Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The structured Gampaha town plan was first introduced in 1920 by the Government Agent J.P Pressers. The plan incorporated 52 roads including the main street, a water tank, a public market, a hospital and an electrical generator. The British colonists built Henarathgoda railway station in 1864. Lady Ridgeway Mary made decorative touches to the town with plants and trees making the town a scenic place. As an honour for her name,the road running from downtown to the hospital junction was later named Queen Mary’s road. The volleyball statue is a famous landmark in Gampaha.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall
BMICH [Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall]is situated at Bauddhaloka Mawatha,Colombo-7.BMICH is a gift of the Government of China.It is one of Asia\'s leading conference venues.It has the best of professional conference facilities.
Bandaranayake Museum is also Housed in the BMICH.It contains photographs and documents portraying the life and times of the late Prime Minister,S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike.Visitors can listen to recordings of some of his speeches.Open daily,excepts Mondays and full moon days.The Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre – the latest addition to the BMICH is the perfect location in Sri Lanka for international trade exhibitions,conventions and seminars.
Tel:+94 11 2691139
Bandaranayake Museum is also Housed in the BMICH.It contains photographs and documents portraying the life and times of the late Prime Minister,S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike.Visitors can listen to recordings of some of his speeches.Open daily,excepts Mondays and full moon days.The Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre – the latest addition to the BMICH is the perfect location in Sri Lanka for international trade exhibitions,conventions and seminars.
Tel:+94 11 2691139
Henarathgoda Botanical Garden - Gampaha
The Garden in 37 acres is situated near Gampaha town,about 1 km away from the city of Gampaha.This is where the first rubber tree was planted in Sri Lanka.Approximately,400 species of plants are found here.The Garden was laid out in 1876.All common facilities for visitors are available in the Garden premises.It is also a popular site for recreation.
Tel : 033-2222316
Tel : 033-2222316
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Dunhinda Falls
It is located just 5km north of Badulla on the Badulla-Taldena Road.It is the highest waterfall on the Badulu Oya At 263 metres.This beautiful waterfall attracts the large number of tourists.A 1km footpath follows the Badulla Oya leads to this fall.At the end of this path,there is a cave that was once the home of Veddas from Bintenne.
[i went on 21th December 2010, i'll upload photos soon..]
[i went on 21th December 2010, i'll upload photos soon..]
Bopath Falls
Bopath Falls is a tributary of the larger Kalu River.It is 30mt high.It consists of three cascades that give the appearance of the rounded shape of the leaf of the Bo tree.These fall are the nearest to Colombo but unlike the other falls which are further away,these fall cannot be seen from a highway or vantage point.
Maritime Archaeology Museum
Maritime Archaeology Museum is Located in a colonial Dutch ware-house in the Galle Dutch Fort.This museum displays the resources of the sea.The traditional methods of fishing,artifacts of underwater archaeology,natural coral beds,sea grass beds,deep sea fishes,preserved material and scaled down models of whales and fishes etc.are exhibited in this museum.The tourists who visit this museum will get the chance of learning the causes of sea pollution,coast erosion and methods used to solve these problems. Earliar,it was called National Maritime Museum.It was damaged by the tsunami in 2004 and it was reopened On March 04, 2010,as the country\'s first Maritime Archaeology Museum.
Tel. No. 0091 22 42261
Tel. No. 0091 22 42261
Jaffna Archaeological Museum
The Jaffna Archaeological Museum displays many Sinhala and Tamil antiques.A Buddha statue,Bodhisaththva statue,a stone scripture and some coins of the 1st and 2nd centuries found in Kantharodai Archaeological Site and upper part of a Buddha statue found in Nilavarai are kept at Jaffna museum.little Archaeological Museum situated on Main Steet near the old rest house.The museum is open to public from 8.30 AM to 4.30 am everyday except for Tuesdays.
