A Finnish Thriller, the Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum Mantra, and the Samye Monastery in Tibet

I was just reading the thriller “The Vengeance Commission” (Koston komissio) by Taavi Soininvaara in German [1], and to my surprise, the “Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum” mantra (ཨོཾ་ཨཱཿཧཱུྃ་བཛྲ་གུ་རུ་པདྨ་སིདྡྷི་ཧཱུྃ།) is mentioned on pages 207–208 [2]. This piqued my curiosity, quickly taking me from Finland to Tibet—though by that point in the story, the action had already moved through Spain, Italy (Capri), and Hungary in addition to Finland.

“Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum” is the heart mantra of Padmasambhava (पद्मसम्भव), also known as Guru Rinpoche. He lived during the 8th and 9th centuries AD and is considered the founder of Buddhism in Tibet. The word “Vajra” also appears in the name of the Tibetan form of Buddhism: Vajrayāna (वज्रयान), or the Diamond Vehicle [3]. There is little historically verified information about Padmasambhava [4]. He played a key role in the first wave of translations of Indian texts into Tibetan. In the Nyingma tradition, he is revered as a second Buddha. He is said to have had six female companions and is reputed to have subdued spirits and demons using tantric powers. I also recall a story I brought back from Paro Taktsang (Dzongkha: སྤ་གྲོ་སྟག་ཚང་)—better known as Tiger's Nest—in Bhutan, which I quote below [5].

Padmasambhava was instrumental in establishing the first Buddhist monastery, Samye, around 769 or 775. Samye Monastery (Tibetan: བསམ་ཡས་, Chinese: 桑耶寺) [6] is located south of Lhasa, near the Yarlung Valley. The monastery was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution but was rebuilt starting in 1988. I visited the monastery in 1998. What do I still remember? Back then, there were no bridges, and the settlements one can see on Google Maps today, for instance, were merely small hamlets. The Yarlung Zangbo (Tibetan: ཡར་ཀླུངས་གཙང་པོ་, Chinese: 雅鲁藏布江) is the upper reach of the Brahmaputra River [7]. In 1998, the river had burst its banks, and we made a long crossing over the water, which had a strong current. On the north side of the river, we climbed onto the back of a truck that took us to the monastery. According to Wikipedia, the first monks were ordained there in 779 AD. After the Cultural Revolution, monastic life had ceased to exist. Following his visit in 1982, Heinrich Harrer described Samye as seen from an airplane: “...a Samye of which only ruins remained. The entire monastery had been razed to the ground...” [8]. Back to my own impressions: I had noted in my travel diary at the time that we were heading toward the ferry. A car had driven into the river at the very spot where we had stopped the day before to climb a hill. As it turned out, the vehicle belonged to the solo traveler we had met in the restaurant the previous evening; she was quite unlucky and was retracing the steps of Alexandra David-Néel. We had a pleasant crossing on a small ferry boat over the Brahmaputra/Yarlung Zangbo. This was followed by a 30-to-40-minute ride on the back of a truck—navigating potholes, water, and sand dunes—to Samye Monastery. Once there, I took extensive photographs in one of the rooms until my battery was nearly dead. The figure of Avalokiteshvara, re-erected here after its destruction, is also beautiful. After visiting the monastery, the route led through the village and across the fields.

In 2023, I took all my APS [9] analog images to a professional scanning service to have them converted into digital images. The photos from my 1998 trip to Tibet were among them. Despite some compromises, I am happy with the result. The camera itself, however, was not of the highest quality. Here is a selection of these photographs.

