Sri Lanka - The Tear Drop Jewel

Sri Lanka, a look alike of a tear drop  falling down from the Indian sub continent. The country which was ravaged by thirty years of civil war which ended in 2009  and hit by a tsunami in 2004, this tear drop shaped country has become the darling of the tourists around the world. Sri Lanka with 1600 KM. of palm fringed coastline baked to perfection is a island of serendipity, rising from tropical sandy beaches into the cool highland regions attracting hoards of tourists  It has Jaffna, the final frontier of Sri Lanka in the north, Trincomalee the world greatest vantage point for blue whale spotting with beaches of  Batticaloa in the east, stunning Galle in the south, the must stop Colombo and Negombo, the lagoon lobster harvesting in the west,  the cultural triangle of Anuradhapura, Dambulla and Kandy and the hill station Nurwara Eliya located in central part of the country.The dotted wildlife National parks cover 13 % of the land mass in Sri Lanka with heritage protection runs as far as 2200 years with Mihintale being the world first wildlife sanctuary. It is indeed an erotic cocktail of tropical islands, heritage rich cities, pristine beaches, bio diversity hot spots  which is potent enough to charm tourist with any kind of interest.

Sri Lanka has an influence of India, the Portuguese, the Netherlands and British which ruled the country till 1948 The local language spoken  is Sinhala and Tamil.  Many of them can speak fluent English too. The traditional dress for women is a saree worn with belly exposed known as Osaryia  while the men wear a sarong  The currency is Sri Lankan Rupee or LKR which today value is 1/145 of a USD

The country is blessed with two monsoons during the year bringing in rain to the two corners of the country at varying periods making Sri Lanka beach holiday a year round prospect The North East winds makes the south western coast sunny and sea calm from October  to January and the visitors make the most of the golden soft beaches of Tangalia , Beruwala, the sighting of blue whales at Mirissa and the stunning beaches of Bentita, Unawatuna and Galle The south west winds makes the east coast water quiet with sunshine during May to July and the beaches of Arugam Bay, Uppliveli, Passekudah bay and Kalkudah is an experience in itself.  The glowing corals reefs,the gentle sandbars are undisclosed corners of paradise which are a wonderful place to enjoy wind surfing, kayaking, yatching, scuba diving, snorkelling or just lazing around as the turquoise waters of Indian Ocean kiss the Lankese island sand and it is not always that one sees paradise in all it's splendour. Sri Lanka too has innumerable locations declared as UNESCO World heritage sites such as the ancient cities of Polonnarula, Sigiriya, Annuradhapura, the golden temple at Dambulla Kandy, old town of Galle, Sinharaja Forest Reserve and the central highlands

We landed at the Bandaranaika  International Airport, Colombo on a SriLankan Airlines flight from Bangalore on an August evening. Immigration was done at ease with the Electronic Travel Authorisation ETA obtained at a cost of US $ 20 online prior to leaving India.  The luggage took a pretty long time to reach us. In the meantime the Matrix card was activated and a welcome call was received instantly from Ruwan our guide cum chauffeur during our trip in Sri Lanka

It is always easier to visit countries where mass public transport systems are in place. We got a first hand experience in Hong Kong. Shanghai and  our own Kolkata and Delhi where one can travel across the length and breadth of the cities.  When we began to know about Sri Lanka we were given to understand that there is no mass transportation systems in place. The buses were cheap and frequent but very crowded and uncomfortable with no room for luggage, The trains not so frequent hence crowded but some routes are very scenic. Sri Lanka has only ones indigenous car manufacture  Micro. Most of the cars running in Sri Lanka are imported where a very high import duty is levied, hence cars are very expensive The saviour of the locals and the tourist for local travel is the three wheeler auto or the Tuk Tuk so fondly called in Sri Lanka. It is prudent to hire a car for the entire trip in Sri Lanka from airport pick to airport drop. It is expensive but worthwhile.

With luggage collected we exited the terminal building only to be greeted by a hoards of ever present  money exchange stations as at any international airports. Avoiding them we moved to the battery of ATMs to withdraw the  Sri Lankan currency which were indeed colourful. The currency was in all sorts of denominations and we were told that even the Srilankesi at times makes mistake with their currency notes

Having completed the formalities at the airport we could locate Ruwan. We got into his immaculate Honda SUV and driven away from the Airport We were forewarned that roads in Sri Lanka are in deplorable condition and at times takes a long time to cover short distances. So when Ruwan gave us so choice to drive through the express way E03 at a toll cost of LKR 300, we readily agreed  They say first impression is the last impression The express way was comparable to any other express way in the world and it was a quick fast drive to the city and our place of abode and past midnight when we hit the sack.

