Sri Lanka Galleries

Sri Lanaka BEST Short 50 : to see ALL of my Sri Lanka photos, click here: http://ericjohnsonvik.smugmug.com/Sri%20Lanka and for my personal "snapshots" go here: http://ericjohnsonvik.smugmug.com/gallery/7956811_QH9j4#516918738_NTTcL

Sri Lanaka BEST Short 50

to see ALL of my Sri Lanka photos, click here: http://ericjohnsonvik. ...

Updated: May 16, 2009 12:26am PST

Sri Lanka BEST Long 100 : to see ALL of my Sri Lanka photos, click here: http://ericjohnsonvik.smugmug.com/Sri%20Lanka and for my personal "snapshots" go here: http://ericjohnsonvik.smugmug.com/gallery/7956811_QH9j4#516918738_NTTcL

Sri Lanka BEST Long 100

to see ALL of my Sri Lanka photos, click here: http://ericjohnsonvik. ...

Updated: May 16, 2009 12:25am PST

Colombo : Colombo is the largest city and former administrative capital of Sri Lanka. Located on the west coast of the island, Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins and a city population of 647,000 (2001), metro area 5,648,000 (2006). The name "Colombo", first introduced by the Portuguese in 1505, is believed to be derived from the classical Sinhalese name Kolon thota, meaning "port on the river Kelani". It has also been suggested that the name may be derived from the Sinhalese name Kola-amba-thota which means "Harbour with leafy mango trees". Due to its large harbor and its strategic position along the East-West sea trade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. However it was only made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, and its status as capital was retained when the nation became independent in 1948. In 1978, administrative functions were moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Colombo

Colombo is the largest city and former administrative capital of Sri L ...

Updated: Apr 18, 2009 5:38pm PST

Negombo : Negombo is a beach town of about 65,000, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport. Negombo has a small port, and its economy is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry. though it also produces ceramics and brass ware.

Negombo

Negombo is a beach town of about 65,000, approximately 37 km north of ...

Updated: Apr 18, 2009 6:15pm PST

Kandy : Kandy is the English name for the city of Maha Nuvara (Senkadagalapura) in the centre of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Central Province and Kandy District. It lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy Valley which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is a cultural and religious center of Sri Lanka and is one of the country's most scenic cities.

Kandy

Kandy is the English name for the city of Maha Nuvara (Senkadagalapura ...

Updated: Apr 20, 2009 12:47pm PST

Temple of the Sacred Tooth : The Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a temple in the city of Kandy. It was built within the royal palace complex which houses a relic of Buddha, a tooth, which is venerated by Buddhists. The relic has played an important role in the local politics since ancient times. It was believed that whoever held the relic held the governance of the country, which caused the ancient kings to protect it with great effort. Kandy was the capital of the Sinhalese kings. Kings from 1592 to 1815, fortified the terrain of the mountains and made difficult to approach Kandy. The city is a world heritage site declared by UNESCO, in part due to the temple. Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily ritual worship in the inner chamber of the temple, in annual rotation. They conduct these services three times a day: at dawn, at noon and in the evening. On Wednesdays there is a symbolic bathing of the Sacred Relic with an herbal preparation made from scented water and flagrant flowers. This holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed among those present. During an annual festival known as the Esala Perahera, the ritual of bringing out the relic of Buddha began in the eighteenth century. A gold casket containing the tooth rides on a royal male elephant. During the procession, eighty elephants join in. Dancers colorfully swirl torches to fend of curses, the total number of dancers reaching 3,500. The procession goes on for ten days. The Temple has sustained damage from multiple bombings by terrorists. The first deadly attack was carried out by JVP (Janatha Vimukthy Peramuna), a Singhalese Buddhists terrorist outfit which has now entered into parliamentary politics, split into JVP and NFF, in the late 1980s. On January 25, 1998, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists carried out a deadly suicide attack inside the temple, killing 8 civilians and leaving 25 others injured, as well as significant damage to the temple structure. Fortunately, the temple has been fully restored each time.

