10 historical & world heritage places in Sri Lanka
Do you know Sri Lanka? It is an enchanted Island in the Indian Ocean. Also known as the “pearl” in Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka is a heaven for sun lovers. Sri Lanka has been able to captivate local and foreign tourist with its warm winds, irrigation system, historical places, animal sanctuaries, forests and waterfalls from all over the country. Sri Lanka’s name has been around the word since patt because of its fascinating places and its history.
In this article, you will get a short overview of top ten most historical and beautiful places in Sri Lanka. This list includes that you love with an accompanying destination worth exploring.
10) Mihinthalaya
·Important facts
The land we known as Mihinthalaya consist of several hills namely ‘Mihinthala mountain’, ‘Eth Wehera mountain’ and ‘Rajagiri mountain’. The main hill here is ‘Mihinthala mountain’ where the great Stupa is located. ‘Eth Wehera mountain’ is a hill that stretches from ‘Mihinthala mountain’. ‘Rajagiri’ is a mountain range consisting of a group of caves to the south of the junction that turns into the ‘Kaludiya Pond’. This Mihinthala area is spread over an area of 450 acres. Mihinthala is also known as ‘Missaka Pabbata’ in the Mahawanshaya and ‘Missaka Giri’ in the Deepawanshaya.
·Location
https://goo.gl/maps/oKnuZ3TDpiKJQwFh9
09) Lankathilaka house of statue
·Important facts
This was done by King Parakramabahu the Great between 1153–1186 AD. This is the largest statue house in Polonnaruwa. This is about 100 feet in height. What makes this special is that it also has an upstairs. Its wooden roof is no longer visible. This statue house consists of 3 parts, the ‘garba gruhaya’, the interior and the entrance hall. This is a building made of bricks. A standing Buddha statue can be seen in this statue house. The height of the Buddha statue is 42 feet. This is also a brick finished.
·Location
https://goo.gl/maps/7U9B47eHjWYuPf5ZA
08) Twin Pond — ‘Kuttam Pokuna’
·Important facts
This was done by King Agbo I. This was built for the convenience of the monks. The ponds are constructed using a pair of polished stones. The smaller pond is called the “North Pond” and the larger pond is called the “Southern Pond”. The north pond is 91 feet long. Depth 17 feet. There are 20 steps to go down from the north pond. The south pond is 132 feet long. Depth 17 feet. There are 18 steps to go down. The water required for this pond is supplied from the tanks through pipelines. The water brought from the pipe falls into a small pond through a dragon’s mouth. Water flows from a small pond to a large pond through a pipe below ground level. When the water thus filled becomes dirty, the dirty water from both ponds is discharged through the overflow gate of the small pond.
·Location
https://goo.gl/maps/A7QM1DTjNgkdEoDAA
07) Aukana Buddha Statue
·Important facts
This is a standing statue. The height of this statue is 38 feet 10 inches. 46 feet high with chair. The sole of the foot of the statue is set on a stone padma. The lotus flower is 3 feet 110 inches high. The diameter is 15 feet 3 inches. The left elbow of this statue is bent upwards and raised to shoulder level. The fingers are raised straight up so that the windmill on its right is facing forward. This represents the seal of Abhaya. Dharma shows a form of preaching. The left shoulder is elevated to the level at which the robe is held. Here the right shoulder is open but the left shoulder is completely covered by the robe. The corrugated left-handed robe of the Aukana Buddha statue is dug inside to show the shape of the body. The ripples falling from the top are bent near the base and lifted upwards. Underneath the raised robe is the fringeThe Aukana Statue is one of the largest undamaged Buddha statues in Sri Lanka.
·Location
https://goo.gl/maps/wLDTunNj3g6MDExFA
06) Yapahuwa
·Important facts
Yapahuwa is a natural rock. General Subha has built a natural rock fort at Yapahuwa. Hence the name ‘Subha Pabbata’, ‘Subha Giriya’. King Buwanekabahu choosed Yapahuwa his capital and built his palace on top of this rock. The ruins of that palace can still be seen today.
Yapahuwa Temple of the Tooth — Only the foundation can be seen today. King Buwanekabahu created Yapahuwa as a beautiful city. The staircase leading to the Temple of the Tooth is an ideal part of a temple. This staircase is designed to look like a straight ladder. Yapahuwa lion statues are world famous. These lions are carved to resemble a lion half standing up in a fit of rage.
·location
https://goo.gl/maps/gE2YsqHUGHJJENd39
05) Isurumuniya Temple
·History:
Isurumuniya temple, a world-famous shrine builds during the Anuradhapura era, dates back to the reign of King Pathis II . It was named “Isurumuniya” because of the ordination of 500 children of the caste including Price Aritta. Also, this temple known as “Isiramana”, “Issara Smanaka”and “Bo Upulwan Kasup Giri Rajamaha Wehera”. There is a temple connected to a cave and above, it is a rock. An image of a horse is also carved on the rock. The carving of the “Isurumuni pemyuwala” have been carved elsewhere and later fixed at that place.
·Location
https://goo.gl/maps/xL76PkZW2sgN63Ur6
·Other facts:
This temple is famous for its stone carvings. These carvings were created under a semi-advanced technique.
I) Carving of a couple. : This carving is made in a semi-elevated
(Pemyuwala ketayama) style on a square stone slab. Today it can
be seen in Isurumuni Museum.