It was early next morning we left Colombo for Dambulla The five hour drive gave us an insight of the Lankan way of life. The condition of the road was good expect for the fact that there were no carriageway and a  lot of road development work was under progress  There were settlements all along the highway and could spot some lovely properties and often came across lots of coconut trees swaying away in the wind which is synonymous to Si Lanka  The traffic was light except when we crossed a town The drivers were a polite lot with no honking and stopped to let pedestrian cross the road even on a highway We found the country side clean with no dumps around.

It was mid day when we reached Ram Giri or the Golden Rock Temple at Dambulla Believed to be a burial site before the arrival of Buddhism with human skeleton found about 2700 year old The history of the caves date back to the Ist century BC where King Valagamba of Annuradhapura spent 15 years in exile It was a way of thanking the Gods, the King built this magnificent temple The temple is located on a hill at an altitude of about 150 M from the road. A hike along a vast sloping rock with steps in between leads us to the Rock Temple caves.

 There are eighty documented caves in the surroundings Today the major attraction is spread over 5 caves where 153 Lord Buddha statues 3 Lankan kings 4 Gods  and Goddess are in display . It is the best preserved ancient edifice in Sri Lanka with paintings and murals covering 2100 sq M created with indegenious paints emphasis the artistic talent of ancient days

The view from the top is breathtaking  and the famous Sigiriya Rock can be viewed at a distance. There is a museum set up at the foot of the hill with a 30 M Buddha statue in wheel turning pose at the top of the building

On Day two in Sri Lanka we visited the famed Sigiriya or The Lion Rock as famous to Sri Lanka as The Taj Mahal is  to India It is the most valuable historical monument and  considered as the eight  wonder of the world by the locals. The ancient palace and fortress complex is of great archaeological importance and attracts thousand of tourists every year. It is located between the towns of Dambulla and Habarane on a massive rocky plateau 370 M above sea level. The rock plateau formed from magma of an extinct volcano 200 M higher than the surroundings astonishes visitors with unique harmony between nature and human imagination. The history of Sigiriya makes an interesting read.  Since 3rd -  1st  century  BC it was a Buddhist monastery. In the second half of the 5th century ie 473 - 491 AD King Kasyapa who killed his father and had to face the wrath of his subjects fled to these forests and transferred the administrative centre from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya. Believed to have extraordinary mind of architecture and engineering King Kasyapa converted the Buddhist monastery into a magnificent palace recognised as one of the finest example of ancient urban planning . Landscape garden, water gardens, bolder garden and terrace garden were built on the western part of the palace grounds which were designed on complex hydraulic systems consisting of canal locks, lakes. dams, bridges, fountains as well as surface and underground water pumps . During the rainy season all channels were filled with water which circulated through the whole area. It was converted back into a Buddhist monastery after the death of King Kasyapa until the 14th century BC when it was finally abounded.

It is advisable to visit Sigiriya early in the morning to avoid the mid day heat. Visiting hours are between 0700 HRs to 1730 HRs ( Sri Lanka time). Tickets cost US $ 30

As we walked in we crossed the channels filled with water with the Sigiriya rock standing tall challenging us to climb 1200 steps to reach the top. The path lead us into the water garden known also as the fountain garden exemplifying  the excellence of ancient hydraulic technology of Sri Lanka There are four fountains symmetrically built two on each side These fountains are fed by the adjacent two moats. Water is carried to the fountains by underground water conduits and work on the simple principle of gravity and pressure. Another unusual feature is the shallow serpentine stream designed to control the movement of water

The next was the Image cave used as a dwelling for the Sangha during the first monastic phase which was converted into an Image House during the second monastic phase after  Kasyapa. There is  evidence of drip ledge and paintings drawn on the plastered interior rock face with inscription belonging to 3 - 1 BC centuries and. limestone Buddha in the cave with its head missing belonging to the 7- 8 centuries AD. Further on our way stood The Deraniyagala Cave which had been a monks dwelling belonging to the first monastic phase with faint traces of several full figure reorientation of female figures can still be seen here.

The Sigiriya Gardens are amongst the oldest surviving historic gardens in Asia. At the foot of the rock are the terrace gardens and the two great stairway leading to the mirror wall What a sight of people climbing the famous Sigiriya, There were Chinese, Japanese, Indians, French, English, Australians, German, Americans, Swiss the list will go on and on, a truly international sight to behold as the crowd inched step by step up the 1200 steps to conquer the  Sigiriya rock. 

 Soon we stepped into the bridge constructed to connect the entry  into the western wall covered with Frescoes created during the reign of King Kasyapa. Today only eighteen frescoes survive depicting nude females which are considered to either the portraits of Kasyapa wives and concubines or priestess performing religious rituals.

 We were lead into a spiral staircase up we climbed and down we came stepping out to enter another striking feature of Sigiriya the Mirror wall. Inscription and poems were found written in the wall thousand years ago,hence proving Sugiriya a tourist destination of yester years.

As we came out of the passage displaying the Mirror wall, we reached the main entrance located on the northern side of the rock. Designed in form of a huge stone lion whose only feet has survived and the upper body destroyed, giving the origin of its name Sihagi i.e Lion Rock.

The construction of such a monument on a massive rock much higher than the surrounding landscape requires architectural and engineering skills.The final climb to the Lion Rock was not for the faint hearts. Metal staircase has been constructed with a both way pathway and we only hope that load bearing capacity  of these staircase have been checked or else someday it will be a catastrophe for the tourist community.

As we made to the top the surrounding sites was another sight to behold. It took us nearly an hour and a half to make it to the top and we spent an equal amount of time at the top of the Sigiriya Rock enjoying the fantastic and stunning view and can only say that it is a must visit destination when in Sri Lanka

We travelled to Kandy  visiting a spice garden,  a Hindu Temple and a crockery factory on the way.

Kandy the second  largest city in Sri Lanka, is the last capital of the ancient kings era, and today the religious and cultural capital of Sri Lanka. It is the home to the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha kept at the Sri Dalada Malingawa Temple which is one of the most sacred place of worship in the Buddhist world.The tooth of Lord Buddha on his parinirvana was smuggled from India to Sri Lanka and it was kept in the custody of the monarch of Annuradhapura  Since ancient times this relic played an important role, as whosoever held the relic, held the right to govern the country. The reigning monarch housed the relic in temples  close to their palace. The Sinhala monarchy built the city of Senkadagalapura the last capital, now known as Kandy where the present day temple was built.  After the fall of Kandyan Kingdom to the British in 1815, the custody of the tooth relic was handed over to the Buddhist clergy.

Kandy is situated at a height of 500 M above sea level and the natural beauty with undulating slopes and landscape with the sun playing tricks on the  misty mountains and congenial climate is a tourist delight. The walk around the beautiful man made  architectural lake with the Tooth Temple and Palace grounds  in the backdrop was picturesque as ever. The roads were broad and neat and the trees green as ever swaying along with the gust of wind The markets were similar to that of an Indian one but the old colonial buildings upped the experience

It was early next day we made our way into the Sr Dalada Malingawa Temple and was fortunate to be on time to pay our respects  to Lord Buddha The relic cannot be seen as it is kept in a casket shaped like a stupa which contains a series of six similar caskets of diminishing size. The golden roof decorative walls with fine woodwork with the century old ambience still intact makes it a magnificent shrine.

There were lot of people in and outside the Tooth Temple and festivity was in the air. It was the second last day of the famed 10 day Kandy Elsa Perahera  festival, an unique fusion of two Peraheras. Old Celyon Perahera was instituted in the 4th century by  King Meghawana when the Tooth Relic was paraded around  the city of Annuradhapura once a year known as the Dalada Perahera. The Elasa Perahera was a 3rd century custom, a possession to  beseech the blessings of the Gods to obtain rain for the cultivation of crops and to enrich the lands of the kingdom. The Kandy Esala Perahera is celebrated in honour of the sacred tooth relic and the four Guardians Gods  Natha, Visnu. Ketaragam and Goddess Pattini on a full moon night in the month of  August.

 People from early morning commenced sitting along the road in Kandy where the possession would move so as to take an vantage point to watch the proceedings. The hotels and other establishment has laid out arrangements for sitting costing US $ 100 per seat. As our inquisitiveness got over us and knew that it was our only chance to witness the possession we too took an vantage position  near to the Queen Hotel and were on our feet for nearly four hours to be a part of the festival.

 

The possession commenced around seven thirty  in the evening and it was one of the most beautiful pageant we had watched in our lives. It commenced with the whip dance, the fire dance, jugglers, musicians, acrobats lavishly decorated tusker dressed for the occasion transporting us to a tribal gathering hundred of years ago.

 It was celebrated with the same gaiety and pomp as the immersions of idols during Durga Puja in Kolkata  and Ganesh  Puja in Mumbai.  It was testing time for us as we made our way through the crowds as packed as sardines and a friendly Tuk Tuk driver reached us to our hotel.

A ninety minutes drive from Kandy brought us to the only hill station in Sri Lanka the Nuwara Eliya or the City of Lights or the Tea Capital of Sri Lanka. The name of Eliya is derived from the Patana  areas that is found among highland thick forest that gets full sunshine thus getting ample light or Eliya. The highest mountain in Sri Lanka is Piduru Talagala 2527 M which the British called it as Mount  Pedro is located in Nuwara Eliya. The Horton Plains situated south of Nuwara Eliya is a unique ecological zone of Patana grassland with a cloud forest,  a sheer precipice with a drop of 1050 M which offers a spectacular view.  Adam Peak  7369 ft is another striking pyramid with a depression in the Rocky  summit resembling a huge footprint. This has been identified by Buddhist as Buddha footprints by Hindus as that of Shiva by Muslims as Adam' s and the Portuguese attributed to St  Thomas.

 The Sita Eliya a Hindu Temple where a structure has been built on the site where the demon king Ravana made Sita his prisoner in the Epic Ramayana is located near Nuwara Eliya. Earlier  irrigation system and an inscription stone dated back to 1000 AD stating to Buddhism Vihara  has been found in. Nuwara Eliya History records that it was Dr John Davy during a trekking expedition came across this uninhabited location in the year 1819. The tropical highland climate with a temperature between 11 to 20 degree situated at an altitude of 1800 M so very English which drove Governor Edward Barnes to initiate the road through Ramboda making Nurwara Eliya accessible to entrepreneurs But  it was Samauel Baker who is known as the founder of Nuwara Eliya. 

 As the story goes in 1846 Samuel Baker was on an hunting expedition in the lowlands fell sick and was advised by the Doctor to recuperate at Nuwara Eliya. The extra ordinary climatic conditions and mountain air and the nature of the area revitalized the body and mental health of Samuel Bakers On getting well Bakers got his family, a few helpers,  the farming equipments from England and settled in Nuwara Elita for eight long years and converted it to a model British village. Later on Samuel Bakers went  on to discover the source of Nile and Lake Albert.

We drove in Nuwura Eliya after visiting a tea garden, a hundred and sixty five years old  and an Hindu Temple on the way. Every  turn was picturesque and the way were dotted with falls which was a by any means a heaven on earth and a photographers delight. As we entered.the town the cool climate, the quaint colonial architecture of the bungalows surrounded by hedgerows , the church, the post office, the race turf, the golf course, the Gregory lake facilitated with water sports, the restaurants so very English and maybe the reason for calling Nuwara Eliya, the Little England.

It was day five and we left for Colombo from Nuwara Eliya, a route which will go into our memories as one of the most pleasant drives. The Railway journey from Ella to Kandy is regarded as one of the most scenic rail trips in the world.The rail head for Nuwara Eliya is Nanuoya. The road snakes it way pass the hills  meeting the railway tracks now and then where almost every slope is covered with tea bushes The route recollects our visit to Ootacamund and Munnar in India which so very familiar,  only we found the added dark greenish tinge in Nuwara Eliya. The St Clair and Devon falls on the way were indeed a marvellous sight.

It was our last day in a Sri Lanka and it was our day out in the financial and commercial city of Sri Lanka . Colombo with its natural harbour is a bustling city to visit, which in recent times have become a must see stop in Sri Lanka. The previous evening we had surveyed the city on foot for a couple of hours covering the Town Hall and Victoria Memorial and found the city roads well maintained and one could feel the neatness around. We began our last day by visiting the Gangaramaya  Temple a mix of Sri Lankan, Indian, Thai and Chinese architecture, the Independence square and finally Galle face green the Marine drive of Sri Lanka which is also known as the playground of the Colombians.

It was time to leave for the airport to catch a flight back home. The tear shaped jewel had charmed us, the people a perfect host to millions of tourist around the world. With happiness index of Sri Lanka improving with each passing year, we are sure that more and more tourists  would visit this fascinating country . The place had an lasting impression on us and we are very sure that someday we again will be back to enjoy the hospitality of the Srilankises.