UNESCO expresses concern over Dambulla Rock Golden Temple

Conservation of monuments in question:

By Rukshana Rizwie

Sri Lanka is required to submit an updated report on the Golden Rock Temple in Dambulla by December 2017, after UN's cultural agency the UNESCO raised serious concerns over the state of conservation of the monument and the lack of implementation of the agreed management plan, the Sunday Observer learns.

When the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO met in Istanbul, Turkey for the 40th session last month, it was decided that Sri Lanka submit an updated report which will be examined at the next session.

Accordingly, the agency has "expressed serious concern over the lack of clear management structures and clear lines of responsibilities, and in particular the lack of implementation of the Management Plan which increases the problematic of conservation and pilgrim/visitor management of the property."

Sri Lanka has been requested to a site management committee as a matter of priority, revise and update the management plan with clearly defined governance and communication structures and to develop a conservation strategy.

Among the other draft decisions Sri Lanka is encouraged to collaborate with the World Heritage Centre and advisory bodies for technical assistance if necessary to support the conservation of stone and wall paintings.

One of the conclusions reached by the Advisory bodies this year over the Golden Temple are "problematic issues regarding fungi, wasps, cracks, discoloration of statues and vandalism."

The document which Sunday Observer is in receipt of states that "the lack of a pilgrim/visitor Management Plan was apparent to the mission. There was no control over the number of pilgrims/visitors entering the caves; there were signs of the vandalism to the property, as well as no restrictions on flash photography, causing further threats to the condition of the caves and the wall paintings."

Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova who was here in Sri Lanka this week visited the Heritage site and said that her organization was 'committed to working through dialog' with the government to implement the recommendations. Her mission issued a clarification to the media this past week saying that she never explicitly mentioned if the Golden Temple would be delisted.

She however dodged questions at a press briefing on whether the Golden Temple would be delisted adding that since the list was compiled only two sites had been delisted.