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Mandaram Nuwara – misty mysterious mountain locked terrain By Arundathie Abeysinghe Commonly referred to as the “Misty City” (Mandaram Nuwara in Sinhala) as the location is shadowed by adjacent mountain ranges and mist engulfed, Mandaram Nuwara is a spectacular tiny hamlet in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Located at the foot of *Pidurutalagala Mountain (Mount Pedro), the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka in the Nuwara Eliya District of Central Province, a unique feature of this scenic hamlet is that it has never seen the first rays of the solar rays nor the remaining rays because of its mountain-locked location. Legends as well as folklore weave through this hamlet… Enclosed from the west by Piduruthalagala Mountain and from the east by the Balagolla mountain ranges and constantly enveloped by a veil of ethereal mist and the seamless presence of nature, the breathtaking hamlet of Mandaram Nuwara evokes images of a ...

Nov 10, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Ceylon, Kandyan Kingdom, Mandaram Nuwara, Pidurutalagala, Rawana

Danigala Circular Rock – miraculous inselberg By Arundathie Abeysinghe Popularly known as Danigala “Alien Mountain” by locals due to its extraordinary geological formation and located in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka in close proximity to Aralaganwila in *Polonnaruwa, this rock is situated in an amazing landscape. Danigala Rock is situated in the land belonging to Kandegama Raja Maha Viharaya (Buddhist Temple), a contemporary Cave Temple. Hence, permission from the Head Priest is necessary to enter this site. According to locals, Danigala Rock is a “UFO sighting hotspot” and secrets of aliens are hidden in the Rock. Hence, the Rock is also known as “Alien Mountain”. Local as well as foreign tourists are of the view that Danigala Rock is similar to a roundabout. The aerial view of the Danigala Rock indicates a unique semi-circular shape, affected by geological activities as well as climatic conditions. Hence, the location of Danigala ...

Nov 3, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Alien Mountain, Ampara, Anuradhapura Period, Danigala Circular Rock, Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa, Precambrian era -, Siran Upendra Deraniyagala

Obelisk – Battle of Randeniwela By Arundathie Abeysinghe A monument constructed at the ninth kilometer post on the *Ella – Wellawaya Road near the village of Randeniwela is a unique obelisk to commemorate the Battle of Randeniwela (Battle of Randeniya or Sinhalese – Portuguese War), a battle fought on August 25th 1630. The battle was fought between Portuguese forces commanded by the *Governor Constantinu De Saa de Noronha and King Senarath’s (1604 – 1635) youngest son Prince Maha Astana (pre coronation) who was later crowned as King Rajasinha II (1635 – 1687), the second ruler of Kandyan Kingdom and his brother Prince Vijayapala. The battle was fought near *Wellawaya, situated in close proximity to *Badulla. The battle had taken place when Constantino de Sá launched an invasion via Badulla. The Portuguese army, despite their superior cannon power suffered a massive defeat subsequent to a mass defection by its Lascarin (local ...

Oct 28, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Battle of Randeniwela, Ceylon, Ella - Wellawaya, Enlightenment, Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharya, Nirvana, Sinhalese

Kohonawala – cinematic hamlet in Central Highlands By Arundathie Abeysinghe Spectacular and epic verdant vistas of gorgeous hill country scenery… Misty weather and intense clouds enhance the gorgeous landscape hiding the panorama from the other end of the Central Highlands… The highland reaching an abrupt end with dramatic and breathtaking views rendering a cinematic experience… An impression of being at the end of the world… Kohonawala is an isolated village located at the bottom of a deep, narrow gorge… The abyss is constantly mist engulfed with an impression of being over the clouds. If there is no mist, Eastern and South Eastern areas of Sri Lanka can be seen from Kohonawala. Kohonawala is similar to a fairy tale hamlet with its spectacular vistas, a hamlet which receives sunlight only for six hours (a day), between 9.00 am and 3.00 pm … As the hamlet is surrounded by a ring of ...

Oct 21, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Anuradhapura Kingdom, Badulla, Central Highland, Madulsima

Hanguranketha – refuge of Kandyan Kings By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated off the beaten track and rarely visited by local as well as foreign tourists, charm, beauty and solitude pervade Hanguranketha, the spectacular tiny hamlet in the Central Highlands. According to scholars, Hanguranketha is derived from “Sangaruwan ketha” (meaning thriving paddy fields in Sinhala). Steeped in history and legend and situated approximately 29 kilometers southeast of Kandy City, kings had used Hanguranketha during the Kandyan Kngdom as a refuge when the hill capital (Kandy) was attacked by invading foreign troops. According to legends, King Senarath (1604 – 1635) had constructed the first Royal Palace in Hanguranketha. According to *Robert Knox’s records, the Palace had been surrounded by a white washed giant wall during the Kandyan Kingdom and the entrance of the Palace had intricately carved doors and door panels. An inscription by Queen Leelawathi of *Polonnaruwa Era had been found in ...

