Ancient Stupas (Dagobas) of Sri Lanka
The sights of modern and ancient Stupas or dagobas of Sri Lanka, seated prettily on a built up ground or perched on a natural elevation or a hill, sheltered by the foliage of all shades and tones of green set up a regular feature of your Sri Lanka Holidays. Serenely overlooking the landscape, the great white symmetrical domes painted in white or blue-white brings about enormous soothing influence to release the tension on the stressed minds.
Mihintale Mahaseya Stupa
Stupa in the Sinhalese civilization
Moreover, the concept of Sinhalese civilization being based upon triple pillars of irrigation reservoir, Buddhist temple and dagoba (stupa), most often the expansive rice fields in the foreground and irrigation reservoirs in the background spread over the landscape. The stupa is the most pleasant and most prominent feature of the Buddhist temples of Sri Lanka. The group of buildings at the Buddhist temples of Sri Lanka consist of complementary elements: pilimage (Sinhala: image house), bodhigara (Sinhala: enclosure with the Bo Peeple tree), Vihara (Sinhala: dwellings of the Buddhist monks) and of course stupa.
Tissa Maha Stupa at Tissamaharama
The scale of the stupa
The ancient cities had the main stupa designed in line with the scale of the city. It was an urban concept of displaying the same respect and reverence accorded to the stupa at the villages. The dominance in the landscape and the sphere of influence created by the stupa was unmistakable, whether at the southern town of Sri Lanka Holidays Tissamaharama of the ancient Ruhuna, ancient Anuradhapura (UNESCO World Heritage Site), medieval Polonnaruwa (UNESCO World heritage Site) in the north central plains or the Somawatiya sanctuary in the north-east.
Ruwanweliseya Dagoba photo credit to Nandasiri Wanninayaka
Stupa Vs Cosmos
To illustrious Dr. Senerath Paranavitana (1896 – 1972), the eminent archeologist-historian-epigraphist of Sri Lanka, to whom the Sinhalese nation owes a great debt of gratitude for his tireless archeological discoveries, works and interpretations, stupa or dagaba symbolized the cosmos. The rational of the three relic chambers inside the hemispherical dome is explained thus: “That at the ground level symbolized the earth, the one above it the heavenly world and that below ground the subterranean world of the serpents.” Dr. Paranavitana’s view assumes the omnipresence of the Buddha or Tathagata in the world. “The simple and austere lines of the hemispherical white dome would thus have conveyed to the pious devotee the idea of the vault of heaven, with the celestial abodes represented by the superstructure. The relics enshrined within the stupa which at once symbolized the world and the Tathagatha, would convey the idea of the Tathagata being immanent in the universe. The umbrella, the symbol of sovereignty, suggested to the faithful the idea of the Buddha being lord of the world. Whatever the symbolic significance of the stupa may be, it reflects a harmonious synthesis of simple artistic beauty with architectural design and philosophical thought.
Stupas at Anuradhapura, a view from Mihintale: to the far left is Mirisavatiya stupa; at the center is Ruwanweliseya stupa; to the right, the blurred image is that of Jetavana Stupa. Image by courtesy of Thorondo.
The most venerated stupas of Sri Lanka
Among the most adored great stupas of Sri Lanka are Jetawana stupa (400ft in height), Abhayagiri stupa (370 feet), Ruwanweliseya (338 ft) located in Sri Lanka Holidays Anuradhapura, the greatest monastic city of the classical world. Among these ancient stupas too, Sri Lanka Holidays Golden Sand Ruwanweliseya stupa built by the King Dutugemunu (161- 137 B.C.), the Hero of the Nation, is the most adored, most visited great stupa of Sri Lanka.
The wild elephant from the nearby sanctuary is a regular visitor of Somawathiya Stupa
At a monumental height of 338 feet, Ruwanweliseya stupa also called Mahathupa or Swaranmali chetiya covers over an acre and half with a diameter of the circular base being 294 feet. The immense dimensions of the great stupa make the famous Sanchi Stupa (60 feet) of India, which is the largest monument of this class of the same age in India, dwarfed into insignificant proportions. 250 years later Sri Lanka Holidays Abhayagiri stupa (370 feet) built by King Gajabahu (113-135 A.D.) at the Abayagiri monastery (founded by King Vattagamaini Abhaya or Valagambahu (103-102 B.C. and 89 -77 B.C.), towered over Ruwanweliseya.
