Sri Lanka is a paradise island where one could enjoy the unique beauty of the environment . The photos and descriptions which I carry here will make you aware of some of the attractive places in the island. Visit Sri Lanka. Enjoy the hospitality of my country. It will be a unique experience for all of you around the world.
Velgam Vehera, also known as Vilgam Rajamaha Vihara is an ancinet Buddhist temple situated in Gokanna (modern Trincomalee). The temple is situated at Kanniya( often mistaken as Kinniya), on the Trincomalee - Anuradhapura Road close to the famous hot water springs at Kanniya. The temple is one of the most historic Buddhist temples situated in the Trincomalee district.
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HISTORY
The temple is believed to have been constructed by the great king Devanampiyatissa (307-207 BC); a king who rendered a yeoman service to establish Buddhism in the island. The temple has been renovated from time to time by kings like Bathiya 1 , Agbo - 2 , Vijayabahu - 1 and Parakramabahu - 1.
An inscription has been found in the temple premises written during the reign of king Bhatika Tissa (141-165 AD) which bears witness to the fact that the temple had received royal patronage.
However, with the collapse of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa kingdoms the population gradually migrated to the South. This resulted in the temple being abandoned and falling into ruins.
The Chola invaders destroyed most of the ancient Buddhist temples in the island. However , the invaders spared Velgam Vehera due to an unknown fact and they renovated it keeping to their architecture . The temple was renamed Rajarajaperumpalli after king Rajasinghe 1. Some stone inscriptions written in Tamil found in the temple premises mention that the temple had received donations from King Rajaraja and King Rajendradeva.
The discovery of the ruins
The ruins of the Velgam Vehera were discovered by the Sri Lanka archaeological Department and in 1934 ; the site was declared as an archaeological protected reserve.
Watch the video below for more details of the place.
The place is also known as Dampalessa spring. The spring is located in a motorable place. The spring premises comprises an aquarium and a children's park. There is an attractive environment created by the authorities for the visitor to learn and enjoy the most convenient way. A police post has also been established at the entrance to guarantee the safety of the visitor as well as the place. The visitor has to buy a ticket at the entrance.
There are five tanks built around the central spring. The water in the tanks are crystal clear. One can clearly see the bubbling water emanating from the central spring. The tanks are full to the brim. Visitors can also have a hot water bath. The facilities for changing clothes have also been provided.
The central spring. Other tanks are connected to the central spring.
The Madunagala , hot spring is a place suitable for college students to visit on their excursions. The spring helps children learn the Geographical nature of Sri Lanka. With the Southern Expressway , reaching the hot spring has become easier and time saving.
Girihandu Seya is an important place of historic importance situated in the District of Trincomaleein the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. It is situated in the small hamlet called Thiriyaya.
Girihandu Seya can be reached easily on the Tinco - Pulmudai road (43 km). The place also can be reached from Padaviya. You have to proceed along the Padaviya-Pulmudai road (30 km ) and then turn right to Pulmudai -Trinco road (11km).
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If you are making your first visit on the Trinco-Pulmudai road you are likely to get confused as you will notice several signboards bearing the name 'Girihandu Seya'. Do not turn to those by roads, move straight ahead till you cover the given distance.
the stupa
The story of Girihandu Seya:
Lord Buddha spent seven weeks for paying homage to the environment which helped him attain the supreme bliss of enlightenment. This initial period is known as the 'sath-sathiya' by the ordinary Sinhalese Buddhist.
At the end of this period ,on the 50th day, two brothers, seafaring merchants by profession, called Thapassue and Balluka arrived at the place where the Buddha was meditating. Pleased by the sight of the Gautama Buddha they offered alms to the Buddha. This is the first ever meal offered to the Buddha after enlightenment. Hence Thapassue and Balluka are known as the first lay disciples of the Buddha. The two brothers took refuge in Dhamma while the Sanga was not still established.
The two brothers before leaving the Buddha asked for something to keep with them and venerate it in His absence. The Buddha offered them 'sacred keshdathu' (a lock of hair relics). They made a golden casket for the relics and took it with them on their voyages. The two brothers travelled far and wide on their business activities.
Thus on one of their journeys they arrived Sri Lanka, too. They arrived with their cargo to a lesser known place called Galwaraya which is at present known asKallarawa . This journey turned out to be a significant historic one in later years. This was the occasion when the seeds of Buddhist culture first fell on the island of Sri Lanka.
