Sri Lanka

2010-06-02T05:21:00.001-07:00

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2009-11-02T23:19:00.000-08:00

GALLE

Galle is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa (although Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, during the Dutch colonial period. The major river is Gin River (Gin Ganga) which starts from Gongala Kanda and passing villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada, Wakwella and kisses the sea at Ginthota. In Wakwella over the river there is Wakwella Bridge which is the longest bridge in Sri Lanka.

Galle lies in Galle District.

On 26 December 2004 the city was devastated by the massive Boxing Day Tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that occurred a thousand miles away, off the coast of Indonesia. Thousands were killed in the city alone.

Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in south and southeast Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and south Asian traditions. The Galle fort is a world heritage site and the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers. Other prominent landmarks in Galle include St. Mary's Cathedral founded by Jesuit priests, one of the main Shiva temples on the island, and The Amangalla, a historic luxury hotel.

Galle is the main town in the most southerly part of the island, with a population of around 100,000, and is connected by rail to Colombo and Matara. It is home to a cricket ground, the Galle International Stadium, rebuilt after the 2004 tsunami. Test matches resumed there on December 18, 2007.

Rumassala Kanda is a large mound-like hill, which forms the eastern protective barrier to the Galle harbour. Local tradition associates this hill with some events of the Ramayana.

History

According to James Emerson Tennent, Galle was the ancient seaport of Tarshish, from which King Solomon drew ivory, peacocks and other valuables. Certainly, cinnamon was exported from Sri Lanka as early as 1400 BC and the root of the word itself is Hebrew, so Galle may have been a main entrepot for the spice.

Galle had been a prominent seaport long before western rule in the country. Persians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Malays, Indians, and Chinese were doing business through Galle port. In 1411, the Galle Trilingual Inscription, a stone tablet inscription in three languages, Chinese, Tamil and Persian, was erected in Galle to commemorate the second visit to Sri Lanka by the Chinese admiral Zheng He.

The "modern" history of Galle starts in 1505, when the first Portuguese ship, under Lourenço de Almeida was driven there by a storm. However, the people of the city refused to let the Portuguese enter it, so the Portuguese took it by force.

In 1640, the Portuguese had to surrender to the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch built the present Fort in the year 1663. They built a fortified wall, using solid granite, and built three bastions, known as "Sun", "Moon" and "Star".

After the British took over the country from the Dutch in the year 1796, they preserved the Fort unchanged, and used it as the administrative centre of Galle.

New Galle Mayor is Mr. Methsiri de Silva, appointed 2008.12.04.

Some beautiful places in Galle

Demographics

Galle is a sizeable town, by Sri Lankan standards, and has a population of 91,000, the majority of whom are of Sinhalese ethnicity. There is also a large Sri Lankan Moor minority, particularly in the fort area, who descend from Arab merchants that settled in the ancient port of Galle.

Ethnicity	Population	% Of Total
Sinhalese	66,114	72.71
Sri Lankan Moors	23,234	25.56
Sri Lankan Tamils	989	1.09
Indian Tamils	255	0.28
Other (including Burgher, Malay)	342	0.38
Total	90,934	100

Culture
The most notable regular cultural even in Galle is the annual Galle Literary Festival, and English language festival that attracts world famous authors.

Universities

Two main faculties of University of Ruhuna are located in Galle. Faculty of Engineering is located at Hapugala about 5 km from the city center. The faculty of Medicine is located at Karapitiya near the Karapitiya Hospital.

Faculty Of Engineering visit
Faculty of Medicine visit

Higher Education Institutes

Labuduwa Advanced Technological Institute was Started in year 2000 and it was planned to offer Higher national Diploma in Information Technology(HNDIT), Higher National Diploma in Technology (Agriculture) HNDT(Agri),and Higher National Diploma in Engineeering (HNDE).Since then Labuduwa ATI has been the pioneer in technological education in SriLanka

HNDIT -Labuduwa ATI [visit:http://www.hndit.lk]
HNDT(Agri)-Labuduwa ATI

2009-11-01T00:40:00.000-07:00

HIKKADUWA

Hikkaduwa is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka. It is located in the Southern Province, about 20 km north-west of Galle. Hikkaduwa is famous for its beach and corals.

It was affected by the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Villages affected were Telwatta, Paraliya (Queen of the Sea rail disaster), Dodanduwa, Kahawa, Rathgama. The place is on the way from Colombo to Galle on the famous Galle road. It is primarily a tourist destination, and serves as a great beach with options to surf, snorkel and enjoy the sun.

The town is arranged around the one main road which runs from Galle to Colombo. This road is extremely well trafficked and pedestrians and tourists are advised to exercise caution when crossing.

In the wake of the tsunami, many of the families who had lost everything were given sewing machines as part of the relief operations. As a result, the town has a plethora of tailors who will custom make shirts, pants, and shorts.

The area also has a reputation for offering a vibrant nightlife. Hikkaduwa is also very popular with board-surfers. It's a well-known international destination for board-surfing.

Hikkaduwa National Park is one of the two marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The national park contains a fringing coral reef of high degree of biodiversity. The area was declared a wildlife sanctuary on May 18, 1979, and then on August 14, 1988, upgraded to a nature reserve with extended land area. The growth of the number of visitors in the next 25 years increased the degradation of the coral reef. To reduce the effects to the ecosystem, the reef was declared a national park on September 19, 2002.

Coral reef

Hikkaduwa coral reef is a typical shallow fringing reef with an average depth of around 5 metres (16 ft). The coral reef reduces the coastal erosion and forms a natural breakwater. The coast of the national park extends four km. Generally the coast is narrow, ranging from 5-50 m according to the climatic conditions of the year. Scuba diving is a popular recreation here.

Physical features

The national park situated in the wet zone and receives a 2,000 millimetres (79 in) of annual rainfall.The rain is received in both southewestern and northeastern monsoon seasons, in April-June and September-November respectively. Inter-monsoon season is a dry period which is considered the best season to visit the park. The temperature of the water ranges from 28.0°-30.0°C while the mean annual temperature is 27°C of the atmosphere.

Flora and fauna

Foliaceous Montipora species dominate the coral reef. Encrusting and branching species are also present. Faviidae and Poritidae corals are contained in the inshore areas of the reef in massive colonies. Staghorn, elkhorn, cabbage, brain, table and star corals are all present in the reef. Corals of 60 species belonging to 31 genera are recorded from the reef. The reef also recorded over 170 species of reef fish belonging to 76 genera.

Seagrass and marine algae belonging to genera Halimeda and Caulerpa are common in the seabed depth ranging from 5-10 m. Seagrasses provide habitat to Dugong and sea turtles. Some species of prawns feed on the seagrass. Eight species of ornamental fishes also inhabit the reef, along with many vertebrates and invertebrates including crabs, prawns, shrimps, oysters and sea worms. Porites desilveri is an endemic coral species of Sri Lanka. Chlorurus rhakoura and Pomacentrus proteus are two reef fish species confined to Sri Lanka. Blacktip reef shark are found along the outer slope of the reef. Three sea turtles which have been categorized threatened visit the coral reef: the hawksbill turtle, green turtle, and Olive Ridley.
The reef has suffered high degradation due to both natural and human activities. The live coral cover was decreased from 47 percent to 13 percent in a coral bleaching event in 1998, induced by the 1998 El Niño.It has been suggested that at least 30-40 percent of coral reef should be restored in order for it to be capable of sustaining itself. Despite being designated as a protected area, the coral reef has been subject to constant exploitation including removal of breeding ornamental fish for the commercial market.

Boxing day tsunami

The two marine national parks of Sri Lanka, Hikkaduwa and Pigeon Island, received little direct impact from the Boxing day tsunami.However they suffered from secondary impacts, particularly from terrestrial debris being deposited on the reefs. A collaboration work of conservation groups and volunteers was carried out to clean up the beach and the reef debris, including two large fishing nets stuck on the outer edge of the reef.

2009-10-31T04:44:00.000-07:00

KANDY

Kandy (kăn'dē), city (1995 est. pop. 108,000), capital of Central prov., Sri Lanka, on the Kandy Plateau. Once the capital of the Sinhalese Kandyan kingdom, it is now a mountain resort and market center for an area producing tea, rubber, rice, and cacao. The main part of the city overlooks a scenic artificial lake built by the last king of Kandy in 1806. Near the lake is the Temple of the Tooth, said to house one of Buddha's teeth. This sacred relic, brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th cent. (reputedly by a princess who hid it in her hair), may have been destroyed (1560) by the Portuguese. The relic, which has made Kandy a pilgrimage and tourist attraction, is honored in the annual Esala Perahera pageant. Kandy is noted for such local handicrafts as reed and lacquer work and silver and brassware.

