Mini retirement in Polonnaruwa

We took a Polonnaruwa bound bus @4.15 am from Colombo and reached our destination around 10.30 am. There are buses working in half an hourly basis and they are really fast! (Otherwise, how could we cover a span of 240.km in six hours? Don’t forget there are traffics in major cities like Kurunegala and ever busy junctions like Peliyagoda. After reaching Pololnnaruwa, the next bus to catch was Diyasenpura which is starting from Kaduruwela. We learnt that the bus is not working regularly. However, we were lucky enough to catch the bus leaving from 11.00am at the hospital junction. Our destination was the Lankapura Maha Vidyalaya where one of our friends teaching there. First thing which noticed of the school children was the simplicity of their lifestyle. I wish I could go to school again, this time to a school like this where children do not know about a competition and rivalry. Instead, they help each other and living like brothers and sisters of a closely knitted family. The principal and teachers are treating them like their own children. They seem to know about every individual child personally and would do anything to help a child to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

School premises; a heaven under the scorching sun

Somawathie Temple

We hired a van from Lankapura and drove through beautiful surroundings on our way to Somawathie temple which is 25km from Lankapura. There were small villages where multi ethnic groups living in harmony and the next; it was the beautiful greenish paddy fields far as the eyes can see. On the next, a huge reservoir nourishing the paddy fields and finally, it was a thick jungle where we saw bunches of peacocks like crows in the streets of Colombo.

A lake;  on the way

On the way to Somawathie Temple

 We saw a wild elephant on the way. He seemed a little nervous by our presence and shied away deeper into the jungle. Somawathie temple is located in the middle of Somawathie natural reserve and there is a road leading to Seruvila some 54.km away. We went to see the newly built bridge for the purpose of getting to the other side of the mighty Mahaweli River.

Somawathie Stupa

Statues circling the stupa

Sun down in juxtapose with statues

At Somawathie, constructions were under way to some buildings of new rest houses for both bhikkus and for devotees. All the new buildings were built raised above the ground level and connected with a network of bridges, probably to get away from the wild elephants that come to worship the sthupa. We saw an elephant very nearby to the temple. He seemed oblivious to the constructions and the human presence, and was peacefully munching some leaves.

Coming back

We spent the night in a temple in Lankapura with the courtesy of the chief incumbent thera. We had dinner at one of our friend’s place and the dinner was mostly filled with pleasant conversations of their agricultural lifestyle.

Village tour

On the next day, we had a bicycle tour around the village and breathed in the beauty of the village life with paddy fields. We were able to talk to few farmers. 

Paddy fields with saplings

Early morning dew drops on the saplings

Hut and the coconut tree, posing nicely for the photograph

They were very genuine and even though we were strangers from the city, they treated us like their own neighbours. After having breakfast back at the temple, we packed our bags to explore our next place on our way back home.

Parakrama Samudraya

One has to pass the Polonnaruwa town and take a left along a canal which carrying the water from the Parakrama Samudraya reservoir. Even though we were under scorching sun, we never felt it because we were mesmerized by the beauty and the vastness of the lake. The environment was so calm and quite other than the gentle lapping of the waves. 

Parakrama Samudraya

Parakrama Samudraya 2

We met a lonely elderly gentleman who came to catch some fish for his meal. There was a canoe, puddled by able young men and our old gentleman explained how they catch fish laying a net and trapping a herd of fish. He further said it is for commercial purpose. We took some photographs of him trying in vain to catch a fish which he hadn’t succeeded on the past 2-3 hours since he came to the lake. We wished him luck and long-life and bid farewell. He taught that the life is not always fair, but we felt that it is still good.

Our old gentleman - the dark sky shows the uncertainty of the weather; a catch for this poor person is equally uncertain, just like the sky

Waiting all alone for a fish to catch his bait, the empty space above the water supports his loneliness. 

Exploring the ancient city

The rest of the day was spent on exploring the ruins of ancient city of Polonnarwa era. It is a sad fact to see a proper conservation is not being carried out as we saw some ancient brick walls strewn on either side of the main road and vendors have converted them into makeshift stalls.