The story goes that the two brothers had placed the sacred relic casket upon a rock with due respect and had left the place for their business activities. On their arrival they had found that the relic casket was embedded to the rock. The two brothers then had decided to build a pagoda enshrining the relic casket. Thus the first stupa adds to the annals of the Sri Lankan history.
The Stupa was completed 75 days after the enlightenment of the Buddha. It is also stated that king Girikandisiva and king Agbo VI later on constructed the Watadagaya and the stone steps leading up to it (300 steps).
Girihandu Seya gradually went into oblivion for several centuries due to various reasons, specially foreign invasions which took place from time to time. Restoration of the pagoda was done in the 1950s.
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Tamil Elam Terrorist War
Thiriyaya and the many surrounding villages were under L.T.T.E terrorists until the area was liberated from their clutches by the Mahinda Rajapaksha government. The Tamil terrorists destroyed almost all the buildings of the temple and the monks were chased away. However, miraculously ,the stupa remained unharmed. The living quarters of the monks were completely demolished by the terrorists.
Thiriyaya ruins bear witness to the engineering skills of ancient Sri Lankans.
(pic. by Sajendra- 30/10/2022) The Eighth Wonder of The World
Location:
Sigiriya is situated in the Mathale District ( central province ), in close proximity to Dambulla, on the borders of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura districts. If you travel on the Trincomalee-Kurunegala express way from Kurunegala you have to turn right at Inamaluwa. Sigiriya is located only 10.1 km from there. (Inamaluwa-Sigiriya)
Sigiriya can be reached on the Digampathaha-Kimbissa (9 Km) road ,too. (close to Habarana, towards Kurunegala )
It is a Pali word meaning 'Elephant Stomach'. It is also known as 'The Eth - Kus - Vehera'.
Eth - elephant
Kus - stomach
The place has got the name Hasthikuchchiapparently because of a large rock situated within the ruined temple complex.
The temple complex is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in the island. The place is said to have been constructed by king Dewanampiyathissa (307-267 BC).
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The Self-exile
This magnificent Buddhist temple complex is associated with the story of the king Sirisangabo(251-253 AD).
Gotabaya, a good friend of Sirisangabo , ousted the pious king Sirisangabo and captured power. The king went into self exile in the guise of a hermit.
When the king visited this place, the old monastery had been covered with the jungle.
Meanwhile, Gotabaya feared that the ex-king would return. So he launched a massive manhunt in every nook and corner of the kingdom.
He went into the extent of setting a prize for Sirisangabo's head and killed every one who resembled the ex-king. The kingdom was gripped with a fear-psychosis. Sirisangabo not knowing anything happening in the city of Anuradhapura was engaged in meditation at the old monastery.
It was in the meantime that a poor traveller passing this place had stopped for lunch. He had noticed the 'hermit' and had engaged in a chat. The traveller had told the king the untold sufferings the people of the city were going through because of Gotabaya's rivalry with the ex-king. The ex-king was touched to hear all this. The traveller, then, had shared his packet of meals with the hermit.
After that Sirisangabo had revealed himself to the traveller and he was shocked. By then the ex-king had decided to put an end to all this suffering of his people by offering his head to the poor traveller to be taken to the king. The traveller had been forced to do it through persuasion and explanations. It is said that the king had reached a developed state of his mind through constant meditation.
The traveller, finally , in tears, had taken the pious king's head wrapped up in a bag having left the torso in the monastery complex.
The famous pond on top of the rock:
The pond does not go dry even during the hardest dry season. The pond is 18 feet deep.
An old stone bridge.
The calm and quiet surrounding of the monastery complex.
The picturesque rock roofing the famous pond.
This is another popular legend about King Siri Sangabo
👉 The Story of King Siri Sangabo:
The three friends Sangabodhi, Gotabhaya and Sangathissa came
to Anuradhapura to serve the king. While they were passing Thisawewa,
a blind wise man who was living nearby hearing their footsteps exclaimed,
“The earth bears these three kings” and the last one Gotabhaya heard
this and insisted, “pray tell me. Whose reign will last long ? ” The
answer was ” The last one’s my lord” Having heard this Gotabhaya joined
the others without revealing the friends anything.
