monks as troglodyte hermitage retreats or mediation cells (note 4) and serve, in parts, as profitable temple caves (note 5), which exploit cheap fears (note 6) and establish a sacred corporate identity that invokes ancient (note 7) and up to date celebrities, including such as His Royal Highness Crown Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia and the late Premier Srimavo Dias Bandaranaike.