 

Links and Annotations:
[1] Taavi Sioninvaara: Finnisches Requiem. Aufbau Verlag, Berlin 2006. ISBN: 3-7466-2190-9. Original title: Koston komissio. English Translation of the title: The Vengeance Commission. The book has only been translated into German.
[2] https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Vajra_Guru_mantra 
and for very interested souls: https://www.facebook.com/jorlek3/posts/guru-rinpoches-principal-mantra-is-om-ah-hung-benza-guru-pema-siddhi-hung-which-/25612478701710041/ 
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrayana 
[4] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmasambhava and 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmasambhava 
[5] Paro Taktsang Dzongkha: སྤ་གྲོ་སྟག་ཚང་) is better known as Tiger's Nest in the west; for more name look up the Wikipedia article, from which I take much of the information [a]. Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) meditated and practiced in one of the 13 caves (Taktsang Senge Samdup cave), later the monastery complex was built around this cave on the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in 1692 and by and by it became a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site. On April 19, 1998 (2 1/2 years before I visited Taktsang for the first time [b]) a fire broke out in the main building of the monastery complex. The cause of the fire is unclear, but an electrical short-circuiting or flickering butter lamps were discussed. But everything has been reconstructed.
A legend tells us, that Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) flew from Singye Dzong to these caves on the back of a tigress. I've found a picture from a trip to Tibet in 2018, which illustrates this legend. In an alternative legend a former wife of an emperor transformed herself into a tigress and carried Guru Rinpoche on her back from Tibet to the Taktsang and so the place got its name.
[a] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paro_Taktsang 
[b] https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2020/09/glimpses-into-bhutan-in-year-2000_10.html  
The Tiger's Nest or Taktsang near Paro in Bhutan 
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-tigers-nest-or-taktsang-near-paro.html 
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samye 
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarlung_Tsangpo 
[8] Heinrich Harrer: Wiedersehen mit Tibet. Bertelsmann Lizenzausgabe von Pinguin-Verlag, Innsbruck 1983. No ISBN. Cited in [6]  Harrer, Heinrich (1985) [1984]. Return to Tibet: Tibet After the Chinese Occupation. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140077742
[9] Advanced Photo System 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Photo_System  

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Mongolia and Horses – Part 1 - Overview

There were horse stables near my apartment in Cologne. I often walked there, or passed by in the evening on my way home from work or from visiting my parents. Now I live in a village in the Eifel region, where there are horses too. It is possible to imagine Cologne and the Eifel without horses, but it is impossible to imagine Mongolia without them. I will attempt to illustrate this below. Here in Germany, horses are frequently ridden by women—at least, that is my impression. In Mongolia, one sees both genders riding, though I did observe more men doing so. In Germany, horses are often a hobby; in Mongolia, they are an economic necessity, even though one sees many herders riding motorcycles.

Mongolia is home to over 4 million horses and has a human population of roughly 3.3 to 3.7 million [1]. In Germany, there are about 2.32 million people involved in equestrian sports (including 840,000 regular riders) out of a population of approximately 80 million [2]. In Germany, I often see horses being led by hand; I rarely saw this in Mongolia. In Germany, horses are kept in stables and on fenced pastures, whereas in Mongolia, they roam freely.

I believe that the image of horses galloping across the steppe comes closest to our mental picture of Mongolia. Indeed, one often sees this—whether the horses are moving of their own accord or being driven by herders. Yet, even more frequently, one simply sees them grazing somewhere with no humans around.

The Mongolian horse (Адуу) [3] is smaller and sturdier than the average horse seen in Europe. It is believed that the breed has not changed significantly since the time of Genghis Khan (Чингис хаан / Chinggis Khaan). The horses live outdoors almost year-round, meaning they are adapted to temperatures ranging from as low as -40°C to as high as 30°C. Fermented mare's milk plays an important role in both Mongolian and Kazakh cultures; it is known as kumis (қымыз) in Kazakh and airag (айраг) in Mongolian—a subject I have written about previously [4]. Traditionally, this fermented mare's milk has been a vital source of Vitamin C in nomadic cultures [5]. Mare's milk is used in shamanic rituals, such as the blessing for a journey, which I have also reported on [6]. The ceremony I witnessed at Üüreg Nuur does not contradict this [7]; for one thing, it was a Buddhist ceremony, and for another, availability might be a factor.

There is also more to be said about the Genghis Khan equestrian statue (Их эзэн Чингис хааны морьт хөшөө)—standing approximately 40 meters tall, 55 km east of Ulaanbaatar—as well as about Damdin Sükhbaatar (Дамдины Сүхбаатар) and his statue in the center of Ulaanbaatar (though there, a colossal Genghis Khan looks down upon him from a throne within the government building).

