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.