Galle Face

Blow hole

                                                                Blow Hole   

The “Hummanya” blow hole is a well-known attraction in the deep South of the country and it certainly lives up to expectations. Seeing it was an exhilarating experience and one that shouldn’t be missed.

Route to Hummanya

So how do you get there? Passing the Matara town and after Dickwella, one has to turn right at Kudawella and proceed about 1.1 km. Residents in the area offer to take care of your vehicle at a nominal fee.

About a 20-minute trek along newly built shallow steps brings you to the spot. All along the way little kiosks sell cool drinks and the fresh catch of the area – fish! The batter fried preparation of different kinds of fish, was delicious.

Even from far away, one can hear the sounds of the blow hole. There are intermittent periods of silence and then there are sounds similar to the faraway rumbles of thunder – “Ho-ho-ho”. This is when the pressure builds up. Then after a while one hears the delightful sound of the spray as it hisses high up-almost 120 feet into the sky at times.

Reaching our destination, what greeted us was a large expanse of rocky cliffs. In the middle, there seemed to be a split, within which was a fissure (a long narrow cleft or crack) – through which the water came shooting up, like a tall fountain that appeared momentarily with a huge ‘whooshing’ sound.

Hummanaya

Once in every 10-15 minutes or so, the water pressure builds up to give out the stunning spray. Waiting for that moment can be quite tense, especially if one is hoping to capture it on film as it is over in a flash. I had to click many times and wait a long while to capture a few good shots. But I could have gone on waiting for hours, so special was the moment. For the hour of so that we were there, the spray reached up to about 120 feet once, while at other times it was less.

Going back down the steps one feels tempted to eat more of the delicious fish, salayas, kumbalawas and even sprats strung together on ekels- all batter fried and then wash it down with a cool Ginger Beer.

Before heading back home, we also visited the Dondra Head lighthouse. One has to turn right at Devinuwara and proceed 1.2 km to come to this, the southern most tip of the country.

The beach surrounding this area is beautiful and one can spot many rock pools with colourful fish swimming among the green seaweed.

Mihinthale rock temple

Description

Eight miles east of Anuradhapura, close to the Anuradhapura - Trincomalee Road is situated the "Missaka Pabbata" which is 1,000 feet (300 m) in height and is one of the peaks of a mountainous range. Geographically, the mountain range consists of three main hills: Ambastala Plateau of the Mango. Rajagiri, Mountain of the King, and Aanaikuddy the Mountain of the Elephant. The word 'Aanaikuddy' is Tamil. Thus, this mountain range should have some connection with the Tamils, probably the Tamil Buddhist Monks.

According to Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa, Thera Mahinda came to Sri Lanka from India on the full moon day of the month of Poson (June) and met King Devanampiyatissa and the people, and preached the doctrine. The traditional spot where this meeting took place is revered by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. Therefore in the month of Poson, Buddhists make their pilgrimage to Anuradhapura and Mihintale.

“Mahinda” was the son of Emperor Ashoka of India. King Ashoka embraced Buddhism after he was inspired by a very small monk named “Nigrodha.” The King who was in great misery after seeing the loss of life caused by his waging wars to expand his empire, was struck by the peaceful countenance of such a young monk. Meeting this young monk made a turning point in his life and he thereafter, renounced wars. He was determined to spread the message of peace, to neutralize the effects from the damages caused by him through his warfare. As a result both his son and daughter were ordained as Buddha disciples, and became enlightened as Arahats. In his quest to spread the message of peace instead of war, he sent his son Mahinda, to the island of Lanka, which was also known as “Sinhalé”. This island was being ruled by his pen friend King Devanampiyatissa. Thus, “Mahinda” was the exclusive Indian name which in Sinhalé, became commonly known as “Mihindu” in the local vernacular “Sinhala”.

