Arundathie Abeysinghe

Sandagiri Maha Seya – largest stupa in Kandy – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Image Source : Sandagiri Maha Seya Hanthana Facebook Situated in close proximity to the 850-meter pass of *Hanthana-Uduwela road (from Kandy to Galaha) and approximately 1.7 kilometer from *Ceylon Tea Museum, Sandagiri Maha Seya can be reached after passing a steep and winding road along with breathtaking vistas of the surroundings… “Giri” meaning “hill” or “mountain” and Sanda (derived from Sanskrit “Sandra” meaning “thick” or “dense” (can refer to a thicket or dense forest as an abode of hermits), meaning “thick grove”, “dense wood”, “heap” or “multitude”. Hence, “Sandagiri” can either be translated to “forested mountain” or to a “heap on a hill”. Both meanings can be referred to a huge dome in the forests of the *Hanthana Mountain Range. Sandagiri Maha Seya is a prominent landmark in the hills of Kandy and a breathtaking site visited by large ...

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“Lion City” – ‘Isle at the end of the peninsula’ – By Arundathie Abeysinghe – Part IV Image Source : 7continents1passport. Sentosa Island Globally renowned Sentosa Island is Asia’s leading leisure destination and Singapore’s premier island resort getaway, a vibrant island resort for business and leisure. Located within 15 minutes from the central business and shopping districts, the island resort is situated off Singapore’s southern coast, connected to the city by road, cable car, pedestrian boardwalk as well as monorail. 500-hectare island resort is home to an exciting array of themed attractions including golden sandy beaches, resort accommodations, world-renowned golf courses, lush rainforests, a deep-water yachting marina and luxurious residences. Sentosa is also home to Singapore’s first integrated resort, Resorts World Sentosa that operates Southeast Asia’s first Universal Studios theme park. Situated on the eastern end of Sentosa Island is Sentosa Cove, an exclusive waterfront residential enclave bustling with more than ...

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“Lion City” – ‘Isle at the end of the peninsula’ By Arundathie Abeysinghe – Part III Gardens by the Bay Spanning 101 hectares and located in the Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to Marina Reservoir, Gardens by the Bay is a nature park comprising three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. For avifauna enthusiasts, the latest attraction, the Kingfisher Wetlands is a freshwater sanctuary with vistas of flourishing diversity of exotic flora and fauna, a haven in the city center. The new Wildlife Lookout deck is a location to spot birds. As there are newly-created water cascades and streamlets, the Wetlands is a microhabitat for biodiversity to flourish. Flower Dome and Cloud Forest in the Gardens by the Bay are the world’s largest columnless greenhouses, considered as architectural wonders… The terrain of the Gardens by the Bay changes as you stroll through the gardens… ...

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“Lion City” – ‘Isle at the end of the peninsula’ – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Part II Currently, Singapore is a thriving center of commerce and industry, with intense economic growth and a rapidly developing manufacturing base. Singapore is the busiest port the world with over 600 shipping lines herding supertankers, container ships, passenger liners, fishing vessels including wooden lighters in its waters. It is also a major oil refining and distribution center and a significant supplier of electronic components. It has also turned it into a leader in shipbuilding, maintenance as well as repair. When the Suez Canal was built in 1869, Singapore became even more singificant as a ‘gateway’ between Europe and eastern Asia. Changi International Airport Ranked by Travel + Leisure readers as “the best airport in the world”, a position Changi Airport has upheld in T+L’s World’s Best Awards since 2012, the 14,000-square-metre space is filled with ...

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“Lion City” – ‘Isle at the end of the peninsula’ By Arundathie Abeysinghe Part I   Globally renowned for its dazzling skyscrapers that decorate the skyline, awe-inspiring architecture, world-class museums, culinary scene that is second to none, including its melting pot of food hubs, tidiness, glamorous shopping centers, high standards of living, stable political environment, low crime rates, efficient public service including streamlined public transport service that makes it easy to get around, Singapore consistently ranks highly in global indexes for quality of life… In early December, this year (2023), I had the privilege to visit this year-round haven for explorers for a few days with my family members… In a series of articles, I have penned my memories of this breathtaking spotlessly clean vibrant country… Located approximately 137 kilometers (85 miles) north of the equator (over one degree from the equator), the diamond-shaped Singapore Island and 60 small islets ...

