Travel Sites

Poson Festival

2012-05-31T23:51:00.001-07:00

Poson Festival

Sri Lanka was converted to Budhism in the 3rd century BC. The Poson Festival commemorates this special event in the history. It was in this ancient city of Mihintale in the year 247BC that Arahant Mahinda, supposedly the son of Emperor Asoka of India, converted King Devanampiyatissa of Anuradhapura to Buddhism. According to legendry the king was hunting deer, when Arahant Mahinda appeared to him in a grove and asked him a riddle about a mango tree. After the king had successfully answered the riddle, he agreed to follow the teachings of the Buddha and declared it state religion. With the legendry, Mihintale has become the main site of activities during the Poson Festival.

Wesak Festivals

2012-05-14T06:37:00.002-07:00

Wesak festival in Sri Lanka

Wesak is the biggest festival in Sri Lanka after the Sinhalese new year festival. Not only Sri Lankan Buddhists, but Buddhists in all over the world celebrate it. Celebration customs can be different from one country to another, but the meaning of the festival is same everywhere. With this short article, I’m going to tell you some Wesak festival customs in Sri Lanka and how Sri Lankan Buddhist people celebrate it.

Every year full moon day of May, Buddhists celebrate lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death (parinirvana). This festival called “Wesak” in Sri Lanka. Usually Sri Lankan people get two days holiday for this Buddhist festival. Here are some customs of it. Before few days of the festival, people start to build Wesak lanterns. They look like the one you see above. But have different colors and shapes. What you see above is the most common Wesak lantern that you can see in Sri Lanka. If you need to see more lanterns, please Google it.

Other than these lanterns, people decorate their homes by colorful paper buckets, bulbs, oil lamps and flowers. If you go to streets, there are more bigger lanterns and big light decorations called “thorana” in Sri Lankan language. Those are made by town councils, city councils, temples or groups of people. You can go to see these big lanterns and light decorations for free. However if you like, also can give them some money as a contribution.

On the Wesak day, All Buddhist temples have special programs. Lot of people go to participate for them. Few times, when I was in Sri Lanka, I also participated. Mostly these programs conducted by elderly monks and teach participants to meditate and give lectures about Buddhism. There’s another Wesak custom in Sri Lanka, it is free food and drinks giveaways. Most of the time, groups of people organize this kinda Wesak campaigns. In the evening or at night, all Buddhist people go to temples and honor their spiritual teacher, “Lord Buddha” by offering flowers, lighting oil lamps and incense.

Wesak Day 2012 in Asia Celebration!

The Buddhist festival of Wesak (also commonly written Vesak) is one of the biggest religious celebrations in Asia! Colorfully decorated temples, beautifully adorned women, white-robed devout Buddhists, fragrant flowers, decked up statues of the Buddha and the soft chanting of hymns: this is just a bit of what Wesak day is actually like!
Start here to prepare your itinerary to Asia for Wesak Day! If you’re looking to embrace your inner positivity and release negative energy and remind yourself that life, like everything else, has a sell by date, then you definitely want to be in Asia during the Wesak Day festival!

What’s Wesak Day?

As a tourist in Asia, you might not be aware of the significance of Wesak Day to the Buddhists. Buddhism, being one of the key religions of the Southeast, has one very special day that commemorates the birth, the enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. Wesak day is also commonly known as Buddha’s Birthday, or Buddha Day.
To the Buddhists, this day is a big deal, which is why devout Buddhists opt to wear complete white and reach the temple before dawn to hoist the Buddhist flag as well as to sing hymns that honor the triple gem; The Buddha, The Dharma (His Teachings) and The Sangha (His Disciples).

Wesak Day, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2012

On Wesak Day, temples are thronged not only by Buddhists but also tourists keen to see and experience the incredible peace associated with the concept of Buddhism. If you’re going to be in Asia during Wesak 2012, you might want to be a part of this festival which requires abstaining from killing any animals (even insects) and drinking.
This festival is all about peace, bringing happiness to other people and paying homage to the teachings of the Buddha, which is why all tourists are expected to maintain a sense of decorum in the temples as well as the city during the festival!

Wesak Lanterns

On Wesak Day, one traditional is similar through the countries of Asia where Buddhism is practiced: that of placing a statue of the baby Buddha-to-be, Prince Siddhardha, in a basin brimming with water and decorated with flowers. Generally, the devotees pour water over this statue, to signify removal of bad karma as well as to re-enact the events that occurred when the Buddha was born.

Wesak Day, Borobudur, Indonesia

Which Asian Countries Celebrate Wesak Day?

Almost all Asian countries whose people follow Buddhism celebrate Wesak Day. As a tourist, you might even come across Wesak day without knowing what it is! This is because different countries have different names for Wesak Day! Let’s take a look at these:

Cambodia – Vesak Bochea
Laos – Vixakha Bouxa
Thailand – Wisakha Bucha
Malaysia – Hari Wesak
Singapore – Vesak Day
Nepal – Buddha Jayanti
Japan – Hanamatsuri
Korea: Seokka Tanshin-il
Indonesia – Waisak
Bangladesh – Bud-dho Joyonti
Vietnam: Phat Dan

Vesak Decorations, Hue, Vietnam
Tibet: Saga Dawa

Wesak Day Food!

If you’re in Asia for the Buddha’s Birthday, don’t forget to visit the Buddhist temples and partake of the scrumptious vegetarian cuisine! Meat is not allowed on Wesak Day, as slaughtering of all animals is forbidden. Forget the lamb chops, and embrace the mixed vegetable curry on this day!

Wesak Day Celebrations All Over Asia

Wesak Day is celebrated all over Asia with pomp and splendor. If you’re in Asia in the month of June this year, you might want to check out the amazing celebrations and festivals that commemorate the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha.

Wesak Day

Let’s take a look at how some of the Asian countries celebrate Wesak Day!

Wesak Day in Japan

Falling on April 8^th, Wesak Day in Japan is celebrated in all Buddhist temples. This day is also known as the Flower Festival, as devotees fill the temples with fresh, fragrant flowers to remember how the Buddha was born. After arrival at the temples, devotees pour ama cha, which is a special tea from the juices of Hydrangea flowers on the statue of the baby Buddha. Programs involving talks on the Buddha’s teachings are also organized.

Hanamatsuri (Wesak Day), Japan

Wesak Day Festivals in Malaysia

In Malaysia, Wesak day festivals are always vivid and colorful! Saffron robed monks chanting sutras, lit up joss and incense sticks lending sweet fragrance to the air, donations of alms to the poor: Buddhists in Malaysia go all out to celebrate the day in style and ruminate over the Eight Precepts, following it all up with a candle procession! Wesak Day in Malaysia is a public holiday, so if you’re here, you may find the shopping areas of your choice closed for the day!

Wesak Day, Malaysia

Wesak Day in Sri Lanka

There’s perhaps no country in Asia where Wesak Day is celebrated with as much vigor as it is in Sri Lanka! One of the best Asian countries where tourists can view Wesak Day and all its symbolisms, Sri Lanka celebrates this day with a week-long festival of religious and cultural events!
Giving of alms is encouraged, while all butcheries and places that sell alcohol are closed. Toranas, which are lit to tell a story from the 550 Life Stories of the Buddha, dot many locations within Sri Lanka, and almost every home and shop has lit lanterns at the doors which symbolize the light of enlightenment (nirvana).

Wesak Day 2012 Dates for Different Asian Countries

Traditionally, Wesak day is meant to be celebrated according to the lunar system, which is why the date changes every year. It’s supposed to be on the first full moon day of the month of Visakha (Indian calendar), which translates into different days for different Asian countries that do not follow the Gregorian calendar. Some countries, like Japan, have a fixed date for Wesak Day while for most Asian countries; the lunar cycle dictates the day! Let’s take a look at when Wesak Day 2012 will happen in Buddhist countries in Asia!

8^th April 2012 – Japan
28^th April 2012 – China
5^th May 2012 – Singapore, Laos, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma)
6^th May 2012 – Indonesia, Nepal and India
4^th June 2012 – Thailand

Anuradhapura In Srilanka

2012-05-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

Anuradhapura

The city of Anuradha was founded in the 5th century BCE and remained the capital of Sri Lanka for 1400 years. The city is surrounded by four large reservoirs the largest of which is the Nuvaravava. The Tissavava now provides the modern city of Anuradhapura with its drinking water. All the reservoirs are fed by a channel constructed in the 4th century CE which leads water from the Kalavapi River about 50 miles from the city. Like Lhasa, Kyoto, Xian and several other ancient Buddhist capitals, Anuradhapura was a city surrounded by and to some degree dwarfed by a number of huge monasteries and several other smaller ones. The history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka up to the 13th century is to a very large extent the history of Anuradhapura's three great monasteries: the Mahavihara, the Abhayagiri and the Jetavana. The Mahavihara or Great Monastery was founded by Venerable Mahinda himself and Theravadins in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia even today subscribe to the Mahavihara's interpretation of the Pali Tipitaka.

The ruins of the Mahavihara consist of a collection of 13 complexes covering a wide area. Unfortunately in the 19th century the town of Anuradhapura was built mainly over these ruins and many of them were damaged. In about the year 249 a new teaching from India called the Vetullavada was being enthusiastically advocated at the Abhayagiri. Some 300 of its monks disagreed so strongly with certain of the principles of this new teaching that they broke away and formed themselves into a new sect called the Sagalikas after their leader Sagala, a renowned scholar. King Mahasena appropriated some land owned by the Mahavihara and built these monks a monastery which was named Jetavana after the famous monastery in Savatthi where the Buddha used to live. The Jetavana stupa was the biggest ever built anywhere and their image house was the most impressive ever built in Sri Lanka. It seems that the Sagalikas were more liberal that the Mahaviharans but not as radical as the Abhayagiri.
By the 9th century continual pressure from south India meant that Anuradhapura was no longer safe as a capital and political power gradually shifted to Polonnaruwa. But the city continued to be religiously important for at least another 200 years but eventually it died and was buried by the jungle. Although Anuradhapura was abandoned for a thousand years its sacred shrines were never forgotten. A few lone monks lived among the ruins and looked after the continual trickle of pilgrims who came. With the advent of the British and the general improvement in roads and the construction of bridges pilgrimage became much easier and for the first time in centuries large numbers of people started coming again. In 1834, Lt. Skinner who accompanied the governor on his inspection tour to Anuradhapura wrote. "The road from Kandy through Matale and Dambulla was crowded with pilgrims on their way to the Sacred Bodhi Tree". When he reached the ruins of the old city it was perfectly alive with people’. The Thuparama was a jumble of pillars and stones while the Great Stupa was little more that a steep-sided mound covered with thick jungle. Many places could not be identified at all. In 18xxx Anuradhapura was made a district capital and in 1904 the railway arrived. The sheer size and splendor of the structures that were uncovered began to awaken in Sri Lankans a pride in their past. The inspiration of Anuradhapura played a significant role in the independence movement and a renewed confidence in their religion.

Mayura Pirivena

On the southern side of the Bodhi Tree are the ruins of the Mayura Pirivena first built by King Buddhadasa. It was here that Buddhaghosa resided during his stay in Sri Lanka. Buddhaghosa was the Indian monk who was invited to the island to update, systemize and render into Pali all the ancient Sinhala commentaries. In doing so he also turned Theravada has into a single monolithic system. Buddhaghosa's famous Visuddhimagga, his compendium of the doctrine, remains to this day the most widely read and studied of all Theravadin writings and his commentaries are the standard by which Theravadin orthodoxy is judged. Buddhaghosa himself described the Mayura Pirivena as "beautifully appointed, agreeably endowed, with cool shade and with an ample water supply". Today only a few calved pillars remain of the Mayura Pirivena and other parts of it may still lie buried under the nearby bungalow.