Kandy National Museum
This museum is housed in the old palace devoted to queens.This was opened for the public as a museum 1942.It is located behind the Dalada Maligawe.This museum has over 5000 objects which are depicting various aspects historical and cultural events of the Kandyan period.(17-19 century A.D.).It includes the Collections of jewellery,textiles ,clothes, arms,weapons,ritual objects, ivory carvings and pottery. Closed on Sunday, Monday and Public holidays.
Tel. No. : 0094 81 2223867
Tel. No. : 0094 81 2223867
Colombo National Museum
The Colombo Museum was established on the 1st of January-1877 by Sir William Henry Gregory,the British Governor of Sri Lanka at the time.It earned the status of a national museum during the period of Dr. P. E. P. Deraniyagala.This museum displays the cultural and natural heritage of this country.
Address : P.O.Box 854,Sir Marcus Fernando Mw.,Colombo-07
Tel. No. : 0094 112 694366
Address : P.O.Box 854,Sir Marcus Fernando Mw.,Colombo-07
Tel. No. : 0094 112 694366
Anuradhapura
Although people may have lived in this area since as early as the 10th century BC, Anuradhapura became a great city after the arrival of a cutting from the Bodhi Tree ('tree of enlightenment'), the Buddha's fig tree, in the 3rd century BC. The sacred branch was brought to Sri Lanka by Sanghamitta, the founder of an order of Buddhist nuns.
Anuradhapura went on to become a Ceylonese political and religious capital (4th century BC) that flourished for 1,300 years. In its prime, Anuradhapura ranked alongside Nineveh and Babylon in its colossal proportions—its four walls, each 16 miles (26 km) long, enclosing an area of 256 square miles (663 km²)—in the number of its inhabitants, and the splendour of its shrines and public buildings.
The city also had some of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world. Most of the great reservoir tanks still survive today, and some many be the oldest surviving reservoirs in the world.
After an invasion in 993 AD, Anuradhapura was permanently abandoned. For centuries, the site lay hidden in the jungle. Rediscovered by the British in the 19th century, Anuradhapura became a Buddhist pilgrimage site once again.
The revival of the city of Anuradhapura began in earnest in the 1870s. The modern city (population 40,000) is a major road junction of northern Sri Lanka and lies along a railway line. The headquarters of the Archaeological Survey of Ceylon is in Anuradhapura.
Today, the splendid sacred city of Anuradhapura, with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, draws many Buddhist pilgrims and visitors.
Anuradhapura went on to become a Ceylonese political and religious capital (4th century BC) that flourished for 1,300 years. In its prime, Anuradhapura ranked alongside Nineveh and Babylon in its colossal proportions—its four walls, each 16 miles (26 km) long, enclosing an area of 256 square miles (663 km²)—in the number of its inhabitants, and the splendour of its shrines and public buildings.
The city also had some of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world. Most of the great reservoir tanks still survive today, and some many be the oldest surviving reservoirs in the world.
After an invasion in 993 AD, Anuradhapura was permanently abandoned. For centuries, the site lay hidden in the jungle. Rediscovered by the British in the 19th century, Anuradhapura became a Buddhist pilgrimage site once again.
The revival of the city of Anuradhapura began in earnest in the 1870s. The modern city (population 40,000) is a major road junction of northern Sri Lanka and lies along a railway line. The headquarters of the Archaeological Survey of Ceylon is in Anuradhapura.
Today, the splendid sacred city of Anuradhapura, with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, draws many Buddhist pilgrims and visitors.
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa lies 216 km northeast of Colombo, 140kms northeast of Kandy and 104kms southeast of Anuradhapura. Sri Lanka's medieval capital (11th - 12th Century AD) is a well-preserved city of ancient dagobas, moonstones, beautiful parks, massive buildings and stunningly beautiful statues. The majestic King's Council Chamber, the Lotus Bath, the Lanka Thilaka Viharaya, the Gal Viharaya (rock temple) and the statue of one of Polonnaruwa's great kings, Parakramabahu, are a few of this capital's memorable sights. The Sea of Parakrama - a vast 12th century man-made reservoir dominates the city. Although it is nearly 1000 years old, it is much younger than Anuradhapura, and in much better repair. Moreover, the monuments here are located in a more compact area, and their development is easier to follow.