Kandy (maha nuvara, pronounced Although the city's history dates back to the 5th cent. B.C., it did not become the capital of the Sinhalese kings until 1592. It was temporarily occupied by the Portuguese (16th cent.) and the Dutch (18th cent.); but, as a stronghold, it remained free until 1815, when the British captured it and exiled the last king to India. A palace, an art museum, and a library are the remnants of the royal period. In the suburb of Peradeniya is the Univ. of Sri Lanka (1942) and the famous botanical gardens, noted especially for their orchids.[mahaˈnuvərə], in Sinhala, கண்டி kaṇṭi, pronounced [ˈkaɳɖi], in Tamil) is the English name for the city of Maha Nuvara (Senkadagalapura) in the centre of Sri Lanka. It lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy Valley, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an administrative and religious city. It is the capital of the Central Province (which encompasses the districts of Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya) and also of Kandy District.

Some Places to Visit in Kandy

History

Establishment

Historical records suggest that Kandy was first established by the King Wickramabahu (1357–1374 CE) near the Watapuluwa area, north of the present city, and named Senkadagalapura at the time, although some scholars suggest the name Katubulu Nuwara may also have been used. The origin of the more popular name for the city, Senkadagala, could have been from a number of sources. These include naming after a brahmin named Senkanda who lived in a cave near the city, after a queen of King Wickramabahu named Senkanda or after a colored stone named Senkadagala.

Kingdom of Kandy

In 1592 Kandy became the capital city of the last remaining independent kingdom in the island after the coastal regions had been conquered by the Portuguese. Several invasions by the Portuguese and the Dutch (16th, 17th and 18th century) and later by the British (most notably in 1803) were repelled.
The kingdom tolerated a Dutch presence on the coast of Sri Lanka, although attacks were occasionally launched. The most ambitious offensive was undertaken in 1761, when King Kirti Sri RajasinhaNegombo intact. When a Dutch retaliatory force returned to the island in 1763, Kirti Sri Rajasinha abandoned the coastline and withdrew into the interior. When the Dutch continued to the jungles the next year, they were constantly harassed by disease, heat, lack of provisions, and Kandyan sharpshooters, who hid in the jungle and inflicted heavy losses on the Dutch. The Dutch launched a better adapted force in January of 1765, replacing their troops' bayonets with machetes and using more practical uniforms and tactics suited to jungle warfare. The Dutch were initially successful in capturing the capital, which was deserted, and the Kandyans withdrew to the jungles once more, refusing to engage in open battle. However, the Dutch were again worn down by constant attrition. A peace treaty was signed in 1766. The Dutch remained in control of the coastal areas until 1796, when Great Britain took them over (while the Netherlands under French control) as part of the Napoleonic wars. British possession of these areas was formalized with the treaty of Amiens in 1802. The next year the British also invaded Kandy in what became known as the First Kandyan War, but were repulsed.

The last ruling dynasty of Kandy were the Nayaks. Kandy stayed independent until the early 19th century. In the Second Kandyan War, The British launched an invasion that met no resistance and reached the city on February 10, 1815. On attacked and overran most of the coast, leaving only the heavily fortified March 2, 1815, a treaty known as the Kandyan Convention was signed between the British and the RadalasSri Vikrama Rajasinha was captured and taken as a royal prisoner by the British to Vellore Fort in southern India along with all claimants to the throne.(Kandyan aristocrats) With this treaty, Candy recognized the King of England as its King and became a British protectorate. The last king of the kingdom Sri Vikrama Rajasinha was captured and taken as a royal prisoner by the British to Vellore Fort in southern India along with all claimants to the throne.

As the capital, Kandy had become home to the relic of the tooth of the Buddha which symbolizes a 4th-century tradition that used to be linked to the Sinhalese monarchy, since the protector of the relic was the ruler of the land. Thus the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth were placed in close proximity to each other.

World War II

In 1944, during World War II, the South East Asia Command of the allies was moved to Kandy, where it remained till the end of the war.

Modern Kandy

Today Kandy remains a important religious center of the Sinhalese and a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, namely those belonging to the Theravada school. It is the second largest city of the island.

Governance

The Kandy Municipal Council governs the City of Kandy, it was established under the Municipalities Ordinance of 1865. The inaugural meeting had been held on 20 March 1866. The Kandy Town Hall was established in the present premises known as the Dunuwille Walawwe in 1870.

The Government Agent of the Central Province had presided over the council until 1939 when the Mayor was elected. The first elected mayor was Sir Cuda Ratwatte. With further amendments to the ordinance in 1978 the Mayor became the Executive Head whilst the Commissioner was the Administrative head.

Presently the Council consists of 24 members. The Governing Party, United National Party has 14 and the opposition 10. The Council meets once a month to review the progress and decide on the implementation of its projects. Five standing committees of the Council, namely Finance, Law, Works, Sports and Welfare Services (Pre-Schools, Library), also meet monthly to evaluate and recommend to Council relative matters for approval.

Geography

Topography

Climate

Urban morphology

The city of Kandy lies at an altitude 465m above sea level. Its plan developed around two open spaces: an elongated square, at the end of which are the administration buildings of the old capital, and an artificial lake that is quadrangular in form. A public garden adds to the openness of the city's spatial organization.

On the north shore of the lake, which is enclosed by a parapet of white stone dating to the beginning of the 19th century, are the city's official religious monuments, including the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth, known as the Dalada Maligawa (daḷadā māligāva). Reconstructed in the 18th century, the Dalanda Maligawa is built on a base of granite that was inspired by the temples of Sri Lanka's former capital city, Anuradhapura. An array of materials (limestone, marble, sculpted wood, ivory, etc.) contribute to the richness of this temple.
Throughout this small holy city, a number of recent Buddhist monasteries can be found.
Kandy has now grown out to encompass Peradeniya, home to the University of Peradeniya, Hakgala and the Botanical Gardens, Katugastota to the north, and east to Kundasale, Tennekumbura and Gurudeniya.

Culture

World Heritage Site

Palace of the Tooth relic

The monumental ensemble of Kandy is an example of construction that associates the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth (Palace of the tooth relic) is the place that houses the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Originally part of the Royal Palace complex of the Kandyan Kingdom, it is one of the holiest places of worship and pilgrimage for Buddhist around the world. It was last of a series of temples built in the places where the relic, the actual palladium of the Sinhalese monarchy, was brought following the various relocations of the capital city.

The Palace of the Tooth relic, the palace complex and the holy city of Kandy are associated with the history of the dissemination of Buddhism.The temple is the product of the last peregrination of the relic of the tooth of Buddha and the testimony of a religion which continues to be practiced today.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace of Kandy is the last Royal Palace built in the island. Although only part of the original palace complex remain. The Temple of the Tooth was part of this comples, due to the ancient tradition that stated that the monarch is the protector of the relic though which the ruler of the land. It today houses the National Museum Kandy which holds an extensive collection of artifacts from both the Kandy Kingdom and the British colonial rule.

Lankatilaka Temple

The Lankatilaka Temple is considered to be one of the best preserved examples of traditional Sinhalese temple architecture. Built on a rock, the temple is reached by a long series of rock cut steps. An arched passage of the image house leads through a Mandapa (hall) into the inner sanctum which is richly decorated with beautiful floral designs. The two side walls and the ceiling are decorated with paintings. In the inner sanctum is a colossal seated image of the Buddha.

2009-10-30T00:26:00.000-07:00

NATURAL BEAUTY OF SRILANKA

Location and Physical Features

Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian Ocean is located to the south of the Indian subcontinent. It lies between 5^O 55' and 9^O 55' north of the equator and between the eastern longitudes 79^O 42' and 81^O 52'. The total land area is 65,610 sq. km. and is astonishingly varied. A length of 445 km. and breadth of 225 km. encompasse beautiful tropical beaches, verdant vegetation, ancient monuments and a thousand delights to please all tastes. The relief features of the island consist of a mountainous mass somewhat south of the centre, with height exceeding 2,500 metres, surrounded by broad plains. Palm fringed beaches surround the island and the sea temperature rarely falls below 27^OC.

Climate and Seasons

In the lowlands the climate is typically tropical with an average temperature of 27^OC in Colombo. In the higher elevations it can be quite cool with temperatures going down to 16^OC.at an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres. Bright, sunny warm days are the rule and are common even during the height of the monsoon - climatically Sri Lanka has no off season. The south west monsoon brings rain mainly from May to July to the western, southern and central regions of the island, while the north-east monsoon rains occur in the northern and eastern regions in December and January.

Temperature Chart

Jan-April		May-August		Sept-Dec
	Max.	Min.	Max.	Min.	Max.	Min.
Colombo	30^OC	22^OC	30^OC	24^OC	29^OC	22^OC
Kandy	31^OC	17^OC	29^OC	21^OC	28^OC	18^OC
Nuwara Eliya	21^OC	14^OC	18^OC	16^OC	18^OC	15^OC
Trincomalee	32^OC	24^OC	33^OC	25^OC	33^OC	23^OC

Rain Forest of Sri Lanka

Rain forest:-

1.Adam's peak
2.Sinharaja
3.Yala
4.Vilpattu

The Sri Lanka Lowland Rain Forests represents Sri Lanka's Tropical rainforests below 1,000 m in elevation in the southwestern part of the island. The year-around warm, wet climate together with thousands years of isolation from mainland India have resulted in the evolution of numerous plants and animal species that can be only found in rain forests in Sri Lanka.The thick forest canopy is made up of over 150 species of trees, some of the emergent layer reaching as high as 45 m. The lowland rain forests accounts for 2.14 percent of the Sri Lanka's land area.This ecoregion is the home of the Jungle Shrew, a small endemic mammal of Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka has the highest density of amphibian species worldwide. Many of these including 250 species of tree frogs live in these rain forests.