Somawathiya Stupa
Another 350 years later, King Mahasena (276-302 A.D.), the builder of vast Sri Lanka Holidays Minneriya irrigation reservoir, would do still better: that was by the monumental Jethawana stupa which was originally built to 400ft in height and surpassed, at that time, only by two of the larger pyramids of Egypt. Today restored Jethavana stupa, still the largest among the stupas in Sri Lanka stands majestically, east of the Sri Lanka Holidays Golden Sand Ruwanweliseya stupa. Bookmark & Share
Sri Lanka Holidays is proud to present you all with gleanings off the book written by a Portuguese Captain named Joao Rebeiro during the colonial era in Sri Lanka, then called Ceylon, titled “The Historic Tragedy of the Island of Ceilao” dedicated to his most Serene Majesty Dom Pedro the Second of Portugal. The classic historical narration was first published in Lisbon on the 8th January 1685. Captain Rebeiro lamented on the loss of coastal belts of Sri Lanka to the Dutch. The book was translated from Portuguese to English by Dr. Paul E. Peiris (a Sri Lankan, then called Ceylonese) in 1947 at Colombo, the emporium of Sri Lanka Holidays.
I should wish all who have traveled over the world or have read of its greatness, to tell me if they have seen or heard of any part which produces the treasures which as we have shown, are to be found in this Island [1]? If we take the whole of Africa, we would not find there more than a little gold obtained by purchase, together with some amber and Ivory.
America produces gold, silver, pearls, emeralds, some amber and numerous drugs; but we ought to remember that so vast is the extent of the country, that it is named the New World, and that it stretches from Pole to Pole, including numerous kingdoms and provinces, and that the majority of them lack most of the articles we have described. These which have some, have not got the others.
Brazil produces sugar and tobacco; in Arabia there is incense, myrrh, dates and horses; in Persia, silk and some drugs, while pearls are found in the Gulf; in Gusarate, cloth and drugs; in Canara, rice and pepper; in Malavar, pepper, cardamom, and ginger; in the Xoromandel Coast, cloth; in the Kingdom of Carnate which is subject to Golconda, diamonds; in Bengala and throughout the Kingdom of the Mogor, cloth, rice, sugar and wax. There are also numerous provinces which have some products and not others. In pegu are found rubies and lacre; in Sumathra gold, copper, tin, benzoin and pepper; in Champa, ebony, calamba and aguila; in Borneo, camphor, diamonds and pepper; in Siam, benzoin and drugs; in China, gold, silk, musk, and drugs; in Japao [2], silver and copper; in the Malucas, cloves; in Banda, nutmegs and mace; in Timor and Solor, sandal.
The products of each kingdom of Europe are well-known, but they are more the result of cultivation than the gift of nature; accordingly we do not refer to them.
We see that several of the lands which we have named include numerous large kingdoms, and they cannot fail to have a reputation for great wealth. What then should we say about an Island, the greatest length of which is not more than seventy two leagues [3], and which produces the five commodities we have described, in such store?
Its cinnamon [4] is the best in the world; its gems [5] are in such abundance, and only diamonds and emeralds are wanting; its elephants [6] are the most prized of any within our discoveries, its pepper [7] is the finest in the East, the pearls [8] and seed pearls of its waters are considered very excellent. I do not speak of the numerous other drugs which the Island produces, and of which we take no account. Some amber is found on the coast.
Methinks that those who declared that this Island is the terrestrial Paradise, did so not in consequence of its fertility or the profusion of every kind of dainty to support life, nor for the blandness or healthfulness of its climate, nor for the footprints two palms long [9] which the Gentiles have fabricated to attract veneration to the spot; but because while its extent is so limited, it produces such an abundance of riches. Unquote
Footnotes by Sri Lanka Holidays bunpeiris
[1] Island of Sri Lanka was then called Ceilao by the Portuguese.
[2] Japan was then called Japao by the Portuguese
[3] Distance between the two furthest points (northernmost point in Sri Lanka, Point Pedro and southernmost point of Dondra Head or Devi Nuwara -Sinhala: City of the Gods) in north-south axis: 432 km; the distance between furthest points in the west-east axis is 224 km. Area of the island: 65625 sq. km.