The capital was shifted to Kurunegala, and Polonnaruwa returned to the jungle; it's great reservoirs survived as a series of swampy lakes, and its large brick buildings became lost under thick tropical forest. The Portuguese are said to have raided and looted Polonnaruwa, but by the early nineteenth century the site was completely lost.
In the early years of this century the main monuments of the ancient city were uncovered. Today, conservation and excavations continue, as part of the work of the Cultural Triangle.
King Aggabodhi IV
From this chronicle we learn that Aggabodhi IV (667 - 685) AD was the first Sri Lankan King who lived in Polonnaruwa, and the town came gradually to become the 'Country Residence' of royalty. Anuradhapura, the formal and administrative capital, was already a thousand years old, and kings increasingly favoured the new city of Polonnaruwa, and developed it. However it was the Cholas of South India who made Polonnaruwa the capital after looting and burning Anuradhapura in 993 AD.The decline of Polonnaruwa
After Nissankamalla's death, Polonnaruwa went to decline, civil war, lawlessness and constant invasions from the South Indian Chola Empire, and Malay barbarians who sacked the city several times, virtually destroyed the social structure and religious order of the country. A whole century after this were the 'Dark Ages' of Sri Lanka, a century from which few historical records survive.The capital was shifted to Kurunegala, and Polonnaruwa returned to the jungle; it's great reservoirs survived as a series of swampy lakes, and its large brick buildings became lost under thick tropical forest. The Portuguese are said to have raided and looted Polonnaruwa, but by the early nineteenth century the site was completely lost.
In the early years of this century the main monuments of the ancient city were uncovered. Today, conservation and excavations continue, as part of the work of the Cultural Triangle.
Mihintale
Situated 12 kilometers east of the ruins of the great city of Anuradhapura, the sacred mountain of Mihintale is considered the location where Buddhism was first introduced to the island of Sri Lanka. There are two stories, one historical and one mythological, that explain the arrival of Buddhism at Mihintale. According to historical sources, in the middle of the third century BC the great Indian Emperor Ashoka had sent his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka to spread the teachings of the Buddha. Mahinda and his group of Buddhist monks were camped upon the sides of Mt Mihintale when King Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura encountered them during a royal hunting expedition. Mahinda spoke to the king of Buddhism and recited the Culahastipadopama and other sutras. The date of this meeting between King Devanampiya Tissa and the Buddhist monk is believed to have been on the full moon of June in the year 247 BC. Soon thereafter the king (and 40,000 inhabitants of Anuradhapura) converted to Buddhism. An alternate story of the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka tells that the Buddha himself journeyed to the island, on the back of the great winged demigod Garuda, but there is no historical evidence that the Buddha himself ever visited the island. 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. The photograph was made with a Nikon F3, a 300mm lens (with two 2x teleconverters resulting in a 1200mm lens) and Fujichrome 50 film. The photograph was made during the brightest part of the day but was underexposed by several f-stops in order to turn the background to dark black and thereby simulate the view of the great Buddha as seen during the night of the full moon pilgrimage.
Ambasthala
During the Poson season, thousands of devotees ascend the 1840 stone steps from the bottom to the top of the Mihintale hill to pay their respects to Arahat Mahinda, whose relics are said to be enshrined in the Ambasthala stupa.
This stupa was created by King Mahadathika Mahanaga on flat land just below the peak where apostle and king were supposed to have met and talked.
The Ambasthala dagaba or "mango-tree stupa" got its name from a riddle that Mahinda is said to have posed to the king to test his capacity for instruction.
Pointing to a tree close at hand, the Thera asked the king for its name. The king replied that it was a mango tree.
"Are there any other mango trees besides this?"
"There are many mango trees," replied the king.
"And are there any other trees besides this mango tree and other mango trees?"
"There are many other trees," replied the king, "but they are not mango trees".
"And are there besides these mango trees and those which are not mango, yet other trees?"
"There is this mango tree", said the king.
"Thou hast a shrewd wit, O Ruler of Men" said the Thera.
