Pidirutalagala Mountain (8281 ft)

Pidurutalagala is the Sri Lanka's highest peak, also known as Mount Pedro, rises 2524m (8281ft) above sea level, immediately behind the Nuwara Eliya town.  Pidurutalagala Mountain Range is part of the central high lands of Sri Lanka witch is World Heritage Site of Sri Lanka.  Unfortunately, the path to the summit, which is the site of Sri lanka's main television transmitter and Radar system of Sri lanka Air Force and Civil Aviation Authority, is closed to visitors for security reasons. For a view of the summit and a superb panorama of the surrounding hills and plantations, you can walk to the top of the picturesquely named single Tree Mountain, south of town off the Badulla road, in about 90 minutes.

On the way

Misty Peak

View from half a way

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Ritigala Mountain - Sri Lanka - රිටිගල රක්ෂිත වනාන්තරය

මහ වැව් දාගැබ් සිය ගණනක් ඉදිවු රජ ර‍‍‍‍ටේ වන වදුලින් ආවරණය වු රක්ෂිත වනාන්තර වලින් මුල් තැනක් රිටිගලවන පියසට හිමි‍‍‍‍‍වෙයි.‍‍‍‍‍‍සොබාදහමට ප්‍රිය කරන ඕනෑම ‍කෙ‍‍‍‍‍‍නෙකු‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ගේ සිත පිනා යන අපූරු සුන්දරත්වයක් මේ තුල ඇත.

වන සංරක්ෂණ දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ දැඩි රක්ෂිතයක්ව ඇති මෙම කඳු ශිඛරයේ ඇති රූස්ස ගස් වලින්ද මෙහි ඉතිහාසය පිළිබිඹු වේ.

පිහිටීම

උතරු මැද පළෘතේ,අනුරධපුරයට නුදුරින් රිටිගල කන්ද පිහිටා ඇත.
පලුගස් වැව ප්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කොට්ඨාශයටත් කැකිරාව ප්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කොට්ඨාශයටත් මායිම්ව රිටිගල පිහිටා ඇත.හබරණ අනුරාධපුර මාර්ගයේ ගලපිටිගල හා ගනේවල්පොල අතර දකුණු පසින් අක්කර 7200ක පමණ රමණීය භූමි භාගයක් මෙම වනපියසින් වැසී ඇත්තේය.
විදේශීකයන්ගේ පවා අවධෘනයට ලක්ව ඇත. රිටිගල කඳුකරය කඳු මුදුන් හතකින් සමන්විත වේ.ඒවා නම්,ආසියා කන්ද,බට කන්ද,කොඩිගල,උණ කන්ද,අඹරාපති කන්ද,පටලීය හින්න,කිරිවැල් හින්න ආදිය වේ.
600mක් (අඩි 2000ක්) පමණ උසින් යුත් රිටිගල වියළි කලාපයේ ඉහළම ස්ථානය ද වේ.
කිරිය ගස් වැව,කළුඑබේ,මොරගොඩ,මූරියා කඩවල,බමුණුගම,උල්පත,හීනුක්කිරියාව,ගලපිටිගල ආදි ගම්මාන 14කින් වටව මෙම වන පියස පිහිටා ඇත.
රිටිගල කන්දට පිවිසෙන්නට මුලින්ම ඇත්තේ කුඩා ගල් කුළු කිහිපයක් උඩිනි.ඒ සමඟම අපට හමු වන්නේ තරමක දිග පළලකින් යුතු ගැඹුර අඩි 30ක් තරම් වූ ගරා වැටුණු"බන්දා පොකුණ" නම් වූ සුවිශාල පොකුණයි.
ඉන් පසුව තැනින් තැන විසිරී පැතිරී ඇති ගල් පාලම්,පියගැට පේළි,කවාකාර වූ ‍ශෛලමය වේදිකා,ඔපමට්ටම් කරන ලදවිශාල ගල් පුවරු,සෙල්මුවා පහන්,තටාක,බෙහෙත් ඔරු,සල පතල මළු,සක්මන් මළු,කටාරන් කෙටූ ගල් ලෙන්,පතානගර හා ගල් කුළුණුය.
මේ සියල්ලක්ම අපට කියා පාන්නේ අපේ අතීත වාස්තු විද්‍යාවේ විස්මිත නිර්මාණාත්මක ශක්තියයි.එදා සිටි රජවරුනගේසංනිවේදි මානසික ගති ලක්ෂණයන්ය.
වසර 1500ක පමණ කාලයක් අද්විතීය වටිනාකමකින් යුක්ත ආරාමික සංකීර්ණයක් වශයෙන් පැවති රිටිගල 11 සියවසේදීචෝළ ආක්‍රමණයත් සමඟ ක්‍රමයෙන් නටඹුන් වන්නට විය.වනගත වීම නිසා වන සතුන්ගේ වාසස්ථානයක් බවට පත් වූ රිටිගල කන්දවර්තමානයේදී වනාන්තරයෙන් වැසී පවතී. මහාවංශයේ "අරිට්ඨ පබ්බත" යනුවෙන් දැක්වෙන්නේ රිටිගල බව ඉතිහාසඥයන්ගේ මතයයි. භාවනානුයෝගි භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේලා සඳහා යෝග‍්‍ය වූ නිසසල වනගත පෙදෙසක් වශයෙන් රිටිගල වැදගත්කම එහි දක්නට ලැබෙන නටඹුන් වලින්ද හෙළි වේ.

