Arundathie Abeysinghe

Extraordinary ruins of Kadurugoda Temple in the Northern Province By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located approximately 10 kilometers from Jaffna City, Kadurugoda Temple and Ruins are found on the outskirts of Jaffna city in Kantarodai. The Temple and ruins are one of the few remaining Buddhist legacies in the Northern province. In 1917, Jaffna Magistrate Paul E. Peiris reported that bricks from the location of the Temple were being carried away in cart loads by residents in the locale to construct houses.  Magistrate Peiris has documented approximately 60 gray coral-stone dagobas (stupas) at the site. Yet, at present there are approximately 20 stupas sprawled across an acre of open land under palmyrah trees (Borassus flabellifer).  According to locals, the name “Kadurugoda” had derived from “Kandavurugoda” (in Sinhala meaning location of a military camp) which was adopted as “Kantarodai” by the resident Tamil population of the locale. A unique feature of this temple ...

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James Taylor’s seat – birthplace of ‘Ceylon Tea’ By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated in Loolkandura Estate in Kandy, this rock seat was utilized by *James Taylor, the pioneer of tea plantation in Sri Lanka. With spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges, this unique seat is located in the first tea estate in Sri Lanka where the first tea plant was planted by James Taylor in 1867. A unique decision of James Taylor was to name the estate as *“Loolecondera” (original name was Loolkandura in Sinhala), the local name for the area. When all other planters who setup tea estates in Sri Lanka named them with English names close to their hearts, Taylor named his estate “Loolecondera”, by the local name of the area Loolkandura as he was able to pronounce it. Although, not as popular as *Lipton’s Seat, James Taylor’s Seat is also popular among local as well as foreign ...

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Talangama Wetlands – unique microcosm of fauna and flora By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated a few kilometers away from the hustle and bustle of the Commercial Capital Colombo on the outskirts of Colombo City and in close proximity to the administrative capital of Sri Jayawardenepura.  Talangama *Wetlands and Lake or Talangama Tank (Talangama ‘Wewa’ in Sinhala) is a unique microcosm of fauna, avifauna and flora rippling around a sanctuary of peace. The main Talangama Lake (also spelt as Thalangama Lake) and its environs are situated in the Madiwala catchment area. There are two tanks in close proximity to each other, Talangama Tank and Averihena Tank which are maintained by the Department of Irrigation. Talangama Lake is the primary source of water for paddy fields between Akuregoda and Talangama. Talangama Lake and Wetlands including its environs is a significant habitat for water birds and flora and fauna, an urban biodiversity refuge… The ...

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Ingenious elephant lamp at Dedigama – marvelous craftsmanship of yesteryear By Arundathie Abeysinghe   Unique elephant lamp discovered from *Dedigama Kota Vehera (Sutighara Stupa) is an ingenious creation based on hydro static principles displayed at the Dedigama Museum. The elephant lamp has been excavated from the upper relic chamber of Sutighara Stupa at Dedigama in 1951. There are three stupas of the Kota Vehera type in Sri Lanka; Sutighara Cetiya at Dedigama, *the stupa at Yudaganawa (largest stupa in the south and east of Sri Lanka) and the Damila thupa at Polonnaruwa which date to the 12th century and are attributed to King Parakramabahu I. According to scholars, during the Polonnaruwa Era, the oil lamp has been an integral element of art and religion of Sri Lankan society and various artistic elements had been added to adorn the structure of the oil lamp. Oil lamps had often been made with ...

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“Monte Fano” – Benedictine Monastery in Kandyan Hills By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated in a tranquil location away from the hustle and bustle of Kandy City amidst cool climes of Ampitiya, Monte Fano is the mother house of the Sylvestro – Bendictine monks in Sri Lanka. Monte Fano stands in impeccable harmony with its environs, simple, yet majestic, lending magnetism to the landscape, a vast rectangular building depicting archetypal colonial architecture. Its remote location and salubrious climate provide seclusion and peace necessary for prayer as well as study. Family spirit forms the very core of the Benedictine life, according to *St. Benedict’s concept of a monastery, a spiritual family where the Abbot is the father and the monks are brethren of Christ. Monte Fano has an exact carbon copy of the *Shroud of Turin. The work of Sylvestro – Benedictine monks is well-explained as: “Per Crucem Ad Lucem” (in Latin meaning ...