Forest Cover

The lowland rain forests cover 124,340.8 ha in total, accounts for 2.14 percent of the Sri Lanka's land area. Wet monsoon forests are receiving 2,500 millimetres (98 in)-1,800 millimetres (71 in) of annual rainfall and situated belove 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) of altitude. Kanneliya, Viharakele, Nakiyadeniya, and Sinharaja, which is a world heritage site are the forests that represent this ecoregion. Bambarabotuwa, Morapitiya Runakanda, Gilimale and Eratne are some of the other forest reserves. Even rainfall throughout the year, and invariable temperature resulted in rich biodiversity. These forests also act as an important catchment area for rivers.

Geological History

Sri Lanka is a continental island, separates from the Asian continent only by shallow palk strait. Sri Lanka was once a part of Gondwanaland, until Cretaceous period. Then as a part of Indian plate, it detached and drifted northward. The Indian plate collided with Asian mainland about 55 million years later. Therefore many ancient Gondwana taxonomic groups present in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka first became separated from the mainland Indian subcontinent during the late Miocene epoch. Due to climatic changes an intermittent drier region emerged between the moist forests in southwest Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats in India, the closest other moist forests. Although the island connected with the mainland repeatedly by land bridges since the initial separation, Sri Lanka's moist forests and its wet forest-adapted biota have identified ecologically isolated.

Almost all the endemic flora and fauna of Sri Lanka are confined to the southwestern rain forests.Warm and moist climate and long physical isolation wet forest adopted species have promoted a high degree of endemism and specialization. More than 60 percent of 306 endemic tree species of Sri Lanka are restricted to this ecoregion. Further 61 species are shared with montane rain forests and dry forests. The dominant tree family in Asian rain forests, the family Dipterocarpaceae shows a special endemicity. All but one species of the 58 species of the family Dipterocarpaceae only be found in these rain forests, including two endemic genera, Shorea and Stemonoporus. Anoectochilus setaceus or Wanaraja (Sinhalese for "King of forest") an endemic orchid is only found in undisturbed forests of this ecoregion. Several plant species shows highly localized distribution. The lowland and sub montane forests are the floristically richest in Sri Lanka and of all South Asia.

2009-10-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

SINHARAJA FOREST

Dense, dark, wet and mysterious - Sinharaja is a primeval forest for meditation, relaxation and for scientific exploration. This relatively undisturbed expanse of primary forest is a Sri Lankan heritage - the last patch of sizeable lowland evergreenRain Forest still remaining more or intact or undisturbed in our island.The forest is steeped in deep legend and mystery. The word Sinharaja means, lion (Sinha) king (Raja) and the popular belief it that the legendary origin of the Sinhala people in Sri Lanka is form the descendants of the union the lion king who once lived in the forest and a princess.

Today, the spirit of the legend remains captured in solitude in the silent forest and the rising mist of the early dawn. More than time however separates the modern explorer in the Sinharaja forest from its legendary inhabitants, man has rapidly penetrated the seemingly inaccessible wilderness of the Sri Lanka's rainforest which once covered perhaps over 100,000 ha. of the South Western hills and lowlands. The present reserve is but a glimpse of its former glory, occuphying a narrow silver of land 21 km. in length and 3.7 km. in width, covering 11187 ha. of undisturbed and logged forest, scrub and fern land. It was declared an International Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978, then a National Wilderness Area in 1988 under the National Heritage Site in 1989.

To the casual observer, the forest represents a tropical rain forest with a dense tall stand of trees, steep and rugged hills etched by numerous rocky streams and rivulets. The value of forests such as Sinharaja are well known for their functions as watersheds and store houses of great biological wealth. It is a rich treasure 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. Sinharaja therefore, represents an irreplaceable genepool, a refugia for all those rare and endangered forms of life, both fauna and flora.Bio diversity of the forest is very high and a large proportion of the flora in this forest is endemic to the country and some endemic to the Singharaja Forest itself. This is a very good place to see many endemic birds such as Ceylon Lorikeet, Layard's parakeet, Jungle and Spur Fowl, Ceylon Wood Pigeon, Grey Hombill, Spotted wing Thrush, Rufous and Brown- capped Babbler, Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush, Ceylon Blue Magpie, White Headed Starling,

The clear cut roads in to the jungle provide easy access to the forest. This important forest is a Man and Biosphere Forest reserve and it is considered as a World Heritage Site.

2009-10-25T05:34:00.000-07:00

YALA

YYala National Park is geographically located in Sri Lanka at latitude 06°16' - 06°42' North and longitude 81°15' - 81°42' East. The Park can be visited via the town of Tissamaharama in the Hambantota District of the Southern Province.While Block I has good access roads, access to Blocks II and III is limited mainly to dry weather. There are eight Park bungalows all of which are within Yala Block I. Another has been constructed at Katagamuwa Sanctuary, and one more is now ready for occupation in Yala Block IV. Accommodation is available for 8-10 people in each bungalow on the basis of prior reservations with the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Apart from resident visitors occupying the bungalows, a large number of day visitors enter the Park.The Block I boundaries of the Park, take in 19 kilometers of sea coast in the southeast from Amaduwa to Yala, 19 kilometers from Yala up the Menik Ganga to Pahalahentota, 19 kilometers from Pahalahentota to Bambawa, and 3 kilometers from Bambawa to Palatupana.

Early History

"The earliest epigraphic "Brahmi" inscriptions discovered in Sri Lanka and in this region date back to the 2nd century B.C. Prior to this the Indo-Aryan settlers from Northern India as represented,in the legend of Vijaya, were well established and in full control of the area. Edifices of the earliest Buddhist cave monastery type began to be constructed wherever there was human habitation and in suitable rock outcrops, of which there are many in the area. There are to this day innumerable and very interesting remains of cave dwellings from the pre-Christian era."This region was part of the Rohana (Ruhuna) Kingdom, having an advanced civilization as evinced by remains of dagabas and ancient artificial reservoirs (tanks), built by clever hydrological engineers, to irrigate large extents of cultivable land.After the 10th century, historical evidence draws attention to the absence of inscriptions later than the 10th century A.D. "Architectural and sculptural remains of the medieval period are absent. It would appear to be a justifiable inference that some sudden de-population of the region occurred. The ancient chronicles supply no information whatsoever and the jungle tide spread covering the past with a mantle of secondary forest. These have matured to the climax stands seen in Yala today.

The Modern Era

At the turn of the century Yala Block I was declared a Game Sanctuary. A small area west of the Sanctuary was set aside in which resident sportsman might shoot. The main force behind this decision was the Game Protection Society (now the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society) founded in 1894 by the plantation owners, executives of firms, sportsmen and amateur naturalists favouring the conservation of wildlife. Records denote that the first Game Ranger of the Sanctuary was H.H. Engelbrecht, an Afrikaaner and a Boer prisoner of war who was not returned to South Africa on account of his refusal to swear allegiance to the British monarchy. After his release Engelbrecht came to the nearby coastal town of Hambantota.
Being on his own on foreign soil, he found life hard. The Government Agent of the district however, took pity on Engelbrecht and made him the custodian of the Game Sanctuary around 1908. With his experience of wildlife on the veldt, the post suited him admirably. He administered the region fearlessly and with courage, using his whip to punish any miscreants. Many are the tales of his daring and prowess with the gun. However, his German ancestry proved to be his undoing. He was falsely accused during the First World War (1914-1918), of supplying meat to a German warship, the "Emden", and was taken into custody. After the war, he was released and once again returned to Hambantota where he died in poverty. Long after his death, it was proved that he was innocent of the accusation.

Physical features

"Most of the area is underlain by Vijayan rocks formed over 600 million years ago. Rock outcrops or inselbergs stand out of a relatively flat plain, looming to heights of up to 800ft. They are made up of migmatites, hornblende, and granite gneisses. Pleistocene and Holocene alluvial and aeolian deposits cover the Vijayan series near the Menik ganga and along most of the coast line."The Menik Ganga is now a seasonal river, since its damming for irrigation purposes higher up, as far back as 1878. There are four other seasonal "aras" or streamlets carrying water during the rainy season.

The breached and denuded earth bunds of several irrigation tanks are still visible, together with natural water holes and tanks (wewa), improved to hold water. These sources of water are a link in the survival of the wildlife found within the area.Amongst the rock ridges and monoliths are several natural rock pools that have a charm of their own. Some contain water throughout the year, and have their own development of water plants and fauna.

In the southeast, the Park is bounded by the sea. The many bays carve out an intricate mosaic. Unspoilt natural beaches and sand dunes provide a beautiful environment of undulating and shifting sands. This is surely one of the most spectacular seascapes of Sri Lanka. Far out at sea are two lighthouses, Great and Little Basses, which stand on two submerged ridges by those names and beam a red and white light respectively at night.Lagoons fringe this part of the coastline, each lined with mangroves and filled with brackish water. The extensive parklands that surround these lagoons offer visitors superb locations for viewing animals and bird life.