Temple of the Sacred Tooth

The Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a t ...

Updated: Apr 19, 2009 10:52am PST

Elephant Orphanage : Elephants come down to the river every morning to "bathe," though most of them look dirtier when they leave (having thrown dirt and mud on their back to keep cool.) Tourists can sit in a restaurant to watch. Hopefully, the $12 admission goes towards the elephants' care.

Elephant Orphanage

Elephants come down to the river every morning to "bathe," though most ...

Updated: Apr 19, 2009 5:40am PST

Botanical Gardens & Countryside : Peradeniya, The Royal Botanical Garden, is located in close proximity to the city of Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is renowned for the collection of over 300 varieties Orchids, as well as spices, medicinal plants and palms trees. The origins of the Botanic Gardens dates as far back as 1371 when King Wickramabahu III ascended the thrown and kept court at Peradeniya. A temple was build on this location by King Wimala Dharma but it was destroyed by the British when they were given control over the Kandyan Kingdom. There after the ground work for a Botanical Garden were formed by Mr Alexandar Moon in 1821

Botanical Gardens & Countryside

Peradeniya, The Royal Botanical Garden, is located in close proximity ...

Updated: Apr 20, 2009 10:52am PST

Sigiria : Sigiriya (Lion's rock) is an ancient rock fortress and castle/palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. It is a popular tourist destination, also known for its ancient paintings (frescos), very similar to those in the Ajanta Caves of India. Sigiraya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka. Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric times. It was used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the Buddhist Sangha. The garden and palace were built by King Kasyapa. Following King Kasyapa's death, it was again a monastery complex up to about the 14th century, after which it was abandoned. The ruins were discovered in 1907 by British explorer John Still. The Sigiri inscriptions were deciphered by the archaeologist Senarath Paranavithana who published a renowned two volume work, published by Oxford, known as "Sigiri Graffiti". He also wrote the popular book "Story of Sigiriya". The Mahavamsa, the ancient historical record of Sri Lanka, describes King Kasyapa as the son of King Dhatusena. Kasyapa murdered his father by walling him alive and then usurping the throne which rightfully belonged to his younger half- brother Mogallana, Dhatusena's son by the true queen. Mogallana fled to India to escape being assassinated by Kasyapa, but vowed revenge. In India he raised an army with the intention of returning and retaking the throne of Sri Lanka which was rightfully his. Knowing the inevitable return of Mogallana, Kasyapa is said to have built his palace on the summit of Sigiriya as a fortress and pleasure palace. Seventeen years later, Mogallana finally arrived and declared war. Chronicles and lore say that the battle-elephant on which Kasyapa was mounted changed the course just to get to a better fighting position, but the army misinterpreted it as the King fleeing. Thereafter the army abandoned the king altogether, and he committed suicide by falling on his sword. Moggallana returned the capital to Anuradapura and turned Sigiriya into a monastery complex. from wikipedia

Sigiria

Sigiriya (Lion's rock) is an ancient rock fortress and castle/palace r ...

Updated: Apr 19, 2009 6:30pm PST

Sri Maha Bodhi Tree -"Oldest Living Tree" : This Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka is believed to have been propagated from the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha sat when he reached enlightenment. According to the Mahavamsa, the Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka was planted in 288 BC, making it the oldest verified specimen of any angiosperm. In this year (the twelfth year of King Asoka's reign) the right branch of the Bodhi tree was brought by Sanghamittā to Anurādhapura and placed by Devānāmpiyatissa in the Mahāmeghavana. The Buddha, on his death bed, had resolved five things, one being that the branch which should be taken to Ceylon should detach itself. From Gayā, the branch was taken to Pātaliputta, thence to Tāmalittī, where it was placed in a ship and taken to Jambukola, across the sea; finally it arrived at Anuradhapura.

Sri Maha Bodhi Tree -"Oldest Living Tree"

This Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka is believed to have been pr ...