The Sri Maha Bodhi

After the first Sri Lankan youths were ordained, Anula, one of Devanampiyatissa's sub-queens and several other noblewomen expressed the desire to become nuns. According to the Vinaya women have to be ordained twice; once by monks and again by nuns and as no nuns had accompanied Mahinda to Sri Lanka a message was sent back to King Asoka requesting some nuns to come. With this message was also included a request for a cutting of the Bodhi Tree, the very tree at Bodh Gaya that the Buddha had sat under on the night he was enlightened. So it was that the following year a group of nuns led by Sanghamitta, the daughter of King Asoka, arrived in Sri Lanka with a cutting of the famous tree.

The original Bodhi Tree is on the left

On passing through the gate the pilgrim enters a large compound surrounded by a high thick wall made up of large rough cut stones. Some of these stones are placed on angle to create triangular holes in which lamps are burned during special festivals. This wall was built by King Kirti Sri Rajasingha after he received reports that elephants were damaging the Bodhi Tree. All the other buildings within the compound are recent and of no interest.

Along the north side of the wall is a line of steles recording donations that have been made to the Bodhi Tree over the years. In the middle of the compound are a series of terraces which one should ascend on the north side. The two guard stones at the foot of the stairs are particularly fine and to the right of it is a bronze statue of Sanghamitta donated by the Buddhists of Thailand. At the top of the stairs the pilgrim will see the highest and smallest terrace surrounded by a fence made of 18-carat gold. There are several shoots and branches of the Bodhi Tree but what is believed to be the original cutting brought from India can be seen on the north east side of the terrace supported by brightly painted crutches and with its trunk wrapped in yellow cloth.

The Brazen Palace

Leaving the northern gate of the Bodhi Tree the pilgrim will see on the right a veritable forest of stone pillars, forty rows of forty pillars each. This is the remains of the Brazen Palace or Lohapasada first built in the 3rd century BCE by King Tissa and later redesigned by Duthagamani as the chapter house for the Mahavihara. The Brazen Palace was nine stories high, with a thousand rooms and got its name from the sheets of gilt copper that covered its roof. Being made mainly of wood it burned down and rebuilt several times and restored for the last time by King Parakramabahu I.

The Refectory

Leaving the Brazen Palace and proceeding north along the path the pilgrim will see the foundations of a building off to the right. This is the remains of one of the Mahavihara's several refectories. With so many monks around Anuradhapura it was simply impossible for them all to be sustained by begging for alms so each monastery usually had huge dining rooms like this one below. Monks who were entitled to eat in such places were issued with wooden ration tickets.

A rice boat in the refectory

The main entrance leads to a large paved rectangular courtyard which was originally surrounded by a pillared verandah under which monks used to sit, probably on mats on the floor or on wooden benches. Note the drains where there would have been facilities for the monks to wash their bowls and their hands after their meals. Against the east wall of the refectory is a huge stone trough made of several pieces of stone so finally finished that they fit together perfectly. In the Mahavamsa such troughs are called rice boats. Steaming rice was tipped into these troughs and then doled out to monks as they lined up and walked passed with their bowls. It has been calculated that this particular trough would have held enough rice to fill 3,800 bowls.

The Great Stupa

Returning to the main path and continuing north the pilgrim soon arrives at the eastern entrance to the Sri Lanka's most sacred stupa. After Dutthaamani made himself king in 161 BCE he began an extravagant building program. His most ambitious project was a huge stupa which came to known as the Ruvanvalisaya or simply as Mahachatiya, the Great Stupa. Dozens of architects submitted designs for the stupa but one after the other these were rejected. Finally one architect when asked how he intended to design the monument called for a bowl of water, scooped up some of it and let it flow back into the bowl so that it formed a bubble. "I will make the dome of the stupa like that" he said and his design was accepted. Foundations of brick and stone more than 20 feet deep were laid and to make them more firm teams of elephants were repeatedly driven back and forward over them. Dutthagamini was determined that he should have all the merit from this work of piety for himself so he made sure that everyone who labored on it was well paid. As the stupa moved towards completion, Dutthagamini went into decline and it became clear that he would not live to see his masterpiece. Out of pity for the old monarch his brother and heir Saddhatissa had white cloth stretched over the uncompleted parts of the stupa; he was carried out to see it and then died thinking it was finished. When the Ruvanvalisaya was finally completed it was one of the wonders of the age; with a diameter of 294 feet at the base and a height of 300 feet. The famous stupa at Sanchi by comparison which was built at roughly the same time has a diameter of 120 feet and a height of 54 feet.

Mount the stairs to pass through the gatehouse of which only the pillars remain. Such gatehouses are at the four directions around this and all other stupa. Note on the right a trough where pilgrims could wash the dust of their feet before entering the sacred precincts. The retaining wall of the stupa's platform is made up of a line of elephants which although much restored are substantially the same as the originals. Climbing the stairs and passing through the inner gateway the pilgrim enters the vast paved courtyard. On the right end of this modern temple is an inscription of King Nissankamalla in beautifully inscribed letters. In it this monarch records some of the many good deeds he did to make himself popular with his subjects. He had himself, his son and queen weighed against gold and jewels and then gave it all to the poor. Proceeding further one will come to a kind of screen put up at the four cardinal points around stupas so as to serve as focal points for the worship. Flowers and lamps were offered here and garlands were hung on the hook-shaped protrusions. This first screen is a modern copy of the original. A little further along is a model of the Ruvanvalisaya. Popular legend says that this model was used as a guide for the architects when they were building the original; in fact it dates from about the 7th century. The next screen the pilgrim passes is an ancient one and may date from the time of the stupa's construction. Further along is a huge stone trough once used for holding water used for washing and refreshing flower offerings and now used for whitewash.

Thuparama

This elegant little stupa was the first such monument in Sri Lanka and was built by Devananpiya Tissa to enshrine the Buddha's collarbone. Being such a revered stupa the Thuparama often generously endowed by wealthy patrons and kings but not all the attention it received was welcomed. It is said that once the famous monk Jotipala pointed out to King Aggabodhi II that the Thuparama was in urgent need of repair. The king removed the relic but then kept putting off the promised repairs. Jotipala became convinced that the king had decided to keep the sacred relic for himself and it was only after threats of terrible dreams from Jotipala that the king finally repaired the stupa and more importantly, returned the relic. During a fierce power struggle between Dathopatissa and Aggabodhi III both parties looted monasteries in order to get funds to carry on their struggle and Aggabodhi even broke open the relic chamber of the Thuparama and stole the golden caskets and other treasure inside.

The stupa was originally paddy heap shaped but was rebuilt in the bell shaped form in the 19th century. It sits on a circular platform and is surrounded by four concentric circles of octagonal pillars each diminishing in height from the innermost circle. These pillars once supported the dome over the stupa which was built in the 6th century. The tallest pillars are 22 feet 10 inches long and are masterpieces of the stone mason’s art. At the entrance of the Thuparama is a very fine stone trough. This trough would have originally been placed under a spout which filled it with water and its undulating lip would have created numerous streams of water allowing many devotees to wash themselves at the same time. Just a little to the southeast of the entrance to the Thuparama are the remains of several of its subsidiary temples. The capitals on the pillars are shaped like vajras suggesting that at least during one period Tantra was practiced at the Thuparma. Wander around the back of the Thuparama and the pilgrim will see the ruins of an attractive temple and yet another stone medicine bath.

The Citadel

Leaving the Thuparama and proceeding east down the road the pilgrim will soon begin to walk passed the now barely discernible walls of Anuradhapura's citadel. These walls were 18 feet thick in parts and about 4 miles long. A smaller road turns off to the left and passes through what was once the main south gate of the citadel and roughly follows its main ancient north south thoroughfare, the famous Mangulmaha Street. Archeological investigation have shown that the gate had two entrances, one for incoming and another for outgoing traffic and that the road was 57 feet wide. The main gate to the city was on the eastern wall and its immense ruins are still visible.

The Temple of the Tooth

In a deep depression are the ruins of an unusual structure built on a cross plan and with numerous stone windows. This and several other structures in the area represent the remains of Anuradhapura's Temple of the Tooth, perhaps the most famous temple in the ancient Buddhist world. The Chinese pilgrim I-tsing mentions that a little before his time another Chinese monk had been so enamored by the Tooth that he actually tried to steal it. But the relic casket was attached to a kind of mechanical device so that when it was moved an alarm went off and all the doors closed. The monk was caught and was only saved from the most extreme punishment by his yellow robe. Apart from its sacred relic the Temple of the Tooth was also famous for the enormous ruby set on its highest spire. When Hiuen Tsiang was traveling down the east coast of India he was told that the red hue he could see in the sky towards evening was the light from this gem. This gem later passed into the hands of the kings and may have been the same as the one that Marco Polo was shown in the 13th century.

The Temple of the Tooth is built on a polygonal plan. The stone steps lead up to the entrance and inside is a small rectangular room with a altar in it. It is possible that this is where the Tooth was enshrined or perhaps where it was viewed by the public on special occasions. The small room is surrounded by a circumambulation passage which was lit from the light from 11 windows, the stone frames of which can still be see.

The Twin Ponds

Returning to the road and continuing to head north the pilgrim will eventually pass through what was the northern gate of the citadel and enter what was the southern edge of the Abhayagiri, the second of the three great monasteries around Anuradhapura. The opulence and splendor of this monastery is hinted at by the Twin Ponds, which the pilgrim will soon encounter. As several thousand monks and staff lived at the Abhayagiri proper bathing facilities were necessary and the Twin Pond is the most impressive of the several such baths in the monastery. The Twin Ponds date from the 8th century, the larger one being built first while the smaller one was added some time later. The larger pond is 132 feet long while the smaller one is 91 feet long and both are 51 feet wide. Each pond has a flight of stairs at each end as well as steps around their sides allowing that many people could bathe at the same time.

The stairs on the northern end of the Twin Ponds

The size of some of the stones and their finish is impressive. At the far end of the ponds the pilgrim will notice the sophisticated filtering device. Water flowed into the first part where sticks and leaves were trapped and then into the second part which allowed silt to settle before finally flowing into the pond via a dragon-headed spout. Next to this spout is an impressive naga stone. Nagas were mythical creatures who were believed to live in the watery depths and stones honoring them were always placed near sluices, fountains and waterspouts. The water then flowed from the smaller into the larger pond through a duct some way towards the bottom of pond. After being used for washing the water was carefully channeled out to the adjoining rice fields. Near the north west corner of the ponds is a spout where people washed their feet before bathing.

Samadhi Buddha

Continuing west along the road the pilgrim will come to a large and much weathered Buddha statue. This statue dates from about the 3rd century and may be the one Fa Hien mentioned seeing and that is sometimes referred to in the chronicles as The Great Stone Image. Excavation has shown that this statue was one of four that were originally placed with their backs to a Bodhi tree. Until recently the statue was surrounded by trees and covered with fallen leaves and moss and the occasional monkey would amble up and sit in its lap. It used to be a wonderful experience to suddenly come across the statue as one walked through the silent forest. Now the large restored nose, the barbed wire fence, the nearby toilet block and the trinket stalls means the statue is hardly worth a look. Just beyond the samadhi Buddha is the Abhayagiri’s massive stupa, now being repaired.

Moonstone

Further along the road from the stupa is a small temple with the most beautiful moonstone to be seen at Anuradhapura. Note the whimsical wide-eyed dwarfs on the stairs.

Ratnaprasada

This huge monastery was built by King Kanitthatissa for the monks of the Dhammarucikas, a sect that broke off from the Abhayagiri. The Mahavamsa tells us that Mahinda II repaired this monastery in the eighth century. At the left of the stairs leading to the monastery is an exceptionally fine guard stone. And on the left and a little further along is an immense pillar giving some idea of just how impressive this monastery must have once been.

Pavilion

A little beyond the Dhammaruchi Monastery is perhaps the most charming building to survive from ancient Sri Lanka. It is not known what this pavilion was for but I imagine that it was originally set in a beautiful garden and was used by monks for quite study or meditation.