2009-10-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

VILPATTU

Vilpattu National Park which has been closed for several years owing to the north-east war is now opened. Vilpattu is the biggest national park in Sri Lanka covering around 500 sq. miles. 30 or so sand-rimmed freshwater lakes surrounded by grass and high forest are where the animals and birds are best seen. About 230 kM north of Colombo and 30 kM west of Anuradhapura, Established in as a game sanctuary in 1909, it was re-designated to a national park in 1938 and for many years had been a popular wildlife safari destination.Kumbukwila and Nelunwila in particular are a bird watchers' paradise. In the middle of the lakes are painted stork, grey heron, cormorants and darters, while lapwing, plover and blue coot rummage among the reeds nearer the edge. Duck godwit and sandpipers are winter visitors from October to April. On the top-most branches of the trees in the forest are hornbills who attract a lot of attention because of their comical looks and loud metallic voices. Comical they may look but strict husbands they are, locking their mates within clay walls in their hollow tree trunk nests until the eggs are hatched and the young ready to fly.
The Ancient harbour at the foot of the Mount Kudremalai is the place where the first settlers from India (Prince Vijaya and followers) are believed to have landed. His marriage to the local princesses Kuveni as the legend says created the Sinhalese race. Stone pillars and guardstones at Kalivillu is referred to as remains of Kuveni Temple.

2009-10-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

ADAM'S PEAK

Jutting sharply skyward from the lush jungles of southwestern Sri Lanka is the 7362 foot (2243 meter) peak of Sri Pada, the 'Holy Footprint'. Also called Adam's Peak, the mountain has the unique distinction of being sacred to the followers of four of the world's major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Long before the development of these religions, however, the mountain was worshipped by the aboriginal inhabitants of Sri Lanka, the Veddas. Their name for the peak was Samanala Kanda; Saman being one of the four guardian deities of the island. For Hindus, the name of the mountain is Sivan Adi Padham, because it was the world-creative dance of the god Shiva that left the giant footprint (5 feet 7 inches by 2 feet 6 inches). According to Buddhist traditions from as early as 300 BC, the real print is actually beneath this larger marking. Imprinted on a huge sapphire, it was left by the Buddha during the third and final of his legendary visits to Sri Lanka. When Portuguese Christians came to the island in the 16th century they claimed the impression to be the footprint of St. Thomas who, according to legend, first brought Christianity to Sri Lanka. And finally, the Arabs record it as being the solitary footprint of Adam where he stood for a thousand years of penance on one foot. An Arab tradition tells that when Adam was expelled from heaven, God put him on the peak to make the shock less terrible - Ceylon being that place on earth closest to and most like heaven.
The mountain is more easily seen from the sea than from land, and also more impressive. Early Arab seafarers fascinated with the pyramidal peak wrote of it as "the highest mountain in the world" (it is not even the highest in Sri Lanka), and "visible from three days sail". The ancient Sinhalese also believed it to be of great height and a native legend tells "from Seyllan to Paradise is forty miles, and the sound of the fountains of Paradise is heard here". Visited by many early world travelers, among them the Arab Ibn Batuta (1304-1368) and the Venetian Marco Polo (1254-1324), Adam's Peak attained a legendary status as a mystic pilgrimage destination. Today the pilgrimage season commences in December and continues until the beginning of the monsoon rains in April (from May to October the mountain is obscurred by clouds). Certain parts of the path leading up the mountain are extremely steep and the climbing chains secured in these sections are said to have been placed by Alexander the Great (365-323 BC), though there is no evidence that he made it this far south on his Asia travels. Atop the peak is an oblong platform (74 x 24 feet) where stands a small Buddhist temple and the shrine of Saman with the strange footprint. Votive offerings are made here, especially of a coil of silver as long as the donor is tall, for recovery from sickness; and rain-water taken from the footprint is known to have a wonderful healing power. Adam's Peak is also called Samanalakande or the 'butterfly mountain' because of the myriads of small butterflies that fly from all over the island to die upon the sacred mountain.

2009-10-19T04:07:00.000-07:00

TEMPLE OF TOOTH

Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple.

Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are performed three times daily: at dawn, at noon and in the evening. On Wednesdays there is a symbolic bathing of the Sacred Relic with an herbal preparation made from scented water and flagrant flowers, called Nanumura Mangallaya. This holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed among those present.

The temple sustained damage from bombings at various times but was fully restored each time.

histoy of temple of tooth

After the parinirvana of Gautama Buddha, tooth relic was preserved in Kalinga and smuggled to the island by Princess Hemamali and her husband, Prince Dantha on the instructions of her father King Guhasiva.They landed in the island in Lankapattana during the reign of King Kirthi Sri Meghavarna (301-328) and handed over the tooth relic. The king enshrined it Meghagiri Vihara (present day Isurumuniya) in Anuradhapura. Safeguard of the relic was a responcibility of the monarch, therefore over the years the custodianship of relic became to symbolize the right to rule. Therefore reigning monarchs built the tooth relic temples quite close to their royal residences, as was the case during the times of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa and Kurunegala kingdoms. During the era of Kingdom of Gampola the relic was housed in Niyamgampaya Vihara. It is reported in the messenger poems such as Hamsa, Gira, and Selalihini that the temple of tooth relic was situated within the city of Kotte when the kingdom was established there.

During the reign of King Dharmapala the the relic kept hidden in Delgamuwa Vihara, Ratnapura in a grinding stone.It was brought to Kandy by Hiripitiye Diyawadana Rala and Devanagala Rathnalankara Thera. King Vimaladharmasuriya I built a two storey building to deposit the tooth relic and the building is now gone.In 1603 when the Portuguese invaded Kandy, it was carried to Meda Mahanuwara in Dumbara. It was recovered in the time of Râjasimha II and it has been reported that he reinstate the original building or has built a new temple.The present day temple of the tooth was built by Vira Narendra Sinha.The octagonal Patthirippuwa and moat was added during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. Famous Kandyan architect Devandra Mulacharin is credited with building the Patthirippuwa. Originally it was used by the kings for recreational activities and later it was offered to the tooth relic. Now it is an oriental library. Although it was heavily damaged in the 1998 terrorist attack it has restored to its previous state.

The brick wall which runs along the moat and Bogambara lake is known as water waves wall.Holes in this wall are build to light coconut oil lamps. The main entrance gates which lies over the moat is called Mahawahalkada. At the foot of Mahawahalkada steps there is a Sandakada pahana which is carved in Kandyan architectural style. Mahawahalkada is totally destroyed in 1998 bomb blast and rebuilt afterwards along with sandakada pahana other stone carvings.Elephants are depicted in stone on the either sides of the entrance. A Makara Torana and two guardian stones are placed on top of the staircase. Hewisi drummers' chamber is situated in front of the main shrine. The two storeys of main shrine are known as "Palle malaya" (lower floor) and "Udu malaya" (upper floor) or "Weda hitina maligawa".The doors of the Weda Hitana Maligawa are carved in ivory. The actual chamber which the tooth relic is kept is known as the "Handun kunama".

The golden canopy built in 1987 over the main shrine and the golden fence which encircles the main shrine are other notable features.The tooth relic is encased in seven golden caskets which engraved with precious gemstones.The caskets have a shape of a stupa. The Procession casket which is used during the Esala Perahera is also displayed in the same chamber.

2009-10-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

PERADENIYA

Royal Botanical Garden, Peradeniya is located in close proximity to the city of Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is renowned for the collection the variety of Orchids,and has more than 300 varieties of Orchids, spices, medicinal plants and palms trees attach it is the National Herbarium. Total land mass of the botanical garden is 147 acres, 460 Meters above sea level with a 200 day annual rain fall, it is managed by the Division of National Botanic Gardens of the Department of Agriculture.

The origins of the Botanic Gardens dates as far back as 1371 when King Wickramabahu III ascended the throne and kept court at Peradeniya near Mahaweli river this was followed by King Kirti Sri and King Rajadhi Rajasinghe. A temple was build on this location by King Wimala Dharma but it was destroyed by the British when they were given control over the Kandyan Kingdom. There after the ground work for a Botanical Garden were formed by Mr Alexandar Moon in 1821. Botanical Garden at Peradeniya were formally established and plants from Kew Garden at Slave island, Colombo and from the Kalutara Garden in Kalutara were moved up until 1843. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya was made more independent and expanded under Mr George Gardner as its superintendent in 1844. The gardens came under the administration of the Department of Agriculture when it was established in 1912.

The Classical Avenue of Palms is located in this Garden. One tree with a significant history is the Cannon ball Tree planted by King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary in 1901. The tree is bent with its fruits which looks like Cannon Ball, which is how it came to be named.

It also used during the Second World War by Lord Louis Mountbatten, the supreme commander of the allied forces in the South Asia as the headquarters of the South East Asia Command.