[4] Even today Ceylon Cinnamon is the finest cinnamon in the world. Moreover, Sri Lanka is the main exporter of cinnamon in the world. Sri Lanka, since the ancient times has been an Island famous for a spectacular range of tropical spices. Even today, Sri Lanka spices are not only grown in the wild but also systematically cultivated. During your Sri Lanka Holidays, you will be visiting a spice garden at Matale on our way to Kandy from Golden Dambulla Rock Cave Temple at Dambulla.
[5] Sri Lanka has been legendary for its gems since the biblical times. Sri Lanka Holidays Ratnapura (Sinhala: city of gems) located in a valley on the banks of a major river called Kalu Ganga, has been unearthing almost every variety of gems ranging from precious stones to semi precious stones. The most vigorously marketed gem of Sri Lanka is Ceylon Sapphire. Ratnapura of Sri Lanka Holidays also unearths chrysoberyl cat’s eye, ruby, garnet, perodot, topaz, tourmaline, alexandrite, spinal and zircon. During your Sri Lanka Holidays Ratnapura primitive gem mine (large-scale mechanized mining isn’t allowed in Sri Lanka in view of possible environmental hazards), gem markets, gem merchants, gem shops and gem museums too can be visited. Sri Lanka is one of the major gem exporters of the world.
[6] Sri Lanka Holidays Afford all tourists the opportunity to sight herds of elephants at close range in its numerous wildlife parks. The popular of wildlife parks called Minneriya National Park, Kaudulla National Park and Wasgomua National Park are located within an hour’s drive from the transportation and accommodation hub of Habarana. The location of Habarana makes it the ideal base to explore the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa (UNESCO World Heritage Sites) within the Cultural triangle of Sri Lanka Holidays. Uda Walve National Park and Gal Oya National Park too afford the opportunity to view large herds of elephants. So are Ruhuna Yala National Park, Willpattu National Park and Maduru Oya National Park.
[7] Following the arrival of Portuguese in Sri Lanka in the year 1505, the seaport of Cochin in India, which had been famous for Black Pepper (such was the value of the spice then, it was called Malabar Gold), was pushed down into a secondary source of Black pepper.
[8] Sri Lanka had been famous for its sea pearls during its colonial era. Such was the scale of ripping Sri Lanka of its pearls by the Portuguese, Dutch and the English for nearly 500 years (since 1505 to1948), today Sri Lanka is no longer a major source of natural sea pearls.
[9] This is a reference to Sri Pada (Sinhala: resplendent footprint of Buddha) Adam’s Peak (2,243 metres) also called Samanala Kanda (Sinhala: butterfly mountain). Sri Lanka Holidays Sri Pada night ascent (illuminated all the way up to the summit) trekking pilgrimage season begins in December and last till April in the following year. The night ascent has been the traditional trekking mode in view of the spectacular phenomenon of light and shadow of the mountain on the summit at the crack of dawn. The longer route (southern route) to the base of the Sri Pada Adam’s Peak begins at the valley of Ratnapura and the shorter route (northern route) begins at a higher elevation at the Central Highlands city of Hatton, home to vast plantations of Ceylon Tea. Bookmark & Share
Trincomalee during Portuguese era in Ceylon
Apart from the products and wealth which I have described we could have built great fleets at little expense, as there is an abundance of timber and iron and resin, all article which are largely employed in such work. There is in the island a plant [1] which produces something like our linen thread, out of which the native fishermen make their nets; from this we could manufacture ship shrouds similar to those of Europe, without the coarseness and thickness of coir [the fiber of the outer husk of the Coconut].
In what words should I speak of the harbor and bay “Dos Arcos” [2]? It is the best in the whole of India, with a bottom between sand and clay, and is protected from every wind save the East, which however does not blow except occasionally and then too gently; moreover it contains several inlets, which are protected from this as well.
The chief winds which blow during the year are the North and the South, called respectively Vara and Cachao [3], and they create in the Island two wet and two dry seasons. The longest and most beautiful river in the Island [4] two wet [5] and dry seasons [6]. The longest and most beautiful river beautiful river [7] falls into this bay; its water, which comes from Adam’s Peak, is very good, and on its banks are found an abundance of trees remarkable for their size and variety.
A deck could be made in the bay itself, and fleets of numerous ships of any tonnage that is required built there, especially as we had that large river for conveying all the material without any expense; for as we have shown in the tenth chapter of the first book, it is the duty of the woodcutters to fell timber, and of the iron smelters and smiths, carpenters, turners, pile and gun makers, and all other craftsmen in the Island [8], to serve His Majesty [9] without any payment.
