Galle

                                      

                                             Galle Fort Aerial Overview

Galle Fort is the finest and most intact fortified city build by the former European colonial powers in Asia. The narrow streets of Galle Fort are lined with Dutch merchant villas, pillared verandas, carved doors and windows. British and Dutch period offices are still in use. This is a living world heritage city with residents walking the 300 year old ramparts at sunset.  Strolling along the high rampart walls you will see the Old Dutch and English churches, the Governor's house, the massive VOC warehouses, the Square of Courts, the elegant pillared facade of the old Dutch hospital, the Portuguese Black Fort, the lighthouse, the Clock Tower and much more.

EXPLORING GALLE FORT Some historians claim that Galle with its C17th Dutch fort may be the old testament Tarshish, the fabled sea emporium of ancient times from where King Solomon obtained his gems, spices and peacocks. In 1344, the famed Moorish world traveller from Tangier, Ibn Batuta, stayed briefly in Galle and found Arab sailing ships in its harbour. Today, Galle Fort is a UNESCO world heritage site and the "quiet town dreaming by the sea" with the ghosts of history wandering the ramparts surrounding the Fort's maze of narrow streets, has again become a destination for discerning globe trotters. Left: View across grass-clad walls to the sea. Right: A canon mounted on one of the ramparts of the Galle Fort. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive en masse in Galle. The Fort, however, for good reason, will always be more closely associated with the Dutch than the Portuguese. After a bloody siege in 1640, the Dutch seized Galle Fort and began constructing the magnificent 36 hectare hexagonal stone fort that survives intact to this day. It is in this early Dutch period that the long history of Amangalla, formerly the New Orient Hotel, Amanresorts' newly restored luxury property in the heart of Galle Fort begins. An C18th Dutch East India Company (VOC) map shows what later became the south-east wing of the present hotel, as the Dutch Commandant's residence. A separate building on the same site probably housed officers from the Dutch garrison. Both buildings date from around 1864 when the Dutch moved their main seat of government from Galle to Colombo The main attractions are Galle Fort; a world heritage site and former fortified town and ramparts of the Dutch East India company. This is the finest and most intact fortified city built by Europeans in South Asia. The Dutch Groote Church or the Dutch East India Company (VOC) built Dutch Reformed Church has been painstakingly restored. Its floors are made from C17th Dutch gravestones and its walls have Dutch family crests. The Main Gate to the Galle Fort The sprawling town of Galle is best explored on foot or by tuk tuk. Old British cars, bullock carts, bicycles, three wheelers and food carts punctuate the streets, people socialise and shop, collect their children from school and wander the 300 year old ramparts at sunset.Strolling along the high rampart walls you will see the Old Dutch and English churches, the Governor's house, the massive VOC warehouses, the Square of Courts, the elegant pillared facade of the old Dutch hospital, the Portuguese Black Fort, the lighthouse, the Clock Tower and much more.

 Galle Dutch Fort

Galle Lighthouse

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Galle Lighthouse

Galle Lighthouse
Location	Galle fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
Year first constructed	1939
Year first lit	1939
Automated	n/a
Construction	Cast iron
Tower shape	Round tower
Markings / pattern	White
Height	26.5 m
Range	47 m
Characteristic	two white flashes every 15 s

Galle Lighthouse is an offshore Lighthouse in Galle, Sri Lanka and is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. This is Sri Lanka's oldest light station dating back to 1848, but the original lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1934. The light station is within the walls of the ancient Galle fort, a UNESCO world heritage site and well known tourist attraction, making this the country's most often visited lighthouse.

Mannar

                                                          MANNAR

Thiruketheeswaram Kovil

Thirukethiswaram is an ancient hindu temple in Manthota, about seven miles north of the Mannar Town. According to legend, it was at this ancient temple that Kethu Bhagavan worshipped Lord Siva. Hence the shrine acquired the name of Thiruketheeswaram.
This temple dedicated to the worship of the God Siva has been the most venerated for centuries and the holy waters of the Palavi Tank by its side are venerated in the sacred hymns of two great Saivite saints, Thirugnana Sambandhar and Sundarar, who lived in the 7th and 8th Centuries respectively. This is one of the five main kovils scattered around the country dedicated to God Siva.
Although there is no record of the origin of the temple, hindus believe that this temple was built in the pre christian times. Since the port of Manthota in Mannar has been in used long before Christ and has been main entry port to Sri Lanka from India, this may well be true.
The invasion of Portuguese Catholic Colonists in 1505 created the darkest era in the country for Buddhists and Hindus. The Portuguese blinded by faith and greed for wealth plundered and destroyed temples taking all valuables with them. Countless Buddhist and Hindu temple were destroyed and razed to the ground leaving no sigh of any structure in the name of God. The Thirukethiswaram Kovil too faced this wrath and the building material of the Kovil as well as buddhist temples was used to build the Fort of Mannar, the churches and also the Hammershield Fort at Kayts.