This beautiful garden has some 62 hectares in extent and located at an altitude of 550 metres. Peradeniya takes its name from pera (guava) and deniya (plain), which would suggest an early connection with the introduction or the cultivation of fruits, as the guava is not indigenous to the island. The site was originally the royal pleasure gardens of King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1780) of Kandy.

Efforts were made to establish a botanic garden in the island, first by the Dutch at Slave Colombo, and then by the British at Kalutara in 1813, before the final transfer to Peradeniya in 1821. Initially, western fruits and vegetables were grown here, then exotic crops such as coffee, tea, nutmeg, rubber and cinchona, all of which later became important to the island’s economy. For the first 20 years, the orientation of the garden remained so strongly focused on the production of fruits and vegetables that scant attention was paid to the cultivation of indigenous plants or to other exotics. However, that changed in 1844 when the Brazilian traveller George Gardner became the superintendent of Peradeniya, the first professional botanist to hold the position. Gardner was the first to do great things for Peradeniya. Land was opened up, roads made, and he travelled the length and breadth of the island collecting plants.

The scope was expanded, however, to include all of Sri Lanka’s flora, and representative species from all over the tropical world. In fact the gardens main attraction today is the 50-acre (20-hectare) arboretum of some 10,000 trees, including a palm garden illustrating the variety of this particular species. In addition, there is an impressive and graceful avenue of royal palms, planted in 1905.
Massive bamboos thrive along the banks of the Mahaweli, including the largest species, the Giant Bamboo of Burma, which can grow as much as 2 feet (60 centimeters) in a single day. Another remarkable feature is the enormous Java fig tree that sprawls across the main lawn, its long branches judiciously propped up in many places. There is also a herb garden, where herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine are grown, and a most important orchid house that reflects the amazing variety of species to be found in Sri Lanka.

2009-10-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

HAKGALA

Hakgala Botanical Gardens, just 10km away from Nuwara Eliya City. Hakgala is one of the places one visits as an essential part of a pleasant journey in the famous hill resort of Nuwara Eliya. The site is legendary. It was once the pleasure garden of Ravana of the Ramayana epic and according to many, it was one of the places where the beautiful Sitha was hidden by the demon king. The present botanic gardens were founded in 1860 by the eminent British botanist Dr. G.H.K. Thwaites who was superintendent of the more famous gardens at Peradeniya, near Kandy.
It was the site initially for experiments with cinchona whose bark yielded quinine, esteemed as a tonic and febrifuge. Quinine at that time was widely used as a specific for malaria. This was perhaps the reason for the popularity of and tonic in these parts - quinine being the principle ingredient of tonic water.

The cool, equable climate of the hakgala area, whose mean temperature is around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, encouraged the introduction of suitable temperate zone plants, both ornamental and useful. These included conifers and cedars from Australia, Bermuda and Japan, and cypresses from the Himalayas, china and as far a field as Persia, Mexico and California. New Caledonia gave Hakgala a special variety of pines and there are specimens of this genus from the canary Island as well.

An English oak, introduced around 1890, commemorates the "hearts of oak" of Britain's vaunted sea power, and there is a good-looking specimen of the camphor tree, whose habitat is usually in regions above 12,000m.If you have left your heart in an English garden, you will surely find it again in Hakgala's Rose garden. where the sights and scents of these glorious blooms can be experienced in their infinite variety. From there it is a quiet stroll from the sublime to the exotic sophistication of the orchid House. A special attraction here is the verity of montane orchids, many of them endemic to Sri Lanka.

It would be in the worst possible taste to describe the Fernery as a collection of "vascular cryptograms" But that is how the dictionary describes the plant whose delicate fronds conjure up visions of misty grottoes, lichen-covered stones and meandering streams. The Fernery at Hakgala is a shady harbour of many quiet walks, in the shad of the Hakgala Rock, shaped like the jawbone of an elephant, from which the place gets its name. Sri Lanka's ferns are well represented here, as are those of Australia and New Zealand.
Hakgala is a temperate hill-country garden where also the languid low-country lotus and water lily floats in their serene loveliness. Pinks and blues emerging from a flat- floating background of lush leaves, recall the calm of yellow-robed monks, white-clad, devotees and flickering oil lamps.In time, the highlands bracing breezes dispel the languor of lotus land and even cause a shiver as a temperature lowers. The Hakgala Botanical Gardens is one of the lovely contrasts of Sri Lanka, a home to plants and trees from around the world, making them seem to be part of the scenic beauty.How to get to Hakgala: The nearest railway station is at Nanu Oya, from where there are buses or taxis on the Nuwara Eliya to Badulla road to Hakgala.

2009-10-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

GALLE FORT

Galle fort was built first by the Portuguese, then modified by the Dutch during the 17th century.Even today, after 400 years of existence, it looks new and polished with reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.Today Sri Lankan government and many Dutch people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world.

Today, the citizens of Dutch fort in Galle are trying to make this a free port and a free trade zone. If successful no taxes are levied on the companies and individuals who reside inside the city.The Dutch fort also known as Ramparts of Galle withstood the mighty Boxing Day tsunami which destroyed the Galle town. There are many Moor families who live inside this fort along with Sinhalese,Dutch, English, Portuguese and Germans. More details regarding the history of the fort can be found at the visitors centre and at the Dutch period museum inside the Fort.

The tax system proposed inside the fort says there is no withholding tax, no tax on capital gains, no corporate tax for ten years from the start of the business, no VAT, and no profit tax.

Some of the not famous Moor families who live inside the fort are Noordeen Cassim's family and Fatima Koppen Adams family who run a story telling center for the tourists and children who visit these places every day.

Museum

There is a museum inside the Dutch fort which is in a Dutch Colonial building in Church Street is the Cultural Museum adjoining the AmanGalla Hotel. The artifacts reflect the art and culture of the Southern Province,

The National Maritime Museum, Galle

Located within the Fort of Galle in a colonial Dutch ware-house with imposing pillars, this museum displays the fauna and flora of the sea. Artifacts consist of preserved material and scaled down models of whales and fishes. Generally, all the resources of the sea are displayed in this Museum.

It also shows in diorama form with life sized models, the traditional methods of fishing. Some artifacts of underwater archaeology are also on display. An interesting experiment is the 'walk-into-the sea' diorama, showing the natural coral beds, sea grass beds and deep sea fishes. Finally, one leaves the museum seeing the causes of sea pollution, coast erosion and methods used to combat these problems. Dutch Museum Colombo This particular museum is in the heart of Colombo at the prince street.

Inside the fort

You need one hour to see the fort by walking , . You will see the Star, Moon and Sun bastions glower forbiddingly over the neck of the peninsula. The ramparts south of the harbour are pierced by the Old Gate, above which is a British Coat of Arms (on the inner side, the gate is crowned by the initials of the Dutch East India Company, VOC, and its coat of arms), and south of the harbour the Zwart (Black) Bastion is believed to be the only surviving part of the original Portuguese fortifications. The circuit of the walls continues via the Akersloot and Aurora bastions to the Point Utrecht bastion, topped by a modern lighthouse, then to Flag Rock, the southernmost point of the walls, before looping back north through the Triton, Neptune, Clippenberg and Aeolus bastions. The final section between the Aeolus and Star bastions is closed, as it is part of a military base. While some of the bastions retain their original Dutch names, the Triton, Aeolus, Neptune and Aurora bastions were renamed by the British in honour of the Royal Navy ships of the line which took part in the British seizure of Sri Lanka from the Dutch during the Napoleonic Wars.

Galle

Galle is located at the extreme southwest corner of the island, where the shoreline turns east towards Matara and Tangalle. The Fort, like most of the forts in Sri Lanka, is built on a small peninsula, belonging to the sea as much as to the land. There are treacherous rocks in the water near the fort, and a treacherous current, so a pilot was needed to approach it. The seafloor here is littered with shipwrecks. The only way to attempt a conquest was to attack it from the landside, where the Zon, Maan and Ster bastions are impenetrable.

Galle has something special about it.
It is a blend of both the past and the present, the native and the colonial. It was here that the first Portuguese fleet led by Laurenco De Almeida sailed into the country nearly five centuries ago. It was here that the Dutch more than three centuries ago built their famous 90-acre (360,000 m²) fort which still retains its old world charm with its high ramparts and ornate pepperpot towers. It was here that cottage industries such as turtle-shell ware, ebony ornaments and beeralu lace flourished about a century or so ago before gradually declining or passing into oblivion. Galle was no doubt once a leading centre of the native arts and crafts.

Church Street

The rampart between the Zon and Maan bastions has been broken through in the British time to create a big entrance gate, to replace the old, smaller one near the harbour. On the inside of this older gate is the coat of arms of the VOC, where the British have put it, after putting up their own on the outside. The road leading up to the old gate used to be a causeway, with on the left the water of the bay and on the right a swampy area. Along the wall of the ramparts connecting the Zon, Maan and Ster bastions was a large moat. Everything on the right is now dry land on which cricket is played. On the left is a small beach where fishermen bring their catch ashore in the evenings. There is no longer a harbour to speak of.