The weapons for arming them such as muskets, arquebuses, carbines, bacamartes, spears, pikes, swords, and gun stocks, would cost almost nothing; all these are made in the Island [10] in great abundance and of excellent workmanship. With these our forts and armies would be supplied without the expense which the Royal Treasury [11] would have to meet everywhere else. Their carriage too cost nothing, as it is the duty of the culles to convey them, just as the other entire craftsman has their own duties to perform. So that we can see the great advantages we had for making fleets; a splendid harbor in which to keep them, with liberty to go out and come in without danger at any season of the year, and an abundance of provisions for their use. Yet we never thought of utilizing this harbor for building fleets, which were always the essential requirement in that State.
Above narration consists of precise words of Captain Joao Rebeiro lamenting on the loss of coastal belts of Sri Lanka to the Dutch: “The Historic Tragedy of the Island of Ceilao” dedicated to his most Serene Majesty Dom Pedro the Second. Lisbon, 8th January 1685.
Translated from Portuguese to English by Dr. Paul E. Peiris, 1947, Colombo, Sri Lanka
[1] Crotolaria Juncea
[2] Baia dos Arcos: Sri Lanka Holidays : Trincomalee Bay Harbor, North-Eastern Coast
[3] Varakan (Sinhala: The North-East Monsoon and South-West Monsoon of Sri Lanka)
[4] [8] [10] Sri Lanka
[5] Wet seasons- tropical monsoons: The northeast monsoon (December to March), and the southwest monsoon (June to October)
[6] Dry seasons: November to April main tourist season of Sri Lanka Holidays and May to September for tourism in the Eastern Coast
[7] River Mahaweli Ganga of Sri Lanka
[9] His Serene Majesty Dom Pedro The Second of Portugal
[11] Royal Treasury of Portugal
Fa-Hien (Fa Xian)
In the year 399 AD, a Chinese Buddhist Scholar monk named Fa-Hien embarked on a heroic odyssey, on foot, from China to Sri Lanka crossing the great Gobi desert. Fa-Hien writes: “There is not a bird to be seen in the air above, nor an animal on the ground below.” It was an overland travel of supreme scale of courage and endurance until Khotan, an oasis to the North of Kashmir was arrived at. At Khotan, Fa-Hien was to quench his thirst, physical to the content of his heart and spiritual to a certain stage: Khotan was home to monasteries inhabited by scholars of Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism.
The oasis of Khotan was a dream following an almost endless nightmare of day after day, night after night in the Gobi desert. Fa-Hien narrated: “This country is prosperous and happy; its people are well to do; they have all received the Faith, and find their amusement in religious music.”
The next stop of Fa-Hien was in the country of Kasghar where a monastery that claimed among its holiest belonginings, a spittoon that was once used by Buddha. Though Fa-Hein found scholars of Thervada Buddhism at Khotan, on his onward journey from Kasghar, Fa-Hein was to meet the scholars of Mahayana Buddhism.
At Udayana, which lies north of India Fa-Hien discovered a foot print of Buddha which “appears to be long or short according to the faith in each particular person” From the north of India, to India over the Himalaya, it was a perilous descent of “ten thousand cubits” Fa-Hien spent no less than a decade studying Buddhist manuscript in the “central Buddhist realm”: both sides of the Himlayas: Kabul region as well as Ganges valley. Kapilavastu, Gaya, Benares, Pataliputra (Patna) were stopovers of Fa-Hien. At Patapaliputra, the capital of the greatest emperor ever, Mayuran Asoka, Fa-Hein spent three years learning Sanskrit language and copying Vinaya Pitakaya (Discipline at the monasteries) and Pataliputra and followed up with another two years at the seaport of Tamluk, down steam of Ganges, at the delta of Hoogly, copying “sutras”. At Tamluk, Fa-Hien began his sea-journey to Sri Lanka.
Fa-Hien narrates in third person:
“At the end of this time he took passage on a large merchant vessel, and setting sail proceeded towards the south-west with the first of the favorable monsoon. After fourteen days and nights, he came to the country of the Sinhala, said by the inhabitants to lie at a distance of about seven hundred yojanas from Tamaluk.”