Areial view of the Kovil and Palavi Tank published in 1957

Almost 400 years later, the exact location of the destroyed temple was traced in 1894 and some restoration work was done in the early part of the 20th Century. A small temple was re-consecrated in June 1903. The central shrine was reconstructed and re-consecrated around 1921. The temple has gone through several facelifts and additions until 1970's and the Palavi Tank was rebuilt in 1949.

Map

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On the route to the temple
Main temple	Main temple
The bell tower carrying the two ton bell
Huge wood decorated carts being restored	Decorations on the Carts
Huge wood decorated carts being restored	Huge wood decorated carts being restored
Huge wood decorated carts being restored	More carts under construction
Palavi Tank - Changing room	Palavi Tank
Palavi Tank	Palavi Tank
Pathway to Palavi Tank

Baobab Tree At Mannar

- Tree With The Largest Trunk In Sri Lanka-

The baobab ( also refereed to as biobab boab, boaboa, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree) is a native tree to Africa, Madagascar and Australia. There are 8 species of boabab, 6 in Madagascar, 1 each in Africa and Australia. The tree is also referred in Sri Lanka as the Ali-Gaha ( Elephant Tree) since the bark of the tree resembles a skin of a Elephant and the Tamils refer to it as ‘Perukka’.
The baobabs in Sri Lanka is believed to have been brought by Arabian Traders. According to a study done in 2003, there are about 40 Baobab Trees surviving in Sri Lanka, out of which 34 has been identified and measured in Mannar. Most of the trees were calculated to be 300-400 years old. The oldest and the largest baobab is at Pallimunei which is said to be about 800 years old. This tree was calculated 723 years old in the 2003 study. The circumference of the tree is is 19.5 meters and its 7.5 meters tall. This is most popular of the all ( see images taken in May 2008) due to its size and age. Despite the baobab being an introduced species, it is protected in Sri Lanka given its rarity and antiquity. In earlier times Baobab trees has been growing in Jaffna (Yapanaya) and Puttlam too.
These trees have always cought the eye of the early English travellers to th country. Sir James Emerson Tennent in "Ceylon - An Account Of The Island" ( 1860) speaks of many trees in the Mannar area at that time.

Polonnaruwa

                                         Polonnaruwa

"Polonnaruwa The Medieval capital of Sri Lanka"

The history of early Sri Lanka was very carefully recorded and written down by monks.
The Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle) records the earlier period of the Sri Lankan, and Chulavamsa (lesser Chronicle), gives an accurate picture of the 'Polonnaruwa' period.

King Aggabodhi IV

From this chronicle we learn that Aggabodhi IV (667 - 685) AD was the first Sri Lankan King who lived in Polonnaruwa, and the town came gradually to become the 'Country Residence' of royalty. Anuradhapura, the formal and administrative capital, was already a thousand years old, and kings increasingly favoured the new city of Polonnaruwa, and developed it. However it was the Cholas of South India who made Polonnaruwa the capital after looting and burning Anuradhapura in 993 AD.

King Vijayabahu I

In 1070 AD the Sinhala King Vijayabahu I liberated the country by defeating the Cholas, and kept Polonnaruwa as his capital. Vijayabahu succeeded in repairing much of the irrigation system in the island, encouraged trade and brought some prosperity back to the country.

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King Parakramabahu I

King Parakramabahu I (1153-86) raised Polonnaruwa to its heights. He erected huge buildings, drained swamps and planted vast areas with crops, planned beautiful parks, created wildlife sanctuaries, restored earlier monuments & even undertook military expeditions against Burma and India.
However his crowning achievements were the creation of the 2400 hectare tank (about 15 Km2), so large it was named the Parakrama Samudra (Sea of Parakrama); and the unification of the three orders of monks, the Maha vihara, Jetavana and Abhayagiri into one Sangha or 'Supreme Order of Monks'. The greatness of his achievement was to ensure the survival of Buddhism in the dark centuries ahead.
Parakramabahu was the last great king of Sri Lanka.