In Sinhala Mihin-Thalé literally means the “plateau of Mihindu”. This plateau is the flat terrain on top of a hill from where Arahat Mihindu was supposed to have called King Devanampiyatissa, by the King’s first name to stop him shooting a deer in flight. Hence, “Mihin Thalé” is a specifically Sinhala term. This is how the place has been called and still is, in the local vernacular “Sinhala”. A study of the local vernacular will give ample proof for this. Therefore, the supposition that this name “Mihin Thalé” was derived from the Tamil name Mahinda Malai is erroneous and unfounded.

This is said have been called Cetiyagiri or Sagiri,even thought it was more popularly known as Mihintale - the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Steps carved in rock near stupa.

However, the story of Mahinda meeting the King Devanampiyatissa of Anuradhapura and preaching him the doctrine as said in Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa is very similar to the story of Satuvan meeting the leader of the Nagga Nagas and preaching him about the good way of life in the Tamil epic Manimehala. There are a number of description in Manimehalai that are same or similar to that of Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa.

From ancient times a large number of large steps were constructed to climb Mihintale. It is stated that KingDevanampiyatissa constructed a vihara and 68 caves for the bhikkhus to reside in. At Mihintale there gradually grew a number of Buddhist viharas with all the dependent buildings characteristic of monasteries of that period.

Nilaweli beach

Nilaweli beach

Nilaveli Beach in Sri Lanka

Nilaveli beach is considered one of the purest white sand beaches in Asia. It has remained protected from tourists and visitors for a long time because of the war and after the war thousands of people are visiting Trincomalee and the Nilaveli beach. With the reconstruction of the roads and the newly built hotels the visitor count is ever growing and the beach is loosing some of its serenity.Nilaveli beach is relatively less crowded than most beaches in Sri Lanka and you want find many small shops or various other traders. Although this makes it ideal to relax sometimes it is an inconvenience because you cant find a place to have a quick bite.

Nilaveli beach hotel is the oldest and the most prominent hotel near the area. Although there is a new luxury hotel in Chaya Blue.Most people who cant afford a stay in a luxury hotel prefer to stay in small houses and small hotels in the nearby area. There are plenty of these around so you want have trouble finding one.Visiting pigeon island, going snorkeling in the nearby corals and dolphin watching are some of the activities available to you to do in your leisure time.

kandy lake

Kandy Lake (Nuwara Weva)

Kandy Lake with the Walakulu wall around it

Island at the centre of the lake

Queens Bathing house on the edge of the Kandy lake

This artificial lake was built by the last king of Kandy (and of Sri Lanka), Sri Wikrama Rajasinhe to beatify the Temple of the Tooth Relic by excavating paddy fields in 1807. He called this artificial lake the :Kiri Muhuda" or the Milky Ocean.
He also added the "Valakulu Bamma" (the clouds wall) around the lake but before he could complete, British forces invaded the city of Kandy and prisoned the last Kandyan King in 1815. The Walakulu Wall still remains in the same unfinished state with a length of 2060 feet. The triangular holes in the wall has been used to light oil lamps in the night. This same design has been used for the outer wall of Sri Dalada Maligawa. He also built a dam across the lake to travel to the other side of the lake but then he destroyed it from both ends leaving only a portion in the centre creating an island. On the Dalada Maligawa side of the lake is the Queens Bathing House. Which is partially in the lake itself. The perimeter of the lake is about 3.4 km and the walakulu wall runs to about 2060 feet around the lake.

temple of tooth- kendy

Located in Kandy, long a center of the Buddhist faith, the stunning 17th-century Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is believed to house the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. This precious relic attracts white-clad pilgrims, bearing lotus blossoms and frangipani, every day.

History

According to legend, the tooth was taken from the Buddha as he lay on his funeral pyre. It was smuggled to Sri Lanka in 313 AD, hidden in the hair of Princess Hemamali who fled the Hindu armies besieging her father's kingdom in India.
It immediately became an object of great reverence and was enshrined in a series of nested jeweled reliquaries. The tooth was brought out for special occasions and paraded on the backs of elephants, which are sacred to the Buddha. where it survived numerous attempts to capture and destroy it.
When the capital was moved to Kandy, the tooth was taken to the new city and placed in temples built to honor it. The temple was originally built under Kandyan kings between 1687 and 1707, but later severely damaged during the 18th-century colonial wars against the Portugese and Dutch. After the wars, the original wooden structures were restored in stone.