The Jetavana Stupa

The Jetavana stupa, is the largest stupa in the Buddhist world in both its dimensions and its mass. It is 231 feet high up to its broken pinnacle and it has been calculated that it is made up of 160 million bricks. At present the stupa is being renovated although the work it likely to take many years.

Image House
This building with its entrance facing the stupa was the main image house of the Jetavana Monastery. The image, a standing Buddha at least 37 feet high, originally stood on a stone lotus pedestal and below it the pilgrim will see the numerous square chambers which contained the many precious stones and relics enshrined under the image. All the walls including the circumambulotry passage around the image would have been covered with paintings and the door frames must have once held enormous calved and gilt wooden doors.

Issarasamana

This temple started as a monastery, then became a part of a royal pleasure park and from its reoccupation during the 19th century became a monastery again. On the boulder above the back left hand corner of this pool is carved several elephants who look as if they are coming to bathe in the water. In the boulder above and a little to the left of the elephants is a niche in the rock in which there is a figure of a man in the 'royal ease pose' with a horse peering over his shoulder.

An enormous amount of ink has been used trying to explain what these figures represent. Whatever it’s meaning the figure shows distinct south Indian influence. Most of the sculpture in the temple's museum is of a secular nature. The most famous piece in the museum, usually called 'The Lovers'. It shows a young warrior (note the sword and shield behind him) with his arm around his girlfriend. She has her finger raised in admonishment, which seems to be coyly urging him to desist. The couple are wearing large earrings of the type that were popular between the 6th and the 8th centuries in Sri Lanka.

The Goldfish Park
If the pilgrim goes behind the Issarasamana to the bund of the Tissavava and walks along it a little to the north he or she will arrive at the Goldfish Park, the most well preserved of Anuradhapura's royal pleasure grounds. The park was situated below the Tissavava so that water could be channeled into its ponds and fountains. On the west side of the bath is an alcove with a stone couch in it. A curtain of water flowed over the entrance to the alcove. The second bath has a bolder on the west side of the path bath calved with images of elephants frolicking in amongst lotuses.

The line of rocks behind the two baths originally had pavilions All around the park are to be seen a highly sophisticated system of underground and overhead pipes, sluices and cisterns. When the baths were surrounding with flower beds and flowering trees and vines it must have been a particularly delightful place. One inscription says that after water comes out of the sluice it should be directed through the Goldfish Park, the plantain garden, the pond in the park and the water lilly pond. And then it is used to irrigate fields owned by the Issaramuni monastery. This is where Dutthagamani's only son prince Sali met the untouchable woman Asokamala and renounced the throne out of love for her. The park was 35 acres and was surrounded by a wall.

Isurumuniya Viharaya

Isurumuniya Temple

The Meghagiri Vihara is now commonly known as Isurumuniya Vihara or Isurumuniya. But the real Isurumuni Vihara is located few hundred metres away is now called Vessagiri Vihara.

Isurumuniya is most famous for the stone carving of a couple located there. This carved stone was found in the royal pleasure garden and brought here. There are many interpretations for this carving. HELLO THERE

Isurumuniya Lovers

The most popular is that this carving shows the prince Saliya (the son of the great king Dutugamunu) and his mistress Asokamala. Asokamala was of a lover cast called “Chandala” and the prince Saliya gave up the right to be the king by marrying this girl of a lower cast.

Bathing elephants above the water tank

Another belief is that this couple represent the god Siva and goddess Parvathi of Hindu belief.

The vihara also has another stone slab which depicts a court scene which is thought to be the court of king Dutugemunu. Both these stone slabs are thought to be originated in the 8th century.

The vihara itself is built on a rock and the sacred tooth relic of Buddha has been originally kept here when it arrived to the island from India in the 312 AC.

How To Get There

Anuradhapura is 250 km (155 miles) north of Colombo. There are plenty of Colombo-Anuradhapura buses each day; you can either catch an older style bus or catch an inter-city airconditioned bus. Trains also go to Anuradhapura.

Birds Of SriLanka

2012-05-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

BIRDS OF SRI LANKA, THE COMPLETE CHECKLIST

Birds of Sri Lanka coded for abundance, breeding, migration, wintering, endemic, rare, etc.; 2000 pages on birds, nature, birdwatching, where to go birding, birds and nature pictures, nature conservation, equipment, bird feeding, etc. Welcome to the bird list of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is home to an impressive number of species of birds that vary from residents, that stay all year around, to breeding birds, that spend a good part of the growing season in Sri Lanka to raise their young, migrants who pass through Sri Lanka with the seasons, to wintering birds who like to spend a good part of the winter in Sri Lanka to escape colder conditions up north. While many species of birds are relatively common as they are part of the ecosystems of the state, it is always a thrill to stumble upon a rare bird or vagrant, that does not really form part of any the Sri Lanka ecosystems. Maybe it got lost during its travels between its summer and winter residence or it got displaced by bad weather.

Among the species of the checklist of the birds of Sri Lanka you can find waterfowl and wading birds, a large suite of song birds, raptors, game birds, swifts and nighthawks, etc., many of which occupy several ecosystems simultaneously, as they fly to and from forests, meadows, shorelines of waters, cities and and urban green spaces. At Birdlist, we have developed a coding system that can help you predict when you may expect a certain species, with a code for seasonality, such as resident, nesting, wintering, etc. A code for abundance will give you a clue on the likelihood that you may actually see a certain species of bird. As we progressed with the coding, we realized that there should be a differentiation in the coding for "common", such as less common, common and very common birds. However, this would require reliable quantative data, which for most states, are not revealed by the commission of bird records. We hope to provide those in the future. In the meantime, enjoy the current checklist of the birds of Sri Lanka.

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Handy crafts in sri lanka

Sri Lanka have a large verity of traditional handy crafts. Sri Lanka is known world over for her handicrafts. These products are manufactured by applying age-old techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation.
These artifacts are manufactured by using only the tools particular to them and from raw materials found abundant in nature.
Sri Lanka has a varied heritage for of traditional crafts and arts. These products are a result of age – old techniques, indigenous raw materials and tools of natural Handicrafts are fashioned in rural Craft Centers. It was with in these Castes that traditional skills were preserved with a high degree of distinct ethnic identity,
Sri Lanka handy crafts men have been able to success fully combines certain raw material in to modern Crafts. Sri Lanka is well renowned to produce exquisite handicrafts.

Woodwork

Woodcarving is one of the oldest crafts still practised in Sri Lanka. Artisans of old had a preference for low-relief woodcarving, which lent itself to decorative wooden panels, boxes, and tables. Today, many decorative panels are still carved using traditional designs. In the handicrafts industry masks and wood carvings have remained as prestigious items reflecting not only traditional craft skills but the theatrical and cultural values of a past age.
Mat weaving
Mat weaving used to be practiced by every female villager because the craft was considered a necessary domestic accomplishment. Mats, after all, were essential items, used as both floor coverings and beds. Today, mat weaving is still popular among villagers but it is a cottage industry with few established sales outlets. Instead, weavers generally peddle their mats at festivals, fairs, and pilgrimage sites. Visitors may see them during the Kandy perahera in July, when the pavements of the city are colourfully lined with rolled up mats for sale. The mats of the highest quality with the best designs are made in the villages of the Dumbara valley in the Kandy district. These mats are traditionally woven on a simple loom using fibres from the bowstring hemp, mostly of white or black colouration. Often they are decorated with stripes or bands, or animal or floral motifs

Metalworks

Sri Lanka has a long tradition in metals such as gold, silver, brass, tin, lead and iron, as well as their various alloys, in all sorts of work, from ornamental casting and pierced designs, to damascene- and filigree-work. Brass is the most common ornamental metal used outside of jewellery, and therefore the one most likely to be encountered and purchased by visitors. The alloy used in Sri Lanka is excellent for both castwork and cutwork. Castings in brass are usually created by the “lost wax” method, in which the model is sculpted in wax, covered with clay, and baked so that the wax melts and a mould is formed. Cutwork, on the other hand, involves cutting the pattern onto a flat sheet of metal and then embellishing the work by engraving, hatching, or repousse to produce items such as trays and plaques. Repousse is the most characteristic type of Sri Lankan metalwork, used on brass, copper, silver, or all three together to create a variety of traditional designs.

Lacquerwork

Lacquerwork involves the intricate decoration of wooden objects such as bowls and ashtrays with a resin secreted from the bark of certain trees that have been infested with the lac beetle. The resin, also called lac, is scraped from the bark, melted down and strained. While the lac is soft, pigment is beaten in to produce the desired colour. Then it is left to dry. Two different techniques are used to apply lac. One method, called beralu veda or spool-work, involves putting the object to be decorated on a lathe, spinning it, and applying a hardened stick of lac to it at an angle, rather like a woodcarving tool. The resulting friction melts the lac, which seeps into the grain yet gives a glossy coating.The other technique involves drawing heated and softened lac into a fine thread and laying it in a pattern. This method is called niyapothu veda or nailwork, since the thumbnail is used to fashion the thread of lac. Today, lacquerwork is also produced by the inferior method of painting the object and covering it with layers of varnish. Visitors who wish to witness this craft should travel to the villages of Angalmaduwa near Tangalle, which is famous for beralu veda, and Palle Hapuvida near Matale, which is renowned for niyapothu veda. Laquerwork image

Lacemaking

Lacemaking is not an indigenous art. Dutch ladies probably introduced it during Dutch colonial times, particularly in the Galle area. Sinhalese ladies caught on, and lacemaking soon became an established local craft. During the 19th century, when Galle was at its zenith as a port, it became popular with passengers. Today, many older village women in the Galle area still spend their spare time making pillow lace and crochet lace, but when that generation passes the craft may die.
Handloom textiles
Although hand woven materials have lost their pre-eminence since the introduction of machine-made textiles, the craft of weaving high quality handloom textiles has experienced a remarkable resurgence in Sri Lanka over the past half century.

Jewelry

Sri Lankan Produced Excellent Costume Jeweler. In Jewellery there Are two traditions (branches) namely Galle. Traditional and the Kandyan Tradition. The Galle Low Country Traditional also called Western Traditional. The Stones are more conspicuous than the metal in the Law Country Traditional. The metal is only binding the Stones. But in the traditional kandyan Jewellery it is the metal work that is found more. The European tourists prefer the law Country tradition. There is also a technique Called filigree Work. This filigree work is found in the Silver Jewellery. In this type of Jewellery you get grainy finish. These telescopic grains are made of hairy Silver wire and welded to the surface. This technique is very difficult and finds therefore, it is Expensive.

Pottery

Pottery, like mat weaving, is a craft essential to village life in Sri Lanka. Robert Knox observed in An Historical Relation of Ceylon (1681) that the Sinhalese are adept at crafting “all sorts of earthenware to boil, stew, fry and fetch water in.” Today, as then, the potter can invariably be found demonstrating his or her skills in the verandah. Most of the pottery is thrown on small wheels turned by the potter himself. The output consists largely of simple undecorated pieces, but there is an increased demand for decorated pottery. Such decoration is usually done by incising patterns or stamping with a wooden die while the clay is still wet. Sometimes a glaze is painted prior to firing, which is done in a traditional kiln built of brick or stone and covered with a vaulted wattle-and-daub

Roof.

The primarily utilitarian character of Sri Lankan pottery remains to this day. It lends charm to its elegance of form and simplicity of ornamentation. Items include small clay lamps, elegant water-jugs and practical cooking vessels. Figurines and delightful animals with distinctly Sinhalese characteristics are also made. These can be seen in abundance just outside Weligama.