The spot where this Socrates-like dialogue took place is marked by a rock slab enclosed by a railing. Mango trees have been grown in the vicinity to commemorate that event.
More than two centuries after the construction of the Ambasthala, King Kanitha Tissa added two circular wooden roofed ambulatories on stone pillars and converted it into a Vatadage. Only the stone pillars are left.
Mahinda’s cave
From the Ambasthala, opposite the point of entry, a path will take you down to a steep sheltered rock overlay, within which is a flat rectangular slab of rock.
This place is called "Mihindu-Guha" or Mahinda’s cave, where he is said to have spent much of his time in meditation.
What thoughts did he have of the people he was instructing to counteract greed, malice and inordinate desire, the arch enemies of an enlightened mind?
Was it there that he conceived the idea of asking King Tissa to request Emperor Asoka of India to send some bodily relics (saririkadhatu) and associational relics (paribhogiakadhatu) of the Buddha to be enshrined and worshipped as a constant reminder of the Master’s teachings?
view of Mihintale (24 kb)
His sister Sangamitha Theri subsequently arrived with the relics. A collarbone of the Buddha was enshrined in a hastily put together stupa in Anuradhapura using the mud of the Abhayawewa.
In time this stupa — Thuparama was given a firmer structure and finally converted into a Vatadage.
A sapling of the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha received enlightenment while meditating at Gaya was also brought by Sangamitha and planted in the royal Mahamegha garden, where it still exists today as the oldest historically recorded tree in the world.
Maha Seya
Another relic of the Buddha — the "uma-roma" or a hair that grew between the eyebrows signifying a "maha purusha" or "great being" was also enshrined in the Maha Seya at Mihintale.
When excavation and restoration work was begun by the Archaeological Department in 1934 under the direction of Senerat Paranavitana, the Maha Seya was found in a collapsed condition.
Under its debris was discovered a small stupa which Paranavitana identified as the Mihindu Seya built by King Devanampiyatissa’s brother King Uttiya to enshrine Arahat Mahinda’s ashes.
Several golden relic containers were found inside the stupa. Also a small polished black earthernware container.
In the black container was a reliquary in thin gold foil in the form of a miniature stupa containing beads, trinkets, fragments of bone and ash.
Kanthaka Chaitiya
Relics were also enshrined in the Kanthaka Chaitiya halfway up the hill, but there is no record of what they were.
During excavation, there was ample evidence of the relic chamber having been vandalised for buried treasure.
Several stupa-shaped stone containers, very likely to have contained the expensive offerings of the pious, were found scattered in the debris.
The highlights of this stupa are the restored "vahalkadas" (altars) and flanking stelae which display some of the earliest examples of the plastic arts.
They are profusely ornamented with friezes of dwarfs (gama) geese (hamsa) animal figures, floral motifs and niches in stucco or terra cotta with fragments of figures of deities.
In the words of Professor Paranavitana:
"When it was in its pristine glory covered with a coating of white plaster, with its gilded pinacle and its elaborately carved four vahalkadas at the four cardinal points, it must have presented a spectacular sight of singular beauty".
Even in its truncated form today the chaitiya is a wonderful sight under a westering sun.
In the soft evening air, one is able to experience the spell of antiquity and the spirit of Arahat Mahinda, Apostle of the romantic coming of Buddhism to Lanka in King Tissa’s bygone day.
Ambasthala
During the Poson season, thousands of devotees ascend the 1840 stone steps from the bottom to the top of the Mihintale hill to pay their respects to Arahat Mahinda, whose relics are said to be enshrined in the Ambasthala stupa.
This stupa was created by King Mahadathika Mahanaga on flat land just below the peak where apostle and king were supposed to have met and talked.
The Ambasthala dagaba or "mango-tree stupa" got its name from a riddle that Mahinda is said to have posed to the king to test his capacity for instruction.
Pointing to a tree close at hand, the Thera asked the king for its name. The king replied that it was a mango tree.
"Are there any other mango trees besides this?"
"There are many mango trees," replied the king.