“Through the coming and the going of the merchants in this way, when they went away, the people of the various countries heard how pleasant the land was, and flocked to it in numbers till it became a great nation. The climate is temperate and attractive, without any difference of summer or winter. The vegetation is always luxuriant, cultivation proceeds whenever men think fit: there are no fixed seasons for it.” Fa-Hien narrated the cremation of the High priest of Maha Vihara at Anuradhapura, Arhat (Sanskrit: supremely enlightened) Mahinda of India, the great Buddhist missionary, whom he didn’t see alive, but had just arrived in time in Sri Lanka at the time of funeral.
“At the time of the cremation, the king and his subjects collected from all quarters and with offerings of flowers and incense followed the car to the burial ground, the king himself making personal offerings of flowers and incense. When these ceremonies were finished, the car was placed on the top of the pyre, oil of basil was poured all over it and light was applied. While the fire was blazing, everyone was moved with a reverence, and each took off his upper garment, and together with feather-fan and umbrella, threw it from a distance into the midst of the flames so as to help on the cremation. When it was all over, the bones were collected and a pagoda raised over them.”
Fa-Hien lived in Anuradhapura of Sri Lanka Holidays, the greatest monastic city of the world, during its glorious days. Fa-Hien narrates extensively on Abhayagiri Dagoba of Sri Lanka Holidays and the monastery and a priceless colossal Buddha statue carved in Jade, a gem material.
“Where there are now five thousand monks. There is in it a hall of Buddha, adorned with carved and inlaid work of gold and silver, and rich in the seven precious substances, in which there is an image (of the Buddha) in green jade more than twenty cubits high.”
Fa-Hien, who had refrained from narrating on Chinese companions, wrote of his first sight of a Chinese at Anuradhapura. “Suddenly, one day, when he was standing by the side of the image of jade, he saw a Chinese merchant presenting as his offering a Chinese fan of white silk; and tears of sorrow involuntary filled his eyes and fell down,’’ he writes. Twelve years had elapsed since Fa-Hien left China.
Fa-Hien ’s description of Anuradhapura of Sri Lanka Holidays, the greatest monastic city in the world then, is particularly revealing of the ancient urban planning of ancient Sri Lanka.
“The dwellings of the merchants are very grand; and the side streets and main thoroughfares are level and well-kept. At all points where four roads meet there are chapels for preaching the Faith: and on the eighth, fourteenth and fifteenth of each month, a lofty dais is arranged where ecclesiastics and laymen come together from all quarters to hear the Faith expounded.”
Fa-Hien went on to narrate what would have been the earliest precursor to the modern Kandy Esala Perehera Pageant.
“The sacred Tooth is then brought out and passes along the central street, receiving the homage of offerings as it goes by. Arriving at the Hall of the Buddha in the shrine of the Abhayagiri monastery, ecclesiastics and laymen flock together in crowds, burn incense, light lamps and perform the various ceremonies of the Faith day and night without ceasing.
Fa-Hien spent two years in Sri Lanka copying the Vinaya Pitakaya (Sinhala: Book of Discipline) of Theravada Buddhism and returned to China by sea.
A Record Of Buddhistic Kingdoms Being An Account By The Chinese Monk Fa-Hien Of His Travels in India And Ceylon (A. D. 399-414) In Seacrh Of The Buddhist Books Of Discipline.
Translated and Annotated With A Corean Recension Of The Chinese Text By James Legge, M.A., Oxford,1886 Bookmark & Share
Sri Lanka Travel: the times, travels and travails of The Golden Pearl of the orient Sri Lanka Travel narrates that the sea hath its pearls. Sri Lanka, the Land of Delights is The Golden Pearl of the seas of Exotic Orient: in shape, in beauty, in heritage, in glory, in strategic location and in value to the humanity. The preservation of Theravda Buddhism in written form, alone elevates the ancient island of Sri Lanka to the pinnacle of the contributors to the world heritage.
There is probably no other ancient land, no other tropical island, no other holiday destination in the world that possess such a remarkable combination of diverse tourist attractions, natural and man-made; geographical & historical; cultural and archeological; heritage and heritance, within such a small area of land (65,525 square kilometers) as that of Sri Lanka. Travel Sri Lanka during your Sri Lanka Holidays: we the people at Sri Lanka Travel, Riolta Sri Lanka Holidays reveal for you to revel.