Batiks

Titik" or "Tik" means a bit or a drop in Indonesian language. The melted wax covers the area of the cloth that dose not get a particular colour. This is a tedious process, depending on the colour scheme the already prepared cloth has to go into the colour bath several times.
The patterns are generally drawn on the white cloth with the help of a template, but an Artist who is talented has the ability comes from china not only cotton but pure silk as well used in this from of artThe lime drawing is the initial step. Then waxing begins and depending on the pattern and the zise of the Artwork several waxing and boiling sessions take place between the dyeing session.
The "Tie & Dye" method was popular sometime ago with this method the drawing is not necessary but there is only a uniform round patterns with multi colours available.
Cloth should be washed Thoroughly to remove the starch. To was the cloth should be pined to a Frame.A drawing pen with a heap with molten wax is used to trace the pattern with wax and all areas that do not take the first dye is waxed. The Temperature of wax 17° c. When wax is cooled the cloth is submerged in a Bowl of cold water and then placed in the dye bath added with soda & salt, for 30-60 minutes. Then the cloth is removed and paged to drip. Then to remove wax the cloth should be boiled in a container for 5 minutes with detergents. Then the cloth is Rinsed and dried. This is the process for each colour until the Final design is completed.

Caneworks

As the cane is naturally grown in SriLanka cane work is in practice since ancient times.Radawadunna near pasyala on kandy road is famous for these craft

Population of Sri Lanka

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Population of Sri Lanka

According to the latest estimates Sri Lanka has a population of about 20 million. The ethnic division of the population is: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%. Major languages in Srilanka are: Sinhala 74% (official and national), Tamil 18% (national), other 8%. English is commonly used in government and spoken competently by about 10% of people. Population density of Sri Lanka is 792 per square miles.

Other major demographic indicators of Sri Lanka are: Literacy Rate 92%, Growth Rate 8%, Birth Rate 15.6/1000, Infant Mortality Rate 14.3/1000, and Life Expectancy 73.2 years.

Ayurveda In Srilanka

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Ayurveda and Spa Treatments

People, the world over, have become obsessed with the quest for healthier lifestyles and spa-going is no longer a pastime reserved only for the privileged. In today's stressful context the spa provides much needed healing and nourishment for the body, mind and soul. Derived from the Latin phrase "Sanum par aqua," meaning "health through water," this holistic approach to physical and spiritual well-being provides a sanctuary for the senses. Wellness is not just about pampering, it's an all-encompassing way of life and education is the key.

More recently, curiosity in the ancient Indian system of ayurveda has emerged; this treatment form which was imported to Sri Lanka in ancient times is now oftentimes favoured over contemporary spa treatments. Literally meaning "The Science of Life," ayurvedic treatments are used for the promotion of positive health, prevention and cure of diseases, with the main objective being to strengthen the whole immune system. The ayurvedic definition of "Health" is not merely the freedom from disease; a person is to be treated as healthy only when his mind, senses, organs and the soul are in the state of perfect equilibrium to endow happiness.

Ayurveda is a health system that has been practicing in Sri Lanka and India for centuries. It relies solely on natural herbs and has helped even in cases that seemed hopeless under the western practices.

Ayurveda is a health system that has been practiced in Sri Lanka and India for ages. It relies solely on natural medicine. Ayurveda has helped even in cases that seemed hopeless where western medicine has failed. It does not give the patient local treatment of individual organs, but treats him as a whole.

The Ayurvedic remedies act on the total body, strengthen the power of resistance and promote healing. Ayurveda is conducive to your health, provides you with new vital energy, prevents and corrects the ageing process. An Ayurveda treatment helps combat chronic illnesses and at the same time frees you from psychological burdens. Ayurveda among other things provides swift relief in cases of rheumatic diseases such as arthrosis (signs of over- strain in spine and joints), arthritis, muscle tenseness, restriction of movement, disturbances of the vegetative nervous system such as disturbed sleep, nervousness, exhaustion, tiredness, excitability or irritability, migraine and other forms of headache, heart ailments connected to nervousness, high blood pressure, depression, chronic inflammation such as para nasal sinus inflammation, bronchitis, inflammation of the bladder, susceptibility to colds, skin diseases like eczema, psoriasis, skin allergy, asthma, stomach or intestinal disorders, overweight or nicotine misuse. Ayurveda is recommended to all those seeking inward balance, a long and healthy life and to all those who like to experience the fullness of life.

Let yourself be pampered back to fitness and health combine your holidays in Sri Lanka with a cure in an Ayurveda Centre!!

Travel Sites In Srilanka

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About Srilanka.

Sri Lanka has more than 2,500 years of continuous written history by means of the Mahawansha, and was also mentioned in several ancient Indian texts. One of the most famous is the Ramayana, in which the island, which was referred to as Lanka, was the island fortress of the evil king Ravana, who captured the wife of Rama an incarnation of the Hindu God, Vishnu. Legend has it that Hanuman the monkey flew over to Lanka and destroyed the capital by setting it on fire, while Rama and his remaining troops later crossed over from the mainland by building a land bridge across the sea.

The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century BC, probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-3rd century BC, and a great civilization developed at such cities as Anuradhapura (kingdom from c.200 BC to c.1000 AD) and Polonnaruwa (c.1070 to 1200) also they have two more kingdoms Kandian Kingdom and Jaffna Kingdom . Then British came and connected all three kingdoms into one for the administrative purpose and left as one country in 1948.

Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796, and became a crown colony in 1802. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; the name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972.

With end of the 30 year prolonged bitter separatist war in the May 2009 it seems this island nation is on a new chapter of its history.

Climate.

Since Sri Lanka is a tropical country, you can expect the rain anytime of the year in most parts. However, the two major rainy seasons are North-East monsoon (October to January) and South-West monsoon (May to July).

Being an island, the climate of Sri Lanka changes dramatically from one part of the country to another. For example at Nuwara Eliya, in the hills of Central Sri Lanka, has a temperature around -5-20 C throughout the year, whereas Hambanthota, located in the dry zone, has a temperature consistently around 30-35 C.

Sabaragamuwa Dance In Srilanka

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Sabaragamuwa Dance Traditions

Those of the Veddah tribe also known as the ‘Sapara’ tribe mostly lived in the region called Sabaragamuwa, named after them. Because of its ancient history the dance traditions of the veddahs are older than considered to be much older than other dance traditions in the country. Not as advanced as the low and up country dance traditions, the Sabaragamuwa dance tradition still plays the most vital role at certain cultural and traditional festive occasions. They are:
The Perehera, Yaktovil, Kirimadu, Pahanmadu, Gam-madu, Clergy processions and festival drums, are some of these.
There are certain features that are unique to the Sabaragamuwa dance tradition:
Hands and feet formations
Musical instruments and style of play
Singing style
The costumes
A two-way positioning of the hands is required in the Sabaragamuwa tradition. The palm of one hand is turned inward facing self and the other palm will be turned outward. This formation requires much skill that only comes with practice. The training is carried out in twelve stages called ‘Thei Wattam’. Only an experienced tutor will poses the necessary skills to train others. Usually the training period requires 3-4 months.

Costumes used in Sabaragamuwa dance Tradition

According to ancient records the dancer is required to adorn a costume similar to that worn by god Saman of the Saman Devalaya,

Low Country Dance In Srilanka

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Low Country Dance

Low country dance is performed to please the sickness-causing evil spirits. The dancers put masks on their faces. These masks resemble birds, demons, reptiles etc. This type of dance is highly ritualistic.

If the mnemonics of the drum govern the form of the Dance, it is nowhere better illustrated than in the Low Country dances of Ceylon where the Yak Bera (the “demon drum”) plays so important a role. The rather free and easy movement and basic rhythm of the Devol Dancer, combining with a very elementary mime danced to the Yak Bera, typifies Low-Country dancing. The Devol Madu (the ritual structure) for the dance of appeasement of the Gods is the Low-Country parallel of the Kohomba Kankariya. It is the Yak or devil and, therefore, primitive quality of Devol that gives it its basic magic and enchantment.

The Ves (mask) is elaborate and sophisticated in the Kandyan dance and does not completely mask the dancer but rather transforms him through the head-dress, symbolically. In the Low-Country masked dance, the dancer is possessed of an entirely masked face. The masks are themselves superbly turned out works of art. Masked dancing to the Yak Bera is the unparalleled contribution of the Low-Country dance

Kandyan Dance in Srilanka

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The begining Kandyan dancing relates its origins in the ritual known as the Kohomba Kankariya, which is performed to propitiate the deity known as Kohomba to relive the King Panduwasdev from a sickness called Divi Dosha. The ritual broke the spell on a bewitched King.

The same sickness killed King Vijaya cursed by Yaksha princess Kuweni. The Kohomba Kankariya was conducted for 60 days. for the Many dances performed in Kohomba kankariya can be seen in the Kandy Perahere,

There are 18 main dances in Kandyan Style which
display the dancing of Birds and Animals.

Mayura Wannama - The dance of the Peacock
Hanuma Wannama - The dance of the Monkey
Gajaga Wannama - The dance of the Kings Tusker
Kirala Wannama - The dance of the crying Kirala Bird
Ukusa Wannaa - The dance of the Eagle
Sinharaja Wannama - The dance of the Tortoise and Lion
Turanga Wannama - The dance of the Horse
Uraga Wannama - The dance of the Snake
Musaladi Wannama - The dance of the Rabbit
Sawula Wannama-
Eeradi Wamnam- The dance of the soldier

etc..

Ves Dance.

The most popular udarata form of dance originated from an ancient purification ritual, the Kohomba Kohomba Kankariya. The dance was propitiatory, never secular, and performed only by males. The elaborate ves costume, particularly the headgear, is considered sacred and is believed to belong to the deity Kohomba.

Naiyandi Dance.

Dancers in Naiyandi costume perform during the initial preparations of the Kohomba Kankariya festival, during the lighting of the lamps and the preparation of foods for the demons. The dancer wears a white cloth and white rurban, beadwork decorations on his chest, a waistband, rows of beads around his neck, silver chains, brass shoulder plates, anklets, and jingles. This is a graceful dance, also performed in Maha Visnu (Vishnu) and Kataragama Devales temples on ceremonial occasions.

Uddekki Dance.

Uddekki is a very prestigious dance. Its name comes from the uddekki, a small lacquered hand drum in the shape of an hourglass, about seven and half inches (18 centimeters) high, believed to have been given to people by the gods. The two drumskins are believed to have been given by the god Iswara, and the sound by Visnu the instrument is said to have been constructed according to the instructions of Sakra and was played in the heavenly palace of the gods. It is a very difficult instruments to play. The dancer sings as he plays, tightening the strings to obtain variations of pitch.

Pantheru Dance.

The pantheruwa is an instrument dedicated to the goddess Pattini. It resembles a tambourine (without the skin) and has small cymbals attached at intervals around its circumference. The dance is said to have originated in the days of Prince Siddhartha, who became Buddha. The gods were believed to use this instrument to celebrate victories in war, and Sinhala kings employed pantheru dancers to celebrate victories in the battlefield. The costume is similar to that of the uddekki dancer, but the pantheru dancer wears no beaded jacket and substitutes a silk handkerchief at the waist for the elaborate frills of the uddekki dancer.

Traditinal Dance Of Srilanka

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Sri Lankan society is multi-ethnic and multi-religious since the pre-historic times. The majority ethnic group is the Sinhalese who practice Buddhism. The second-largest group is the Tamils who are adherent to Hinduism. Others are Muslims and Christians.

Sri Lankan society is dominantly marked by the caste system. Caste system in Sri Lanka is based on the theory that every person is born into a particular group which defines his or her fixed position within society for lifetime. Purity is one of the most basic concepts of caste system. The person in each caste must preserve their purity by avoiding the contact with the persons of lower purity. In Sri Lanka, there are two caste systems, one for the Sinhalese and the other for the Tamils. For the Sinhalese, although Buddhism discourages the distinction based on caste, it still exists but is not based on the concept of purity but on the basis of hereditary roles and functions. For the Tamils, Hinduism is a perpetuated influence on social division among themselves.