"And are there any other trees besides this mango tree and other mango trees?"
"There are many other trees," replied the king, "but they are not mango trees".
"And are there besides these mango trees and those which are not mango, yet other trees?"
"There is this mango tree", said the king.
"Thou hast a shrewd wit, O Ruler of Men" said the Thera.
The spot where this Socrates-like dialogue took place is marked by a rock slab enclosed by a railing. Mango trees have been grown in the vicinity to commemorate that event.
More than two centuries after the construction of the Ambasthala, King Kanitha Tissa added two circular wooden roofed ambulatories on stone pillars and converted it into a Vatadage. Only the stone pillars are left.
Mahinda’s cave
From the Ambasthala, opposite the point of entry, a path will take you down to a steep sheltered rock overlay, within which is a flat rectangular slab of rock.
This place is called "Mihindu-Guha" or Mahinda’s cave, where he is said to have spent much of his time in meditation.
What thoughts did he have of the people he was instructing to counteract greed, malice and inordinate desire, the arch enemies of an enlightened mind?
Was it there that he conceived the idea of asking King Tissa to request Emperor Asoka of India to send some bodily relics (saririkadhatu) and associational relics (paribhogiakadhatu) of the Buddha to be enshrined and worshipped as a constant reminder of the Master’s teachings?
view of Mihintale (24 kb)
His sister Sangamitha Theri subsequently arrived with the relics. A collarbone of the Buddha was enshrined in a hastily put together stupa in Anuradhapura using the mud of the Abhayawewa.
In time this stupa — Thuparama was given a firmer structure and finally converted into a Vatadage.
A sapling of the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha received enlightenment while meditating at Gaya was also brought by Sangamitha and planted in the royal Mahamegha garden, where it still exists today as the oldest historically recorded tree in the world.
Maha Seya
Another relic of the Buddha — the "uma-roma" or a hair that grew between the eyebrows signifying a "maha purusha" or "great being" was also enshrined in the Maha Seya at Mihintale.
When excavation and restoration work was begun by the Archaeological Department in 1934 under the direction of Senerat Paranavitana, the Maha Seya was found in a collapsed condition.
Under its debris was discovered a small stupa which Paranavitana identified as the Mihindu Seya built by King Devanampiyatissa’s brother King Uttiya to enshrine Arahat Mahinda’s ashes.
Several golden relic containers were found inside the stupa. Also a small polished black earthernware container.
In the black container was a reliquary in thin gold foil in the form of a miniature stupa containing beads, trinkets, fragments of bone and ash.
Kanthaka Chaitiya
Relics were also enshrined in the Kanthaka Chaitiya halfway up the hill, but there is no record of what they were.
During excavation, there was ample evidence of the relic chamber having been vandalised for buried treasure.
Several stupa-shaped stone containers, very likely to have contained the expensive offerings of the pious, were found scattered in the debris.
The highlights of this stupa are the restored "vahalkadas" (altars) and flanking stelae which display some of the earliest examples of the plastic arts.
They are profusely ornamented with friezes of dwarfs (gama) geese (hamsa) animal figures, floral motifs and niches in stucco or terra cotta with fragments of figures of deities.
In the words of Professor Paranavitana:
"When it was in its pristine glory covered with a coating of white plaster, with its gilded pinacle and its elaborately carved four vahalkadas at the four cardinal points, it must have presented a spectacular sight of singular beauty".
Even in its truncated form today the chaitiya is a wonderful sight under a westering sun.
In the soft evening air, one is able to experience the spell of antiquity and the spirit of Arahat Mahinda, Apostle of the romantic coming of Buddhism to Lanka in King Tissa’s bygone day.
Kandy Esala Perahera
Esala Perahera is the grand festival of Esala held in Sri Lanka. It is very grand with elegant costumes. Happening in July or August in Kandy, it has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist festival consisting of dances and richly-decorated elephants. There are fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances. The elephants are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional 'diya-kepeema'.
The significance of this great event is to invoke blessings of the gods to give the farmers rain to cultivate their crops. This ritual is performed by carrying the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha through the city streets which is done with great ceremony.