රිටිගල ලෙස හැඳින්වීම

• මෙය රිටිගල ලෙස හැඳින්වීමට හේතු ගණනාවක් බලපා ඇත.

පාලි 'අරිට්ඨ පබ්බත' සංස්කෘත 'අරිෂ්ට පර්වත' යන්නෙන් සිංහලයට බිඳී එන්නට අතැයි සාමාන්‍ය‍යෙන් සැලකේ. 'රිටි' යනු පාලි 'අරිට්ඨ' යන්නෙන් බිදී ආ 'ආරක්ෂාව' යන අරුත් ඇති පදයකි. ඒ අනුව රිටිගල ආරක්ෂක පර්වතයකි. මහාවංශයේ 'අරිට්ඨ පබ්බත' ලෙස සඳහන් වන්නේ ‍මෙම ස්ථානයයි.

• රිටිගල දක්නට ඇති 'රිටි' නැමති ගස් වර්ගය නිසා මෙම පර්වතය රිටිගල නමින් හඳුන්වන්නට ඇත යන්න තවත් මතයකි.
• රිටිගල අඩතැන්නේ පිහිටි රිටක් මෙන් ඉහළට එසවී ඇති පර්වතයක් නිසා මේ නම ලැබෙන්නට ඇතැයි ද විශ්වාස කෙරේ.
• රිටිගල යන නමේ 'රිටි' යන්නෙහි ගැබ්ව පවත්නා සැබෑ අරුත කුමක් වුව ද, එම වදන සිංහල භාෂාවේ පුරාතන වචනයක් බවවාග් විද්‍යාත්මක හා ඓතිහාසික සාධක ආශ්‍රයෙන් පැහැදිලි වේ.

ගවේෂණය කිරීම

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පුරා විද්‍යාත්මක ගවේෂණ වල පුරෝගාමියෙක් වශයෙන් සැලකන එච්.සී.පී.බෙල් රිටිගල පිළිබඳ අවධානය යොමුකළ ප්‍රථම පුරා විද්‍යාඥයා වෙයි. රිටිගල කන්ද මුළුමනින්ම ගවේෂණය කොට එහි පැවති ලෙන් හා ශිලා ලිපි හඳුනා ගැනීමත්,නටඹුන් සොයා ගැනීමත් ඔහුගෙන් සිදු වුණු කාර්යන්ය.එම සියලු පුරා විද්‍යාත්මක තොරතුරු ඇතුලත් කොට සැලසුම් හා රූ සටහන් සහිතව බෙල්මහතා විසින් 1893 දී පළ කරන දී.