King Nissankamalla

King Nissankamalla (1187 - 96), although claimed himself to be a great builder, was not. And squandered most of the country's wealth trying to match his predecessor's deeds.

The decline of Polonnaruwa

After Nissankamalla's death, Polonnaruwa went to decline, civil war, lawlessness and constant invasions from the South Indian Chola Empire, and Malay barbarians who sacked the city several times, virtually destroyed the social structure and religious order of the country. A whole century after this were the 'Dark Ages' of Sri Lanka, a century from which few historical records survive.
The capital was shifted to Kurunegala, and Polonnaruwa returned to the jungle; it's great reservoirs survived as a series of swampy lakes, and its large brick buildings became lost under thick tropical forest. The Portuguese are said to have raided and looted Polonnaruwa, but by the early nineteenth century the site was completely lost.
In the early years of this century the main monuments of the ancient city were uncovered. Today, conservation and excavations continue, as part of the work of the Cultural Triangle.

Must Visit Places in Polonnaruwa

                                   

There are many places to visit in Polonnaruwa, as with most ancient cities in Sri Lanka they mostly consist of temples, statues, ponds and castles. Polonnaruwa was the second capital of Sri Lanka and the most developed city after Anuradhapura in the time of kings. One of the main reasons for choosing Polonnaruwa over Anuradhapura was the constant threat of South Indian armies. Polonnaruwa was much easier to defend and it had some natural fortifications. Because the focus was mainly on defense and also because of the constant wars you want find many shrines as in Anuradhapura but there are still quite a few great places to see in Polonnaruwa. In this article I will discuss about the best places to visit in this world heritage site.

Gal Viharaya

The most famous tourist attraction in Polonnaruwa and a must visit place if you go to Polonnaruwa. It is a Buddhist shrine where four statues of Lord Buddha are carved out of the rock. The skill shown here is amazing since there is hardly room for error when your carving out statues from pure rock. There are some beautiful patterns carved out in the stone as well around the Buddha statue that is in a seated position. There are four Buddha statues, one standing up, one in a reclined position and other in a seated position. There are lots of historic tales about the place and if you happen to find a good guide you can hear most of them. Please make sure not to turn your back towards the statues when takingphotographs as a mark of respect.

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                      Standing statue of Lord Buddha in Gal viharaya - Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa Museum

This is a great place to learn about the various must visit sites in Polonnaruwa. If you are hoping to explore the city in detail then this is the best place to start. Various attractions are clearly market here so you can plan your trip accordingly. There is a visitor information center as well so you can get help in planning your trip.

Polonnaruwa Museum

This is a great place to learn about the various must visit sites in Polonnaruwa. If you are hoping to explore the city in detail then this is the best place to start. Various attractions are clearly market here so you can plan your trip accordingly. There is a visitor information center as well so you can get help in planning your trip.

Nissanka Latha Mandapaya in Polonnaruwa

Nissanka Latha Mandapaya

One of the most well preserved buildings in Polonnaruwa, the place got it name from the king who built it, King Nissanka Malla. This was used by the king to listen to "Pirith". This is a beautiful building with some unique carvings and well preserved stone columns. The stone columns must have supported a roof during that time. This is a unique building so it is advisable to add this to your itinerary if you are visiting Polonnaruwa.

Lankathilaka Temple

An impressive building around 18M in height, this was built by King Parakramabahu. There is statue of Lord Buddha inside the temple although the head is missing in the statue. Other than that there are lots of beautiful carvings in the temple walls. Some well preserved guard stones can also be found here.

The Royal Palace

Another building built by King Parakramabahu during the golden age of Polonnaruwa. Although the stone walls of the lower level is remaining it is believed that the palace was seven stories high one of the most beautiful buildings in Polonnaruwa. Stone lion carving and walls with elephants carved in them can be found here.

Anuradhapura

                                         AnuradhapuraAnu-radha-pura Kingdom lasted one thousand and five hundred years from 380BC. This city is home to many of the earliest grandest monuments of Sri Lanka. A popular destination of Sinhalese Buddhist's prilgimages because of its many ancient Buddhist monuments. 