Sri Lanka Travel is for all seasons
Sri Lanka Holidays narrates the shape of the glorious ancient tropical island. In the annals of history, Sri Lanka had most often been described as having a shape of a pearl, i.e., a drop pearl tapering towards the top and rounded at the bottom. The Hindu poets gracefully narrated Sri Lanka as “a pearl upon the brow of India”. Sri Lanka had been a source of exquisite pearls for millenniums: Sri Lanka had produced pearls since the visit of Chinese Buddhist bhikkhu monk scholar Fa-Hien (Fa Xian) to the island then known Lanka (Sinhala: the resplendent) to the colonial maritime powers of Portuguese (1615- 1750), Dutch ( 1751-1805) and British (1805-1948).
Ham Vs. Pearl
The Dutch in Ceylon, in their meat and drink mood identified the shape of Sri Lanka to a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of a pig: smoked ham. The Dutch would have been smoking a tad bit harder at In’t Aepjen. The Dutch even called the Fort they build in the year 1658 in the northernmost peninsula of the island of Sri Lanka, Hammenhiel meaning “the heel of the ham.” The northernmost peninsula had, rather been Achilles heel of Sri Lanka, being the springboard to the marauding Dravidian invaders from powerful kingdom of Southern India bent on plunder and pillage of the ancient capital of Anuradhapura and the early medieval capital of Polonnaruwa (today, UNESCO World Heritage Sites), and then again, until the 2009, with its terrorism that wreaked havoc in the island, having made the western journalists draw the top dollar from the interested parties, sensationalize the bad news with the titles such as “Tear drop of India” and “Paradise Lost”.
The ancient Indian poets who composed epic poems of Mahabharata and Ramayana together with other writers who composed historical narratives of India while naming Sri Lanka, “a pearl upon the brow of India” would have turned in their graves. Milton too. The modern Indian advocates on the concept of emerging major world powers, are unlikely to take the unintended implication in good humor either: if Sri Lanka had been the teardrop of India, then India itself could have been a major world cry baby, a far cry of a super power that it claims to become.
Sri Lanka was never in the history, a part of India.
Sri Lanka, unlike India’s modern neighbors, though never in the history was a part of India, has been the proud custodian of the cannon of Orthodox Theravada Buddhism emerged in India in the 6th century B.C. Destruction of Sri Lanka, could have been a loss, in particular to the heritage of India and in general to the heritage of the world. It was not destined to be so. According to the historical chronicles of the ancient island, Sri Lanka is protected by Satara Waram Deviyo (Sinhala: the four guardian gods of Sri Lanka), four superior and resplendent beings living in other worlds. Sri Lanka is home to the supreme treasure that neither a human being nor his agent could ever destroy: the palladium of the nation, Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha at Sri Lanka Holidays Kandy (Left Tooth Relic of the Supreme Being) and Somawatiya (Right Tooth Relic of he Supreme Being).
Nobody beats destiny
Another tradition that is current amongst the Sinhalese is that, when Buddhism shall have completed 2500 years, a prince named Diyasena will establish a Buddhist Kingdom in Ceylon. Then, it is said, the faith will shine forth in glory and be a beacon to the whole world, and Lanka itself will be prosperous and joyous. This prediction, which originated from a verse in a poetical work, written during the reign of Parakrama Bahu the 6th of Kotte-the last period of brilliant achievement of the Sinhalese during the vicissitudes of the past 500 years. [The Revolt In The Temple (April 1953)]Hail the Heroes of the Nation & The Hero of Modern Sri Lanka, Prince Diyasena of “Revolt in The Temple” or “Dharma-Vijaya” (Sinhala: Triumph of Righteousness) maestro of “The Turn of the Screw” at “The Turn of the Tide” from 26th July 2006 at Mother River, Our Mother Lanka, to 19th May 2009 at “The Sea of Conches”,
Hail My Sri Lanka! Viva Our Island!
The Paradise Regained, the super supreme western powers and colonialists that ripped the orient nations of their wealth, are now robbed of their grand opportunity to perpetuate the title of “Tear Drop”. To the Sri Lankans, their island of ancient glory coupled with clear and present peace is non-other than a Golden Pearl of the exotic Orient.
To kiss or not to kiss the subcontinent: a bridge too close.
Not only the sheer geographical shape of Sri Lanka, but also the setting of the island separated by Palk Strait, mere 32km off the shore of the southern coast of India catches the eye, its fascinating- the subcontinent as well as the small island have tongues of land of their lands jutting out, in the same angle, just on the verge of reaching, almost, not yet; I am in two minds to let you kiss me. Is that what the island is wondering about?