1. "Ritigala kanda", sessional paper xxx viii Annual report -1893
2. Archaeological survey of ceylon &plans and platesfor Annual Report-1893,
3. Ancient Ruins of Ritigala

යන වාර්තා, රිටිගල පිළිබඳ අධ්‍යයනයකදී ඉතා ප්‍රයෝජනවත් වන මූලාශ්‍ර වේ.
එච්.සී.පී.බෙල් මහතා සොයා ගත් සෙල් ලිපියකට අනුව ක්‍රි.පූ. 119-109 සද්ධාතිස්ස රජුගේ දෙටු පුත් ලජ්ජිතිස්ස රිටිගල විහාරයක් සාදා ඇති බව සඳහන්වඇති අතර තවත් සෙල් ලිපියක වළගම්බා රජු විසින් රිටිගල අසල කුඹුරු යායක් කරවා භික්ෂු ශාසනයටපූජා කළ බව සඳයක් වේ.
දැනට අවුරුදු 2434ක් පමණ (ක්‍රි.පූ.437) දක්වා පැහැදිලි අතීතයක් කරා දිවෙන රිටිගල අපේ ඉතිහාසයේ මුල්ම රාජධානිය වන අනුරාධපුරයටත් පෙර පණ්ඩුකාභය කුමරුගේ සටන් මධ්‍යස්ථානයක්ව පැවතුණි. ඔහු සිය මාමාවරුන් සමඟ කළ සටනට මධ්‍යස්ථානය කර ගත්තේ මෙම කඳවුරයි. එමෙන්ම මීටත් පෙර විජය කුමරු තම්මැන්නාවේ සිට ආ ගමනේදී ඒ ගමන් මඟ රිටිගල අසලින් වැටී තිබුණුබව ද කියවේ.
මහා වංශයේ සඳහන් වන පරිදි ක්‍රි.පූ.833-835 පළමු වන සේන රජු පාංශුකූලික භික්ෂූන්ට මෙහි ආරමයක් කරවා දී ඇති බව දසඳහන් වේ.
කෙසේ වුව දමෙම රමණීය පරිසරය ඓතිහාසික හා ජන ප්‍රවාද වල එන තොරතුරුත් සමඟ සංසන්දනයෙන් යුතුව බැලීමේදී පෙනීයන්නේ හුදෙක් සමාධි සුවයෙන් කාලය ගත කළ භික්ෂුන් උදෙසා කර වූ තැනක් යන්නය.
රාම-රාවණ යුද්ධයේදී තුවාල ලත් රාමට ප්‍රතිකාර කිරීම සඳහා හනුමාන් විසින් භාරත දේශයේ සිට ඔසවාගෙන එන ලද බෙහෙත් පර්වතයෙන් කොටසක් රිටිගල මතට කඩා වැටී ඇතැයි යන්නද ජන ප්‍රවාදයේ එන්නකි.රිටිගල පුරා විසිරී ඇති ඉරරාජ,සඳරාජ,බිං කොහොඹ,වැනි දුර්ලභ ගනයේ බෙහෙත් පැළෑටි අද මෙම වනයේ ඇති බව සේවයේ නියුතු පුරා විද්‍යා නිළධාරිහු පවසති.

රක්ෂිත වනයක් වීම

1942 දී රිටිගල දැඩි රක්ෂිතයක් ලෙස නම් කෙරුණු අතර,එහි ශාක හා සත්ව විශේෂ රැක ගැනීම කෙ‍රෙහි විශේෂ අවධානයයොමු වන්නට විය.පුරා විද්‍යාත්මක කටයුතු සඳහා රිටිගල සංරක්ෂණය කිරීම නැවත වරක් ආරම්භ වූයේ,1960දී පමණ ආචාර්ය රාජා ද සිල්වා මහතාගේ මූලිකත්වය යටතේය.