I also plan to cover horse racing, the transport and training of horses, the Naadam festival (Наадам), and more. Horses are a central part of the Naadam festival ceremonies, and the races themselves take place outside the city.

The "Wind Horse" found on prayer flags [8], while used in a Buddhist context, actually has shamanic origins. The Tibetan term is lungta (རླུང་རྟ་), and in Mongolian, it is called khiimori (хийморь). It symbolizes one of the five cardinal directions—you've read correctly, it stands for the center—as well as the human soul, well-being, or good fortune. That, too, would make for an interesting topic.

I haven't yet decided whether to tackle these various topics regarding horses and Mongolia all at once or to address them gradually...

Links and Annotations:
[1] https://www.viewmongolia.com/mongolian-horse.html 
[2] https://www.pferdesport-deutschland.de/deutsche-reiterliche-vereinigung/zahlen--fakten/zahlen--fakten 
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_horse 
[4] „Let's first get to the term. In the West, fermented mare's milk is better known as kumis. The term comes from the Russian кумыс and from the Old Turkish or Turkish kımız. In both Kazakh and Kyrgyz it is called қымыз; and similarly in other Central Asian languages. Tuvan is slightly different: хымыс. Mongolian has its own term, as already mentioned: airag (айраг).“
Mongolia – Airag, Kumis or Mare's Milk 
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2024/02/mongolia-airag-kumis-or-mares-milk.html 
[5] Mongolia – Where do the Mongols get their Vitamin C? 
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2022/08/mongolia-where-do-mongols-get-their.html 
[6] Mongolia – a little Ritual on departing from a Ger Camp 
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2022/08/mongolia-little-ritual-on-departing.html 
[7] A Ceremony at the Lakefront of Üüreg Nuur 
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-ceremony-at-lakefront-of-uureg-nuur.html 
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_Horse 

Fresh, but is it a topic?

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Mongolia – The Brightest Venus Ever

During my last visit to Mongolia, I saw the brightest Venus I have ever laid eyes on. It was a flight that might technically count as a night flight, though we actually took off from Frankfurt (FRA) in the early afternoon and landed in Ulaanbaatar (UBN) late in the evening—according to our internal clocks, at least. In reality, however, the next morning had already dawned. I looked out the window and saw the beautiful colors; suddenly, I thought: Venus couldn't possibly shine *that* brightly—I had never seen it look like that before. "Right," I thought, "I’ll just snap a quick photo." No sooner said than done. I basked for a while in the thought of this exceptionally bright Venus, only to be distracted by a sharply defined, very dark cloud in the sky. That is, until I realized that the dark cloud was actually a wing... and the Venus was a light at the wingtip? No, no, no! I won't let anyone convince me otherwise. Wingtip lights are position lights, and they flash. But this light was steady and clear—so it *was* Venus (Q.E.D.). No, I won't be swayed; I saw the brightest Venus ever seen on this planet.

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Mongolia – a Strange Phenomenon in the Sky above Lake Achit

Yesterday afternoon, I was able to watch a solar eclipse [1]; while it wasn't total in Germany, it still covered 89–90% of the sun. I was fascinated by how nature reacted—the birds suddenly fell silent—even though, if you looked at the sun, you hardly noticed the 90% reduction in its intensity. It was still bright, but a neighbor had brought home welding shields (visors with dark protective glass) from work, allowing us to observe the eclipse clearly. Later that night came the Perseids [2], a meteor shower that recurs during the first half of August. I saw a few shooting stars falling to earth. It also made me reflect on the fact that the Eifel region—being outside the metropolitan areas of North Rhine-Westphalia—offers quite good conditions for stargazing; in our village (Diefenbach has 70 inhabitants), you can very often see the Milky Way, just as I did that night. Yet, it doesn't compare to what you can see in the Mongolian sky.