Sri Lanka’s classical architecture, sculpture and painting are predominantly Buddhist. Stupas sprinkle the countryside, and there are several extravagantly large Buddha’s sculptures, notably at Aukana and Buduruvagala. Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa have the most impressive archaelogical legacy, but Kandy is the most thriving cultural centre today. Colonial remnants include Dutch forts, canal and churches and British residences, clubs and courthouses. Galle is the finest colonial city on the island.

Woodcarving, weaving, pottery and metalwork are all highly developed crafts, and Sri Lanka is especially renowned for its gems. Ambalangoda is the best place to see Sri Lankan masks; Ratnapura is the centre of Sri Lanka’s gem trade.

Sinhalese dancing is similar to Indian dance but relies on acrobatics, nimbleness and symbolism to unfold its narratives. Kandy is a good place to see ‘up-country dancing’, but Colombo or Ambalangoda are the places to witness the ritualistic exorcism of ‘devil dancing’. Folk theatre combines dance, masked drama, drumming and exorcism rituals in vivid recreations of Sri Lankan folklore.

History Of Orgin

Primitive man lived in communities alone the rivers. they had agriculture based economy. they had a close relationship with the nature. some of the things in nature became their Gods From the beginning the man was afraid of over abundance of nature.
E.G. : floods, drought and wind etc…they thought that there are super natural powers behind these and started offering things. as a results different dancing forms developed.

Concept of dancing in Sri Lanka starts with “Kohombakankariya” in 4^th centuryB.C. during the period of pandukabhaya. people used dancing in retails, to get rid of natural disasters, sickness …etc. during Anuradhapura period also there had been dancing as Mahavamsa
(The great chronicle of Sri Lanka) speak of procession of the tooth relic. At the end of polonnaruwa period lots of Indian influence came in to our dancing. Kandy had an independent form of dancing yet with Hindu influence. In the south during the period of king kavantissa(1^st century B.C.) a dancing form was developed and there fore you can see lot of dancing and retails in the south. during the period of kotte also a dancing form developed and we now call it “Sabaragamuwa dance "

Veddas In Srilanka.

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Veddas In Srilanka

The unspoiled children of nature
Sri Lanka's aboriginal inhabitants, the Veddhas, are truly a fascinating people. Descended from the country's stone age inhabitants, these primitive folk cling tenaciously to their age-old life-style by living off the hunt and gathering the fruit of the land, despite the ongoing process of industrialization and modernization. The Veddhas are proud of their distinct sylvan heritage and call themselves Vanniyalette, Those of the forest .
The term Veddha by which their Sinhalese neighbours denote them, comes from the Sanskrit Vyadha meaning hunter with bow and arrow. The pure Veddhas, unlike the Sinhalese who speak an Indo-Aryan language and claim Aryan descent, are related to the Austro-Asiatic peoples found scattered today in many parts of southern Asia. These include the aboriginal tribes of Chota Nagpur in eastern India such as the Hos and Birhors, the Sakai of Malaysia, the Kubu of Indonesia and the Australian aborigines.

A dark, chocolate brown complexion, long head, broad nose, heavy browridges, wavy hair and a pronounced prognathism are characteristic of this sort of people.
The hunter-gatherer mode of existence is also common to all of them. The pure Veddhas are today a numerically insignificant community comprising a few hundred souls at most. The last census, which enumerated the Veddhas as a separate community was conducted in 1953. It showed a total of 803 Veddhas.
Until fairly recent times, Veddha settlements were to be found scattered in the Uva, Sabaragamuva, North-Central and Eastern Provinces. Such areas like Nilgala in the Eastern Province and Yakkure in the North-Central Province had a considerable settlement of Veddhas. However, linguistic assimilation and intermarriage with their Sinhalese neighbours have contributed to the decline of the Veddhas as a distinct people and today, Dambana, a Veddha settlement about six miles from Mahiyangana is the last bastion of Veddha culture. The Veddhas, once a numerically strong people, have been declining steadily during the last 2000 years of their existence, due to assimilation with the Sinhalese.
Indeed, these sons and daughters of the soil have contributed to the formation of the Sinhalese nation in no mean measure. Professor Rudolph Virchow in his contribution on the Veddhas to the Royal Academy of Science of Berlin (1881), concludes following a detailed historical and anthropological study, Òmanifold resemblances exist between the Veddhas and the Sinhalese,Ó and that Òthe origin of the Sinhalese race from a mixture of Veddhas and immigrants from India possesses great probability.
Dr. Senarat Paranavitana (Inscriptions of Ceylon 1970) cites epigraphic evidence to show that the Veddhas and Sinhalese coalesced to form one people,Ó in the course of time. R. L. Spittel (Wild Ceylon 1924) also comments on this large-scale intermarriage between Sinhalese and Veddhas.
According to the ancient chronicle of Sinhalese royalty, the Mahavansa , the Pulindas (Veddhas) are descended from Prince Vijaya (6th-5th century BC) the founding father of the Sinhalese nation, through Kuveni, a woman of the Yakkha clan whom he had espoused. The Mahavansa relates that following the repudiation of Kuveni by Vijaya, in favour of a Kshatriya princess from the Pandya country, their two children, a boy and a girl, departed to the region of Sumanakuta (Adam s Peak in the Ratnapura District) where they multiplied giving rise to the Pulindas. Anthropologists such as the Seligmanns (The Veddhas 1911) believe the Veddhas to be identical with the Yakkhas of yore.
The Ratnapura District, which is part of the Sabaragamuva Province is known to have been inhabited by the Veddhas in the distant past. This has been shown by scholars like Nandadeva Wijesekera (Veddhas in transition 1964). Indeed, the very name Sabaragamuva is believed to have meant the village of the Sabaras or forest barbarians. Such place-names as Veddha-gala (Veddha Rock), Veddha-ela (Veddha Canal) and Vedi-kanda (Veddha Mountain) in the Ratnapura District also bear testimony to this. As Wijesekera observes, a strong Veddha element is discernible in the population of Veddha-gala and its environs. As for the traditional Veddha lifestyle, a number of authorities have delved on this and we can easily describe their life-style as it existed in the past, and as it exists today.
Veddhas are known for their rich meat diet. Venison and the flesh of rabbit, turtle, tortoise, monitor lizard, wild boar and the common brown monkey are consumed with much relish. The Veddhas kill only for food and do not harm young or pregnant animals. Game is commonly shared amongst the family and clan. Fish are caught by employing fish poisons such as the juice of the pus-vel (Entada scandens) and daluk-kiri (Cactus milk). Veddha culinary fare is also deserving of mention. Amongst the best known are gona perume, which is a sort of sausage containing alternate layers of meat and fat, and goya-tel-perume, which is the tail of the monitor lizard (talagoya), stuffed with fat obtained from its sides and roasted in embers. Another Veddha delicacy is dried meat preserve soaked in honey. In the olden days, the Veddhas used to preserve such meat in the hollow of a tree, enclosing it with clay.

Such succulent meat served as a ready food supply in times of scarcity. The early part of the year (January-February) is considered to be the season of yams and mid-year (June-July) that of fruit and honey, while hunting is availed of throughout the year. Nowadays, more and more Veddha folk have taken to Chena (slash and burn) cultivation. Kurakkan (Eleusine coracana) is cultivated very often. Maize, yams, gourds and melons are also cultivated. In the olden days, the dwellings of the Veddhas consisted of caves and rock shelters. Today, they live in unpretentious huts of wattle, daub and thatch. Veddha religion centred round a cult of ancestral spirits known as Ne yaku , whom the Veddhas invoked for game and yams.
Today, however, many Veddhas are Buddhists like their Sinhalese neighbours. The Veddha marriage ceremony is a very simple affair. The ritual consists of the bride tying a bark rope (diya lanuva) of her own twisting, around the waist of the bridegroom. This is the essence of the Veddha marriage and is symbolic of the bride s acceptance of the man as her mate and life partner. Although marriage between cross-cousins was the norm until recently, this has changed significantly, with Veddha women even contracting marriages with their Sinhalese and Moor neighbours.

In Veddha society, woman is in many respects man s equal. She is entitled to similar inheritance. Descent is also reckoned through the female line. Monogamy is the general rule, though a widow would be frequently married by her husband s brother as a means of support and consolation. Divorce hardly ever takes place. The women are said to make faithful wives and affectionate mothers.
Death too is a simple affair sans any ostentatious funeral ceremonies and the corpse of the deceased is promptly buried without much ado. Although the medical knowledge of the Veddha is limited, it nevertheless appears to be sufficient. For example, python oil (pimburu tel) a local remedy used for healing wounds, has proven to be very successful in the treatment of fractures, deep cuts and so on.
Until fairly recent times, the raiment of the Veddhas was remarkably scanty. In the case of men, it consisted only of a loincloth suspended with a string at the waist, while in the case of women, it comprised of a piece of cloth that extended from the navel to the knees. Today, however, Veddha attire is more modest, men wear a short sarong extending from the waist to the knees, while the womenfolk clad themselves in a garment similar to the Sinhalese diya-redda which extends from the breastline to the knees.
The original Veddha language has to all intents and purposes ceased to exist and survives in a few words and phrases they use in their everyday conversation. The Veddha language today is a curious hotchpotch of modern Sinhala, old Sinhala and a non-Aryan speech which would have constituted their original tongue.
This unidentified language may perhaps have contributed to the formation of the Sinhala language, which, although Aryan, contains a large vocabulary of non-Aryan and non-Dravidian words that have perplexed linguists. Robert Knox, an English exile in the Kandyan kingdom for nearly 20 years (1660-1679) says in his Historical Relation of Ceylon (1681): ÒIn these woods there are wild beasts, so wild men also... they call them Veddhas, dwelling no other inhabitants. They speak the Chingulayes (Sinhalese) language,Ó so that even during Knox s time, the Veddhas could converse in Sinhala.
Even the old Veddha names such as poromala (male) and tuti (female) have gone out of vogue; Kandyan Sinhalese names like Tikiri Banda (male) and Dingiri Menika (female) have become popular. R. L. Spittel has written a wonderfully informative book (Vanished Trails. The last of the Veddhas 1950) based on his adventures and experiences with three generations of Veddha folk. The book deals with the progressive loss of the traditional Veddha life-style and culture.
The Veddha s honesty, sincerity, compassion, marital fidelity and sense of duty to the family and clan are lofty ideals and have been commented on by various observers and scholars. They are indeed the unspoilt children of nature. One might ask if they do not epitomize the concept of the Noble Savage that was the subject of much 19th century European romanticism.

Sri lankan History Rama Rawana

2012-04-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

Rama Ravana
There are many places in Sri Lanka associated with the Indian epic poem Ramayana. The Ramayana was written in Sanskrit about 2000 years before the commencement of dynastic history of Sri Lanka which is calculated with the coming of Vijaya in 544 BC. It tells us of places far back in history in pre- Vijayan times.The legend of Rama and Sita, the much loved Indian Princess and her abduction by Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka, is well known. When Ravana abducted Sita it led to a war, which somewhat resembled the Trojan-Greek war.