වැදගත්කම

• තෙත් කලාපීය දේශගුණ රටාවට සමීප දේශගුණික තත්වයක් ඇත.අවුරුද්ද පුරාම නොසිඳී ගලා එන සියුම් ජල උල්පත් ඇත.
• ‍ඓතිහාසික නටඹුන් නගරයක් ලෙස වැදගත් වේ.
• උද්හිද විද්‍යාත්මකව වැදගත් වේ.

ශාක විශේෂ රාශියක් මෙම වනයේ ඇත.පළු,වීර, මොර, අන්නාසි, දෙහි, දොඩම් වැනි නොයෙකුත් පළතුරු හා ඉතාම දුර්ලභවර්ගයේ අශෝක වැනි මල් වලින් සැදුම් ලත් මේ වන රොදෙහි තිත් කොහා, කහ කුරුල්ලා, වලි කුකුළා, ගිරවා, මයිනා, නීල බෙයියා, බට ගොයා, දෙමලිච්චා වැනි පක්ෂීහු ද විවිධ සමනල් වර්ග මෙන්ම අලි, කොටි, වලස්, මුව, ගෝන ආදි සිවුපාවෝ ද පිඹුරා, නයා, පොළඟා හා උරඟ සත්ව විශේෂයෝ ද එමට වෙති.

• නූතන යුගයේ රිටිගල වැදගත්කම වඩාත් ඉස්මතු වූයේ එහි ඇති බ්‍රාහ්මි ශිලා ලිපි හේතු කොට ගෙනය.මිහින්තලේ,වෙස්සගිරිය, යන ස්ථාන වල දක්නට ලැබෙන ලෙන් ලිපි වලට නොදෙවෙනි වැදගත්කමක් රිටිගල සෙල්ලිපි වලටද හිමි වේ.

මෙරට සෙල් ලිපි අධ්‍යයනයේ ප්‍රමුඛයකු වූ සෙනරත් පරණවිතාන වැනි විද්වතුන්ගේ අවධානය ද රිටිගල කෙරෙහි යොමු වීමත්සමඟ මෙම ස්ථානයේ වටිනාකම තවත් වැදගත් වන්නට විය.
වර්ෂ 1980 සංස්කෘතික ත්‍රිකෝණයේ කටයුතු ආරම්භ වීමත් සමඟ,ඊට අයත් පෞරාණික ස්ථානයක් වශයෙන් රිටිගල වැදගත්කම යළිත් වරක් ඉස්මතු වූ අතර, පුරා විද්‍යා දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව යටතේ කැණීම් හා සංරක්ෂණ කටයුතු දැනට සිදු කරගෙන යනු ලැබේ.

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Ritigala is located 188 km north-east of Colombo, at Ganewalpola, near Kekirawa/Maradankadawala of north-central plains of Sri Lanka.

Reaching Ritigala Sri Lanka

Ritigala can be reached from the turn-off from Habarana- Anuradhapura Road at a distance of 12km from Habarana. Another 5 km along a graveled yet motorable road leads to the foot of the mountain.

Ritigala Mountain at a height of 766 m above the sea-level is the highest mountain in the north-central dry plains of Sri Lanka. The mountain mass about three miles long and about two miles wide at its widest point is covered with dense jungle inhabited by wild Elephants, leopards and bears. It is the watershed of the Malwatu Oya which feeds the Nachaduwa tank and Kalueba Ela which feeds Huruluwewa. The Ritigala Mountain has been declared a Strict Natural Reserve in order to maintain its pristine environment. Ritigala mountain’s cloud cover and mist that cloth it most of the year round has resulted in a flora much more commonly found at the central hills of wet zone than those in the dry plains: the upper part of the mountain is well known for its flora, some of which are rare; it has also a range of wild orchids.

