Image title: Cobra Hood Cave (detail)

This “Cobra Hood Cave” is known as such because of the natural cobra-hood shape of the cave. It is a cave with drip-ledges that had been used as a dwelling for the Sangha during the first monastic phase before Kasyapa. According to the early brahmi inscription here (3,1 centuries B.C.), this cave has been donated by chicitain Naguliya'. It is suggested that the painting on the ceiling with a decorative motif belongs to the 6-7 centuries AD. An excavation carried out in front of the cave revealed nine human skeletons.

In Sanskrit this would be known as Nāgaphaṇa-guha (नागफण-गुह, naga-phana-guha) or Ahiphaṇa-guha (अहिफण-गुह, ahi-phana-guha).

For more details, see previous photo.

Gallery information:

These photos are taken at the Sigiriya rock in Sri Lanka. This archaeological important site dates to the 2nd century BC when it functioned as a monastery. In the fifth century, King Kassapa I transferred the administrative centre from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya in order to  rule from there. The on-site museum displays various artifacts and paintings found at the Sigiriya rock.