My Lens

15/09/2012

08/09/2012

Camera/photo

06/09/2012

‘Kande-Uda-Rata’ which became Kandy for the easy pronousation by the British was really the ‘Royal city’ of the Sinhalese and the last stronghold of the Sinhala kings. This was captured by the British in 1815 and the whole island went under colonial rule. Kandy is famous for its lake near the town which was re-vitalized by a kandyan gentleman of the modern era, making it once more beautiful and eye catching place free from pollution. This adds beauty to the town surrounded by hills such as Hantana, Hunnasgiriya, Bahiravakanda etc. You can have a view of the entire city of Kandy from the Hantana range above the lake. You can take the train and make journey upland from Colombo to witness the finest Hill country and regarded as one of the exceptional train journeys of the world. Kandy is well renowned for its cultural pageant taking place in July with a large number of elephants richly caparisoned, nilames in their traditional costumes Diyawadana Nilame docked in all regalia accompanying the casket of the Sacred Tooth relic of the Budda and riding on the majestic elephants, crackers of whips, all forms of dancers with respective drummers really fascinating to observe.

05/09/2012

Anuradhapura gained its historic importance in the 3rd century BC after Sanghamitta brought a cutting from the Bodhi Tree (‘Tree of Enlightenment’), the Buddha’s fig tree to Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura became the political and religious capital in 4th century BC that flourished for 1,300 years. The city of Anuradhapura could be counted amongst the most developed cities in the world having some of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world, and well managed health care and education system. Anuradhapura was permanently abandoned in 10th century AD and the site lay hidden in the Jungle till the 19th century. The city of Anuradhapura was again rediscovered in the 19th century by a British group headed by Ralph Backhaus and became a pilgrimage tourism site once again. Today, the splendid sacred city of Anuradhapura, with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, draws many Buddhist pilgrims and tourists from Sri Lanka and outside Sri Lanka also. Anuradhapura was once the greatest monastic city of the ancient world with the largest repository of Buddhist texts.