Dambulla Cave 2: Life of the Buddha

SRI LANKA, Central Province, Matale

This mural is located on the ceiling of Dambulla Cave 2. Painted mainly in yellow and white on a red background, it depicts the palace life of Prince Siddhartha. The story is presented in more than ten rows of images, with inscriptions written below some of the particularly important scenes.
The first row pictured here illustrates the birth of the prince, the celebration by people in the kingdom, and heavenly beings making offerings of flowers. The second and third rows depict the prince’s early life such as the education of the prince. The fourth row shows the skills contest and marriage. In most of the scenes, the prince has shoulder-length hair, wears a headdress, lower garment, and a short robe, and is accompanied by an attendant holding a parasol. The mural features a large number of figures arranged in an orderly line. Curved lines cover the lower garments of some of the figures.