Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple

• Newly (in 1999) constructed temple, alien to the World Heritage complex  (issue resolved)
• Changes in traditional ways of life and knowledge system
• Impacts of tourism / visitors / recreation
• Ritual / spiritual / religious and associative uses
• Continued deterioration of the paintings
• Impact of water ingress, insect activity and other natural forces
• Management systems / management plan (Lack of tourism strategy and interpretation)
• Pests
• Others (General deterioration of the Golden Temple)

On 31 January 2019, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/561/documents/ and notably provides information on the activities outlined below.

Significant conservation issues of the property relate to the mural paintings and the sculptures located inside the caves, which arise from water percolation and high levels of humidity. The effects of alteration and decay include detachment and delamination of plaster or paint layers, presence of whitish deposit on surfaces, cracking of paint layer, and flaking of surfaces. There are also problems with the presence of mud-nests built by wasps.

The Department of Archaeology, together with the Central Cultural Fund and in close collaboration with the Temple Authorities, has commenced remedial treatment of murals with a team of experienced conservators. However, there is an ongoing need to ensure that traditional knowledge and skills related to the wall paintings and sculptures is passed on. To address these issues, several projects concerning the restoration and documentation of mural paintings have been launched.

Regarding the management of the property, its conservation and presentation, the State Party proposes:

• Drilling holes on tile floors in caves to allow the ground to absorb moisture;
• Installing a lighting system in 2019;
• Submitting a proposal for a minor boundary modification to expand the buffer zone of the property, which is currently being discussed by stakeholders.

The State Party has also submitted a revised Management Plan, which sets out the following main issues and remedial actions:

• Improved governance by establishing a Management Committee, which meets bi-monthly, composed of the temple authorities and government officials, in order to ensure an effective management system for the property and to provide a framework for long-term decision making on the conservation and management of the site agreed upon by all stakeholders;
• Research and monitoring projects to better understand and address alteration and decay mechanisms of various components of the property;
• Priority conservation and maintenance issues to be addressed, including documentation of how the living aspects of the site are being addressed, including tourism management;
• Interpretation of the property;
• Establishment of a strategy to obtain information on visitor numbers and the carrying capacity of the property, including the specific needs of pilgrims and tourists;
• Assess risks and threats, including the effects of quarrying in the vicinity of the property, fire, natural disasters, looting and armed conflict;
• Engagement with local communities.

Finally, the State Party has indicated its wish to amend the name of the property to “Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple”.

The efforts deployed by the State Party to establish the Site Management Committee and make it operational are appreciated, along with the revision of the Management Plan.

The State Party has responded positively to the Committee’s previous decisions and addressed both physical conservation issues and site management, including visitor management and the role of the property as a site of pilgrimage. The revised Management Plan for the property clearly identifies issues within the property and proposes guidelines and action plans to address them. The establishment of the Management Committee, with clear roles and responsibilities, is welcome. The proposed plan for the documentation and monitoring of the property responds to the need for baseline information. The report also considered several conservation methods relating to technical projects that could have an impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), as requested by the Committee in Decision 42 COM 7B.16.

It is noted that the series of stakeholder meetings, organized to discuss management issues and actions, apparently helped progress towards resolving issues related to the conservation and use of the property. The strategies that have been proposed, once implemented, should support an integrated approach that takes into consideration the conservation of the property and its use, both by local communities and by external visitors. It is important to maintain and transmit the traditional knowledge associated with the painting and sculpture techniques while this is still possible, especially since few traditional masters are still present to share their knowledge and experience.

Notwithstanding the progress that has been made in a number of areas, the property remains in a perilous state and significant efforts are still required to achieve sustainable conservation of murals and sculptures, transmission of traditional knowledge and skills, and an appropriate balance between the needs and interests of religious communities, pilgrims and tourists. In this regard, on-site advice and guidance on the early stages of implementation of the new management regime, conservation programmes and visitor management would benefit the property, its managers and the management committee. Therefore, it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to invite a Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to review its state of conservation and provide guidance on the new management framework.

The Visitor Management Strategy, which was previously requested by the Committee as a Tourism Management Strategy (Decision 42 COM 7B.16), is yet to be established. While the revised Management Plan included general statements identifying issues related to tourism management, a more detailed plan still needs to be elaborated, thereby allowing the site management authority to reflect further on how to find a balance between preservation, sustainable tourism and maintaining the property’s ties with the local community.

Finally, the proposed minor boundary modification to expand the buffer zone should contribute to the legal protection of the property. The proposed change to the name of the property reflects the outcomes of a local consultative process and is consistent with the property’s OUV; it is therefore recommended that the State Party submit this name change in accordance with Paragraph 167 of the Operational Guidelines.