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Cultural sites |
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| Kandy |
Visitor statistics prove that no visit to Sri Lanka is complete without a visit to Kandy. After Colombo city, Kandy is the is the most popular destination for foreign visitors and with good reason too. The last seat of the Sinhalese Kings, who ceded power to the British in 1815 after many a battle with the western colonial forces, Kandy retains much of the old charm and tradition of the Sri Lankan life style.
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Among the most picturesque cities in the island, the importance of Kandy is mainly due to being the home of the Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Tooth- which houses the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha. Here visitors can observe the ancient traditions of drumming and sacred chanting in honour of the Tooth Relic, being performed several times each day.
Kandy is also the venue of the Esala Perehera, easily the most colourful pageant of Asia , held in July/August each year, in honour of the Tooth Relic. As the pageantry of the Esala Perehera unfolds through ten nights each yea, the city takes on the air of a torch-lit dreamland, complete with a hundred or more colourfully caparisoned elephant, drummers and dancers, and chieftains in the rare colourful trappings of the old kingdom. The city is a monastic centre of Buddhism with two biggest monastries- the Malwatte and Asgiriya temples located here.Around the city are several other Buddhist Temples with special attractions for the visitor looking for the cultural traditions of Sri Lanka .
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The Rock Temple at Degaldoruwa has beautiful Buddhist frescoes of the 17th Century, while the Lankatilleke and Gadaladeniya temples are unique examples of the Buddhist construction in brick and stone during the same period. The shrine to a hindu deity at Embekke is the best extant example of the wood carvings of the Kandyan period. Another temple well known for its frescoes is the one at Ranawana.
The numerous smaller temples that dot the Kandyan landscape are places of unusual calm and peace, where one could still discover the close link between |
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the temple and the village, which was the mainstay of the Sinhalese social organization.
The Kandyan areas are where the crafts of the Sinhalese have been best kept alive. From the art of mat weaving at Dumbara, to the silver craftsman at Nattaranpotha, and wood carves of Embekke, the Kandyan craftsman produce the exquisite material which makes up the most sought after souvenirs of Sri Lanka.
Your progress through the winding streets of Kandy could often be obstructed by a tame elephant, carrying its load of palm leaves for its daily lunch, or an elephant stopping at a wayside tea kiosk for a bunch of bananas. The Elephant Bath, at the Mahaveli River near Katugastota is where the many domesticated elephants come for their daily bath. A must to keep the elephants happy. (One word of caution though. If you wish to have your photograph taken on an elephants back at this place, make sure to agree on the price first, and better still, have your local guide with you. The elephants are friendly enough, but the mahouts (or elephant handlers) are much more calculating).
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After the Temple of the Tooth, the most famous landmark of Kandy is its lake, in the centre of the city. The old building at its edge near the Temple of the Tooth was the Queen's Bath. On the other side of the Temple of the Tooth, housed in part of the former royal palace, is the Kandy Museum which houses excellent bits from Kandyan period of Sri Lanka 's history.
The Kandy Market is a great bazaar full of thesounds of exciting trade and bargaining. The stalls are full to overflowing with fresh vegetables, spices and fruits.
Nearby Kandy, at Peradeniya, is the Royal Botanic Garden, part of which was the pleasure garden of the last queen of Kandy. |
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Later the Botanic Garden was the operational headquarters of Lord Mountbatten, who was Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces of the South East Asia Command, during the Second World War.
The Peradeniya Garden.is easily one of the best of its kind in the world. The many beautiful avenues will lead one to sections which provide a burst of tropical colour. The great lawns highlight huge tropical huge trees, while you will be surprised at the variety of Bamboo that can be found in one place.
The best attraction of the Garden is the Orchid House, which has more than 300 varieties of exquisite orchids from the rare indigenous Foxtail and Vesak orchids, to many natural and hybrid species which have made this one of the best known orchid centres of the world.
A Spice Garden gives you a first hand introduction to the trees, plants and creepers that produce the special spices of Sri Lanka. The Herbarium grows many of the plants used for the traditional Ayurvedia pharmacopoeia.
Kandy has good accommodation in several hotels and guest houses located in and around the city. There is traditional entertainment in the way of performances of Kandyan Dancing, and traditional drumming. Plenty of gem shops offer good quality gems, while the silver craftsmanship is of the highest quality. Your travel agent of hotel could arrange special performances of Kandyan Dancing, as well take you to places where you can see the Kandyan craftsman demonstrate their traditional skills. |
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| Dambulla |
Like Sigiriya, Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass, which houses a rock temple (formerly caves). Some of its frescoes are over 2,000 years old - and there is a colossal figure of the recumbent Buddha carved out of the rock, some 14 metres long.
(Distance from Colombo: 148 km) |
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| Sigiriya |
This rock fortress was a royal citadel for more than 18 years. In a sheltered pocket, approached by a spiral stairway are the famous frescoes. The summit of the rock, with an area of nearly one hectare was the site of the old palace - the outer wall of which was built on the very brink of the precipice. The UNESCO - sponsored Central Cultural Fund has restored Sigiriya's 5th Century Water Gardens to its former glory.
(Distance from Colombo: 169 km)
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| Anuradhapura |
One of the most important places of worship at Anuradhapura is The Sri Maha Bodhi, the oldest historically documented tree in the world, dating back to over 2000 years with clear documentation.
This Bodhi Tree (Ficus Religiosa) has been grown from the same tree under which the Siddhartha Gautama, meditated until he attained enlightenment and Buddhahood, more than
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2500 years ago, at Buddhagaya in India.
The sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi was brought to Sri Lanka as a gift from the Emperor Asoka of India, shortly after the introduction of Buddhism to the country by the Arahat Mahinda, the son of Asoka. The person chosen to bring the bodhi sapling was Sangmittha, the daughter of Asoka.
Through the centuries the Sri Maha Bodi has been venerated by Buddhists in Sri Lanka and the world over. Successive kings have taken steps to protect it, as seen by the several retaining walls around it. Today it is looked after as a national treasure by botanists, specially appointed by the Government. The gilded fence around it known as the Ran Veta, is a recent offering made through public contribution.
Devotees make many offerings to the Sri Maha Bodhi. The most common are the prayer flags which are hung on its branches.
Sri Lanka's ancient cities are also the centres of the irrigation works of the past. Massive reservoirs built to collect rain water, river diversions, giant aqueducts and miles long irrigation channels are proof of a civilization highly developed in the science of irrigation, hydraulics and water management.
Most of these ancient irrigation works such as the Tissa Wewa, Bas –Awakkulama ans Nuwara Wewa at Anuradhpura : the massive Parakrama Samudra or Sea of Parakrama, Giritale and Minneriya in the Polonnaruwa region, the Kalawewa and Balaluwewa still provide water to irrigate the rice fields of the rice farmers of the dry zone in Sri Lanka . |
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