In January 1998 Hindu Tamil separatists bombed the temple, damaging its facade and roof. Restoration began immediately afterward.

Madhu church in sri lanka

                                                   Madhu church

Jump to: navigation, search

The Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu is a Roman Catholic Marian shrine in Mannar district of Sri Lanka. With a history of over 400 years, this shrine acts as a center for pilgrimage and worship for Sri Lankan Catholics.^[1] The site is considered as the holiest Catholic shrine in the island^[2] and is a well known place of devotion for both Tamil and Sinhalese Catholics alike.^[3] The church has been a symbol of unity not just between Tamils and Sinhalese, but also between people of different religions, including Buddhists, Hindus and Protestants.^[4] Attendance for the August festival at times touched close to a million people before the out break of the Sri Lankan conflict.^[1] Situated in the heart of the conflict zone, pilgrimage to this shrine has been dramatically affected in recent years with the presence of refugee camps around the shrine complex.^[2] As part of the conflict, it has been shelled a number of times.

aluvihare cave temple

                                               Aluvihare cave temple

Aluvihare Rock Temple

Visitors to Sri Lanka who do not grasp the opportunity to visit one or more of the island’s Buddhist rock temples are committing a serious sin of omission. Rock temples usually have delightful settings. Often they form part of the rock, especially those that nestle beneath overhanging boulders. Sometimes they are of significance to Buddhism, such as Aluvihare, located en route to Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Mihintale.
Aluvihare is a rock monastery located in a picturesque valley 3km north of Matale on the Kandy-Dambulla section of the A9 route, so it is conveniently located for those traversing the Cultural Triangle. It is easily recognised from the road as it has a boundary wall with a frieze of elephant heads. This sacred place is remarkable for the huge rocks that are an integral part of it, which is why it is classified as a rock temple.
One of the first Europeans to describe the extraordinary topography here was James Emerson Tennent, writing in Ceylon (1859): “The scene is a very extraordinary one – huge masses of granitic rock have been precipitated from the crest of a mountain, and on these other masses have been hurled, which in their descent have splintered those beneath into gigantic fragments.”
Indeed, the craggy landscape at Aluvihare is much more dominating and dramatic than at most rock temples, as Roland Raven-Hart, writing in Ceylon: History in Stone (1964), was aware: “Ceylon specialises in rock temples: none, I think, surpass this one in extravagant beauty – not placid elegance but a Durer landscape. And this because most of the rock temples nest confidingly like swallows under the overhang of rounded boulders: here huge sharp-edged gneiss rocks were thrown one on another when a baby giant tired of his toys, and the buildings cower below them.”
There have been many descriptions of Aluvihare down the years, no doubt because the awesome rocks have proved so fascinating to so many visitors. Reginald Farrer, for instance, writes In Old Ceylon (1909): “Beneath the golden gloom of the boughs the little track winds upwards towards more open ground; and then, amid the verdure, the boulders leap into sight – enormous cliffs and peaks, into which huddle and cling the buildings of the monastery that was once a vast abbey of scholars. Between two vast blocks of stone is an alley-way, and on either side are carved into the living rock the monastic dwellings of Aluvihare. At the farther end a flight of rock-cut steps goes winding upwards among the boulders to where, on the topmost pinnacle, a small snow-white dagoba is perched. From its narrow platform one looks down over all the undercliff of blocks about its base.”
Aluvihare is one of the most important cultural sites in Sri Lanka, for it was here in the 1st century BC that the Buddhist doctrines -comprising the Tripitikaya or “three baskets of the law,” along with the commentaries - were first transcribed after having been handed down orally for several centuries. This transcription was carried out for fear that the doctrine would be lost during the upheaval caused by repeated South Indian invasions. It is said that 500 scholarly monks congregated at Aluvihare to perform the onerous task of first reciting the doctrines and agreeing on an acceptable version before writing them down. Where they assembled for the work is a puzzle, as the only flat area available does not accommodate so many. No doubt most perched on rock ledges and in rock crevices.
Once agreement had been reached the process of transcribing began. The doctrines were written in the Pali language on long, thick strips created from the leaves of either the palmyra or talipot-palm. These strips, called olas, were prepared for use by drying, boiling and drying again. Then they were flattened and finally glazed. A metal stylus was used to inscribe the elaborate characters on the olas. Remarkably, it was held stationary while the ola was moved in order to produce the lettering. The inscribed characters were then rubbed with a black substance so that they became highly visible. The leaves were then strung together and bound between decorative wooden covers.
Probably one senior monk renowned for his knowledge of the doctrines would have slowly recited them, while monk-scribes wielded their styli and positioned the olas. The others monks would almost certainly have been involved in discussion when occasional questions of interpretation arose. The process of transcription must have taken many years, for the doctrines alone are said to be 11 times the length of the Bible, and that’s not counting the commentaries.