UNESCO heritage site

Before the Dutch took Colombo from the Portuguese, Galle was their headquarters. Contrary to the Colombo Fort, the one in Galle was not only not demolished, but is one of the best preserved examples of 17th century colonial fortifications in the world, and is on the UNESCO list of World Monuments. The reason for its remarkable state of preservation is that this once busy trading town, visited by the East-India fleets and many regional traders, fell upon slack times after the Dutch had left. The development that did take place focussed on the new town of Galle, outside the Fort. The Fort is really a walled city, with a rectangular pattern of streets full of the low houses with gables and verandas in the Dutch colonial style. An irony of history is that most of the inhabitants of old Galle, occupying the houses of the Dutch, are the descendants of the Muslim traders that the Dutch despised so much for their petty trade that violated their monopoly. The Muslims have adapted many of the houses to their own likings, closing up the verandas with woodwork to prevent their women from being seen from outside. Recently it is no longer allowed to alter any of these houses, some renovation is taking place, and private museums with handicraft shops have even been established.

There are also several interesting buildings from early British times, and an early 20th century lighttower. The fort was started by the Portuguese in 1588, but there is nothing recognizably Portuguese left. Probably parts of the thick walls, that you can walk on almost all around the town, in the sunshine and the cool breeze, with the red-tiled roofs of the houses on the one hand, and the blue ocean on the other.

The Dutch, with a force of some 2,500 men under Koster, captured the fort from the Portuguese in 1640. Fortification went on until the early 18th century. They also built an elaborate system of sewers that were flooded at high tide, taking the sewage away to sea.

What to see inside the Fort

On the other side of the bay is a hill with a great view of Galle in the distance. On top of the hill is the Closenberg Hotel, one of the most beautiful colonial houses in Sri Lanka. A sleek, low building with a red-tiled roof and a wood interior, it has covered verandas with antique furniture, and a rose garden overlooking the bay. Across the water are the walls of Galle, and behind them one can clearly see all the important buildings of the Fort. The hotel is in ongoing danger of destruction to make place for industrial development on the shoreline beneath it, but it has managed to hold out for now.

The new town of Galle, like most Sri Lankan coastal towns, is an ugly conglomeration of nondescript paintless buildings and dusty roads choked with noisy traffic under a hot sun. Everything is decrepit and unkempt due to a general lack of public services.

Ramparts

The fort ramparts are there, tall, massive and well preserved, black and awesome against the serpent green of the grass, thick walls of enormous granite dotted with little holes for the cannons to peep through. Lovers walk here, on the rampart top, holding hands and talking sweet nothings oblivious to the spray of the sea which dashes its waves against the western wall. The north side of the fort is the newly renovated Galle Cricket ground where they play international cricket matches including Test matches. The entire locality dazzles in picture postcard perfection. The evenings here are beautiful, especially if you were to sit on the old Dutch ramparts and watch the sunsets on fire in the midst of a marmalade Paul McCartney sky. You can imagine that a Dutch soldier from Rotterdam may have stood guard on the same rampart where you stand, eyes alert and long musket in hand, watching the same sun go down five centuries ago.
The ancient port city of Galle is Sri Lanka's fourth largest town, with a population of around 80,000 people and a history that stretches back hundreds of years. Some historians have suggested that Galle might even be the Biblical Tarshish, where King Solomon's ships called to take on gemstones, spices and scented woods. There's nothing to establish the truth of this rather fanciful tale, but it is at least certain that Galle is Sri Lanka's oldest living city, contrasting with the more ancient--but deserted--capitals of Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.

Located on the south-western shore of the island, about 115 km south of Colombo and just 18 km south of the popular beach resort of Hikkaduwa, Galle was for centuries Sri Lanka's main port, a position which strengthened during the periods of Portuguese and Dutch colonial rule. Galle only lost its primacy in the late 19th century, when the British expanded and developed the harbour at Colombo to become the island's major port. Today Galle Harbour still handles fishing vessels, a certain amount of container traffic, as well as a few luxury yachts. It's a shadow of its former self, though, and this adds to the mellow, laid-back atmosphere of the place.

Although there is plenty of good accommodation available in Galle, as well as some very passable places to eat, many visitors will prefer to stay at one of the nearby beach resorts of Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna or Weligama. A visit to Galle makes an excellent and enjoyable day trip when it seems time to take a break from beach life and indulge in a little history and culture.

The ancient port city of Galle is Sri Lanka's fourth largest town, with a population of around 80,000 people and a history that stretches back hundreds of years. Some historians have suggested that Galle might even be the Biblical Tarshish, where King Solomon's ships called to take on gemstones, spices and scented woods. There's nothing to establish the truth of this rather fanciful tale, but it is at least certain that Galle is Sri Lanka's oldest living city, contrasting with the more ancient--but deserted--capitals of Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.

History

Galle was clearly chosen as a port for excellent strategic reasons. It has a fine natural harbour protected, to the west, by a south-pointing promontory--the next piece of land, literally, is the frozen waste of the Antarctic, over five thousand miles distant.

Perhaps the earliest recorded reference to Galle comes from the great Arab traveller Ibn Battuta, who visited the port--which he calls Qali--in the mid-14th century. The Portuguese first arrived in 1505, when a fleet commanded by Lorenzo de Almeida took shelter from a storm in the lee of the town. Clearly the strategic significance of the harbour impressed the Portuguese, for 82 years later, in 1587, they seized control of the town from the Sinhala kings and began the construction of Galle Fort. This event marked the beginning of almost four centuries of European domination of the city, resulting in the fascinating hybrid--architecturally, culturally and ethnically--which Galle is today.

The Dutch captured the city from the Portuguese in 1640, and immediately began strengthening the fortifications. They remained for almost 150 years, until the city was in turn taken by the British in 1796. Not until 1947, when Ceylon gained its independence from the British, did Galle become, once again, an independent city--and by this time the long years of association with European colonialism hadGalle was clearly chosen as a port for excellent strategic reasons. It has a fine natural harbour protected, to the west, by a south-pointing promontory--the next piece of land, literally, is the frozen waste of the Antarctic, over five thousand miles distant.

Perhaps the earliest recorded reference to Galle comes from the great Arab traveller Ibn Battuta, who visited the port--which he calls Qali--in the mid-14th century. The Portuguese first arrived in 1505, when a fleet commanded by Lorenzo de Almeida took shelter from a storm in the lee of the town. Clearly the strategic significance of the harbour impressed the Portuguese, for 82 years later, in 1587, they seized control of the town from the Sinhala kings and began the construction of Galle Fort. This event marked the beginning of almost four centuries of European domination of the city, resulting in the fascinating hybrid--architecturally, culturally and ethnically--which Galle is today.

The Dutch captured the city from the Portuguese in 1640, and immediately began strengthening the fortifications. They remained for almost 150 years, until the city was in turn taken by the British in 1796. Not until 1947, when Ceylon gained its independence from the British, did Galle become, once again, an independent city--and by this time the long years of association with European colonialism had left an indelible stamp on the city which makes it unique in today's Sri Lanka. In recognition of this fact, the Old City of Galle--essentially the fort and its surroundings--was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988. left an indelible stamp on the city which makes it unique in today's Sri Lanka. In recognition of this fact, the Old City of Galle--essentially the fort and its surroundings--was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988.

History of Galle Fort and Galle

Galle is really a tale of two cities. Inland, to the north of the Colombo-Matara Road, is the modern commercial town characterised by a jumble of bustling stores, warehouses and small restaurants. Here, by the banks of the old Dutch Canal, may be found the railway station, bus station and main bazaar. It's a place to arrive, leave, eat, shop for necessities or change money (though there are also two money-changing facilities within the fort itself). The only building worthy of note is St Mary's Cathedral, built by the British in 1874, and of more interest for the views its provides over the Old Town than for any intrinsic architectural merit. Nevertheless, "New Galle" is the beating commercial heart of the city without which the Old Town would have difficulty surviving, and would lose much of its bucolic charm.

Immediately south of the Colombo-Matara Road, and dividing the commercial sector from the old fort, lies an area of open land which, since 1998, has acquired increasing international fame. Once known simply as The Esplanade, it is now graced with the title Galle International Stadium, an international test cricket venue which continues to grow in stature and reputation alongside the remarkable successes of the Sri Lankan national team [see box below].

Just to the south of the stadium Old Galle begins. Its barriers are unmistakable, as three massive bastions rise up behind the playing field, cutting off the fortified peninsular from the hustle and bustle of commerce -- almost, it might seem, from the 21st century.

Galle Fort covers an area of 36 hectares and encloses several museums, a clock tower, churches, mosques, a lighthouse and several hundred private dwellings. Tellingly, there are no major Buddhist temples within the walls -- the Dutch may have been gone for more than two centuries, but their cultural influence, best represented by the crumbling Groote Kerk, local seat of the Dutch Reformed Church, remains palpable.

It takes a full day to explore Galle Fort properly, but given this length of time the exploration can be carried out in a leisurely and relaxing manner by foot. The ancient walls, dating in large part from the Dutch establishment of the fort in 1663, are largely intact and make a wonderfully evocative circuitous walk around the fort, especially at dusk when the setting sun illumines the historic western ramparts.