A dead tree, still doing it's duty; making a wonderful scenery

A pond, well preserved. Please let us protect these!!

Reclining Buddha statue at the Gal Viharaya - never losing the tranquility

Road is free and open for a ride!!!

The best thing you could do is to hire a bicycle which you could afford for a maximum Rs.350 per day and you can take your time and roam around the ruins.

We took a bus around 3.00 pm and reached Colombo by 8.30 pm

Summing up

It was a wonderful travelling experience, being away from the busy city and stay two days with serene village life. It will be in our memories for the rest of our lives. The people in the village are surprisingly genuine and do not have high hopes. Their lifestyle is so simple and they seem enjoying the simplicity of their lives to the fullest. They further convinced us there are a lot of things money cannot buy and as people from the city, we envy them on every single moment spent in their tranquil lives. 

Galle Fort

It is the most easily accessible and one of the most remarkable hotspots in travelling. The ancient city of Galle is so popular because of the Dutch fort surrounding magnificent buildings dated back in the sixteen hundreds. If you are interested in the architecture, photography and the sea breeze all together, there is no place else than the Galle Fort.

Thanks to the Southern Expressway, you can reach Galle in one and half hours. However, we decided to take our same old Galle Road and the plan was to use the highway for the return journey. If you are getting there by bus, the final stopping point of the bus is near the fort. When you entered  through the ancient, but still strong stone walls, you will find yourself in a place like in  Hollywood movies. There are enormous numbers of alleys connected together making a network. The best way is to take one of the alleys leading to the right and get to the clock tower and circle along the fort.

Entrance to the Fort

There is a staircase leading to the outer part of the fort and it is a vantage point to view the entire city of Galle on one side and the breath-taking ocean on the other. You can walk along the outer fort all the way near to the lighthouse standing almost on the opposite side of the outer fort. On the way you will come across great shooting angles of the ocean which is as blue and clear as the sky above. There are even places where you can scale down the fort and dip into the sea. It is advisable to do this only when the sea is calm as there were no lifeguards present around the vicinity.

View of one of the land sides

Scenic view from the Fort

Scenic view from the Fort 2

Lighthouse

Walk along the outer fort will have to be discontinued at the lighthouse and you can take any of the many alleys leading to whatever place you want to be. The buildings and the surroundings are so beautiful you may not want to leave the place in a hurry. Other important hangout you must visit is the Marine museum and Dutch museum. The latter is a privately owned one but the entrance is free. The former requires 500/= to 625/= if you are a foreigner.

The Dutch Museum consists of various types of pottery, cutlery, ancient utensils, stones, weapons and even there are people doing old deeds such as knitting using Beeralu. The other museum is the Marine museum which is  a state owned one and the building itself is over 300 years old where it was a warehouse during the Dutch period. If you are interested in history, there are detailed descriptions on the artefacts.  Another magnificent building we came across was the All Saints Church. It is also more than 300 years old building but standing tall against all the other buildings like it is the god that serves the others.

Traditional crafts (live in action) - Dutch Museum

A Raft (Marine Museum)

Replica of an ancient ship. A cross section of it's hull lies nearby (Marine Museum)

Bodhisathwa statue (Marine Museum)

Apart from that, the place is full of souvenir shops and dining places. The target customers are the foreigners in most of these businesses. Therefore, the price of the products/services offered is a little bit on the higher side J

Richmond Castle

It is a castle situated in Palathota, Kaluthara which is approximately 2km from Kaluthara town. If you are travelling from Colombo, you have to take a right from the clock tower junction. There is a bus (Kethhena) which is not reliable, as it is working only on an hourly basis. There are three wheelers you can hire for a fair price. You can purchase a ticket at the entrance and later you’ll have to hand it over to the guardian in-charge.

The castle was built in a land of 46 acres bordering Kalu Ganga on the back. If you are travelling on your own vehicle, you can take it near the castle after a half a kilometre drive under the shade of rubber cultivation.