Three of them proceeded to the city and served to the king Vijaya
very closely. Later Sangathissa conspired and killed the king and
crowned himself as the king. He ruled Anuradhapura for four years.
Sangathisa was fond of eating Damba fruit and used to travel the
eastern part of the island often with his troops and this was hazardous
to the peasants there and they poisoned the fruit. The king Sangathissa
died eating the poisoned fruit on the spot.
Then the Prince Sangabo was crowned as the king. He was known as a
virtuous king and he was very kind to his subjects. When the criminals
were captured he exiled them to a remote part and the dead bodies
secretly brought from the cemeteries were burned in the guise of the
criminals to show the people. Once a devil called Rakthakshi ( the one
with red eyes) began to kill the people and the king overpowered him by
his virtues and promised him to accept offerings from people instead of
killing them.
Then the prince Gotabhaya conspired and entered the city with his
troops in order to get the kingdom from king Sangabo who was once his
friend. The king Sirisangabo didn’t want to shed blood of the troops
from the both parties ,and left the city only with a piece of cloth to filter
the water. Hereafter, the king lived a simple life in Attanagalla as a
hermit meditating most of the time.
His friend prince Gotabaya began searching for the ex-king and killed
a number of people suspecting it was the king. One day a passing by
peasant offered the king a meal not knowing it was the king , and he revealed
the king about the way the innocent people were killed mistaken as the
king.
The king was worried and he was still more worried to hear about
the bounty on his head. Because of the bounty price, people had began to
kill people and bring the heads to the palace to get the money. Then
the king revealed that he is the king Sirisangabo and asked to cut his head and to
get the money. The peasant refused the and the king himself separated
the head and offered it to the peasant.(Mahawamsa 58-97 verses) This is the story behind the Attanagalla and the place where the king
had lived and the pond he went for the water can still be seen. The
place has later become a Buddhist temple and a lot of people visit it
today.
Attanagala Raja Maha Vihara
An old image house situated in the monastery complex.
Crowds of school children can be seen here every day.
Kelebokka | A bike ride to a most picturesque place in Mathale , Sri Lanka .
If you love hiking do not miss this place.
Location and details:
Kelebokkais an estate belonging to the Sri Lanka State Plantation Cooperation. Kelebokka 360ºviewpoint is situated in the upper division of the estate bordering the Knuckles mountain range. The viewpoint offers a panoramic view of the surrounding. The place is situated 1350m above sea level.
The village
There is just one small village where estate Tamil workers live between the entrance and the viewpoint. Currently, the village is almost deserted due to the immense hardships they have to face. A larger portion of the tea estate also seem to have been abandoned. The road is unattended. There is a large abandoned Kovil in a corner of the village. (Watch the video above)
It takes about two hours to hike to the viewpoint. As there is no kiosk on the way, make sure to take your needs with you.
The narrow path leading to the view point is not suitable for car drive. The video above tells you all about the path and the viewpoint. The effort you make to reach the viewpoint is a worthy one. It is a thrilling experience at the end of the day.
With Knuckles in the background the whole visit paints an indelible picture.
Yapahuwa, the ephemeral citadel, is situated on the Anuradhpura - Padeniya road in close proximity to Mahawa. Those who travel to Anuradhapura on the Anuradhapura-Padeniya road can turn right at the Daladagama junction, pass the Mahawa Railway Station and reach the ancient citadel of Yapahuwa.
Historical Background
After king Parakramabahu-2 passed away in about 1270 A.D. his son prince Vijayabahu attained the kingship. He was named as Vijayabahu-4. He was also known as Bosath Vijayabahu. However, his reign was limited only for two years. He was killed in a military coup. After that prince Buvanekabahu, who was the brother of king Vijayabahu-4 , overcame the conspirators and became the king in about 1272 A.D. He was named as king Buwanekabahu-1. King Buwanekabahu-1 had to face a number of problems. As soon as he became the king a group of provincial leaders rebelled against him. During the same time several south Indian forces invaded Sri Lanka. One invasion was led by an army general named as Kalingarayara. Another platoon was led by one army general named Chodanga. The king faced all these adversaries successfully and spent a few years in Dambadeniya. Later the king selected Yapahuwa, since it was a safer place, as his capital. King Buwnekabahu-1 died in 1284.
