Thursday, June 18, 2015
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya.
Nuwara Eliya is a city, in the hill country of the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The city name meaning is "city on the plain (table land)" or "city of light". The city is the administrative capital of Nuwara Eliya District, with a picturesque landscape and temperate climate. It is located at an altitude of 1,868 m (6,128 ft) and is considered to be the most important location for Tea production in Sri Lanka. The city is overlooked by Pidurutalagala, the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya is also known for the temperate, cool climate, the city is known for being the coolest area in Sri Lanka.
Due to its highland location, Nuwara Eliya has a subtropical highland climate with a mean annual temperature of 16 °C (61 °F).
In the winter months it is quite cold at night, and there can even be frost. However, it rapidly warms up as the tropical sun climbs higher during the day.
Ambuluwawa biodiversity peak
Ambuluwawa Biodiversity peak.
Ambuluwawa peak situated in the center of Gampola. Height of the peak the mean sea level is 365 feet. The Gampola city is in central province of Sri Lanka.
Biodiversity at Ambuluwawa has a more complexed expansion than that of the common examples of biodiversity. Ambuluwawa is a rock mountain but it is different from rock mountains commonly seen in Sri Lanka . It is made of special type of rock known as "Inselberg" and is least subject to erosion caused by natural forces.
Experiments on the diversity of vegetation at Ambuluwawa are still in progress. According to the research work so far done, there are about 200 varieties of plants belonging to 80 plant families. The soil here is red or brown and belongs to the latezoic type. Medicinal plants known as 'iramusu ', ' muva kiriya ' and ' nawa handi ' are the common plants grown in the area.
Surrounding the mountain there are uniformly spread ever green forests, groves of blossomed flower plants and creepers which make the breeze around the mountain cool. Panoramic view of the mountain ranges is enticing and impressive. Clearly visible mountains such as Pidurutalagala in the east, Bathalegala or Bible Rock in the west, Sri Pada or Adams Peak in the south and Knuckles range in the north enrich the scenic beauty of the place. Apart from these, mountain ranges associated with Alagalla and Kadugannawa, mountains like Hanthana and Hunnasgiri and mountains in Nuwara Eliya district are also clearly visible and they add beauty to the surroundings.
Tower of Ambuluwawa
External link -
Ambuluwawa Biodiversity peak Official website
Gadaladeniya temple
Gadaladeniya Temple.
Gadaladeniya Temple is located at Pilimathalawa, Kandy. When you are driving from Colombo to Kandy, Gadaladeniaya temple road is at your right hand side. After taking that turn from Pilimathalawa, you have to travel another 2 km. The famous Embekke Devalaya and Lanka Thilaka Viharaya also located close by. This temple was build by king Wickramabahu in 1344 during the Gampola Kingdom time.
At the entrance you can see the Dageba ( pagoda) by your right hand side. Actually this consist of one main Dageba and four small ones. The main Dageba is covered with a roof. There are four small shrine rooms around it with small dageba located top of each.
In the main shrine room has a large Buddha statue. This temple has some features of the south Indian architecture. At the time of our visits, we saw this shrine room was covered with a temporary roof and the archaeological view of the place is greatly affected by that. Most of the painting in this temple also fading.
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| Gadaladeniya Temple |
Kandy :-
Temple of the Tooth (ශ්රී දළදා මාළිගාව).
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 of the former Kingdom of Kandy, 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 mainly due to the temple.
External link - sridaladamaligawa official website
Temple of the Tooth (ශ්රී දළදා මාළිගාව).
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 of the former Kingdom of Kandy, 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 mainly due to the temple.
History
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 Hansa, 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.
Old picture of Temple of the Tooth
Architecture
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 (moonstone) which is carved in Kandyan architectural style. Mahawahalkada was totally destroyed in a 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.
Sri Dalada Maligawa perahera photos
External links-
Sri Dalada Maligawa Official website
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