History of the Ritigala Mountain Sri Lanka

Ritigala is home to 70 rock caves that were believed to had been inhabited since the first century BC. Mahavamsa, the great historical chronicle of Sri Lanka narrates that Ritigala was known by the name of "arittha-pabbata" during the reign of Pandukabhaya (377-307 BC), the third king of Sri Lanka. Since then Ritigala had been, at intervals, a sanctuary for the kings at war against the Dravidian invaders to the island till the 7th century: King Dutugemunu (161-137 BC) and King Jetthatissa in the seventh century.

From the early days of Buddhism, monks had been living in natural caves or rock shelters. Rock inscriptions discovered at Ritigala indicate that gradually, the sanctuary became a monastic retreat for hermit (Pamsukulika) monks. An inscription found at the site records that the Ritigala monastery was founded by King Lanji Tissa (119 - 109 BC) who also dedicated a reservoir to the monastery The monastery complex built with the tradition of Padhanaghara Parivena was endowed by King Sena the first (846-866 AD) for the benefit of Pansukulika monks who practiced extreme austerity. By the 10th-12th century AD however Ritigala seems to have been abandoned by the hermit monks, taken over by the jungle and forgotten by the populace.

It is the ruins of this monastery that King Sena I (846-866 AD) built for the Pansakulika monks that the modern pilgrims see today. The Archaeological Department has sensitively restored many of the ruins.

Rediscovery of Ritigala Sri Lanka

At the end of the tenth century, Ritigala came under the barrage of south Indian invasions. By the 10th-12th century AD Ritigala seems to had been abandoned by the hermit monks and soon it retreated into the jungles and rediscovered in the late 19th century by James Mantell, a government surveyor. A couple of decades later, the first archeological commissioner in Ceylon H.C. P. Bell visited Ritigala and published a report on his archeological investigations.

Ruins of Buddhist Monastery

Entering the site of ruins of the monastery, the visitors come to a huge man-made reservoir with a circumference of 1,200 feet constructed by means of a bund across a valley down which two streams flow from the mountain. The inside is lined with stones meant to protect it and also to serve as steps for bathers. The top of the bund is also paved with large stones. The path to the ruins runs along the southern bank of the reservoir, crosses a bridge, passes a circus and then leads to the first buildings.

A short climb off the foot of the mountain takes the visitors to the ruins at Ritigala that are scattered over an area of about 120 acres. Turning right the visitors come a large rectangular building with a sunken and paved courtyard in its center with pillars around it: the refectory with grindstones and a stone trough. Just near the refectory is a large area enclosed by a wall which like most of the structures at Ritigala is made of huge finely cut and dressed slabs of stone. Within this area are two pairs of double platforms with stones fitted together hard and fast.

On the northern end of the enclosure wall is a path that leads down to a ravine then to a river where there is a stone bridge and a bathing enclosure. Returning to near the north-west corner of the enclosed area, the visitor finds a path leading westward through very thick forest. This paved path runs for about 1000 feet and has several flights of stairs interspersed by two roundabouts. The first of these roundabouts, roughly halfway along the path, is the largest, while the second smaller one is towards the end of the path. A little before the first roundabout a path leads off to the left to an impressive stone bridge, several double platforms and caves.

The double platforms are made out of huge slabs of beautifully cut stone and always occur in pairs, joined by a bridge. They are usually built on natural rock foundations and are always aligned in the same direction. Near the platforms are found urinal stones some of which are elaborate carved. In fact, the urinal stone is the only feature in Pansakulika monasteries with any decorations on them at all.

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Dambulla Cave Temple (Rangiri Dambulu Viharaya)

Dambulla cave temple also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. This site is situated 148 km east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains.There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Lord Buddha and his life. There total of 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of Sri Lankan kings and 4 statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include two statues of Hindu gods, the god Vishnu and the god Ganesh. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square meters. Depictions on the walls of the caves include the temptation by the demon Mara, and Buddha's first sermon.