Entrance is on the right side of the castle and you will be warmly welcomed by a representative from the Department of Public Trustee. If you are taking photographs, you need to update your particulars in a log book. Then, you’ll be given a detailed description of the history of the castle and the Mudaliyar who built it. The founder, a tycoon named Nanayakkara Rajawasala Appuhamilage Don Arthur De Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardena Pandikara Mudaliyar had built this castle after witnessing an eye catching sight of a castle in India. He had requested to share the technology and the architecture from the owner of the Indian castle. However, his request was turned down sarcastically saying that a Ceylonese cannot afford that much of money to build such a masterpiece. The determined Mudaliyar had sent a set of Sri Lankan architects to India and they have studied the castle from the outside and came up with blue prints their version. Only lime and sand has been used as local raw materials. Teak and other wood have been imported from Burma; marbles and tiles were imported from India and glasses, steel and iron were imported from UK and Italy. Two ship loads of timber have been used to build this and all the imported materials were shipped from their respective countries and transported via Kalu ganga to the construction site.

Front View

Back view

Side view

All the decorations on the wood were done locally and the artwork is belonging to Kandyan era. At the main entrance to the castle, the floor is made of marble and for conservation purposes; you are not allowed to step on. Also the magnificent staircase directing to the upstairs is restricted to use. ( It looks so beautiful, strong and well preserved, one can think it will last for another 100 years!!). There is another staircase which is used by the servants and you can use it to ascend the upstairs, which consists of bedrooms and office rooms in which, photographs of memorable events of the Mudaliyars were on display. Most of them are their wedding photos. There stands a portrait of the Mudaliyar at the entrance of the balcony and the uniqueness of the creation is, from viewed in different angles, it looks like the Mudaliyar is staring straight back at you.

Mudaliyar's mystery portrait

Staircase leading upstairs on either side

One important fact from his days for us to be proud as Sri Lankans was at his time, he had donated 2,500 rupees with an ambulance to the queen of England for the treatments of the wounded soldiers at the World War I.

Another wondrous fact about the castle was the glasses of all the windows and doors look dark from the outside but from the inside, it’s laden with decorations and we can see the outside from the inside but not the other way. The castle consisted of a concert hall for musical and dancing purposes and Mudaliyar and his wife had watched the entertainment events from the balcony which can be accessed from a spiral staircase from the side of the castle. There had been an air ventilation system which leads to Kalu ganga where the wind from the same will get transferred to the concert hall.

Glass Decorations

Wooden and glass artwork

The difference between a castle and an ancestral house is in castles, the end of the roof cannot be seen in any angle of the building whereas is houses, it is not. The front garden is strewn with statues of children as the Mudaliyar loved them but had none. He loved specially boys and on his last will, he had stated that this place is to be used as a recreational centre for boys. That proves the story of the statues too. The boys’ statues were facing the direction of the castle whereas the girls’ were looking away or down. That means the Mudaliyar had rejected girls. The Mudaliyar’s family life had been shattered probably due to issues with not having children and subsequently they have separated. The wife, Mrs. Silva Wijesinghe had gone back to her parents at Colombo and lived there until she died on 1970 s. The Mudaliyar had donated all his wealth including the castle and the property to the government and lived in the Queens hotel, Kandy. He had succumbed to a heart attack in 1946. As per his last will, the Richmond Castle now is an orphanage to boys who have guardians but poverty stricken. They stay in rooms which the servants’ quarters used to be. The rooms at the ground floor are now used as Montessori classrooms. However, in Montessoris, both the girls and boys have the eligibility to study.

Garden

Girls' statues facing out

Girls' statues facing out

A valuable lesson we can get into our lives from Mudaliyar’s last days was there are things that money cannot buy. It is obvious that even with a majestic mansion and loads of wealth, Mudaliyar’s life had not been a happy and content one. That is why all these properties are now owned by the government and we have access to this splendid creation. Otherwise, the castle may still owned by the next generation of Silva Wijesinghes’ with all the pride and majesty.