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Gal Potha (Stone Book) – inscription of yore By Arundathie Abeysinghe   Gal Potha (Stone Book), a renowned inscription describing tasks of King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) of *Polonnaruwa Kingdom, considered as an inscription of self-appraisal (of King Nissanka Malla) is a massive slab 8.2 meters long (26 feet 10 inches) and 1.4 meters broad (4 feet 7 inches). Gal Potha is placed between the eastern outer wall of *Hetadage and *Sathmahal Prasada. The text in the Inscription is written in three columns and contains over 4300 characters in 72 rows. The letters of the inscription have been gilded with molten iron. The stone slab is an inscription about King Nissanka Malla, his rule, his heroic and altruistic deeds including his contribution to develop Polonnaruwa Kingdom as well as his eligibility for assuming the position of a king. Scholars are of the view that Gal Pota had been done during the ...

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Kalpitiya Fort – Dutch Colonial legacy By Arundathie Abeysinghe Constructed during the Dutch Colonial Era, Kalpitiya Fort had been designed in 1666 and completed in 1676. The walls of the Fort are approximately 4 meters (13 feet) high constructed with coral and limestone from the surrounding area. The Fort has a single entrance facing the lagoon with a pediment and a belfry above, similar to an entrance of a church, a unique feature. Kalpitiya Fort had been a remarkable icon during the Dutch Colonial Era. *Kalpitiya had been a renowned trading hub for Arab merchants. In the mid-16th century, the Portuguese had conquered Kalpitiya and renamed it as “Kardiv Island”. King Rajasinghe II (1608 – 1687) of the Kandyan Kingdom (Sri Lanka’s reigning monarch during this period) had sought assistance from the Dutch to secure the land from the Portuguese Colonials. Yet, after the Dutch invasion of the location, the ...

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Muhudu Maha Viharaya – steeped in history and legend By Arundathie Abeysinghe Muhudu Maha Viharaya or the ‘Temple by the Sea’ is steeped in history and legend. Situated in *Pottuvil in *Ampara District, King Kawantissa (205-161 BC) who ruled the Kingdom of *Ruhuna had constructed this temple. The Temple is also an archaeologically significant heritage monument. There is a statue of the Buddha and two dolomite marble statues believed to be those of royalty facing the Buddha Statue in the temple premises. According to some scholars, the two statues facing the Buddha Statue are two attending *Bodhisattva Statues. According to some scholars, the royal figures depicted in worshiping position are those of King Kawantissa and his Queen ViharaMahadevi. The temple is located on the sand dunes of Pottuvil and the serene white stupa of the Temple can be seen from *Arugam Bay beach. Among the ruins at the Temple Complex, ...

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Baker’s Bend – enigmatic viewpoint By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located at an elevation of 1700 meters (approximately 5000 feet) above sea level in the upper edge of Nanperial Estate (also known as Nonpareil Estate) bordering the famous wildlife reserve *Horton Plains and surrounded by gorgeous mountains of the World’s End Mountain Range, the unique viewpoint Baker’s Bend offers marvelous vistas of Sri Lanka’s Southern Province towards the Indian Ocean as well as*Udawalawe and *Samanala Wewa Reservoirs on a fog free day. Panoramic vistas of Balathuduwa, Gommolikanda and Adarakanda mountain ranges can also be seen. Bakers Bend is a downhill slope of a single elbow bend. Although, the viewpoint is located in *Ratnapura District of *Sabaragamuwa Province, the climate is similar to that of *Nuwara Eliya. The viewpoint is a less visited site away from the hustle and bustle of the famous tourist locations. Many visitors call this viewpoint and the hike ...

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Queen’s Tower – alluring colonial legacy in Delft Island By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located in Delft Island approximately 30 kilometers off the west coast of the Jaffna Peninsula, Delft Island (also known as Neduntivu or Neduntheeve meaning Long Island or Large Island) is the second largest island in Sri Lanka with a history spanning over a thousand years dating to the period of the *Chola Dynasty. Initially occupied by the Chola Dynasty, the Portuguese and the Dutch in the 17th century and thereafter by the British, Delft Island is a stark contrast to the landscape of the mainland Sri Lanka, a unique and extraordinary place. The Island is abundant with colonial legacy. There is also a *Baobab tree in the Island, one of the several Baobab trees in Sri Lanka brought to *Ceylon by the seafaring Arab traders and regarded as the longest-lived tree species on earth. Among the colonial remnants, ...

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