Last month, I was at Achit Nuur (Ачит нуур) [3], where we had set up camp south of the lake. There, and at other locations, we had the opportunity to admire a night sky filled with stars, particularly the Milky Way. It was the perfect combination of zero light pollution, the absence of moonlight, and dry air. The best night sky, however, was at our camp near the source of the Mukhart River (Мухартын гол) [4]—though that is beside the point for the story at hand.

It was just before the end of evening twilight, and the sky had already turned almost black. I stepped out of the tent and walked a short distance away to brush my teeth. This is significant because it explains why I couldn't take a photo: I had neither a camera nor a mobile phone with me. I then saw a bright object—appearing almost like a point of light—moving from west to east. It grew brighter, and a spiral—also glowing white—formed around the point. Both objects moved in parallel before fading out. However, the point of light brightened again, and a spiral formed once more; both grew bright before fading out again. On the third occurrence, I shouted for someone to take a photo. Someone came out of the tent and was able to observe the phenomenon, but didn't have a mobile phone at hand either. After the two objects had traversed about two-thirds of the sky at an elevation of approximately 75–80°, they vanished completely.

We discussed what we had actually seen for a while, but we were unable to formulate a conclusive hypothesis. Do you have an idea?

Links and Annotations:
[1] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnenfinsternis_vom_12._August_2026 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_12,_2026
[2] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseiden and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseids
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achit_Lake
[4] Mukhart River (Мухартын гол) according to Google Maps.

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Mongolia – The Tuul River

The Tuul River (Туул гол [gol]) [1] flows through central and northern Mongolia. Maybe one of the reasons for Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар) [2] being at its location is the Tuul River for ample water supply and another reason might be the surrounding mountain sheltering the city from harsh winds. The Tuul Gol is sacred to the Mongols, so the river is also called Hatan Tuul (Хатан Туул), which means literally "Queen Tuul". It originates in the Khentii Mountains (Хэнтийн уулс) / Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area (Хан Хэнтийн дархан цаазат газар) and flows into the Orkhon River (Орхон гол), which itself discharges into the Selenge River (Сэлэнгэ мөрөн), which ends in Lake Baikal (Russian о́зеро Байка́л). It is 883 km long, which equals the Maas River or the Oder River, the better known Rhône River is a bit shorter.

Beyond the Ulaanbaatar suburb of Gachuurt  (Гачуурт), the capital can no longer sprawl outward like an octopus due to the encroaching rocky terrain; consequently, our journey got off to a spectacular start. We drove through Ulaanbaatar early in the morning to a camp on the Tuul River—located past Gachuurt, yet far enough away that the city was no longer even visible. We spotted a rider crossing the wide ford, a feat impossible for our minibus. Next came a ride in an air boat—a flat-bottomed vessel powered by a rear-mounted propeller, much like those used in the Florida Everglades. We headed out into a golden morning.

I remember the 2023 inundations of Ulaanbaatar, but right now the rain hadn't been that bad. 

The Tuul Gol meanders for long stretches through the country and I hope, that the river won't be rectified in the future. I could see the vastness of this river later at the town of Lün (Лүн) [3]. We reached the town across a bridge. Lün has about 2600 inhabitants and has been established in 1924.

One of the pictures I took a little after the start of the airplane taking me back to Germany. Whereas the boat ride had been in the Northeast, this had been to the Southwest of Ulaanbaatar. But it's the Tuul River, flowing constantly with grace and beauty.

Links and Annotations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuul_River and 
https://mn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D1%83%D1%83%D0%BB_%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB 
[2] The city had been known in West as Urga, which comes from Örgöö (Өргөө). It had been established in 1639. Ulaanbaatar means Red Hero and the name had been given to honor Damdin Sükhbaatar (Дамдины Сүхбаатар) [2a], the central square of Ulaanbaatar is named after him and his statue is in front of the government building.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulaanbaatar  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulaanbaatar  
[2a] Damdin Sükhbaatar (1893-1923) was a Mongolian revolutionary, founder of the Mongolian People's Party, and leader of the Mongolian partisan army.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damdin_S%C3%BCkhbaatar 
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BCn 

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The Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka

According to my (outdated) guidebook, the Galle Face Hotel claims to be the oldest hotel in Asia, having opened its doors in 1856 [1]. I find this claim rather bold, given the fact that the Japanese hotel Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan (西山温泉慶雲館) began operations about 1,300 years ago [2]. And even sticking to Sri Lanka, there is also the Queen's Hotel in Kandy [3]. I stayed at both hotels this time. The Queen's has been around since 1840, when it operated as a hostel under the name of Malabar House. It changed owners in 1869 and was renamed the Queen's Hotel. Well, opinions may differ on the matter, but the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo has certainly made a name for itself over the past 170 years [4]. I was already familiar with the hotel from my earlier visits in the 1970ies; back then, we used to enjoy heading from Wellawatta to either the Galle Face Hotel or the Mount Lavinia Hotel in the evening for a drink at the bar. But let’s take a closer look at the Galle Face Hotel nowadays.

The hotel has been refurbished, but still retains the atmosphere of times gone by. Some reaking doors, stairs or floor boards can still be found. I was somewhat surprised in the evening when the Sri Lankan flag was lowered to the sound of bagpipes. However, the picture becomes clearer when you look at the list of celebrity guests. The late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, stayed at the hotel, and one of his cars is on display in the hotel's museum section. Although the hotel boasts three bars and a pub, I didn't visit any of them this time; after an overnight flight, we had stayed up all day, and I was understandably tired.

 

Links and Annotations:
[1] Apa Guides: Sri Lanka. Hongkong 1995. ISBN: 3-8268-1362-6. P. 114.
Well, according to Wikipedia the Galle Face Hotel has been founded in 1864 [4].
[2] It's an onsen ryokan (温泉旅館) and has been founded in the year 705 by Fujiwara no Mahito (藤原真人).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishiyama_Onsen_Keiunkan  and
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%85%B6%E9%9B%B2%E9%A4%A8_(%E6%97%85%E9%A4%A8) 
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Hotel,_Kandy 
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galle_Face_Hotel 

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Sigiriya Rock in Sri Lanka

I recall that Sigiriya was already a prominent tourist destination during my first visit in the 1970s, attracting almost all tour groups as well as independent travelers. Nowadays, however, a sheer multitude of people head there and climb the rock—at least as far as the so-called "Cloud Maidens." Photography is no longer permitted there. I assume this is primarily for safety reasons; the constant stream of tourists cannot be repeatedly halted, given the many staircases and winding steps along steel scaffolding that must be climbed. On the other hand, there is no other way to prevent tourists from taking snapshots with cameras that automatically trigger a flash. Long-term, cumulative exposure to camera flashes could damage the delicate natural pigments of the frescoes. The Federal Foreign Office in Berlin warns tourists in Sri Lanka against photographing the Sigiriya Cloud Maiden frescoes, as it is strictly prohibited and could result in severe penalties and the confiscation of the camera. It is fortunate that I was able to take photos (without flash) over 40 years ago, though the results are modest at the least. One can view replicas of the frescoes in the museum without climbing the rock itself. This also leaves time to admire the landscaped gardens.

Pidurangala Rock (පිදුරංගල) is often recommended as an alternative [1]; this rock is located about 1 km north of Sigiriya Rock. Both are made of solid granite. And yes, at Pidurangala Rock, too, one sees frescoes during the ascent—which is much shorter—plus it is cheaper and less crowded. At the summit lie the remains of a fortress commissioned by King Kassapa between 477 and 495 AD. A fantastic destination, but it is not Sigiriya! 

Sigiriya Rock—meaning "Lion Rock" (Sinhala: සීගිරිය, Tamil: சிகிரியா/சிங்ககிரி)—can be considered a landmark of Sri Lanka. The rock stands approximately 180 meters high [2] and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. Its name derives from a colossal lion sculpture; the paws of this figure can still be admired halfway up the rock face. King Kassapa I began his reign in 473 AD after killing his father, King Dhatusena—a ruler who, according to one guidebook, was buried alive [3]. The rightful heir to the throne was Moggallana (Mugallan). Fearing him, Kassapa I relocated his royal residence to the rock and also had a second fortress built on nearby Pidurangala Rock. Moggallana returned from exile in South India in 491 and defeated Kassapa. He subsequently restored Anuradhapura as the capital; thus, while Sigiriya served as the royal seat for less than twenty years, its splendor endures to this day.