Yapahuwa

The easiest and most convenient way of reaching to Yapahuwa by public transport is using the train. You have to get down from Maho junction. There is a train leaving for Vavniya (Yaal Devi) on 5.45am from Colombo Fort. It will take you to Maho by around 8.40 am. From there, you have to take Galtamwewa bus and it’ll be a 20 minutes ride. You will easily find the place to get down as the Yapahuwa rock could be seen and sign boards are placed by the main road.

Before you commence your hike up to the rock, we suggest you to visit the small museum down by the car park. There is a friendly and talkative caretaker from the Dept. of Archaeology who gives you ample amount of information about the history and present condition of the once magnificent kingdom.

Yapahuwa was only a kingdom for 12 years but a lot has been done for that short period of time. (We don’t have to describe, go see it for yourself) The only king ruled during this period was the King Buwanekabahu. There, you will see the evidences of proof that our ancestors were a great nation of stone craftsmen. There is a unique artefact which could be seen on the entrance which used to be a ventilation panel of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, where the sacred tooth relic kept at the era of the King Buwanekabahu. The most significant feature of the ventilation panel is the pierced carving stone plaque and you will see neat rows of cravings of swans, horses and Dharma Chakras. There are exactly the same cravings on the flip side of the stone board. This ventilation panels have been placed on either sides of the entrance to the Dalada Maligawa. The other panel is at the Colombo National Museum, we learnt. There is a board saying “No Photographs” so we obliged by the rules.

There was a military leader named “Yasa” in the Polonnaruwa era and he had been living on this rock and that time and when the King Buwanekabahu came into power, it was named as Yasa Pawwa (Pawwa means rock in Sinhalese) and then it transformed to Yaha Pawwa and then to Yapahuwa. We got all these information thanks to our friendly curator. He is more than willing to share his knowledge and experience with you, but do not linger there for so long as the sun is so hot in this area and it’ll make your climb a daunting task.

There were ruins of water canals from the outer parts of the fortress and those have been used for protection of the fortress. At the base, there is a temple and at the entrance you could see a fully blossomed Sal tree enchanting the air with its pleasant fragrance. We would advise you not to go to the bottom of the tree as there are huge Sal nuts and normally it weighs around 7kg! A falling nut can even kill you.

Then comes the most important part of the journey. Climbing up… The steps are steep and it almost rises to an angle of 70 degrees.  If you focus intensely and keep your balance well, it will be a piece of cake but there is a hand rail for support if you are not confident enough. After the steep climb, you’ll see the most fascinating part of the journey. It is the beautiful stone cravings of the entrance to a once Dalada Maligawa. The most significant of those is the lions on either side of the entrance. It is so popular and once it was used on a 10 rupee note in Sri Lanka. The replicas of these can be seen often in entrances in Sri Lankan houses. We later learnt that during British colonial period, one of the lions was shot by a British as he mistakenly identified it as a lively beast of a lion. The crafts on either side are so precise and symmetric and it will give you great angles for photography so that you can keep your cameras busy and take a rest. Then you can resume your uphill journey. The rest of the climb is not so easy and the steps are steep and not uniform. However, we are sure the climb is much easier now than the bygone era. Our ancestors were much stronger than us and the steps must have been built accordingly. The climb is a great exercise for thighs and knees and it’s a fat killer too. You’ll be sweating profusely under the scorching sun and humid weather. There are no winds to dry off your sweat so you’ll have to use your hankies.

On the top of the rock, there are some ruins of the king’s palace and a dagoba. Also there is a pond that used to supply water and now it is in a sorry state with murky water. There is a little place to rest at the top but there is a nice cave which can hold around 20 at a time, just below the top of the rock. There is ample space to sit and have a sip of water.