Visit Sri Lanka anyday: Sri Lanka Travel is for all seasons, year round
The main South Western Monsoon (May to September) and North Eastern Monsoon (December to February) defining the tourist seasons of the tropical island, the South Western and Southern Coastal Belt serve the main tourist season during October to April while Eastern Coast serves the secondary tourist season during April to September. Sri Lanka Travel is for all seasons, the year round.
Make merry in Sri Lanka beaches
Bali has its beaches from palm fringed white sand on the east coast to the wilder sand beaches on the west coast, with sleepy undisturbed coves in-between. So does Sri Lanka from the Sri Lanka Holidays South western & southern coastal belts replete with palm fringed pristine bay beaches to never ending wild undisturbed secluded white sandy beaches of Eastern coast belt.
Of the 1340 km of coast line of Sri Lanka, South-western and southern coastal belts are replete with lovely palm fringed sandy beaches that spread from Beruwala to Tangalle. In some of the areas, these twin coastal belts are elevated forming picturesque headlands. Unawatuna beach close to VOC Galle Dutch Fort, is an example of a bay beach with a headland. The eastern coastal belt too, though bold and rocky in some places, is home to several fine beaches such as Nilaveli and Uppaveli close to Trincomalee and Arugamby, Passikuda, and Kalukuda close to Batticalo.
On both sides of the island of Sri Lanka, the sandy coastal belts are interspersed by shallow lagoons of brackish water causing estuaries of enchanting beauty. Sri Lanka Holidays Bentota beach, home to Bentota national Holiday Resort is a prime example.
Central Highlands: live in colonial sanatoriums of Sri Lanka
Egypt has its healing climate, the Engadine of Swiss Alps its lovely scenery, Brazil its wooded wilderness, the Alps their flowery meadows, and Peru is high plateau; but here, in Sri Lanka, easy of access and free of ardors of long journeys, are all these and a hundred other attractions, forming a consummate combination of the most delightful conditions a man can live: the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka.
Four-fifth of the island consists of undulating plains that give way to the lofty mountains in the Sri Lanka Holidays Central Highlands of salubrious climate slightly titled towards the south western region. The concentration of hills in a single region, triangular in shape, south of Kandy, has resulted in “The Hill Country of Sri Lanka”, popularly called “Central Highlands of Sri Lanka”, a world apart in weather, climate, vegetation and terrain with the surrounding plains. Off the Central Highlands flow most of the 105 rivers of Sri Lanka in radial pattern to the plains surrounding it.
Rejuvenate at Hill country sanatoriums
Hatton, a starting point to Adam’s Peak Sri Pada mountain; Diyatalawa, A military canton established in the British colonial era; Haputale, Home to Lipton’s seat; Sri Lanka Holidays Nuwara Eliya, the British colonial sanatorium, Bandarawela, the main market town of the hills; Ella, the Paradise Village are home to seamless plantations of Ceylon Tea, the finest tea in the world.
Get enlightened at Ancient Kingdoms: living testimony to the 2553 years of unbroken recorded Sinhalese Buddhist Civilization of Sri Lanka
Egypt has its great pyramid of Giza, Iran its sub terrain aqueduct system of Qantas, Indonesia its Borobudur, Rome its Vatican, Jordan its Edomite stronghold of Petra; but here, in Sri Lanka, easy of travel, within a few hours, are living monuments of heritage that rival all those: ancient Anuradhapura’s Jetavana Stupa, Abhayagiri Stupa and Ruwan Weli Seya Stupa; ancient Polonnaruwa’s and Anuradhapura’s vast ancient Irrigation networks consisting of enormous rainwater reservoirs, the man made lakes; ancient Golden Dambulla Golden Rock temple; medieval Kandy’s Sacred Temple of the Tooth; ancient Sigiriya’s Lion Rock Citadel. All these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Begin Sri Lanka Travel in Colombo
Sri Lanka Travel begins at Colombo, the prime airport, sea-port, emporium and commercial capital of the Indian Ocean Island of Sri Lanka. Having visited Sri Lanka Holidays Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara (Sinhala: Kelaniya Royal Colombo Buddhist Temple), having learned a few important episode of 2553 years of uninterrupted glorious history of Sri Lanka, We make a move to Kandy. The Colombo-Kandy road begins at Queens’s House, Fort, Colombo. Do your Sri Lanka Travel with Riolta Lanka Holidays (Pvt.) Ltd., 10 minutes from CMB Bandranayake International Airport, Colombo. Riolta, bunpeiris.
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