It is said that in this pre-Vijayan period King Ravana ruled over the indigenous people of Sri Lanka, the Naga and Yakshas.It is also noteworthy that 200 million years ago, geologically Sri Lanka was linked with India, Madagascar, Australia and Antarctica, in a land mass known as Gondwana.The earth's surface before seismic earthquakes, ocean currents, winds and drifts changed the land forms into different countries, was one land mass. During the geological changes, sections of the land mass were propelled in different directions and formed continents and countries. South India drifted northward and the Himalayan mountains emerged from the sea with the gigantic up thrust. Sri Lanka separated into a land mass known as Lanka Dvipa (Island of Lanka), and part of the land submerged into the sea. According to the Ramayana epic this took place because of the misdeeds of Ravana, but this seismic happening is confirmed by modern science.
The stretch of coast on the North West, North and South of Mannar could easily be reached from India, as is quite evident today. The Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar and the buried city of Kundiramalai were used from pre-Vijaya times by nomadic bands of people. This is probably the route taken by Hanuman who rescued Sita, after Ravana had crossed over to India and disrupted the idyllic romance of Rama and Sita in a sylvan forest glade in the Himalayas. It is also the tip of Mannar referred to as Adam's Bridge, the causeway which consisted of the coral reefs and shifting sand dunes which Rama used to bring his huge army. He is said to have stopped at the shrine dedicated to Shiva or Iswara before going to battle. When the causeway which Hanuman undertook to finish in a month was being built, it is said thousand of squirrels came to help him. They rolled on the sandy ground and shook off the sand on the bridge and effectively filled the crevices and gaps in the causeway. Rama in appreciation stroked them and conferred the dark stripes on their body.
Down the southern coast coming on to Galle is another interesting place associated with the Rama and Sita legend. It is a mountain called Rhumassala Kanda. From the top of this mountain you get a panoramic view of the Galle harbour and its environs. On a clear day you could even see Adam's Peak, Sri Pada.
Rhumassala Kanda seems strangely out of place when you look at the rest of the landscape. According to legend when Lakshman, the brother of Rama was injured in battle, Rama is said to have sent his faithful emissary Hanuman to the Himalayan Mountain to get a medicinal herb to cure him. Hanuman however forgot the name of the herb and so tore off a huge chunk of the Himalayan Mountain which was well known for medicinal herbs. The chunk of mountain terrain he later dropped and this is reported to be Rhumassala Kanda. Rhumassala Kanda has a wide variety of medicinal plants.
Ravana, the Rakshasa king who reigned in Sri Lanka had his capital in Ravana Kotte, which can be identifed as part of the Southern Bases on the south eastern coast. Here, he is said to have had a strange fortress with battlements where he held the beautiful Sita prisoner. She remained here unbending and upright. Now waves cover this area, but a part of the fortress could be seen form time to time.
Later, Ravana took Sita from Ravana Kotte for greater security to the smallest plateau of Nuwara Eliya and to a locality known as Asoka Aramaya a pleasure garden which had beautiful scenery and dense of forest surrounding it. Asoka trees flowered there. Sita Eliya on the outskirts of Nuwara Eliya is associated with Sita. Hanuman also came here looking for Sita.
When Rama's army was approaching, Ravana again moved Sita to a dense forested area. In Uva, at the base of a mountain crag 4500 feet above sea level is the Ravana Ella cave. Ella is 7 miles from Bandarawela and is a beautiful place to visit. At the base of a precipitous ravine is the Ella gap which you can see if you go to the Ella Rest House. This is the famous cave where Ravana hid Sita. There is thick jungle here and wild and unspoiled mountain wilderness.
The picturesque Ravana Ella falls is a little distance away. It is one of the wildest looking water falls. The water falls in torrents down the Ella gorge and cascades down a forest glade. Sita is said to have roamed around in captivity in this area and bathed in a pool within a rock by the swirling waters of the Ravana Falls.
Ravana's place is said to have been at Maligawa Tenna, near Welimada. It is now a paddy field but ancient stone work, brick and granite slabs have been found here.
The epic battle would have taken place in upper Uva on the mountain side. This area throbs with the majesty of the wilderness and some point to dents on the boulders where Rama's firearms struck.
The place where Rama stopped before leaving Sri Lanka with Sita is a temple on a dune known as Ganakamadhana Hill, where there was a gold lingam said to have been donated by him.

Sinharaja Tropical Rain Forest in srilanka.

2011-10-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

Sinharaja Rain Forest is a world heritage site and major eco tourism destination, which can also be described as a Tropical Lowland Rainforest or Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest . Whatever its ‘technical\' name, it is undoubtedly a rich treasure trove of nature with a great diversity of habitats and a vast repository of Sri Lanka \'s endemic species found no where else in the world.

Bird Watching in this ecosystem is particularly interesting because it is home to 95% of the endemic birds of Sri Lanka ! Named as a world heritage site in 1989, this lowland evergreen rain forest is steeped in deep legend and mystery. The word ‘Sinharaja\' means, Lion (Sinha) King (Raja), and it is popular belief that the legendary origin of the Sinhala people is from the union between a princess and the lion king who once lived in the forest!

History of Sinharaja Rain Forest

The forest steeped in deep legend and mystery. The word Sinharaja means, lion (sinha) king (raja) and the popular belief is that the legendary origin of the Sinhala people in Sri Lanka is from the descendants of the union the lion king who once lived in the forest and a princess. Sinharaja Forest Reserve is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland rain forests now remaining in Sri Lanka.

This forest covers an extent of approximately 11187 ha. From east to west the length of the forest is about 21 km. And its width from north to south is about 3.7 km. The Sinharaja forest was initially declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) in 1978, as representative of Tropical Humid Evergreen Forest ecosystem in Sri Lanka and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of its International Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Subsequently it was declared a National Wilderness Area, under the National Heritage Wilderness Area Act, in 1988 and lately a World Heritage Site in 1989.It is the Sri Lanka \'s first natural resource to earn this esteemed distinction. This forest is situated in the southwest lowland Wet Zone of the country at latitudes 6 21- 6 26 and longitudes 80 21- 80-34.It spans over the administrative districts of Ratnapura, Galle and Matara.

Sinharaja forest consists of a series of continuous ridges, aligned approximately in an east-west direction and lies between the tributaries of the Kalu Ganga in the north and the Gin Ganga in the south.

There are four main routes of access to Sinharaja. The Kalawana- Weddagala road from the northwest, The Rakwana-Morning side estate road from the northeast, the Hiniduma-Neluwa road from the southwest and Deniyaya-Pallegama road from the southeast. Among these roads the Kalawana-Weddagala road is shorter and more convenient for visitors traveling from Colombo

Topography

The elevation of the Sinharaja reserve ranges from 200m to 1300m. It has a rolling terrain consisting of a series of ridges and valleys, which assumes an east-west trend in the northwestern part of the reserve. In other parts of the reserve, the ridges and valleys assume a north-west/south-east alignment. The peak of Hinipitigala is the tallest, rising up to about 1150m.Other important ridges in the reserve ranges between 550-800m in height NamelyMoulawella (760m), Kosgulana (797m), Sinharaja (742m), Kohilearambe (575m), Dotalugala (769m), and Tibbottagala (904m).

Geology

The Sinharaja Reserve lies within the transition zone of two important groups of rock types, the south/western group which consist of metasediments-charnokites and scapolites bering calc granulites and the highland group comprising khondalites of metamorphosed sediments and Charnockites. The most significant geological feature of Sinharaja is the presence of a “Sinharaja Basic Zone” which comprises hornblend pyriclasts, basic charnokites pyroxene amphibolites and scapolite.

The soils of Sinharaja largely belong to the group of Red Yellow Podzolic soils, with clearly distinguishable horizons of varying soil depths. The soil is well drained with very little accumulation of organic matter.

Plant Life

The vegetation of Sinharaja may be described either as a Tropical Lowland Rain Forest or Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest. Some striking characteristics of the forest are the loftiness of the dominant trees, the straightness of their bole, the abundance of regeneration and the diversity of species.

The average height of the trees varies between 35m –40m. Some individuals rise even upto 50m.

Contrary to popular belief scrub growth does occur on rock shelves or gaps on the canopy created by falling of over-mature trees. The great diversity of species of Sinharaja forest makes it difficult to distinguish ecological patterns. However, some tree associations have been recognized and these are the Dipterocarpus (Hora-Bu Hora) an association confined to the lower elevations along the Gin Ganga valley and the Mesua-Doona (Shorea) association forms the matrix of the Sinharaja forest.

The vegetation of Sinharaja is that of humid wet evergreen forest type with a high degree of endemism. In fact some families such as Dipterocarpaceae show an endemism more than 90%. The untapped genetic potential of Sinharaja flora is enormous. Out of the 211 woody trees and lianas so far identified within the reserve 139(66%) are endemic. Similarly, high levels of endemism are perhaps true for the lower plants like ferns, Epiphyts as well. Out of 25 general endemic to Sri Lanka 13 are represented in Sinharaja.

The total vegetation density, including trees, shrubs, herbs and seedlings has been estimated to be around 240,000 individuals per hectare, of which 95% comprise individuals of the ground layer below 1m in height. The density of trees, lianas above 30cm girth at breast height, ranges between 600-700 individuals/ha. While the number of merchantable individuals of trees of girth greater than 150cm. Ranges between 45-55 individuals/ha.

Animal Life

Preliminary studies on the fauna of Sinharaja have revealed that there is a high degree of endemism among the butterflies, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. In fact 95%of the endemic birds of Sri Lanka are recorded in Sinharaja. Endemism among mammals and butterflies are also greater than 50%.

Out of the larger mammals, although elephants were said to be common in the past, there have not been reports of sightings during the last 15 years. However, there have been reports of sightings of a few animals in the Eastern Sector. The most common deer species is the Sambhur.The Mouse Deer and Barking deer are also found within the reserve. Leopards are very seldom sighted, but their frequent presence has been confirmed by tracks and other signs. Brown Mongoose and the Golden Palm Civet have been occasionally sighted. The most commonly seen primate is the Purple faced Leaf Monkey.

Out of the birds recorded in the Western sector of the reserve, 72% were resident non- endemic and 13% migrants. One of the most interesting and colorful spectacles to be found in the Sinharaja is the presence of mixed species of foraging bird flocks, a phenomenon commonly found in rain forests. A total of 100 such flocks were systematically observed, and studies have revealed that some flocks contained 48 species including 12 endemic species. The rare endemic birds to be seen in Sinharaja are the Red-faced Malkoha, the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, the Ashy – headed Babbler, the White- Headed Starling and the Green-billed Coucal the rarest of Sri Lankan birds.

The agamids are the best-represented group of reptiles, the most common being the Green Garden Lizard of special significance are the sightings of Calotes liolepis an arboreal species, the rarest of all agamids found in the island. The only tortoise recorded in the reserve is the hard- shelled Terrapin, while of the species of skinks, the spotted skink can be seen often. Among the snakes the Green Pit Viper and Hump- nosed Viper are commonly found in this forest and are endemic to Sri Lanka .

The amphibians are fairly well represented in the reserve and nine endemic species have been identified. The endemic Torrent toad and the common house toad. In most streams and marshes, the Wrinkled frog and the Sri Lanka Reed frog also found in Sinharaja. Ramanella palmate a rare endemic species is the only microhylid recorded so far while the yellow- banded Caecilian is the only apodan recorded.

It's People

Sinharaja is surrounded by 22 villages with a population of approximately 5000 people. Only two villages, Warukandeniya and Kolonthotuwa are located within the reserve. The long history of human habitation in and around today’s reserve, in fact compounds the problem of managing and conserving the forest. Most of the ancient harmless are found along the southern boundary of the reserve on the bank of Gin Ganga with a few located on the north- western side. Numerous ancient footpaths exist on the periphery of the reserve while there are three footpaths that run across the interior of the forest.

The family structure is that of an extended family with parents, children and grand parents living together. The houses have small floor area, averaging 25 sq. meters and are constructed if wattle and daub. The roof is tatched with leaves of a forest treelet called Beru or with Bamboo leaves. Lately however, coconut leaves for tatching and clay tiles have begun to gain popularity as roofing materials.

The staple food of the villagers is rice, Yams such as sweet potato and Manioc (Cassawa), Breadfruit and Jak fruit, grown in home gardens are often used as substitutes for rice. Other plants commonly found in home gardens are vines of betel (Piper betel) black pepper and passion fruit. Fruit trees such as papaya and banana are also grown. For most of their other needs the villagers depend on plants often found in the forest. The sap needed for the manufacture of Jaggery is obtained tapping the in Florence of the Kitul palm ( Caryota urens ).

Another source of income is the manufacture of baskets and mats from rattan on ‘wewal'. The villagers also exploit other plant products such as wild cardamon, resinuous exudates used as fumigating agents from Nawada ( Shorea stipularis ) and other shorea species.