The library at Aluvihare, which had safely housed the volumes of this precious manuscript for so many centuries, was totally destroyed by the British during the Matale Rebellion of 1848. Along with it went much of the rest of the temple complex. This came about when the British pursued a notorious rebel leader to a hiding place in the rock caves nearby, and then set about punishing the neighbourhood. The consequences of this sacrilege are still evident today, for since that time generations of monks have been painstakingly rewriting the Tripitika. As there are only a few monks involved it is taking an extraordinarily long time – the first of the three “baskets of the law” was only completed in 1982.
The tranquility of Aluvihare is in contrast to the better-known and more frequented rock temple at nearby Dambulla with its numerous caves shrines. Aluvihare has many caves, too, with ancient inscriptions, comparatively modern wall and ceiling paintings of interest, and impressive images of the Buddha. The main cave, for instance, has a large reclining statue of the Buddha 10m long, together with standing and seated images. In the vestibule of another cave with a reclining statue of the Buddha there are terrifying depictions of the hellish afterlife that awaits sinners. Some of these unfortunate beings are shown having their eyes pecked out by crows, being disembowelled, dismembered and impaled on spikes.
One cave is dedicated to the revered Indian monk-scholar Buddhagosa, who resided at Anuradhapura but is supposed to have spent several years here during the 4th/5th centuries AD. Buddhagosa, whose name means The Voice of Buddha, was regarded as the greatest exponent and interpreter of the Pali canonical scriptures. Born in North India, he was ordained as a monk and travelled to the island, settling at the Mahavihare at Anuradhapura, where he spent most of life studying the scriptures and writing. His greatest achievements were the new status he gave to Pali scholarship and the development of a coherent and systematic Theravada Buddhist school of thought.
Don’t forget to climb up to the dagoba on top of the rock just beyond the cave temples. From this vantage point there are excellent views of the dramatic topography of the North Central Province, with its expansive plain and scattered, blue-hued rock escarpments.
Visitors to Sri Lanka who take the opportunity of witnessing some of the island’s varied Buddhist temples will come away with many positive impressions. The pervasive spiritual atmosphere is one such impression, which Aluvihare has in quantity. Another abiding impression is of the neatness and cleanliness of temples, epitomised by the monk who sweeps the ubiquitous sand with geometric precision yet intricate design. Raven-Hart believed that Aluvihare was “exceptionally tidy, so much so that my footprints seemed intrusions, and I felt like asking for a palm-leaf branch to sweep them away.”

pancavasa (biso maligawa)