After the demise of king Buwanekabahu-1 , a dispute was started between prince Parakramabahu, the son of Bosath Vijayabahu and prince Buwanekabahu-2, the son of king Buwanekabahu-1 over the kingship. During this time a provincial leader from South India named Arya Chakrawarthi had arrived in Sri Lanka with a Pandya army. Arya Chakrawarthi making use of the unstable situation in the country attacked the Yapahuwa citadel, took the 'tooth relic' to South India and handed it over to king Kulashekara who was the Pandyan king. This was a black mark for Sri Lankan royalty. Later the son of king Bosath Vijayabahu, prince Parakramabahu went to India, met the king Kulashekara, discussed with him and brought the sacred tooth relic back to Sri Lanka. After that prince Parakramabahu went to Polonnaruwa and started his ruling. Later he was known as King Parakramabahu-3. His ruling period started in 1287 A.D. But prince Buwanekabahu-2 besieged Polonnaruwa, defeated the king and brought back the sacred tooth relic to Kurunegala in about 1293 A.D. Buwanekabahu-2 made Kurunegala his capital.
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The story revolves around the following kings.
Parakramabahu-2
son- Vijayabahu ( Vijyabahu-4): Bosath Vijayabahu
son- Prince Buwanekabahu (Buwanekabahu-1)
The architect of Yapahuwa
Parakramabahu - son of Bosath Vijaya ( King Parakramabahu-3)
Buwanekabahu-2; son of king Buwanekabahu-1
When you see the giant rock at a distance automatically your mind runs to Sigiriya.
No wonder this picturesque place attracted King Buwanekabahu-1 for his citadel with the sacred 'tooth relic'. Once you pass the outer moat you enter the royal garden which is also separated with an inner moat.
The entrance at the outer moat.
The granite steps leading to the royal garden.
The ancient Yapahuwa Rajamaha Vihara situated at the entrance to the citadel.
The famous flight of steps leading to the rock.
The steps have been purposely made narrow , probably , to make it difficult for the invader to reach the 'tooth relic'. This, the architects might have thought, would give ample time for the guards to protect the 'tooth relic'.
Mind your steps.
An forgettable experience for the traveller
A journey to heaven.
The steps leading to the rock leaves an unforgettable memory in the visitor.
The granite steps
The granite steps leading to the rock bear witness to the ingenuity of the ancient Sri Lankan engineers. They must have possessed an unmatched technology to turn huge chunks of granite into beautiful creations. The precision the carved stones have been placed on each other is astonishing. How could have they done it? How did they transport the huge blocks of granite to this place? How did they position the finished blocks in such precision? The efforts the ancient sculptor had taken to leave his creativity on the granite blocks are magnificent.
If you visit this place be prepared to answer the long list of questions your kids would shower you?
Mesmerizing ancient Sri Lankan sculpture.
Feel proud to be a Sri Lankan.
Half way up the rock.
The surrounding from the rock.
Lose yourself in your imagination
Once you climb up the rock you do not feel the heat of the day. The breathtaking view from up the rock makes you feel that your effort is worth. When you look around you get the feeling that you are enjoying an exquisite art work on canvas. The blue sky and the green below never allow you take away your eyes for a moment.
Even if you are in a hurry you never feel like leaving here. You automatically become a part of this environment; rather you are absorbed into the place. Do not rush, just sit somewhere and lose in your imagination for a while. Think of the painstaking efforts our forefathers have taken to construct this massive citadel. Our ancient royalty often had disputes in their families and these disputes often created political instability paving the way for the invaders to create havoc in the country. The country did not flourish, the economy collapsed , great constructions were ruined and innocent people suffered at the hands of the invaders. However, the ingenuity in their blood made them create architectural masterpieces where ever they shifted the kingdom. Yapahuwa bears witness to this truth.
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A web novel by written by Ruchi Tarin, a young Sri Lankan writer. Enjoy in your free time.
💪 Yapahuwa is a place worth visiting for the young student for learning about the ancient grandeur of Sri Lanka. No doubt, they would think of their forefathers with awe and understand that they were very much higher than the modern Sri Lankan both spiritually and physically. The modern Sri Lankan has to learn immensely from his ancient counterpart and what they have left behind for us.
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