Oct 15, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Anuradhapura Kingdom, Hanguranketha, King Dutugemunu, Makara Thorana, Polonnaruwa Era, Prince Vijaya, Princess Viharamahadevi

Hulangala Mini World’s End with breathtaking views By Arundathie Abeysinghe Sri Lanka is a small island state in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) similar to a droplet of water. Despite being a small island, it is endowed with a diverse collection of landscapes, climates, awe-inspiring vistas which have enticed tourists for decades. There are many spectacular viewpoints in Sri Lanka with several precipices offering breathtaking vistas of the surrounding area and valleys, in addition to popular World’s End and Mini World’s End at *Horton Plains. Mini World’s Ends at *Little Adam’s Peak in *Ella, *Pitawala Pathana, *Deanston and Hulangala in Selagama are such viewpoints with awe-inspiring views. Situated in the southern end of the *Knuckles Mountain Range in Selagama Estate, Hulangala Mini World’s End can be reached from either *Matale or *Kurunegala. The summit of Hulangala is located on the border of Kurunegala District, whereas the lower portion of the ...

Oct 7, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Arundathie Abeysinghe, Hulangala, Kurunegala, Mahiyangana, Pitawala Pathana

Tangamale Bird sanctuary – haven for avifauna aficionados by Arundathie Abeysinghe Sri Lanka is a resplendent island located in a geostrategic location in the Indian Ocean and is one of the significant locations for ornithology due to the abundance of bird life. Hence, Sri Lanka has become a popular destination for avifauna aficionados. Of the 427 recorded feathered species in the country, 250 are residents and 23 are endemic with a variety of ecological areas such as the hill country to jungles and forests, wet to dry zones as well as low lands. Hence, avifauna aficionados observe and research about these colorful feathered species while basking in the glory of the spectacular vistas. The Bird Sanctuary is home to Sri Lankan blue magpies (Urocissa ornata), paradise flycatchers (Terpsiphone paradisi), green barbets (Stactolaema olivacea), golden orioles (Oriolus oriolus), Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros gingalensis), spot winged thrush (Geokichla spiloptera), black naped ...

Oct 1, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Arundathie Abeysinghe, Bandarawela, Idalgashinna, Namunukula, Pidurutalagala, Tangamale Bird sanctuary

Artificial General Intelligence: The growth of robots? By Aditya Abeysinghe Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the type of intelligence that current machines possess. It is based on learning methods such as deep learning and natural language processing. Using these methods machines could imitate humans and automate processes. However, AI-based processes cannot think similarly as humans when faced with unknown scenarios. Therefore, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has been used where cognition and other deep AI methods have been added to current AI-based methods. What are the features? A feature of AGI is the autonomous nature of problem solving. For example, systems which use autonomy to handle tasks use problem solving and creativity skills of AGI. Autonomous robots in vehicles and manufacturing plants are fine examples for such AGI-based autonomous systems. Techniques such as semi-supervised learning are used to experiment with data and unknown cases. Another feature that can be expected from AGI ...

Sep 24, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged AI techniques, Artificial General Intelligence, Artificial intelligence

Pidurangala Rock – steeped in history and legend By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located at a height of approximately 200 meters and situated to the north of popular Sigirya Rock Fortress, Pidurangala Rock was not a popular tourist site until recently. Pidurangala Rock has a long history believed to date back to the 2nd century BC. According to ancient chronicles, *King Kashyapa (477 to 495 AD) had built a monastery at Pidurangala (for pious Buddhust monks who previously resided at Sigiriya Rock) and donated it to the monks before the King resided at Sigiriya Rock. The King had enlarged the Temple and monastery before relocating the monks to the Temple. The caves and flat terrain spread across a large area had provided solitude and seclusion for monks. The surface of the rock has been carved to form grooves to prevent rain water seeping into the caves. There had been five buildings at ...

Sep 23, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Arhat, Arundathie Abeysinghe, Bodhi tree, C. P. Bell, Dambulla cave temple, King Kashyapa, Professor Senarath Paranavitana, SIGIRIYA

Beddagana Wetland Park – verdant mosaic of wetlands By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the administrative capital of Sri Lanka and minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Beddagana Wetland Park is home to diverse aquatic birds, butterflies, dragonflies and mammals native to Sri Lanka and Asian wetlands. During the migratory season from August to April, the wetland is a popular stopover of migratory birds similar to a transit location, a haven for diverse flocks of shorebirds or waders which include plovers as well as sandpipers. According to naturalists, the wetlands is home to 50 species of birds, 20 species of fish,119 species of butterflies and endangered mammals such as fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus), a nocturnal mammal included in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list as an endangered mammal in 2008. The extent of the Wetland Park is 18 hectares, a ...

Sep 17, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Arundathie Abeysinghe, Beddagana Wetland Park, Diyawanna Lake, Kurunegala, Rajagiriya, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte