Places of Interest
Explore One of the best
tourist attraction,Sri Lanka
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is the ancient capital city of Sri Lanka, most prominent for the picturesque ruins of the ancient Sri Lankan civilization. A sacred site in itself it remains spiritually meaningful to millions of Buddhist pilgrims and visitors. Buddhist shrines and monasteries, eight major palaces, pavilions and parks , bathing ponds and vast reservoir tank which belongs to some of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world.
There is much to see at Anuradhapura, including the sacred Bodhi tree, the Sri Maha bodhiya, is perhaps the oldest living tree in the world. Around 245 BC, Sanghamitta Their brought with her a branch of the Bodhi Tree under which the Budhdha attained enlightenment. Other prominent sites are Thuparamaya, Ruwanwelisaya, Lovamahapaya, and Jetavanarama.
Polonnaruwa
“A World Heritage Site”
At the end of the 10th century A.D. the Chola dynasty from South India plundered Anuradhapura and left the city in ruins. Most of the beautiful monuments at Polonnaruwa were constructed under Parakramabahu in the mid-12th century. Among these are:
Rankot Vihara, an enormous stupa measuring 175 meters in diameter and 55 meters in height and the monumental ruins of the Vatadage, known as the Garden City.
Temple of the Tooth, Kandy
Kandy was the capital of the last kingdom of the Sri Lankan kings. Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa), built in 17th-century is central to the Buddhist faith for the fact that its home to the tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. The relic of the tooth is kept in a two-story inner shrine adorned by two large elephant tusks. The relic resides in an ornate golden cask that sits on a throne. Once a year the tooth relic is paraded on an ornately decorated elephant accompanied by dancers and drummers, dignitaries in a celebration sacred to the Buddhist, known as “Esala Perahera”.
Elephant Sanctuary
In Pinnawela, approximately 90 km from Colombo you will find the Elephant Orphanage. The orphanage is situated near the Aha Oya (River).
It’s an opportunity that should not be missed when you’re visiting Sri Lanka. You can watch the elephants, learn more about them and see how the caretakers work.
The primary purpose of the orphanage was to provide a lifeline to the orphaned baby elephants, to wounded or sick or adult elephants lost in the wilderness. It is also a nursery for the newly born baby elephants, the ones who are under 54 years are fed with milk by bottles. Seven bottles of milk are being fed to each baby five times a day.
Twice a day all elephants are taken to the river for a bath.
Sinharaja Rain Forest
“A World Heritage Site”
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a National Park in Sri Lanka. Approximately a 4 hour drive from Colombo. Much can be observed in the forest including diverse species of trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Among the 26 endemic birds are the elusive Red-faced Malkoha and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.
The dense vegetation wildlife is not as easily seen as at dry-zone national parks such as Yala.
Sigiriya
“A World Heritage Site”
Sigiriya is a palace built under King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) for his new capital. He selected the massive column of rock nearly 200 meters (660 ft.) high to protect himself from and attack by his half-brother “Mugalan”. And converted it to a fortress building his palace on top of the rock. He decorated the sides of the rock with frescos which are still visible today. These frescos, known as the Sigiri Apsaras (Sigiri Damsels) are accessible by a spiral stairway on the western face of the rock.
At the entrance is the Lion Paw Terrace. The “lion paws” is what remains of the huge lion statue. Here, the stairway leads to the top of the plateau. At the top lies the remains of the foundations of the palace and the ruins of a few ponds.
Other attractions at Sigiriya include the Rock Boulder Garden, Cobra Hood Cave, Mirror wall, at the bottom of the Rock, the Landscaped Terrace.
