Sri Lanka

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Date : 15 Sept 08 to 24 Sept 08

Sri Lanka is one of the few Countries that have written history dating over 1500 years.

Sri Lankan Culture is fascinating. The Yaksha and Naga tribes Civilized before 300 B.C. using agriculture and irrigation, Nourished from the Buddhism in early 2nd Century B.C. and also influenced by Indian invasions and going through Portuguese, Dutch and British rule, Sri Lankan Culture is diverse like it's Natural Heritage

Mythology on Sri Lanka

Legends say that Mount Meru and the wind god Vayu were good friends. However, the Sage Narada approached Vayu and incited him to humble the mountain. Vayu blew with full force for one full year, but Meru was shielded by Garuda with his wings (he was flying high). However, after a year Garuda took respite for some time. Thus the apex of the mountain was broken and it fell into the sea and created the island of Sri Lanka.

 

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Day 1 - Airport => Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage => Kandy

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Pinnawela orphanage is situated northwest of the town Kegalla, halfways between the present capitol Colombo and the ancient royal residence Kandy in the hills of central Sri Lanka. It was established 1975 by the Sri Lanka Wildlife department. This 24 acres large elephant orphanage is a also breeding pace for elephants, twenty elephants were born since 1984, and it has the greatest herd of elephants in captivity in the world. The Pinnawala elephant orphanage is the Transit Home where these baby elephants once cared for are released to the wilds when they reach a certain age.

 

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Kandy

The city of Kandy is located some 500m above sea level. Kandy is the last dynasty of the independent kingdom of Sri Lanka. Being the capital of the last dynasty, Kandy had become final resting place to the relic of the tooth of the Buddha which symbolises a 4th-century tradition that used to be linked to royalty since the protector of the relic was seen fit to rule the land.

 

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Along the way to Kandy, we came across a flat rock some 798m high. The British call this "The Bible Rock" because they felt it look like an open bible but the local call it "Bataliga - The Sweet Potato".

 

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Day 2 - Kandy City

Temple of the Tooth

This is the outer perimeter of the "Temple of the Tooth". It is also called Dalada Maligavavwa or the Tooth Palace. Yes, indeed it was the palace to the kings as it was believed that whoever had the tooth relic is fit to rule the land.

 

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Kandy - Temple of the Tooth

The original temple of the tooth is a 2 storey wooden structure sitting on beautifully carved stone column. Stone columns were being used because Sri Lanka is a very forested area and to prevent termites from destorying the foundation. The first storey is where the original relic is kept and the 2nd storey is a prayer hall

 

[blackmore]

Its a beautiful place to visit PROVIDED nothing unforseen happen.

Try staying at the Gall Face Hotel in Colombo, you will enjoy the bygone days of an era that had past.

 

[Ramseth]

Sri Lanka is the headquarters of theravada Buddhism. You know, the kind of Buddhism in which monks don't perform monkey tricks, draw tens of thousands of dollars in salaries, live in condo, wear rolex, write with montblanc, drive merz etc.

Singapore Buddhism is not even mahayana, it's pappyana. Same goes for Singapore Christianity, not protestanism but pappyism.

 

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The stay was US$130 per day so we did not stay there but we had our high tea there watching he sun set. photo's later

 

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Day 3 - Kandy Lake

Beside the Tooth palace is a large lake. This lake was used for drinking and defence purpose. In the middle of this lake is a litle island garden used for recreation purpose by the king

be an island unto yourself

 

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Royal Botanical Garden - Peradeniya - Sri Lanka

Our next destination is Kandy was the Royal Botanical Garden - Peradeniya - Sri Lanka. This is the world first Botanical Garden in Asia that has alot of rare and exotic plants from all over the world

Double Coconut. Coco De Mer Lodoicea Maldivicia (Palmae)
This strange Coco De Mer (Sea Palm) has many curious characteristics. It is a very rare plant found only in the Seyshelles and is one of the endangered plant protected by laws. It's seed is the largest and heaviest in the vegetable kingdom. The seed was first found in the Indian Ocean in 1500 AD but the palm was only discoverd in the Seyshelles in 1743 AD. The male and female plant constitute the plant, the coconut (weigh 10-20kg). This palm was introduced to the Botanical Garden in 1850

 

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Gaint Java Willow Tree (Java Fig).

This is a large handsome tree indigenous to Malaysia.Indonesia and was introduced to the Botanical Garden in 1861. The specimen shown here is more than 100 years old and had spread over an area of 2500 square metre

 

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Tembusu - Fabraea Fragrans

A symmetrical Ornamental tree indigenous to the Malaya where it is extensively used for ornament and avenubs. This tree here is trimmed once a year to maintain the conical shape.

 

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Cannon Ball Tree

Large fruit that has the size and shape of a cannonball. A definite eye catcher, the cannonball fruits grow en masse from stalks surrounding the trunk of the large tree. This tree is common even in Singapore. The flower gives off a very sweet fragrance, however there's something about it that not many may know.

Can you find the "stupa" in this flower?

 

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Day 3 - Kandy => Sigiriya

Aluvihara Rock Temple

On our way to Sigiriya, we stopped at this place call Aluvihara Rock Temple.There are several caves at this site having inscriptions on the cave rocks dating 2nd BC. Today, these cave are sheltering temples dating from early 19th century. There are several beautifully painted drawings in the caves. Unfortunately, picture taking wasn't allowed.

 

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But how could I resist taking photos? This cave temple has a diorama depicting the various punishments inflected in hell. Doesn't this remind you of Hwa Par Villa in Pasir Panjang?

 

[TeeKee]

Colombo, October 27, 2008

Sri Lankan military captures more rebel positions
Sri Lankan soldiers captured and destroyed more Tamil Tiger rebel bunkers in fierce fighting across the embattled northern region, the military said on Monday. The new fighting came as soldiers are reportedly closing in on the rebels' administrative capital of Kilinochchi in a campaign aimed at routing the guerrillas and ending a 25-year-old war that has killed more than 70,000 people.


In the latest fighting on Sunday, the army captured and destroyed several rebel bunkers in "massive" attacks, the military said in a statement.

Soldiers captured three rebel bunkers and three trenches in the village of Andankulam in Mullaitivu and several more bunkers in other areas, it said.

A bunker in the village of Kokkavil was destroyed, as was another in Nachchikuda village near Kilinochchi, the military said. It said soldiers inflicted heavy casualties on the Tamil Tigers in all the attacks, but did not give casualty details in line with a new government policy.

It is not possible to obtain independent accounts of clashes because movements by journalists in the war zone are restricted. Rebel spokesmen could not be reached because many communication lines have been severed.

Government troops have made dramatic progress in recent months, seizing a series of rebel bases and chunks of land, but the rebels have put up stiff resistance.

The Tamil Tiger rebels have fought since 1983 to create an independent state for ethnic minority Tamils who have suffered marginalization at the hands of successive governments controlled by ethnic Sinhalese.

 

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Dambulla Cave Temple.

Although this picture looks great, the centre of attraction is not this but the caves on the mountain top. Dambulla is a huge granite hummock surrounding the countryside. This place was inhabited by monks for at least 2000 years and was known in ancient time as Jambukola. The caves are beautifully painted dating to 18th century.

 

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Some of these painting done in the 18 century. Notice that there were only 4 colours being used in the painting (Black, White, Red & Yellow). Blue colour are very rare and expensive and only the kings could affor them

 

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Inside the first cave is a reclining image of the Buddha making the first cave a bit cramped. The painting on the wall are faded and obscured by centuries of smoke from oil lamps and incense.