                                           biso maligawa

     pics of biso maligawa

This Pancavasa located in the Abayagiri Monastery in Anuradhapura, now commonly known as Biso Maligaya or the queen’s palace for no apparent reason is most famous for the moonstone found in the main flight of stairs on the centre building. This moonstone is considered one of the the best and most well preserved moonstone in this era. This moonstone is believed to be belonging to the 7-8 th Centauries. HELLO

A second moonstone with equal artistic quality can be found on a entrance to a building behind the Ratnaprasada.
The outer edge is designed with a ring of flames and below that is a ring filled with 4 types of animals – The elephant, the horse, the lion, and the bull. The next is a circle of a floral pattern (“liyawela”). Next is a line of swans with a twig of flower and a leaf on their mouth. Next is again a floral pattern and at the centre is lotus with petals all around the semi circle on the moonstone .
The meanings of this combination of patterns are debated widely. One interpretation is that the out ring of fire represents the never ending life and the pains associated with it. The four animals represent the four noble truths (“Chathurarya Sathya”) of Buddha. It is said that the swan can separate out milk from a mixture of water and milk. Therefore once a person realizes the four noble truths they can have true understanding of good and bad. They are capable of filtering out the good just like the swan filters out milk. Once you do that you are capable of attaining the “Nibbana” represented by the lotus.
Another interesting fact is that the bull in the moonstones was apparently dropped in the Pollonnaruwa era (see Vatadage in Pollonnaruwa) . Moonstones in this era lack this symbol and sometimes the bull can be found on a higher pedestal on the sides of an entrance. This is thought to be the influence of Hindus. The bull is a sacred animal to the Hindus and trampling of this symbol was probably disrespectful.

Driving Directions to Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura can be reached through many routes from Colombo. The two main routes are through Puttlam (Puttalama) and though Kurunegala. Traveling from Puttlam you will pass scenic Wilpattu area. the From Kurunegala there are two main routes to Anuradhapura. The most common route is through Dambulla. The other route is though Galgamuwa. Out of all the routes, the commonly used is the Kurunegala - Dambulla route (Route 2)..

Route 01 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route 02 from Colombo to Anuradhapura
Though : Negambo - Chillaw - Puthlam distance from colombo :213 km Travel time : 3 hours Driving directions : see on google map	Through : Ambepussa - Kurunegala - Dambulla distance from Colombo : 221 km Travel time : 3.15 hours Driving Directions : see on google maps
Route 03 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route from Kandy to Anuradhapura
Though : Ambepussa - Kurunegala - Padeniya - Thambuthegama distance from colombo :213 km Travel time : 3 hours Driving directions : see on google map	Though : Katugastota - Matale - Dambulla distance from colombo :139 km Travel time : 2 hours Driving directions : see on google map

 

 

 

 

 

sinharaja rainforest

                                                                                Sinharaja rain forest                        


 




The sinharaja rainforest  is the only undisturbed rainforest left in sri lanka. it is about 9000 hectares in extent. many of the plants are very rare. over 60% of the tree species are found only in the lowland wet zone of sri lanka. if these species of trees were allowed to get destroyed, the world would lose them altogether. so it is important that much effort is made to conserve this rich, valuable and fragile habitat.

the sinharaja rainforest is the largest rainforest reserve in sri lanka. in 1840 sinharaja became a crown property. in1988 the sinharaja was made a national wilderness area. in1989 UNESCO included the sinharaja forest in the world heritage list, as the first national heritage of sri lanka.

the sinharaja forest is home to many reare animals, birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles and trees. ferns and mosses grow well as the climate is humid because of heavy rainfall.
 

Jump to: navigation, search

Ancient City of Sigiriya *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Sri Lanka
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, iv
Reference	202
Region **	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	1982 (6th Session)
Location of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Sigiriya (Lion's rock, Sinhalese - සීගිරිය) is a town with a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Central Province, Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos),^[1] which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. It is one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.
Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric times. It was used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees of the Buddhist Sangha. According to the chronicles as Mahavamsa the entire complex was built by King Kashyapa (477 – 495 CE), and after the king's death, it was used as a Buddhist monastery until 14th century.