Sri Lankan Activities

Temple of the Tooth (sri dalada maligawa)

Kandy is the most sacred shrine of Buddhism. The temple of the Tooth is the prime monument, the supreme structure not only of the Sinhalese Buddhist public of Sri Lanka but also of the Buddhists all over the world. It is within this glorious temple that sacred Tooth relic of Buddha (Danta Dhatu), the palladium of the Sinhalese nation & Buddhist faith is enshrined.

Sri Pada(adam's peak)

There is probably no mountain anywhere more famous than Sri pada - Adam's Peak (7,362 ft.) for non-mountain reasons than this. It is sacred to three religions at least; to Buddhists the human-foot-shaped hollow on the pinnacle boulder marks one of the personal appearances of the Buddha; the Muslims believe that the depression marks Adam's expiation of his disobedience by standing there for an age, on one foot; to the Hindus, by whom the Peak has been venerated for millennia, its name is Sivan Adi Padham, for it is the Creative Dance of the god Siva that the 'print' calls to remembrance. Its Sri Lanka name and sacredness however antedates even Buddhism. The name is Samanala Kanda; and Saman was a pre-Buddhist god, one of the four Guardian Deities of the Island. For this reason, the clouds of yellow butterflies who annually appear and, to the eye of faith, seem to converge from every direction upon the holy mountain, are called Samanalaya. For as long as man can conjure, the Peak has been an object not only of worship but of pilgrimage by kings and commoners. Those who go so far as to choose to climb the Peak rather than merely observe it - the pilgrim season is the calm, bright months from January to April - have three traditional routes available to them: from Ratnapura involving 10 miles on foot; from Kuruwita 12 miles on foot; and from Maskeliya (near Tea Trails Norwood Bungalow) about 4 miles on foot, nearly all of it steps. The dawn view is incredible. Few mountain tops create a comparable impression of isolation or yield so wide and unimpeded a view. Colombo is clearly visible, the very lights of Galle Face distinguishable; the light house south-westwise around the coast from Beruwala to Foul Point are all identifiable.

The sunrise produces the famous spectacle of the Shadow of the Peak. The north east winds that blow in the pilgrim season have laid, some thousands of feet below it, a layer of misty cloud. Over this the sun casts the vast dark triangular shadow of the huge summit pyramid. Its point lies, at first, upon the infinitely distant horizon, then as the sun waxes, races backward, foreshortening the shadow, until it is swallowed altogether in the rock of the peak itself.

A less advertised phenomenon (because it usually occurs outside the pilgrim season) is also occasionally to be seen: the even more fantastic spectacle of the so-called 'Spectre of the Brocken.' When the cloud layer happens to be vertically rather than horizontally piled, the intruder on the summit terrace occasionally sees before him an enormously magnified image of all upon it - including himself - often encircled by a halo of rainbow hues. From this, the heart of the high country, no less than four of the Island's main rivers (the Mahaveli, the Kalu, the Kelani and the Walawe) spring from the watershed of which the Peak is, as it were, the spire.

Though not the highest mountain of Sri Lanka, the striking pyramid of Adam's Peak (7,360 ft) is certainly the most remarkable. A depression in the rocky summit resembles a huge footprint, which has been venerated as a sacred sigh from remote antiquity. This was identified by Buddhists as the Buddha's footprint, by Hindus as that of Shiva, and by Muslims as Adam's. Later the Portuguese attributed it to St. Thomas the Apostle.

Sri Maha Bodhi Tree

The right branch of the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya in India under which the Buddha attained enlightenment was brought to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC by princess Sanghamitta, the daughter of Emperor Asoka. It was planted in Anuradhapura and is venerated to this day by the Buddhists from many countries of the world. This is the oldest recorded tree in the world whose exact age is known.

Ruwanveli Dagoba

Ruwanveli Dagoba built by King Dutugemunu who ruled the country in the 2nd century BC is a huge dagoba measuring 103 meters in height with a circumference of 287 meters.

Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya

According to the history ‘Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya’ is believed to have been built by king Dutugemunu around 160 B.C. This was in fulfillment of a vow to defeat his rival king Elara in a battle. Large extents of lands were endowed by king Dutugemunu for its maintenance, and subsequent monarchs offered likewise.

Mihintale Mountain

Thirteen kilometers from Anuradhapura is the sacred mountain of Mihintale, the site of introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the year 247 BC. World's first fauna and flora sanctuary was established at Mihintale in the 3rd century BC. Today the peak of Mihintale, approached by a grand stairway of 1840 granite steps, has many temples, lodgings for monks and several splendid statues of the Buddha. Each June on the full moon there is a pilgrimage commemorating the date when Mahinda first preached the Buddhist doctrine in Sri Lanka and many thousands of pilgrims flock from all over Sri Lanka to meditate on the holy peak.

Little Adam's Peak

LITTLE ADAM'S PEAK is 1,141 meters high pyramidal rock in southeast part of Sri Lanka's highlands. It is named after famous holly mountain Adam's Peak, because of the similar shape. Climbing to the top of its little brother is much easier and quiet. On the given coordinates, you can find beautiful view to the endless valley, tea plants or waterfalls.

Koneswaram Temple

Among the various monuments of Hindu antiquity found in Sri Lanka, the Thirukoneswaram Hindu temple in Trincomalee is one of the three principal places of worship dedicated to God Siva. The Koneswaram temple as it is commonly known, a sacred place of Hindu worship of the ancient past, would have remained in its original form up to the present day, had it not been destroyed in the 17th century by the Portuguese, who called it the Temple of a Thousand Columns. As the legendary story goes, a Portuguese soldier once entered the shrine room and defiled it by his presence as he was under the influence of alcohol. The wrath of God having fallen on the man for his unholy behaviour in disrespecting the holy place has fallen accidentally into the sea below and drowned.
A Portuguese historian not only describes the exact location of the temple but goes further by describing it as the "Rome of the Orient more frequented by pilgrims than Rameshwaram or Jeganath in Orissa".

Kalutara Bodiya

The Kalutara Bodiya which is venerated by all Buddhists in this country and specially the ones that travel to and from the South, compels every one of them to stop over at the Sacred Shrine to pay their respects by way of worshipping and offerings. The giant Dagoba and Bo-Tree that has spread out and stands up to a height that is visible from a vast distance as one approaches the Shrine from Colombo, The Bo-Tree is believed to be a sapling of the Sacred Sri Maha Bodhiya of Anuradhapura.

Gangaramaya Temple

What was once a swamp adjoining the famous Beira Lake, a landmark in the capital city, is today a vibrant complex comprising the Gangaramaya temple, the ‘seema malaka’ – an assembly hall for monks - in the picturesque Beira Lake and a vocational training institute. The temple has been in existence for over 120 years having being established by one of the most famous scholar monks, Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumanagala Nayaka Thera, founder of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, originally an institute of oriental learning for monks, now a State University – Sri Jayewardenapura University.

Dambulla Rock Temple

DAMBULLA ROCK TEMPLE was built by King Walagambahu in the 1st century BC. And is a World heritage site. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex f five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings, is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha out of rock and spanning 14 meters.

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