There is ample space atop the rock, so the crowds of tourists are barely noticeable. Little has changed up there over the years.

Links and Annotations:
[1] http://mimiinwanderland.de/pidurangala-rock-die-bessere-alternative-zum-beruehmten-sigiriya-rock/ 
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigiriya and https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigiriya 
[3] Apa Guides: Sri Lanka. Hongkong 1995. ISBN: 3-8268-1362-6. S. 205.

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A Visit to the Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka

When I think of the cave temple in Dambulla, I automatically think of "Dambala" – a reggae song by Exuma [1]: "Oh, Dambala, come Dambala." This might sound a bit peculiar, but at the time of my first visit to the caves – some 50 years ago – we listened to musicians like Exuma constantly; I still own a cassette tape of his, though I recently enjoyed listening to "Dambala" on YouTube.

The Dambulla Cave Temple (දඹුල්ල රජ මහා විහාර) – also known as the Dambulla Raja Maha Viharaya or the Golden Temple of Dambulla – has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the central part of Sri Lanka since 1991 [2]. A lengthy conservation project (1982–1996) was undertaken with the specific aim of preserving the eighteenth-century mural schemes found within the site. In 2003, the designated protection zone was expanded. This was a sensible measure, as the temple continues to serve as an active ritual center. In total, five temple caves are open to visitors; the largest of these measures 52 by 23 meters – covering an area of nearly 1,200 square meters. They offer ample space for both worshippers and tourists alike. As one approaches the caves, one is enveloped by the scent of the flowers offered as votives, and, of course, by the fragrance of incense.

Pre-Buddhist burial sites – estimated to be approximately 2,700 years old – have been discovered in the surrounding area, leading to the belief that the caves were inhabited in ancient times. There are other caves in the vicinity as well – about 80 in total. It is likely that the caves were transformed into a royal temple as early as the late 2nd century BCE, under the reign of King Walagamba of Anuradhapura. King Nishankamalla of Polonnaruwa is also worthy of mention, as he dedicated 70 Buddha statues to the temple in 1190 AD. The site is home to thousands of wall paintings, which depict, in particular, scenes from the life of the Buddha. In total, 2,300 square meters are covered with paintings. There are 153 Buddha statues, three statues of kings, as well as statues of Vishnu and Ganesha. The Wikipedia article offers very comprehensive descriptions. There is a noteworthy article from 2025 titled "The Sacred Caves of Dambulla: Where Rock Becomes Prayer" [3]. Quite fresh – barely a month old – is the article from the Impart Encyclopedia of Art [4]; notably, it features absolutely no people, which is a sensible approach for an article of this kind.

One must climb up to reach the cave temple, but the ascent is well worth the effort. And – incidentally – even non-Buddhists are permitted to bring flowers along with them. Please buy some from the vendors.

 

Links and Annotations:
[1] „Oh, Dambala, come Dambala / Oh, Dambala, come Dambala“ from the Lyrics [1a] of the song „Dambala“ [1b] by Exuma [1c], who already passed over nearly 30 years ago.
[1a] https://genius.com/Exuma-dambala-lyrics 
[1b] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q4rXpaOhAU&t=11s 
[1c] Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey (1942-1997), aka Exuma, was a Bahamian musician, artist, playwright, and author. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exuma_(musician)  
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dambulla_cave_temple and
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dambulla-H%C3%B6hlentempel 
[3] The Sacred Caves of Dambulla: Where Rock Becomes Prayer 
https://ceylonhistory.com/en/stories/dambulla-cave-temple/ 
[4] Impart Encyclopedia of Art (2026) Dambulla Cave Temple. Available at: https://imp-art.org/articles/dambulla-cave-temple/ (Accessed: 13 May 2026). 

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