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Kibulagala Rock – birthplace of Nandimithra – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located on a rocky hill, the rock plateau, Kibulagala Rock is considered a momentous site due to inscriptions located on the summit of the plateau. Considered as the birthplace of the giant Nandimithra who was in *King Dutugemunu’s *Dasa Maha Yoda Sena (“Sena” meaning an army of soldiers), the breathtaking hamlet is located towards the end in the northern section of *Anuradhapura Kingdom. Due to the shape of the rock resembling the shape of a crocodile (kimbula in Sinhala), the rock is known as “Kibulagala” (meaning the rock in the shape of a crocodile). Kimbulagala Rock is historically and archaeologically significant due to cave inscriptions and dripstones. There are 13 cave inscriptions written in *Brahmi script from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD, including 23 caves with dripstones at the location. The two significant historical sites Erupothana ...

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Nilawarai – ‘Bottomless Well’ in Jaffna Peninsula – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located in Puttur, approximately 14 kilometers northeast of *Jaffna, Nilawari (also spelt as Nilawarai or Nilavari) is the largest freshwater well in Jaffna Peninsula. Although, the water in the well is brackish, villagers are of the view that it is potable water. Some villages are of the view that the well was created by Prince *Rama. According to villagers in Puttur, the water in the well never dries up even during prolonged periods of drought. The well is approximately 44 meters deep.  The rectangular basin of the well surrounded by rock surface is 13 meters long and 10 meters wide. Currently, the water of the well is utilized for irrigation purposes.  Scholars are of the view that the well was caused due to collapse of the top layer of soil exposing a limestone cavern connected to an underground water ...

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Sallitivu Island – uninhabited islet in Vakarai – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located in *Batticaloa District in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka and significant due to its rich biodiversity, the islet is connected to the mainland over a sand bar approximately 200 meters in length. During the high tide as well as during the low tide, this sand bar is exposed, few inches below water. The islet is protected by a ring of coral reef with a 200-meter wide reef on the eastern side. During the high tide season, the sand strip gets covered with water and the sea shore is covered with dead corals. Although, the beach is wide and is pristine, it is covered with a thick layer of washed in coral rubble after the Tsunami that occurred in 2004. According to research conducted in the area, it was discovered that majority of the coral reef is not ...

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Stupas of Delft Island – evidence of earliest human habitation – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Known as “Neduntivu” or “Nedunthivu” by residents in Jaffna, Delft Island is commonly referred as “Delft Island”, inherited from Dutch Colonials during their rule in Jaffna. Although, Delft Island is a vast island, it is mostly uninhabited. At the northwestern coast of Delft Island, there are ruins of three ancient Buddhist stupas (dagobas) known as “Cholan ruins.” Two stupas are of medium or small size, yet the largest stupa has a circumference of 32 meters. Their ground walls are restored by the Department of Archaeology. Buddhist ruins on the Island were first reported in 1832, by a person utilizing the pseudonym “Pen” (PENN) to “Colombo Journal” newspaper. Around the main stupa, there are remains of four smaller stupas. All these are bell shaped. There had been two stupas on the sides of the steps towards the ...

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“Girihandu Seya” – first Buddhist stupa? – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Girihandu Seya (“Seya” meaning stupa or dagoba) also known as “Nithupathpana Vihara” is an ancient Buddhist Temple in *Thiriyaya in *Trincomalee.  Girihandu Seya is considered as the first Buddhist Stupa in Sri Lanka, believed to have been constructed by two seafaring merchants *Tapassu and *Bhalluka. Names of the two merchant bothers are recorded on a rock inscription in the temple premises. According to the inscription, Girihandu Seya was constructed by the guilds of merchants named “Trapassuka” and “Vallika”, Their names were written as “Tapassu” and “Bhalluka” in Sinhala chronicles. Situated on a small hillock near the sea coast, approximately 47 kilometers (29 miles) towards north of Trincomalee, the stupa of the Temple has been enlarged during the 8th century A.D. The Vatadage (literally meaning circular relic house or shrine) covers the stupa with concentric circles of stone pillars, almost similar ...

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