The exudates from Kekuna ( Canarium zelani-cum ) is used as a caulk for damaged boats and as glue for domestic purposes. Numerous plants used in the native ‘ayurvedic'system of medicine are also collected and sold by the villagers, of particular significance being the stem of Weniwel ( Coscinium fenestratum ) used by most Sri Lankan as an antidote for tetanus. Beraliya ( Shorea megistophylla ) provides a fruit which is often used as a substitute for flour.

Birds In Sri Lanka.

2011-10-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

Many beautiful places to watch best Birds in Srilanka.

Other interesting locations in the South to view these beautiful birds are the Yala Sanctuary, Lahugala (Bundala), Kalametiya, Wirawila, Kumana, Uda Walawe and the two tanks Tissamahara and Deberawewa. Out of these, Karapitiya, Bundala, Wirawila etc consist of salty lagoons, mangrove swamps and open parkland with intermittent scrub jungle and as such are favourable spots for those birds. Egrets, white Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Green Shank are some of the bird – life associated with these. Tissa & Debana tanks depending on the level of water as they are in the Arid zone of Sri Lanka you could yet view some of the birds as the purple loot ‘Painted’ stork, Little Cormorant, Purple heron etc during the short rainy season Nov – Feb.

Yala and Lahugala are two other very good areas for bird watchers; Yala 309 kms from Colombo extends to an area of 1260 sq kms and share the Northern boundary with Lahugala elephant sanctuary. Dense jungle & open parklands a major hypes of vegetation here. The whole area consists of water – hole, small lakes, lagoons, house to a variety of birds. This is the only reliable place to view the endangered black Necked stork. Sri-Lanka’s largest bird as marshy swamps and lakes. Some of the other birds present here are the Bittern families of shos birds, Brown – capped babbler (Green bee – eater) etc.

Lahugala, to the North East of Yala, an elephant corridor is famous for a variety of bird life inclusive of the migrants especially in the forested areas and in villas. Aquatic birds such as Damil kitala, Pasthuduwa, Karawel koka, Indian Diya Kawa, Sudu Maha Koka, and more associated forested areas such as Muhudu Wevu Eagle, Pilihuduwa, Wana rathu mal koha, Wali kukula etc.

Kalanitiya birds habitant in the Southern Province is to the north of Bundala, consist of two salty lagoons, mangrove swamps and open parklands with intermittent scrub jungle and is an important site for shore birds.

Uda Walawe National Park is quite accessible and also family friendly and jeep safaris enable you to seek out the species of birds in the forested areas, open parklands with Mana grass (a favourite food of the elephants) all over – Oriole, Egrets, Robins, Wagtails, Babblers, Black capped purple King fisher, Crested Serpent Eagle, White bellied sea Eagle and the most beautiful bird in the world., the Majestic Peacock which you could find in plenty and seems to be quit fame.

In the central province, Royal Botanical Gardens at Hakgala (Nuwara Eliya), which had been a royal pleasure garden of a Sinhala king and later improved & extended by the British., is favourite by bio – diversity to create favourable habitants for birds such as Magpie Robin, Black headed Oriole, and about a very few endemic birds – Hanging Parrot and Layard Para beet.

Hoton plains National Park, Nuwara Eliya, a wind swept area expanse of marshy grassland with thin scraggy trees here & there and rivers etc, is the house for the Black throated Mumia, Orange – billed Babbler, Sri Lankan Whistling Thrash and Yellow eared Bulbar. Worlds end, which is considered to be the finest view in Sri Lanka could be visited and enjoy the serene beauty of the area. The precipitous escapement goes down to about 4000’ below.

In Kandy, the Udawatte kale forest reserve close to the temple of the Tooth- relic is a rainforest rich in species that have enjoyed protection from the past. Many species of bird life found here are the Blue- winged leaf birds, Oriental Dwait Kingfisher, Layard Para beet etc. You could also make a tour in the city of Kandy and along the Kandy Lake, and which is the last bastion of the Sinhala kings and which is famous for the most colourful pageant of the temple of the Tooth taking place in July every year.

Excellent bird watching site in Sri Lanka, at the Northern end of the Kurunegala range

Excellent bird watching site, at the Northern end of the Kurunegala range and the in the Northern central Province is Kandalama in Dambulla. The envious of the 55 acre forest around the Kandalama Tank, Hotels and the Cricket ground is rich in bird life and one of the best bird watching locations in the North central province. The visitors will get an opportunity to view the birds around the hotels and there are more than 140 species here living in trees (arboreal) on the ground (terrestrial) and water (aquatic) inclusive of the 4 endemic birds Sri Lanka Spur Fowl, Sri Lanka jungle Fowl, Sri Lankan Green Hora Bill, and Brow capped Babbler.

Many aquatic birds such as Lesser whistling Duck, purple Swamphen, White prested Water hen, whiskered Tera, Pin tailed snipe and Little green heron. Others common birds like Brahmin kile and Marsh harrier could also be observed.

Sigiriya Lion Rock, a world famous heritage site is the palatial Rock fortress of the daring Sinhala king, Kasyapa V of the (5th AD). This rises to about 200 metres from the scrub jungle around and had been the innermost stronghold of the fortified town, at the base of which are the ruins of roads, rampart, extensive gardens etc., which circle the rock base. This is an ideal location to watch birds like the Orange breasted green Pigeon, Woolly necked stork, Black headed babul, Emerald Dove etc.

In the low country fresh water marshes such as the Muthurajawela close to the air port and Bellanwila – Attidiya just south of Colombo are famous for an abundance of bird life for these urban wetland consist of marshes, natural and man made canals. You could take a walk along the edge of the swamps or canals and have a good look at the birds like Pied Kingfisher and migrant birds too visit these marshes.

Dry zone lowland tanks are shallow and manmade in the past during the reign of Sinhala kings and these formed very favourable habitant for birds like the Little egret, Cattle egret, Peasant tailed jacna etc. There are good habitants for migrating shore birds such as the migratory Tree wasblers, Thrushes, Cockoos etc., which could be seen in the forest area nearby. Large reservoirs in the Dry zone are sought after by the different species of Ducks, terns and Herons.

A remarkable bird in Sri Lanka is the seven sister birds with a remarkable feature of going about in groups of seven when one is present somewhere another 6 could be found in an immediate neighbourhood. This seems to be a kind of a social group, same kind of bird flocking in sevens which seems to be a rare phoneme in birds all over the world – may be the "polkichcha".

Wilpaththuu National Park In Srilanka.

2011-10-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

Size 131,693 hectares

Main attraction Leopards

Other Wildlife Elephant, sloth bear , leopard water buffalo And

spotted deer , crocodile.

Situated 180 km from Colombo, and about 50 km from Anuradhapura Wilpattu National park is the largest wild life sanctuary in Sri Lanka. Declared as a sanctuary in 1938, and subsequently a national park, Wilpattu reserve, is a popular attraction for both tourists and wildlife enthusiasts

This park is packed with over 30 'vilas' or lakes and sandy tracks. Vila is defined as a natural depression generally circular with gently sloping banks - natural pool.

The park was closed in 1996 after LTTE Tiger Terrorists brutally murdered 26 of it employees. The park once again opened to the public in March 2003 after 18 years. During these 18 years the jungle was a heaven for the terrorists, poachers and illegal timber traders.

Due these reasons the leopard population seems to have drastically come down. There has been no leopard population count done in the recent past. But in 1978 when we visited Wilpattu we saw no less than 7 leopards in 2 days. But after reopening I have visited this park twice but saw no leopards at all. Even the deer population have thinned due to poaching. During my last 2 visits we only saw about 20 spotted deer, one elk, 6 foxes, few wild rabbits only. Another reason for this is the animals in this park are not used to vehicles and run into the jungle at the first sound of a jeep.

If you want to hire a jeep you need to get one from turn off point along the Puttlam-Anuradhapura Road. You will find all sorts of jeeps parked here. The prices are from Rs. 1750/- to 2000/- per half day or double for full day.

All the bungalows inside the park have been destroyed or burned down. One of the bungalows was re opened on the 30 Feb. 2004 called "Kokmote". Therefore if you want to stay the night you need to book hotel nearby. Camping was allowed for some time but now that is not possible either. There are very few motels close to Wilpattu but it is best to stay the night at Anuradhapura which is about 50 Km away from the park.

Directions

The park can be reached through Puttlam and is approximately 180 km from Colombo and Approximately 50 km from the ancient city of Anuradhapura. From Puttlam turn left to the Anuradhapura Road. The turnoff to the Wilpattu Entrance is close to the 43rd km post on this road. From this turn you need to travel about 10 km's on this road to reach entrance to the park.

If you are coming from Anuradhapura you need travel almost 40 km on the Anuradhapura - Puttlam road to the turn off.

Total

From Colombo To Wattala 08

Negambo 35

Chillaw 80

Puttalam 132

From Puttala To Wilpattu Junction 43 175

From Wilpattu Junction To Wilpattu Entrance 10 185

Accommodation

Deer

Leopards

Sloth Bear

Ruhuna Yala National Park, Sri Lanka.

2011-09-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

Wildlife: Leopards, Elephants, Mammals & Crocodiles. Birdlife. Ruins of ancient monastery

The Ruhuna Yala Group of National Reserves.

Ruhuna Yala Group of National Reserves covering over 100,000ha is divided into 5 blocks of which only block 1 is open to the public. The five blocks together with Strict Natural Reserve, Yala East National Park, Kudumbigala sancutaury Buddhist monastery & LHT (Living Heritage Trust) Okanda Heritage Conservation Zone are surrounded by a long strip of buffer zone with the coast to the south. That's a pretty long range.

Henry, the Lone Ranger.

It is recorded, in the course of his duties, Henry Englebrecht, the first Camp Warden (1907-1928) of the Ruhuna Yala Group of National Reserves used to traverse Panama, Okanda, Kumana. Yala, Buthawa, Palatupana, Kirinda, Thissamaharama areas finally arriving at Hambantota where he collected his pay packet from the Government authority & also bought his provisions & other necessities, returning along the same route. Did Leonard Woolf, husband of Virgina Woolf, the colonial government agent at Hambatota during 1908-1911 narrate on Englebrecht's journeys & his sexcursions where he saw his wild oats? He traversed his domain by bullocks (ox) cart. Do you dare? No worries, let's make the safari in soft-top jeeps throughout Yala West (Block 1). Easy. As easy as it comes.

Yala West (Block 1) (14,100 ha).

Ruhuna Yala National Park Block 1 on the southeast coast of Sri Lanka is the Island's most visited wildlife reserve of the island. Sri Lanka having been ranked 21st among the large bio-diversity hotspots in the world, eco-tourism in the island has pushed Ruhuna Yala Park to forefront of numerous wildlife reserves of the island.

Access to the park (Block 1).

The park is easily accessible from the coastal highway Colombo-Bentota-Unawatuna-Galle-Thissamaharama.The main gate is at Palatupana, 20 km fromThissamaharama. The other gate is on the Kataragama - Situlpahuwa road.

Terrain of the block 1 of park.

The landscape of block 1 runs over a spectrum of terrain: dense jungle, scrub jungle, open savannah, riverine woodland, rock pools, streams, freshwater lakes & a long coastline which curves around Sri Lanka's southeast coast. Pristine natural beaches & high sand dunes of the coast & add a novel dimension to the considerable wildlife nurtured by the range of habitats.

Panaromic views from vantage points.

The enormous rocky outcrops, a distinctive feature in the scrub land, provide vantage points to enjoy the beautiful dry-zone landscape of the park. Then again to the south are dunes close to the coast. Of all the vantage points set up by rocky outcrops, Situlpahuwa monastic settlement at Yala’s northern end dish out the finest view.

The basic facts

Although Yala is the best park in Sri Lanka for spotting mammals, it is not in the same league as Africa's safari park. There aren't large mammals at every turn; there aren't leopards dangling from every tree.