The City Ramparts: Galle's Dutch defenders feared—mistakenly, as it turned out—assault by land from the Sinhala kings more than the threat by sea from their British cousins. Accordingly, three great ramparts were built at tremendous cost in both labour and treasure to isolate the peninsula from "the mainland". Stretching across the peninsula from west to east, these are the Star Bastion, the Moon Bastion and the Sun Bastion. Rising high above the present-day esplanade, these deep, crenellated fortifications must once have appeared all-but-impregnable to the armies of Kandy and Colombo. Today, however--and let the visitor be forewarned--their angular crevices provide privacy for courting couples rather than security for archers and musketeers. Quite seriously, one should approach these outer battlements with discretion for fear of giving offence. Towards dusk there is hardly a recess in the battlements without its pair of cuddling teenagers, often shielded from prying eyes behind a large umbrella!

It takes about two hours for a leisurely stroll around the walls of the Old City. Only once, between the Aurora Bastion and the Main Gate, is it necessary to descend into the fort itself. Yet this is no great hardship, for nearby is the distinguished New Oriental Hotel, built by the Dutch in 1684 as a governorial mansion, where cold beer, lime soda and other more substantial sustenance are readily available.

It's best to make a circuit of the walls clockwise, starting at the New Oriental Hotel. From here it's just a short stroll, beneath great, shady rain trees, to the Aurora Bastion. Continue southwards, with fine views over old Galle Harbour to the east, to reach the 20m-high lighthouse, built by the British in 1934, which dominates Point Utrecht Bastion at the fort's south-eastern corner. The walk continues due west, skirting the Indian Ocean past Triton, Neptune and Clippenburg Bastions -- all, more likely than not, with a few courting couples gazing into the setting sunset.

Beyond Clippenburg, as the fortifications turn due north towards Star Bastion and the main northern defences, there is a Sri Lankan Army camp at Aeolus Bastion .

Inside Galle Fort

The real charm of Old Galle lies in the quiet back streets and alleyways of the historic fort, which have changed little--if at all -- since colonial times. There are two entries into the fort, the Main Gate, built by the British in 1873 which pierces the main ramparts between the Sun and Moon Bastions, and the more venerable Old Gate, further to the east on Baladaksha Maw (or Customs Road). The latter is distinguished by the British coat of arms carved into its outer stone lintel, while on the inside the initials VOC, flanked by two lions and surmounted by a cock are deeply etched on the inner lintel. This latter inscription is dated 1669, and VOC stands for the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, or United East India Company. The cockerel has become a symbol of Galle, and it is even suggested that the name of the city derives from galo, which is "rooster" in Portuguese. Just beyond the Old Gate stands the Zwart Bastion, or Black Fort--the oldest fortification surviving in Galle, and thought to be of Portuguese origin.

With the exception of Zwart Bastion, the interior of Galle Fort is strongly redolent of the Dutch period. Several of the narrow streets still bear Dutch names such as Leyn Baan or "Rope Lane" and Mohrische Kramer Straat or "Street of the Moorish Traders". Beneath the streets an efficient, Dutch-built sewerage system is still flushed out twice daily by the rising tides of the Indian Ocean. Many of the streets are lined with formerly opulent buildings characterised by large rooms, arched verandas and windows protected by heavy, wooden-louvered shutters.

The northern part of the fort is dominated by the British-built Clock Tower and a small roundabout located immediately within the Main Gate. From here Church Street curves away south past the National Cultural Museum (Tue-Sat 9am-5pm; Rs35) with rather poorly displayed exhibits of the city's colonial heritage. The National Maritime Museum on nearby Queen Street (Sun-Thu 9am-5pm; Rs55) is similarly dilapidated, but of more interest than the various fishing and other maritime artefacts is the massively fortified Dutch warehouse in which they are displayed. Old Galle is of much more interest as a "living museum" than for the museums it houses, but it's worth making a quick visit to the Dutch Period Museum on Leyn Baan (daily 8.30am-5.30pm; admission free). This privately-owned establishment houses an astonishing array of Dutch-period artefacts ranging from rare porcelain to obscure bric-a-brac.

Of far more interest than the museums is the dilapidated Groot Kerk or Dutch Reformed Church, located--appropriately enough--on Church Street just south of the New Oriental Hotel. Founded in 1754 by the then Dutch Governor of Galle, Capar de Jong, it's in urgent need of restoration but well worth visiting for the ancient Dutch gravestones, both in the churchyard and within the nave. These are generally distinguished by skulls and skeletons, grim reminders of the tenuous nature of life in 18th century Galle, as well as characteristic of the dour nature of contemporary Dutch Protestantism.

Opposite the Groot Kerk stands the old Dutch Government House, a fine old colonial building bearing the date 1683 and the cockerel crest of Galle over the main entrance. The original Dutch ovens still survive within the building, which is currently used as a commercial office but slated for redevelopment as a luxury hotel; whether this venture will succeed remains to be seen, as the house is generally believed to be haunted.

Further south along Church Street stands the Anglican All Saints Church, built by the British in 1868 and consecrated in 1871. Beyond this, at the southernmost point of the peninsula, a small Moorish community still prospers, with a madrassa or Islamic college and two mosques, the most impressive of which is the Meera Masjid. It's fine to enter, but as with similar Christian, Buddhist and Hindu institutions you should be appropriately dressed and respectful of worshippers.

2009-10-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

UNAWATUNA

From Ramayana

"a seashore dotted with thousands of trees, coconuts, and palms dominating, strings of houses and hermitages along the coastline, human beings and superior beings such as Gandharvas, Siddhas, and ascetics, living in them and countless bejewelled celestial nymphs thronging the shore, the coast intermittently visited by heavenly beings, Gods and demons.":

Unawatuna traces its roots to the great epic Ramayana. In the mythological epic, the monkey-warrior Hanuman was sent back to India to fetch the four medicinal herbs by Jambavan namely, mritasanjeevani, vishalyakarani, suvarnakarani, and sandhani from the Himalayas in order to heal Lakshman who was wounded trying to save the abducted Princess Sita from the demon king Ravana. Hanuman failed to identify these herbs, so he lifted the entire mountain and carried it to the battlefield to try to save Lakshman, but in the process, a chunk of it "fell-down" in the location of the present day Unawatuna, the name of the village derives from "Una-watuna" meaning "fell down".

Currently, an edifice is being built in honour of Hanuman on the harbour end of Rumassala Hill by Japanese monks of the Mahayana sect of Buddhism near the Peace Pagoda that they built.

Alternate mythology

A banished Indian Prince was shipwrecked and the Goddess of Earth, Manimekala, taking pity created a rocky shelf for him to save his life and that subsequently he headed to Unawatuna. The Goddess of Chastity, Pattini, created a wall of fire to prevent him coming ashore, but being a person of some supreme power, he set in motion a tsunami with his foot to extinguish the fire and set foot on the shores of Unawatuna.

It is said that he lived in Unawatuna and helped the people in various ways. Over the years he has been venerated and worshiped, and the Kovil (or Devalaya) on the west end point of the bay which has a history of over a thousand years is believed to be the abode of this Devol deity.

Dagaba

In later years a Buduge, or House of Buddha, and the Swethamalee Chaitiya, or Dagaba, was built on the hillock abutting the Devalaya, or House of Gods. Thousands of pilgrims throng to this place of worship every month of Esala to offer poojas. This festival is a new rice offering so most cultivators bring a share of their crop and pray for timely rain and plentiful harvest. Some others save a fistful of rice from their daily meal and offer that rice, still others would purchase a few measures or even full gunnies of rice along with coconuts to offer.

This rice is pounded and mixed with coconut milk and treacle and made into a porridge which is then offered to the deities at the devalaya and given as alms to thousands of devotees who will trek to the devalaya for this alms giving or Maha Deva Dana or Kiri Dana. Fisher folk save and offer part of their earnings called "Goda kotasa" seeking protection on their forays into the ocean.This rice is pounded and mixed with coconut milk and treacle and made into a porridge which is then offered to the deities at the devalaya and given as alms to thousands of devotees who will trek to the devalaya for this alms giving or Maha Deva Dana or Kiri Dana. Fisher folk save and offer part of their earnings called "Goda kotasa" seeking protection on their forays into the ocean.

A famous place in Unawatuna:-

Unawatuna Beach

Unawatuna is an unspoilt tropical beach on the south west coast of Sri Lanka, just south of the town of Galle. Although severely affected by the recent tsunami, the people of Unawatuna and Sri Lanka are starting to rebuild their lives and welcome back tourists from all over the world. At this time, more than any other, they need our support and it’s only with the rebuilding of tourism that they can get their lives back in order. We are heavily involved in supporting local business and providing materials and financial backing to local people.

We think that this area is a little bit of paradise and it is our intention to develop approximately one acre of land with the idea of inviting others to join us to make possible the idea of buying property in Sri Lanka at a very affordable price. On this site you can see an example of our previous building work and get some idea of the building process. There are also many photos of the area and journey from Colombo only three months after the tsunami.

