sevenby3

Kathaluwa Ranwella Temple - I

2026-11-02T06:38:00.000-08:00

Kathaluwa Ranwella and Giniwella temples are twin temples in adjoining sites. IT appears to be that they have started as a single temple in 1820s and were later split due to sectorial disputes. Giniwella temple is today known as Nawamuni Vihara. Ranwella temple housed the first (or one of the earliest) Sinhala press in Sri Lanka ans published the first (or one of the earliest) Sinahala news paper / news letter called "Lankalokaya". The British made letter press was a donation by the then king of Thailand.

Octagonal Image House - This is an unusual form for a Buddhist temple images house in Sri Lanka.

Priests' residence

Press - The library block that housed the press caught fire (some suspected it was an arson) some time back. This plaque commemorate the refurbishment work done with the contributions from the Thai embassy.

Original press after refurbishments

"Lankalokaya" news paper

It appears to be that following elements are shared by the two temples. This area can be accessed from both temples. Though there are gated walls, the gates are open.

Stupa - It is interesting to see that 'Thorana' structure state this as a 'Mausoleum' in English.

Bo tree ('Bodhigara')

Another buildign which we did not visit

Location 8 - Ranwella Temple,Kathaluwa

Photos - Author

Building Livable Cities 2010

2026-10-31T23:16:00.000-07:00

It is evident that India is slowly but steadily started the dialog on urban sustainability and now the livability iitself. who would have thought this 10 years back. Most people then, would have in fact taken India as the proof of impossibility of such things in this part of the world.

Building Livable Cities is a multi city investigation on ideas that can make Indian cities Livable. This year theme is Environmental Sustainability. As part of the initiative , The EcoCities India symposiums will take place in 5 cities – Bangalore , Mumbai , Delhi , Chennai ,and Ahmedabad between Oct 18-22. The “Urban Visioning“Program titled the Blueprint featuring the urban visions of a number of leading Indian architects will be showcased at the symposiums. The outcome will be presented in a book where a call for contribution was announced. The series will also be podcasted.

Building Livable Cities 2010: Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai
Link

Kathaluwa Poorwarama Viharaya, Galle - IV

2026-10-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Kathaluwa Poorwarama Viharaya, Galle - III

2026-10-26T08:16:25.514-07:00

Kathaluwa Poorwarama Viharaya, Galle - II

2026-10-21T08:04:03.645-07:00

Interior

Wall Paintings

Kathaluwa Poorwarama Temple, Galle - I

2026-10-16T10:43:17.472-07:00

Image House

Preaching Hall

Stupa

Library

Priests' Abode

Ancillary Building

Wall Paintings - 1

Location 7 - Kathaluwa Poorwarama Temple

Photos: Author

Book: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino (book #38)

2026-10-04T21:35:53.347-07:00

Invisible Cities (Italian: Le città invisibili) is a celebrated 1972 postmodern novel by the Italian writer Italo Calvino^[1].

Rather than following a traditional narrative plot, the book is structured as a series of prose poems and dialogues. It consists of a frame story featuring the aging Mongol emperor Kublai Khan and the Venetian explorer Marco Polo. As they sit in the emperor's gardens, Polo describes 55 fictitious cities from across his vast travels ^[2][3][4].

The Core Concept

The cities Marco Polo describes are surreal, magical, and impossible. For instance:

Isaura: A city built over a subterranean lake where the culture and religion revolve entirely around wells and drawing water.
Armilla: A city that features absolutely no walls or floors—only a labyrinth of vertical and horizontal plumbing pipes.
Octavia: A "spider-web" city suspended precariously over a deep precipice.

As the conversations progress, it becomes increasingly clear that these places are not literal locations. Instead, they serve as philosophical allegories for human nature, memory, time, and language. Ultimately, Polo reveals that every single fantastical description is merely a different facet or reflection of his own native home, Venice.