Nevertheless, Park's wildlife has its own distinctive charm, with its multitude of mammals, & birds.

The park is usually closed late August to mid October.

The best period to see the animals is during the January to May dry season, when animals cluster around water sources in multi-species groups.

Dawn & dusk are the best times of day to witness animals.

Season for Birds
October to December is the best time for bird-spotting, as migrant species arrive to escape the northern winter in the period of October to December

Season for Elephants
The best time to see elephants is during the January to May dry season, when they congregate around the park's lagoons. (However to see vast herds of elephants the best park isUda Walawe National Park)

Leopards.

With over 35 leopards seen in Block 1, Yala West has probably one of the world's densest leopard populations. Panthera pardus kotiya, is a distinct subspecies of its Indian cousins, the largest in Asia. The best time to see leopard is February to July, when the water level of the park is low. Vepandeniya is considered a favourite spot. However we need to be accompanied by a resident naturalist.

Elephants.

The resident elephants are best seen during the dry season from around January to May, near water sources, though not on the scale of Uda Walawe National Park
Mammals.

Among the 32 species of mammals are Sambar deer, spotted deer, muse deer, barking deer, wild boar, wild buffaloes, pangolins, porcupines, stripe-necked & ruddy mongooses, rabbits, (rare) wild cats, jackals macaque, langur monkeys, toque monkeys and many more...

Sloth bears.

Sloth bears are occasionally spotted, particularly in June, when they feed on local fruit.

Crocodiles.

There are also plentiful crocodiles marsh as well as estuarine.

Birdlife.

The Palatupana saltpans on the Tissa Road, 6km before the park entrance, are one of the best sites in the world for watching waders: the park is worth visiting for its birdlife alone. There are about 130 species overall. These birds include white-winged black terns, curlews, pintails, barbets, hoopers, Malabar pied hornbills, orioles, Ceylon shamas, & paradise flycatchers, though pea & jungle fowl are the most frequently seen.

A bird-watching focused day trip including the riverrine forest of the River Menik may yield over 100 species, among them such rarities as red-faced malkoha, great thick-knee, sirkeer malkoha, blue faced malkoha & painted stork. Along with birds of prey is hawk eagle. Among the colorful smaller species are green & blue bee eaters, hoopoes, parakeets & bulbuls. You will not miss Peacocks.

Aquatic birds.

The expanses of wetlands attract serpent - eagle, eastern grey heron, painted stork. White-fowl arrive each winter to augment the resident population. Among the common aquatic birds are various storks, egrets, pelicans, sandpipers, herons, ibises, kingfishers & the magnificent Indian darter. With a little bit of luck, you may also spot the rare black-necked stork near Buttawa on the coast.

Situlpahuwa monastic settlement.

Trekking, Elephants in the evening, monastic settlement

Located right in the Ruhuna Yala National Park is the famous archeological site named Sithulpahuwa. The second century monastery proudly presents the renovated majestic dagobas. Rock carvings & more than 60 inscriptions testify to the history of the site.

History.

the Yala Group of National Reserves was once a part of the ancient Sinhalese kingdom of Ruhuna. A monastic settlement, Situlpahuwa, alone had housed about 12,000 inhabitants including thousands of Buddhist monks during the period of ancient kingdom of Ruhuna of Sri Lanka. Recently resorted, Situlpahuwa is an important centre of pilgrimage en route to nearby Kataragama. Restored Magul Mahavihara (temple) & Akasa Chetiya (shrine) date to the first & second centuries BC testify to a part of the ancient kingdom of Ruhuna. Magul Maha Vihara was built on the spot where King Kavantissa & Vihara Maha Devi were married. In Sinhalese magul means 'wedding'.

Situlapahuwa Monastery archeological site.
Five km from Thissamaharama. the watering hole of the animals in transit to Ruhuna Yala National Park, the main road branches off to well laid gravel road. A half an hour drive through the woods that becomes thicker at each turn of the road takes us to barrier point of the game warden. From the barrier another half an hour's drive takes us to Situlapahuwa archeological site of stupas, temple, wild elephants & herbal tea. The monastery comprises of two rock-top dagobas (stupas) with a small lake in between.

Into the middle of wilderness: the first dagoba & the view of the park.

The little path leads out of the shrine room with both sides of the path having caves in which monks used to meditate in the ancient times. The path takes us to a rocky outcrop from where we could see the whole expanse of Ruhunu Yala National Park. The existent dagoba on the top of the rocky outcrop is built over the foundations of an ancient dagoba. The inscriptions scattered around the site have identified Situlpahuwa as a monastery of great piety & scholarship.

Kuda Situlpahuwa (Little Situlpahuwa)
Still more into the wilderness & another kilometer through the woods takes us to a smaller dagoba atop another rock outcrop, which is even higher than Situlpahuwa. We will be trekking up a near vertical rock face with the help of rickety hand rail made of iron & tiny toe holds carved into the rock face. Once again we have a panoramic view of the national park.

Elephants
We have to return to temple where we park the car since elephants begin to roam around in the late afternoon. The elephant lovers stay the night at the temple to view antics of elephants.

Strict Natural Reserve of Yala East (Kumana)
On the far side of the Strict Natural Reserve is Yala East (Kumana) National Park which is currently only accessible via the world class surfing beach of Arugam Bay of pristine eastern beaches.

Accommodation

Brown's Beach Hotel
Has it all: sea views, visiting wildlife, & simple, comfortable rooms in an idyllic setting on the edge of the park.

Yala village
A couple of kilometers from the park entrance, with sixty plush a/c bungalows scattered around ten acres of jungle between sea and lagoon.

Hotel Yala Safari Games Lodge
Hotel Yala Safari Games Lodge is situated on the beach, overlooking a lagoon and only 1/2 km from the Yala Wildlife sanctuary. Offers 42 A/C and 21 Non-A/C Rooms.

Uda Walawe National Park in Sri Lanka

2011-09-28T03:29:00.000-07:00

The best place in Asia to see herds of Asian Elephants
Wild Elephants, Wildlife, Bird Watching, Modern Rain water reservoir, River Walawe, Dam & Hydro Electricity Project

Sri Lanka Holidays presents you the opportunity to see large herds of Asian Elephants in the open area close to modern man-made Rainwater Reservoir (3400ha).
Uda Walwe National Park, Sri Lanka is the best place in Asia to see herds of Asian Elephants, the pachyderms in the wild. Uda Walawe National Park, that retains their leaves even during the dry season, is one of Sri Lanka's Dry-Zone Dry Evergreen Forests that harbours one of Asia'a largest & most viable Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) populations. The 30,821ha park was set up in the year 1972 to protect the catchment area of the man-made Rainwater Reservoir located at the south end of the River Walwe. At the same time the reserve was designated to provide sanctuary to wild elephants.

The setting

For a dry zone park, it couldn't have been located in a better setting: to the north is grand escarpment of Central Highlands of Sri Lanka; to the south is Walawe ganga river flowing all the way down to the sea at Ambalantota close to Hambantota in the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

Uda Walawe rainwater reservoir

Most of all, at the centre of the sanctuary lies the huge man-made rainwater reservoir with a surface area of 3400ha providing irrigation for farmlands downstream & generating hydroelectric power to the tropical island of Sri Lanka. You will be reaching the park by following the road along the 4km bund across the Uda Walawe rainwater reservoir.

Terrain that make it easy to see the elephants

The variety of terrain makes the habitat home to variety of wildlife. While woodland of old Teak tree lines the River Walawe, open grassland is traversed by streams & scrub jungle. The extensive area of grassland devoid of forest cover makes the viewing of elephants easier than anywhere else in Asia: herds up to 100 or even more could be seen along the river & near the numerous streams & tanks. Behold the sight & a site of Sri Lanka Holidays. The wild elephants could be seen crossing the River Walawe too. The elephant-proof fence around the perimeter of the park prevents some 600 elephants, roaming freely around the reserve from getting out of it to attack the surrounding farmland. The fence also prevents the cattle, belonging to the farmers of surrounding villages, from getting into the reserve.

Uda Walawe Elephant Transit Center

In 1995, Department of Wildlife in Sri Lanka, in an attempt to support the orphaned calves from the other areas of the island, set up the Elephant Transit Centre at Uda Walawe National Park itself with the support of Born Free Foundation. Twenty of the 32 calves are "foster parented". As in the famous Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, herein too you would have the joy of seeing the baby elephants being bottle fed. Although it is fun to watch baby elephants being bottle-fed every three hours, since the jolly good fellows are kept in pens, you will not get right amongst them & caress them as you do with good little fellows at the famous Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage of Sri Lanka Holidays. At the age of five, the young elephants are returned to the wild: living free. While some are born free in the wild some are born in the captivity at Uda Walawe Elephant Transit Centre.

Uda Walawe Wild life & Bird Life

The park is home to jungle cat, sloth bear, porcupine, pangolin, macaque, langur, jackal, leopard, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar, mongoose, bandicoot, fox giant flying squirrel, water buffalo, crocodile & water monitor lizard.

Birds gather in large numbers around the tanks Magam, Habartu, Kiri ibban, Pulgaswewa, Timbirimankada. Among the aquatic birds are cormorants, kingfishers, herons & Indian darters. Endemic species include the Sri Lanka spur fowl, the Sri Lanka jungle fowl, the Malabar pied hornbill & the rare red-faced malkoha. Giving credence to the adage "small is beautiful" is the lesser adjutant of stork family: it is large & ugly. At a height of over a meter, it is the largest bird you would see in Sri Lanka Holidays. With the head & neck as bare as a vulture, & then again with thick, long & pale bill, it is the ugliest bird you would see in Sri Lanka Holidays.

Among the raptors (birds of prey) are crested serpent, hawk, fish eagles, brahminy, black-winged kites, & the lovely white-bellied sea-eagle.

With 189 species of avifauna recorded in the park, in a single day of Sri Lanka Holidays at Uda Walawe, a keen eye would sight no less than 100 species of birds.

Around Uda Walwe

The location of Uda Walawe makes it within a couple of hours drive from Unawatuna Bay Beach as well as Ratnapura, the world renowned city of gems of Sri Lanka. Tissamaharama, an ancient city, home to a beautiful Buddhist stupa & magnificent Tissa wewa, a large rainwater reservoir & the town of Hambantota are within a few hours drive too. Hambantota of large salt lakes, where kitchen salt is produced from evaporated sea water in shallow lagoons. The sprawling salt lakes, with an ancient method of making salt, hugging main road make the drive with a sea breeze all the more pleasant. All along the drive are shore birds such as flamingos, gulls, plovers & terns attracted by the salt pans.

Hambantota
The famous novel "Village in the Jungle" by Leonard Woolf, (a British civil servant of Crown colony of Ceylon, husband of the prime feminist of the era (A room of one's own) & acclaimed writer Virginia Woolf of Bloomsbury Group - To the Lighthouse) was set in the village of Hambantota. The novel depicting the fate of Sinhalese speaking peasants under the merciless iron boots of the British colonialists & their reign by way of an alien language called English, Birmingham iron shackles & Winchester rifles, was made in to a classic film by one of the top ten film directors of the world (right alongside indomitable Akira Kurasowa & illustrious Satyajith Rai, in the category of finest utilization of resources available, given the economy & the industry technology of the country of the production), renowned Lester James Peiris of Sri Lanka. We will be driving past Hambantota in Sri Lanka Holidays. The town is famous for its Buffalo curd (a sort of creamy white yogurt - fermented buffalo milk nicely, firmly set in shallow reddish brown clay pots) which, with generous helpings of Kitul palm honey syrup makes the finest dessert in the world, hands down. Nobody beat our dessert; no world beats the village of Hambantota to its famous curd. May god save the humble villagers of Sri Lanka Holidays! Amen. Sri Lanka, the Land of Delights brings you the Total Holiday Experience. Sri Lanka Holidays reveal for you to revel.