Updated: Apr 20, 2009 10:40am PST

Dambulla Cave Temple : The Dambulla Cave Temple represents one of the oldest sites for Buddhist monasticism, with a history as a pilgrimage site for twenty-two centuries. Buddhist monks carved the caves out from rock. The cave monastery has been a sacred pilgrimage site since its founding. It has five sanctuaries, including the Cave of the Divine King, Cave of the Great Kings, Great New Monastery, and two lesser caves of more recent creation. The caves, in continuous use for more than two millenniums, have been developed in stages. Dambulla Cave Temple (also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla) is located in central Sri Lanka, 72 kilometers (45 mi) north of Kandy. The largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, the rock from which the caves were carved towers 160 meters (520 ft) over the surrounding plains. More than eighty caves have been discovered and documented in the area. Major attractions are spread over five caves which contain statues and paintings of Lord Buddha and his life. A total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses also stand in the site. The murals found there cover an area of 2,100 square meters (22604 sq ft). Depictions on the walls of the caves include Buddha's temptation by Mara and Buddha's first sermon. UNESCO designated the Golden Temple of Dambulla a World Heritage Site in 1991.

Dambulla Cave Temple

The Dambulla Cave Temple represents one of the oldest sites for Buddhi ...

Updated: Apr 19, 2009 6:14pm PST

Anuradhpura : Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization. The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya. From the 4th century BC, it was the capital of Sri Lanka until the beginning of the 11th century AD. During this period it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. The ancient city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over sixteen square miles (40 km²). Anuradhapura is also significant in Hindu legend as the fabled capital of the Asura King Ravana in the Ramayana. Anuradhapura attained its highest magnificence about the commencement of the Christian era. The city had some of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world, situated in the dry zone of the country the administration built many tanks to irrigate the land. Most of these tanks still survive. The ruins consist of three classes of buildings, dagobas, monastic buildings, and pokunas. The dagobas are bell-shaped masses of masonry, varying from a few feet to over 1100 ft (340 m) in circumference. Some of them contain enough masonry to build a town for twenty-five thousand inhabitants. Remains of the monastic buildings are to be found in every direction in the shape of raised stone platforms, foundations and stone pillars. The most famous is the Brazen Palace erected by King Dutugamunu about 164 BC. The pokunas are bathing-tanks or tanks for the supply of drinking water, which are scattered everywhere through the jungle. The city also contains a sacred Bo-Tree, which is said to date back to the year 245 BC.

Anuradhpura

Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for i ...

Updated: Apr 20, 2009 9:16am PST

Polonnaruwa : The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 CE to reunite the country once more under a local leader. While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa is considered significant, the real Polonnaruwa Hero of the history books is actually his grandson, Parakramabahu I. The city Polonnaruwa was also called as Jananathamangalam during the short Chola reign. It was his reign that is considered the Golden Age of Polonnaruwa, when trade and agriculture flourished under the patronage of the King, who was adamant that no drop of water falling from the heavens was to be wasted, and each be used toward the development of the land; hence, irrigation systems far superior to those of the Anuradhapura Age were constructed during Parakramabahu's reign, systems which to this day supply the water necessary for paddy cultivation during the scorching dry season in the east of the country. The greatest of these systems, of course is the Parakrama Samudraya or the Sea of Parakrama, a tank so vast that it is often mistaken for the ocean. It is of such a width that it is impossible to stand upon one shore and view the other side, and it encircles the main city like a ribbon, being both a defensive border against intruders and the lifeline of the people in times of peace. The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa was completely self-sufficient during King Parakramabahu's reign.

Polonnaruwa

The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first ...

Updated: Apr 20, 2009 9:32am PST

Hindu Temple :

Hindu Temple

Updated: Apr 19, 2009 6:35am PST

Dance Class : My friend Utkarsh put me in touch with his friend Visha who runs a dance school in Colombo. She invited me and my friends to a dance rehearsal at St. Mary's church.

Dance Class

My friend Utkarsh put me in touch with his friend Visha who runs a dan ...

Updated: Apr 18, 2009 8:42pm PST