Climbing down is as difficult as the climbing up as you need to concentrate and control your footsteps. The stairs are steep and you’ll be pulled down effortlessly by the gravitational force. You specially have to focus on your rhythm of movement. If you are not holding on to a support, one miss step, you’ll be on the bottom of the stairs in no time…

You can have your lunch at the Maho town. We later learnt that Maho is famous for Pol Rotti which we didn’t have a chance to try out. So when you visit, make sure you give it a go. There are trains heading to Colombo on 12.50 pm (intercity coming from Batticoloa) and a slow train leaves at 1.00 pm. If you missed both, then next train will be at 4.00 pm. Well, if you want to spend more time at Yapahuwa or Maho, you have that luxury too. 

Delgamuwa Raja Maha Viharaya

This is another ancient temple in Kuruwita in which the sacred tooth relic had been hidden from Portogese in a grinding stone. The stone is still protected safely inside the temple after more than 500 years. The vicinity surrounding the temple had been invaded by human habitats and most of the temple had been rebuilt. However, the majesty of the bygone era is still remains in the architecture.

Diwaguhawa

This is another ancient cave situated in Rathnapura district not far from Batadombalena. This cave is known as Batathotalena and  Bagawalena too. This is a sacred place where devotees coming all across the country to worship and get blessings. It is also one of the sixteen most sacred places (solosmasthana) in Sri Lanka. If you are going in a vehicle, you have to park it on the vehicle park at the bottom of the mountain in which the cave located. You will have to take a steep path to go up and it is not so difficult as the steps are built on most of the journey up. There are various types of vendors on either side of the path begging you to buy something from them. You don't have to worry about them as you can buy anything you want on the way back. Why carry an extra weight on an uphill journey?? At the time when we visit there, a construction was on progress to build up a resting house for the monks. As a contribution, you can take a can of concrete stones up. We suggest you to take one (or two if you can) up. It's a great deed and good measure to check your fitness level!

As you enter the cave, first thing you feel is the dampness inside the air and the floor. It is due to the water coming down from the top of the cave. The water is collected on to a pond in which a statue of a huge frog is built in the middle. 

 There is a set of people who act as guardians of the cave temple and when you go inside, you will be able to listen to a lecture in Sinhalese about the history of the cave. An excerpt of his lecture is as follows.

"When the lord Buddha had visited Sri Lanka on Kelaniya, he also paid his blessings on the Adam's peak, mostly known as Sri Padaya. On the way back, to subside his fatigue, he rested himself with another 500 monks in this cave. He did it in the noon time and hence the name derived as Divaguhawa (the cave of the noon). 
After that, King Nissankamalla from the Polonnaruwa era had built a Buddha statue here and after some time, this cave has been lost in the jungle without a human touch. According to a myth, at the era of king Nissankamalla, there had been a visit of a king Lambakarna from India and he was accompanied by an Anthahpuraya ( a group of wives for the king). There was one wife who was so fond of king Nissankamalla and when the other wives got to know this, they bad mouthed to the king against this woman. The king had killed her and later she had born as a demon and lived in this cave preventing from anyone entering the cave premises. 

After that, in 15th October 1995, most venerable Balangoda Ananda Maithree thera had discovered this place, covered in a thick jungle. Another myth says at the time of discovery, there had been problems from demons and some supernatural forces. Also on the pond below, there were thousands of frogs forming a barrier to enter into this place. Later, the thera had built a statue of a large frog and performed an alms giving for 100 monks and 50 Silmanis and then only the evil forces ceased. As a tribute to Balangoda Ananda Maithree Thera, there is a statue of himself inside. "

There is a Ghantara ( a huge bell) and the sri pada mountain is visible on this vantage point. You may ring the bell similar to the times you have visited the sri pada. 

There is a shrine inside the cave and a reclining Buddha statue which belongs to Polonnaruwa era.It has been refurbished several times. The outer walls of the shrine is covered with paintings which belongs to an era under which Sri Lanka has been under English invasion. This is what I observed by looking at the paintings specially the one below. It has an inscription saying Buddha Warsha 2450 which says year 1906 which was under British ruling. Therefore, this cave had been discovered for some period of time between Polonnaruwa era and the present.