Punci Ganga Villas is being planned and developed with the assistance of many local tradespeople and construction is expected to begin by January of 2006. The land sits beside a small river, hence the name Punci Ganga, meaning small or little river. It is situated approximately two kilometres from the main area of Unawatuna beach. It’s only a very short and cheap ride by tuk-tuk but far enough away to enjoy the peace and tranquility that the area has to offer.

Top-Rated Hotels
1. Flower Garden Hotel
2. Dalawella Beach Resort
3. Thambapanni Retreat
4. Unawatuna Beach Resort
5. Thaproban Beach House
6. Unawatuna Beach Bungalow Hotel
7. Sri Gemunu Beach Resort

Top-Rated B&Bs
1. Nor Lanka Hotel
2. Little Villa Hotel
3. SurfCity Guesthouse

Unawatuna Diving

The beautiful Teardrop Island of Sri Lanka sits in the Indian Ocean at the Southern Tip of the Indian Continent. Sri Lanka is a paradise in so many ways, once described as the most beautiful Island of its size in the World.Unawatuna is rated as one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka, in fact has been voted one of the best in the world! A beautiful bay of white sand with a reef just offshore, temple and jungle beach to the west, rock formations to the east a truly great beach holiday destination!

The Ocean off Unawatuna is teeming with life, as the Island itself is on Land, Sea Horse Divers will show you the underwater beauty that is Diving Unawatuna and diving Sri Lanka.Diving in Sri Lanka is part of the whole experience, watching Turtles manoeuvre their bulky bodies with such grace, can only be experienced in their environment, under the water.

The beautifully preserved wreck “The Rangoon” only 30 minutes boat ride away, lying upright with its masts intact, a 100-year-old British steamer is a highly recommended dive.The “Tango” shipwreck is another underwater museum piece in the same area as “The Rangoon”Napoleon Reef & Galapiteala reef, multi level dives with outstanding array of fish, Bat Fish, Napoleon Wrasse, Golden Moray Eels plus many smaller colourful inhabitants make these especially enjoyable dives for divers of all levels. We run most of our courses at these reefs including learners open water certification courses.

With 15 years experience diving and guiding in Unawatuna we are the most experienced in the area.Local Specialists in in South West of Sri Lanka Unawatuna Galle. Wreck Diving, Night Dives, Open water. Indian Ocean Sri Lanka Sea Horse Diving for Divers.

Colonial period

After defeating the Portuguese at the Fort of Negombo, the Dutch sailed south and landed on Unawatuna in 1640 and marched to Galle. The Portuguese had encountered the Dutch soldiers at Magalle (where Closenburg Hotel is now located), and fierce fighting took place there. Over 400 Dutch soldiers were killed, and only 49 Portuguese could manage to get back to their fortification in Galle, where they were held in siege for four days before they surrendered.

The Dutch built houses for their officials in Unawatuna. These constructions include the Nooit Gedatch hotel, Unawatuna Hospital and the mansion Maharambe. UBR hotel is situated on a land called Parangiyawatta, meaning "land of the Portuguese", and the area nearby is known as Jayakotuwa, suggesting there may have been some fortification.

2009-10-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

Unawatuna Beach

The Beach takes no back seat to any other in the world. It is a stunning tropical beach. Five km southeast of VOC Galle Dutch Fort of Sri Lanka is Unawatuna, a small (1km), wide & intimate semi circular bay with its picturesque sweep of golden, pristine beach which is terminated by a shining pure white Buddhist stupa (Dagoba) sitting pretty on a green hill. The Beach is enclosed by headland on the other side too. The entire stretch of beach is well sheltered by a sweep of palm-fringed land right behind it. And well protected too: the beach enclosed by double reef breaks down the impact of the waves of Indian Ocean to make it ideal for safe swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving & even for you to learn surfing.

The reef shelters more species of fish than the Great Barrier Reef. It is said by many industry experts to be among the top ten beaches of the world. The reef off the far end of the beach, 150m offshore can be reached from shore & you can even venture into the main waters of the Indian Ocean by traditional twin log like fishing catamaran made solely of timber.

On the other side of the headland is Jungle Beach. With another 45 minutes walk you can reach this Horse saddle shaped bay. Indeed, you can reach there by boat too, if you are unwilling to trek. This jungle beach provides fine snorkeling opportunity.
Unawatuna village was once a suburb where Dutch commanders and Dutch merchants living in Galle built their quiet country residences. The colonial bungalows (villas) built by them & their British successors are instrumental in making the Strand Street a scene to behold.

MADOL DOOVA IN KOGGALA

2009-10-05T02:18:00.001-07:00

MADOL DOOVA IN KOGGALA

This beautiful Lake front property was designed by the late and famous Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. His work has a tremendous impact upon architecture throughout the Asian region.

This peaceful property is situated in the small village of Kathaluwe on Lake Koggala. The house is 700 metres from Galle Road, 100 metres from the South Beach Hotel in Koggala and only 12 kms south of the Galle Fort.

Mandalay is a tranquil haven, allowing one to relax and revitalize. You will be enthralled by the diversity of wild life and all that nature has to offer. In a lovely sheltered position away from blasting ocean breezes, Mandalay has extensive views. From the lovely old railway bridge to the left, to the opening of the larger section of the lake to the right. The historic, uninhabited island named, "Mandol Doova", is our direct view.

The museum of the renown author Martin Wickramasinghe is approximately two kilometers north, on Galle Road, and an ideal place to learn more about the island and the history of the area..

You only have to walk 50 metres from the front gate of Mandalay and you are able to visit the famous Giniwella Kathaluwa temple and the ancient Kathaluwa Temple. The beautiful Buddhist temple is known for its murals and for the preserved first printing press, brought by the Dutch to Sri Lanka. However, this is a beautiful place deemed in history and is resided by three Buddhist monks.

The gorgeous Koggala beach is only a 5 minute walk through the quaint village or a leisurely 5 minute paddle across the lake. The historical Galle Fort is only 12 kms away.Attractive & tranquil Koggala lagoon is just a couple of kilometers away; dotted with rocky islands & fringed with mangroves. The lagoon is alive with birdlife & supply prawns in abundance. Motor boat trips & catamaran rides take you to the small islands in the lagoon. One of the island features a cinnamon plantation. The Buddhist temple on another island attracts many visitors on poya (full moon) days. And another island features Ananda Spice Garden.
Kataluva Purvarama Maha Viharaya

Around 5 km beyond Koggala lies one of the south's most absorbing temples, the Kataluwa Purvarama Mahavihara. The temple was built originally in the 13th century has some with late 19th century additions. The temple is renowned for its remarkable Kandyan-style paintings in the main shrine, dating from the late nineteenth century. The paintings of musicians & dancers & the European figures illustrating an interesting piece of social history. Some of the Jatake tales (episodes from the Buddha's series of 550 previous lives) scenes painted here are said to be 200 years old.
Cameo-style paintings of Queen Victoria & the Queen Mother too are done in gratitude of Queen Victoria's role in ensuring the free practice of Buddhism outlined in the Kandyan capitulation of Lanka in 1815.

Turtle hatchery
Nearby there is a small turtle hatchery opened in 1996, which buys turtle eggs from the fishermen in an attempt to discourage them from poaching & selling the eggs for food.

Witness how the newborn turtles are being cared for until they are ready to be released back to the ocean. The wide sandy beaches that exist round the island of Sri Lanka are utilized by several of the marine turtles for laying their eggs. The commonest of these are the Loggerheads and the Leathery turtle while the green turtle is a less common visitor.

Martin Wickramsinghe Folk Museum

Directly opposite the large Confifi Club Horizon hotel, the excellent Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum is inspired by the ideas of Martin Wickramasinghe, one of the most important Sinhalese writers of the twentieth century. A museum showcasing Sri Lanka's traditional culutrre was a dream of this cultural stalwart, though it wasn't realized until after his death. Wickramasinghe together with the giants of Sinhalese literary tradition of the era, W. A. Silva, Piyadasa Sirisena & Munidasa Kumaratunghe played an important role in asserting the values of the Sinhalese Buddhists at a time when the island was in danger of being swamped by European & Christian influences.

The house of Wickramasinghe (the only house spared from demolition to make way for the air base during the Second World War) & the excellent Folk Museum are set in an attractive seven acre garden with labeled trees. The museum houses fascinating exhibits from traditional Sri Lankan life: everything from catching a fish to chasing off malevolent spirits. The exhibits are interesting & well displayed, with information in English & Sinhalese.

Fishing tools
Religious items: Buddha statues
Numerous utensils for treating coconuts
Carriages (including a carriage pulled by an elephant).
Numerous tools of traditional industries including rubber collection, toddy sapping & cinnamon gathering
"Sand boards" trays of sand which were used to practice writing-the Sri Lankan equivalent of a blackboard.
Agricultural tools, cute wooden & metal cow bells, wooden rattles & bows & arrows used to scare away bird from the paddy fields
a colourful selection of Dance & costumes, puppets, an excellent collection kolam masks, puppets from the Ambalangoda area
The museum also exhibits the highly respected Sinhalese writer's personal collection. His family home displays photographs & memorabilia, & some history about the area.