The tooth relic was brought to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in the year 310 AD and the first perehera was performed in Anuradhapura the first capital where the sacred relic was housed. Even as the capitals were shifted for security reasons due to invasions, the tooth relic went with it too and was much revered and always in the custody of the king. Finally finding a permanent resting place in the hill capital of the last Sinhalese kindom Kandy, It lies in the ?Dalada Maligawa? (Palace of the Tooth Relic) which was built by king Wimaladharma suriya in the 16th century. This three-storey building erected solely for the purpose of housing. The Sacred Relic still stands and is the most visited and important temple of Sri Lanka.
The ritual of the Perahera (Esela Perahera) continues in Kandy with more and more people attending each year to watch majestic tusker proudly parade the streets of the ancient Sinhalese kingdom followed by over more than a hundred elephants with the custodians and other officials dressed in the traditional Sinhalese attire of chieftains riding them. The sound of blowing conch shells and whip cracking starts off the excitement or the approaching perahera. The beating of at least three types of traditional drums, the Kandyan dancers, Acrobats, and other artists that perform in the light of flame torches certainly would take you back in a time machine.
The significance of this great event is to invoke blessings of the gods to give the farmers rain to cultivate their crops. This ritual is performed by carrying the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha through the city streets which is done with great ceremony.
The tooth relic was brought to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in the year 310 AD and the first perehera was performed in Anuradhapura the first capital where the sacred relic was housed. Even as the capitals were shifted for security reasons due to invasions, the tooth relic went with it too and was much revered and always in the custody of the king. Finally finding a permanent resting place in the hill capital of the last Sinhalese kindom Kandy, It lies in the ?Dalada Maligawa? (Palace of the Tooth Relic) which was built by king Wimaladharma suriya in the 16th century. This three-storey building erected solely for the purpose of housing. The Sacred Relic still stands and is the most visited and important temple of Sri Lanka.
The ritual of the Perahera (Esela Perahera) continues in Kandy with more and more people attending each year to watch majestic tusker proudly parade the streets of the ancient Sinhalese kingdom followed by over more than a hundred elephants with the custodians and other officials dressed in the traditional Sinhalese attire of chieftains riding them. The sound of blowing conch shells and whip cracking starts off the excitement or the approaching perahera. The beating of at least three types of traditional drums, the Kandyan dancers, Acrobats, and other artists that perform in the light of flame torches certainly would take you back in a time machine.
Kandy
Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka is a major tourist destination. ( 115kM from Colombo at 465 meters above sea level). Famous for the Temple of the Tooth and many other temples the city could be called the cultural capital of the island.
Kandy Perahera, the pageant of the temple of tooth where Buddha's tooth is kept is held either in July or August each year to parade the golden caskets is a must see itenary if one is visiting Sri Lanka during these months. The final night procession is the most spectacular event of the country. More than 50 elephants parade the city accompanied by the drummers, dancers and chieftains.
he city established in the 15th century was the last royal capital where 2500 years of royal rule ended. This bustling market town is rich in cultural diversity has plenty of iteneries to offer to the tourists from songs dances and handy crafts to ancient temples and adventure activities. Kandy is a good transit point to the cultural triangle to the north or hill country to the south. The city is also a good source of souvenirs or to experience many cultural performances at it's various hotels in the city.
High speed photography
Basically high speed photography is a technique of capturing images with a remarkably quick shutter speed and mostly used for the scenes which cannot be seen with naked eyes. For high speed photography, you can use more or less any SLR camera, but an expensive camera can reach a much faster shutter speed and high speed photography is the game of shutter speed. Today, we will show you 40 Stunning Examples of High Speed Photography. In this post, you will find some very impressive photographs that will show you how high speed photography can freeze time setting you aside to view scenes that we would normally struggle to capture.
happy new year
As a new year starts and an old one ends,
We contemplate what brought us joy,
And we think of our loved ones and our friends.
Remembering how they enriched our lives,
We reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.
I/we immediately think of you.
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