Prehistoric Sri Lankans would have lived in these cave complexes before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka as there are burial sites with human skeletons about 2700 years old in this area, at Ibbankatuwa near the Dambulla cave complexes.

History

This temple complex dates back to the 1st century BC. It has five caves under a vast overhanging rock, carved with a drip line to keep the interiors dry. In 1938 the architecture was embellished with arched colonnades and gabled entrances. Inside the caves, the ceilings are painted with intricate patterns of religious images following the contours of the rock. There are images of the Lord Buddha and bodhisattvas, as well as various gods and goddesses.
The Dambulla cave monastery is still functional and remains the best-preserved ancient edifice in Sri Lanka. This complex dates from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, when it was already established as one of the largest and most important monasteries. King Valagambahu is traditionally thought to have converted the caves into a temple in the 1st century BC. Exiled from Anuradhapura, he sought refuge here from South Indian usurpers for 15 years. After reclaiming his capital, the King built a temple in thankful worship. Many other kings added to it later and by the 11th century, the caves had become a major religious centre and still are. King Nissanka Malla gilded the caves and added about 70 Buddha statues in 1190. During the 18th century, the caves were restored and painted by the Kandyan Kings.
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The Golden Temple Buddha in Dambulla, Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka

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Sigiriya, The eighth wonder of the world

One of Asia's major archaeological sites, Sigiriya presents a unique concentration of fifth-century urban planning, architecture, gardening, engineering, hydraulic technology and art. Centred on a massive rock rising 200 meters above the surrounding plain, Sigiriya s location is one of considerable natural beauty and historical interest. An area of ancient settlement lying between the historic capitals of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruva, the Sigiriya plain still retains much of its forest cover, and many of its present village settlements and man-made village reservoirs date back to the first millennium B.C. In its present form, Sigiriya itself is essentially a walled-and-moated royal capital of the fifth century A.D., with a palace complex on top of the rock, elaborate pleasure gardens, extensive moats and ramparts, and the well-known paintings on the western face of the rock.

The history of Sigiriya, however, extends from prehistoric times to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The earliest evidence of human habitation is in the Aligala rock-shelter which lies to the east of the Sigiriya rock. This is a major prehistoric site of the mesolithic period, with an occupational sequence starting nearly five thousand years ago and extending up to early historic times. The historical period at Sigiriya begins about the third century B.C., with the establishment of a Buddhist monastic settlement on the rock-strewn western and northern slopes of the hill around the rock. As in other similar sites of this period, partially man¬made rock-shelters or 'caves', with deeply-incised protective grooves or drip¬ledges, were created in the bases of several large boulders. There are altogether 30 such shelters, many of them dated by the donatory inscriptions carved in the rock face near their drip-ledges to a period between the third century B.C., and the first century A.D. The inscriptions record the granting of these caves to the Buddhist monastic order to be used as residences.

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka - BBC World Wonders - You Tube video

Panoramic picture of Sigiriya in www.360cities.net

Second Water Garden, Sigiriya in Sri Lanka
Ruins of the Palace Complex at the top of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka  

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Galle City

The capital of the southern province is a city with a colourful history. UNESCO declared World Heritage Site the magnificent Dutch fort is the most popular attraction of the town. 300 year old Dutch atmosphere is still very much alive around the fort and amidst its many historical buildings not invaded by the skyscrapers. The beautiful beach of Unawatuna is just 6km south east of the city centre.

The southern coastal belt is the most popular among the tourists and comes to life mainly from October through April when the monsoon moves northeast and the sea becomes calm with blue skies. The earliest European administrative centre of Sri Lanka was the major port and the largest city until the British shifted the port to Colombo. The City of Galle had been the European administrative centre over 4 centuries.

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Galle Fort

Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle on the south east coast of Sri Lanka, was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. It is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument, which even after more than 423 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.

The fort has a colourful history, and today has a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population.The Sri Lankan government and many Dutchpeople who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world. The heritage value of the fort has been recognized by the UNESCO and the site has been inscribed as a cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage Siteunder criteria iv, for its unique exposition of "an urban ensemble which illustrates the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

The Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or the "Ramparts of Galle", withstood the Boxing Day tsunami which damaged part of coastal area Galle town. It has been since restored.[2] The Galle Fort also houses the elite Amangalla resort hotel, located near the Dutch Reformed Church. It was originally built in 1684 to house the Dutch Governor and his staff. It was then converted into a hotel and named then as the New Oriental Hotel in 1865, which catered to the European passengers traveling between Europe and Galle Port in the 19th century.

Source and more info - Wikipedia free encyclopedia

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Sri Dalada Maligawa

Located in Kandy, long a center of the Buddhist faith, the stunning 17th-century Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is believed to house the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. This precious relic attracts white-clad pilgrims, bearing lotus blossoms and frangipani, every day.

History

According to legend, the tooth was taken from the Buddha as he lay on his funeral pyre. It was smuggled to Sri Lanka in 313 AD, hidden in the hair of Princess Hemamali who fled the Hindu armies besieging her father's kingdom in India.

It immediately became an object of great reverence and was enshrined in a series of nested jeweled reliquaries. The tooth was brought out for special occasions and paraded on the backs of elephants, which are sacred to the Buddha. where it survived numerous attempts to capture and destroy it.

When the capital was moved to Kandy, the tooth was taken to the new city and placed in temples built to honor it. The temple was originally built under Kandyan kings between 1687 and 1707, but later severely damaged during the 18th-century colonial wars against the Portugese and Dutch. After the wars, the original wooden structures were restored in stone.

In January 1998 Hindu Tamil separatists bombed the temple, damaging its facade and roof. Restoration began immediately afterward.

BBC Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World

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Sinharaja (vergin rain forest of Sri Lanka)

Sinharaja forest is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland rain forest in Sri lanka. This covers an extent of about 11187 hectares from east to west. It was declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) in 1978,as representative of tropical humid evergreen forest. This is a World Heritage site in Sri Lanka. Sinharaja forest is situated mainly in Rathnapura, Matara and Galle districts. Most of the endemic plants and animals are in Sinharaja forest. So it is considerd that this is the palce witch has the hightest endermism in SriLanka. And this is the most beautiful and the biggest evegreen rainforest in Sri Lanka.

The forest steeped in deep legend and mystery. The word Sinharaja means, lion (sinha) king (raja) and the popular belief is that the legendary origin of the Sinhala people in Sri Lanka is from the descendants of the union the lion king who once lived in the forest and a princess. Sinharaja Forest Reserve is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland rain forests now remaining in Sri Lanka.

This forest covers an extent of approximately 11187 ha. From east to west the length of the forest is about 21 km. And its width from north to south is about 3.7 km. The Sinharaja forest was initially declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) in 1978, as representative of Tropical Humid Evergreen Forest ecosystem in Sri Lanka and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of its International Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Subsequently it was declared a National Wilderness Area, under the National Heritage Wilderness Area Act, in 1988 and lately a World Heritage Site in 1989.It is the Sri Lanka 's first natural resource to earn this esteemed distinction. This forest is situated in the southwest lowland Wet Zone of the country at latitudes 6 21- 6 26 and longitudes 80 21- 80-34.It spans over the administrative districts of Ratnapura, Galle and Matara.

Sinharaja forest consists of a series of continuous ridges, aligned approximately in an east-west direction and lies between the tributaries of the Kalu Ganga in the north and the Gin Ganga in thesouth.

There are four main routes of access to Sinharaja. The Kalawana- Weddagala road from the northwest, The Rakwana-Morning side estate road from the northeast, the Hiniduma-Neluwa road from the southwest and Deniyaya-Pallegama road from the southeast. Among these roads the Kalawana-Weddagala road is shorter and more convenient for visitors traveling from Colombo.

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