Anuradhapura has been made royal capital by the king Pandukabhaya in 380 BC. It remained residence and royal capital for 119 successive Singhalese kings till the year 1000 AD when it was abandoned and the capital moved to Polonnaruwa. You will see some of the most famous as well as the tallest dagoba of Sri Lanka, remains from palaces, temples, monasteries, ceremonial baths and the temple of the holy Bo-tree. This tree was grown from a sapling of the very tree under which more than 2500 years ago the Buddha found enlightenment. With the dawn of the second century BC, adventurers from across the Palk Strait had begun to settle down in the northern coast. One such intruder called Elara, became supreme in almost whole of the North and reigned from Anuradhapura. He was later challenged by the ruler Gemunu, son of King Kavantissa. Later this independent ruler, Gemunu of the South met in combat with Elara and the latter was killed. For the first time a single kingdom for the island arose.

      

                Sri Maha Bodhi

Dutugemunu's reign saw the culmination of Buddhism Dutugemunu (161-137 BC) contributed immensely for the religion of Buddhism. Anuradhapura Kingdom lasted one thousand and five hundred years. Despite the intrusions and clashes of South Indian Chola, Pandyan and Pallava, there prevailed stability in the continuity of the Anuradhapura civilisation.
Due to the strong diplomatic relations among the countries like Rome and China, in first century AD. Fa-Hsien visited Sri Lanka. And in seventh century, Hisuen T'sang regretted his failure of his attempt to reach Sri Lanka.

Aukana Buddha Statue


The 13 meter high statue carved out of solid granite, goes back to the 5th century, to the reign of King Dathusena. (about 50km south of Anuradhapura)
On a rainy day, it is said, that one can see droplets of water falling off the tip of the statue's nose hitting the ground exactly between the toes.- a testament to the architectural accuracy of the sculptor. The brick enclosure around and above was built recently to protect it from weather.

Guard stone of Thuparama




Thuparama Temple
Thuparama is considered to be the oldest dagoba in Sri Lanka and is believed to enshrine the collar bone relic of Lord Buddha.The guard stones like these are generally found in pairs at the entrance to temples, palaces and other revered sites.




Isurumuniya temple
Isurumuniya temple built in the 3rd century B.C. is noted for its rock carvings. The best known among these is the "Lovers". Many a poet and song writer has taken inspiration from this carving to write their masterpieces. It is believed that the carving may represent Saliya the son of the great king Dutugamunu and the low-caste maiden whom he loved.

Ruwanveli Seya

Popularly regarded as the greatest, and certainly the most popular among the Buddhists, of the stupas at Anuradhapura, Ruwanveli Seya, is the pride of the Great Emperor Dutugamunu. Raised in the 2nd century B.C. this dagoba is supposed to have the perfect water bubble shape. Among the many statues in the courtyard there is one that is of a larger-than-life man. This is considered to be the king himself watching his work from a respectable distance. ElephantWall Abhayagiri Stupa and Monastery Abhayagiri is the largest monastery complex in the Anuradhapura kingdom. Founded in the second century BC by king Valagamba(also known as Vattagamini Abhaya) was an international institution by the first century AD. Covering an area of 200ha the monastery include full components of a Buddhist temple as well as other buildings. The stupa at Abhayagiri is 108m tall and one of the tallest brick buildings of the ancient world. The finest Buddha sculpture in Sri Lanka the Samadhi Statue (3- century AD) is among its many fine stone carvings. Ruwanweli Seya Museum The Folk Museum has a collection of artefacts illustrative of the rural life of the North Central Province and the near by Archaeological Museum display what is excavated from Abhayagiri temple explorations.  Ritigala A beautifully paved footpath, several elevated platforms, ruins of an old hospital and remains of a terraced pond are what is unearthed at this 180 BC Buddhist monastery at the foothill of 600m high Ritigala Rock. Dating back to around 350 B.C is one of the oldest historical places mentioned in the ancient chronicles. (about 50km south east of Anuradhapura)  Mihintale The temple of Mihintale is where Thero Mahinda, the son of Great Indian Emperor Asoka introduced Buddihism to the king of Sri Lanka Thissa. Mahinda's sister Theri Sangamitta carried a off shoot of the the ', the holy Bo tree that gave shelter to Buddha to attain Nibbana. Sri Maha Bodhi' The Bo tree was planted at Anuradhapura, where it still grows as the oldest tree with a recorded history in the world. Jethawana Monastery The monastery complex is built where it is believed to be the cremation grounds of the Mahinda Thera who introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Founded by King Mahasena (276-303AD) the stupa at 120m high was the third tallest monument in the world at the time of the fall of Roman Empire. Distances Other Cities in km . Colombo 206 Habarana 57 Polonnaruwa 101 Kandy 138 Dambulla 66 Sigiriya 80