The ancient Buddhist monastery complex which is popularly known as Dambulla Somawathi Stupa (Sinhala: දඹුල්ල සෝමාවතී ස්තූපය) is located in Matale District, Sri Lanka. The site is situated west of the world-famous rock cave temple, Dambulla Raja Maha Viharaya.
History
There is an inscription of the first century A.D. engraved on the rock wall of a cave located on the hillside to the west of the Dambulla rock (Seneviratna, 1983). It records the construction of a Stupa named Catavanaceta (Catavana chetiya) and a donation made to it by a Thera named Sedadeva (Seneviratna, 1983). Some have assumed that the Catavana chatiya of this inscription may be the Stupa presently known as Somawathi Stupa (Seneviratna, 1983).
.Reference
1) Seneviratna, A., 1983. Golden Rock Temple of Dambulla; Caves of infinite Buddhas. UNESCO-Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Project. Central Cultural Fund. Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Sri Lanka. pp.21-23,65-66.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 26 April 2022