King Walagamba: A Heroic Monarch of Ancient Sri Lanka – By Bhanuka – eLanka King Walagamba, also known as Vattagamini Abhaya, was one of Sri Lanka’s most resilient and celebrated monarchs. His reign, which took place during the Anuradhapura period (104 BCE to 77 BCE), is marked by stories of survival, resilience, and restoration. King Walagamba’s contributions to the cultural and religious heritage of Sri Lanka, particularly Buddhism, have solidified his legacy as a national hero. Early Life and Ascension to the Throne Walagamba was born into a royal family during a time of political unrest in Sri Lanka. He ascended to the throne in 104 BCE but faced immediate challenges as his reign was short-lived due to invasions by South Indian forces. The invaders overthrew him, forcing the young king into exile. However, despite losing his kingdom, Walagamba’s determination never wavered. The Years in Exile For 14 years, King ...
Blog Archives
Weekend in Dambulla at Liyya Water Villas Resort – By Harold Gunatillake Website : www.Doctorharold.com My wife and I booked this hotel a few weeks ago and visited last weekend. We started from Kandy at about 11 am, and it took us two hours through Matale to reach Dambulla without rush and a comfortable slow drive. This resort was about 2 km before Dambulla Cave Temple., where had to turn left near a small boutique. There was a large display board at the turn-off. It was just 5 minute’s drive from this point to the resort. We parked our car in front of the main office building. The manager promptly arrived and greeted us, and two boys carried our bags. It was a great feeling as we got out of the car, the air was fresh with a cool breeze, and we saw many ducks swimming in the pond on ...
cave temple dambulla sri lanka – By Malsha – eLanka The Dambulla Cave Temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. The temple is a complex of five caves that contain a total of 153 Buddha statues, as well as paintings and intricate carvings covering the walls and ceilings. The caves are believed to have been used as a place of worship for more than 2,000 years and are considered some of the best-preserved examples of ancient Buddhist rock art in Sri Lanka. The temple is considered one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the country and is visited by thousands of tourists each year. The Dambulla Cave Temple is located in the central part of Sri Lanka, approximately 142 km east of Colombo. It is situated in the Matale District of the Central Province and ...
Sri Lanka: Back on the Tourism Map-by Emma Thomson Source:Dailynews The Sacred City of Kandy is teeming with life. Monkeys tightrope along telephone cables, the trees around Kandy Lake are feathered with hordes of egrets, and the Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa)— said to house the Buddha’s left canine — thrums with the sound of drums pounded every evening for pooja (worship). A few streets over, our group and a handful of independent travellers enter a village hall for a performance of regional dances. Such things can feel contrived, but not this time. One dancer drops his spinning plates, another forgets his tambourine, and the drummers bump into each other as they exit backwards into the wings. After an uncertain couple of years, they are a little out of practice — just like us, as we get into the swing of tourism again. ...
Historical Places in Sri Lanka: The Top 10 List For Your Next Trip- by Madhumitha Source:Pickyourtrail Sri Lanka has a history that goes back 2500 years and is rich in culture and history. Kandy, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Galle, Polonnaruwa, Cave Temple Dambulla, Sinharaja Forest, and the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka are all historical sites. Anuradhapura is one of the world’s oldest continuously populated settlements. The Sacred Bodhi Tree, which is at the heart of this city’s spiritual significance, grew from a cutting brought from India’s Bodh Gaya. Sigiriya is an ancient fortress whose ruins are regarded as the most evocative of ancient sites. The location serves as both a castle and a stronghold. Kandy is home to the Temple of the Tooth, which has profound sacred meaning for Sri Lankans and visitors from all over the world. Dambulla is well-known for the Golden Temple. It also has a number of ...
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 ...
Australian travel and tour operators arrive on 10-day familiarisation visit Source: Daily Mirror Australian travel and tour operators at Bandaranaike International Airport welcomed by SLTPB Tourist Information Centre officers including SLTPB Assistant Director Chami Lanka Gasnawage and SLTPB officer-in-charge of Australian market At Sigiriya A team of 18 Australian travel and tour operators arrived in Sri Lanka on a 10-day familiarisation tour hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB). Tourist arrivals from Australia have shown a steady increase in recent months and it is envisioned that the familiarisation tour would capitalise on this wave of interest. Over 4000 tourists had arrived from Australia to Sri Lanka, mostly by air, during June this year. The tour operators prior to the familiarisation tour had cited that tourists from Australia were particularly interested in the cultural triangle, beaches down south and exploring both Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. This customised tour will ...