Structure and Organization

The book is famous for its intricate, mathematical organization influenced by the Oulipo literary movement. The 55 city vignettes are split across nine chapters and meticulously categorized into 11 thematic groups, which include:

Cities & Memory
Cities & Desire
Cities & Signs
Thin Cities
Trading Cities
Cities & Eyes
Cities & Names
Cities & the Dead
Cities & the Sky
Continuous Cities
Hidden Cities

(Gemini AI generated content)

Book

Hiththatiya Rajamaha Viharaya, Matara

2026-10-03T08:20:35.402-07:00

Polwatta Gangaramaya, Weligama Imagehouse II

2026-10-03T08:19:50.352-07:00

Polwatta Gangaramaya, Weligama Imagehouse I

2026-09-25T23:18:42.679-07:00

Location 5 - Polwatta Temple

Photos: author

Key Aspects of Design (book #37)

2026-09-22T01:42:00.000-07:00

Places for People – to be loved places must be safe, comfortable, varied and attractive. They also need to be distinctive, offer variety, choice and fun. Vibrant places provide opportunities both to socialise and to watch the world go by.
Enrich the Existing – places should enrich the qualities of existing urban places. Whatever the scales new developments should respond to and complement their settings.
Make Connections – places must be easy to get to and well integrated both physically and visually with their surroundings so people can move around without effort.
Work with the landscape – places should use the site’s intrinsic resources – climate, landform, landscape and ecology – to minimize energy use.
Mix Use and forms – stimulating, enjoyable and convenient places meet a variety of demands from the widest possible ranges of users, amenities and social groups.
Manage the investment – for places to be successful they must be economically viable, well managed and maintained.
Design for change – places must be flexible enough to respond to future changes in use, lifestyle and demography.

Quoted from "the Urban design Compendium"
Link

Kasagala Temple, Image House II

2026-09-21T08:46:36.937-07:00

Photos: Author

Kasagala Temple, Image House I

2026-09-21T08:40:30.519-07:00

No 2: Kasagala

Photos: Author

Kasagala

Naigala Temple, Image House

2026-09-19T20:53:32.256-07:00

No 1 - Naigala

Photo: Author

Naigala

Mulkirigala IV (Cave Temple)

2026-09-18T09:59:40.548-07:00

No 3: Mulgirigala

Photos: Author

Mulkirigala I

Mulkirigala II

Mulkirigala III

Mulkirigala is also known as Mulgirigala (There is another Mulgirigala in Puttalam district)

Wikipedia

Willaddara Old Temple, Beliatta

2026-09-18T04:50:15.349-07:00

Photos: Author

Dambulla Cave V (Devana Alut Vihara)

2026-08-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Dambulla Cave Temple - Wikipedia,

Asian Historical Architecture - Cave 5

Photos: Author

Dambulla Cave IV (Paschima Vihara)

2026-08-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Dambulla Cave Temple - Wikipedia

Asian Historical Architecture - Cave 4

Photos: Author

Dambulla Cave III (Maha Alut Vihara)

2026-08-02T03:25:17.096-07:00

Dambulla Cave Temple - Wikipedia,

Asian Historical Architecture - Cave 3

Photos: Author

Dambulla Cave II (Maharaja Vihara): Wall and Ceiling Paintings

2026-07-25T20:18:25.029-07:00

Dambulla Cave Temple - Wikipedia,

Asian Historical Architecture - Cave 2

Photos: Author

Dambulla Cave II (Maharaja Vihara)

2026-07-25T19:53:16.580-07:00

Dambulla Cave Temple - Wikipedia,

Asian Historical Architecture - Cave 2

Photos: Author

Dambulla Cave I (Devaraja Lena)

2026-07-19T02:39:37.544-07:00

Dambulla Cave Temple - Wikipedia,

Asian Historical Architecture - Cave 1

Photos: Author

Prelude to State - R. A. L. H. Gunawardana (book #36)

2026-07-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

First Published

Gunawardana, R. A. L. H., 1982. Prelude to the state: an early phase in the evolution of political institutions in ancient Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Journal of Humanities VIII ed. Peradeniya: University of Peradeniya.

Re publication ( subtitles within the text included)

Gunawardana, R. A. L. H., 2000. Prelude to the state: an early phase in the evolution of political institutions in ancient Sri Lanka. In: Gunawardana, R. A. L. H., Pathmanathan, S. & Rohanadeera, M., eds. Reflection s on a Heritage: Historical Scholarship on Premodern Sri Lanka ed. Colombo: Central Cultural Fund.

Link

Sigiriya

2026-06-29T04:21:47.992-07:00

Western (Tourist) Entrance

Inscription

Circling around the rock

Golden Thelambu Tree (Sterculia Foetida)

North Entrance (not conserved)

Less famous frescos of Sigiriya

Town Planning in Colombo: A Preliminary Report by Patrick Geddes (1921) (book #35)

2026-05-28T21:33:22.934-07:00

Refer the report