Kandy

Sri Dalada Maligawa

 

 

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 Sri Lankan 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 evenings. On Wednesdays there is a symbolic bathing of the Sacred Relic with an herbal preparation made from scented water and fragrant 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.

After the parinirvana of Gautama Buddha, the 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 responsibility 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 relic was 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. It was attacked on two occasion, first in 1989 by the JVP and in 1998 by the LTTE.

Kitulgala

Rafters Retreat

Rafters Retreat, Kitulgala, the main white water rafting location in Sri Lanka! This is a get-away for independent travelers, family, adventurous couples and for adrenalin junkies.

We are located in Kitulgala, 90 Km from Colombo (a 2.5 hr drive) on the banks of the Kelani River of "Bridge on the River Kwai" fame.

Adventure, action and living with nature is key in this Robinson Crusoe hideaway. Owner, Channa, is the epitome of life in the woodland and on the river - safari shorts, braces, a woolly beard and a love of wildlife. Channa is an excellent host, inviting families, single travelers and adventurous couples into his self-built tree houses.

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Jungle fowl

Jungle fowl

The Sri Lankan Junglefowl, also known during the colonial era as the Ceylon Junglefowl, is a member of the Galliformes bird which is endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is the national bird. It is closely related to the Red Junglefowl (G. gallus), the wild junglefowl from which the chicken was domesticated. The specific name of the Sri Lankan Junglefowl commemorates the French aristocrat Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette. In Sinhala it is known as Wali Kukula.

As with other junglefowl, the Sri Lankan Junglefowl is strongly sexually dimorphic: the male is much larger than the female, with more vivid plumage and a highly exaggerated wattle and comb.

The male Sri Lankan Junglefowl ranges from 66–73 cm (26–29 in) in length and 790–1,140 g (1.7–2.5 lb) in weight, essentially resembling a large, muscular rooster.The male has orange-red body plumage, and dark purple to black wings and tail. The feathers of the mane descending from head to base of spine are golden, and the face has bare red skin and wattles. The comb is red with a yellow centre. As with the Green Junglefowl, the cock does not possess an eclipse plumage.

The female is much smaller, at only 35 cm (14 in) in length and 510–645 g (1.1–1.42 lb) in weight, with dull brown plumage with white patterning on the lower belly and breast, ideal camouflage for a nesting bird.

It lays 2-4 eggs in a nest either on the forest floor in steep hill country or in the abandoned nests of other birds and squirrels.Male Sri Lankan Junglefowl play an active role in nest protection and chick rearing.
The reproductive strategy of this species is best described as facultative polyandry, in that a single female is typically linked with two or three males that form a pride of sorts. These males are likely to be siblings. The female pairs with the alpha male of the pride and nests high off the ground.

Her eggs are highly variable in colour but generally are cream with a yellow or pink tint. Purple or brownish spots are common.Occasionally a female will produce red eggs or blotched eggs.The hen incubates her eggs, while the alpha male guards her nest from a nearby perch during the nesting season. The beta males remain in close proximity as well guarding the nesting territory from intruders or potential predators, such as rival males, or snakes and mongooses. Sri Lankan Junglefowl are unique amongst the junglefowl in the brevity of their incubation, which may be as short as twenty days.

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Horton Plains

Horton Plains

The most famous place of foreigners in Sri Lanka is Horton plains.It is a national park in the highlands of Sri Lanka.Horton plains are at Nuwaraeliya, Badulla and Rathnapura districts.It lies about 20 km south of Nuwara Eliya and 20 km west of Haputale.This area is high more than 2300m above from sea level.The average temperature in this area is about 16 C. There are two main entrances to this plain.Those are Pattipola entrance via Nuwaraeliya and Ambewela or Ohiya entrance via Welimada or Bandarawela.You can reach Horton plains through Bandarawela or Nuwara Eliya which is about 2 hour drive.The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe.Water of this place is very cold and very pure.Earlier this place is identified as ‘Maha Eliya’. Eliya means Plains and Maha means Big. In this case real meaning of this name is a Large Plain.

Horton plains surrounded most popular and important mountains.They are Kirigalpottha Mountain and Totupola Mountain.Once you reach Horton plains you can visit the worlds end which is a 4000 feet straight vertical drop.Baker’s waterfall is popular waterfall which is at Horton Plains.If you will visit Sri Lanka don't miss this place.