According to Senarath Paranavithana, this depicts Prince Saliya and Ashokamala.
II) Elephant carving : This is carved into the rock near the water
(Ath rupa ketayama) level of the pond below the entrance to the
temple. It shows a group of elephants happy
to receive water.
04) Ruwanweli Maha Seya
·History
This Ruwanweli Se Dagaba is located in Anuradhapura which has become the oldest sacred city of the Buddhists. It was built by King Dhutugemunu. The Mahawanshaya states that the Seya was built on a lake called Kubukwewa and that this lake was filled during the reign of King Lajjitissa.
·Location
https://goo.gl/maps/jJV1tSU2ouBUQ1JZ9
·Other facts
The main fact that we have to concern is the technology that past engineers used to build the foundation of the temple. Temple is about 370 feet in diameter. It has a very strong foundation so that it does not sink. The foundation is 7 cubits deep. This is 17.5 feet by modern measurements. First, a large piece of limestone is crushed into a mortar and then ground into a mortar and pestle. On top of that, stones and Kuruwindha stones have been placed and tightened as before. The Mahawanshaya states that they had laid stones on it again, put mercury, divul latu (the gum created using guava tree) , sesame oil and Rathsiriyal and had plastered a mortar and a silver ribbon on it.
03) Lowamahapaya
·History
During the reign of King Dhutugemunu, this was done with nine floors. King Dhutugemunu gathered the Maha Sangha at the Mahamevna Uyana and said “Nuba wahanselata mama dhivya mandirayak samana u prasadayak karawannemi. Dhivya lokayata weda ehi aakara salasmak maa wetha genwa dena sekwa” (English translation : I will make an edifice temple for you. Go to the heaven and bring me such a plan). The Mahawanshaya states that eight Arahants went to the Thawthisa heaven and recorded the plan of the divine plane of the god named Bharani and that is how the Lowamahapaya was built.
·Location
https://goo.gl/maps/515ak4XKEiWtzQ2MA
·Other facts
This is a new apartment building. It is called Lowamahapaya because the roof was made of copper tiles. Downstairs there are guided monks, Tripitakamonks on the second floor, Sovan and Anagami monks on the third and fourth floors, Anagami monks on the seventh floor and Arahants on the sixth floor to the ninth floor. The two upper floors were made of wood. Recent excavations by the Archaeological Department have revealed the remains of Kitul or Palmyra wood, which confirms that the upper floors were made of wood. It has 1600 stone pillars .The building is square and 400 feet long on one side. Today, the basement and stone pillars can still be seen.
02) Temple of tooth — Dhalada Maligawa
·History
The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy can be described as the most valuable work of art in Kandyan architecture. The Temple of the Tooth was formerly known as the ‘Dhalada Geya’ and later ‘Dhalada Maligawa’ is in use, as many of the kings who ruled the country led the country in this area.
·Location
https://goo.gl/maps/RYzwtv5NZZ9rDhgMA
·Other facts
The Temple of Tooth Relic, which is the pinnacle of the Buddhist community all over the world with its unique cultural value, is characterized by architectural features, upcountry features as well as ancient Dhalada Maligawaarchitectural features The Temple of the Tooth, which is a living creation, is adorned with carvings of silver, ivory and brass.
01) Sigiriya — The Lion Rock
•History:
The Sigiriya Complex is built around a 600 feet high mountain. It was the famous art gallery and palace of King Kasyapa who ruled in the 5th century. Rock gardens, similar to the rock gardens of the Far East, amaze with their craftsmanship. The Sigiriya murals, which are a replica of oriental art, and the Sigiriya graffiti carved on the stone wall have made Sigiriya world-renowned. This was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982.
•Location:
https://goo.gl/maps/k5mZY6V279RnmarW9
·Other facts:
®Arts
Sigiriya paintings are prominent in the study of worldly art in Sri Lanka. At present we find only a small number of paintings in Sigiriya. In addition, paintings have been found at other heritage places in Sri Lanka. The torso of the “Sukumala Lalanawa” is the subject of their paintings by Sigiriya artists, and the female figures are drawn to come from the clouds. The Sigiriya paintings are created by couples and individuals, with golden lions at the waist, and blue lions tied to a breast.
The uniqueness of the Sigiriya murals is that they are only slightly smaller than human figures, with only nude images above the waist. Local materials were used in the drawing, and the most common in the dry zone was used for color processing. That is, cow’s milk, spider clay, Ranawara etc. The artist has not tried to portray nature in painting, but has been able to bring in dark light through colors and bring out the three-dimensionality of the images. Also, the Sigiriya paintings look like painted figures in the distance due to the manipulation of the oil palm according to the body shapes.
®Architecture and technology
Sigiriya landscape and architecture is a prime example of urban planning in the first millennium. The landscaping is considered to be very elegant and meticulous. In designing, the concept of alignment and non-alignment seems to have been combined by carefully observing the geometric design and the location of the surrounding natural objects. They were developed using an underground water pressure system, some of which are still in operation today. To the south of the rock is a man-made reservoir. Such reservoirs have previously been used extensively in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. There are five gates at the entrance to Sigiriya. It is built with an architectural design. Sigiriya is also a fort. Sigiriya consists of water forts, forest forts, mountain forts etc.
®Different opinions on Sigiriya paintings
I) Opinion of Mr. H.C.P. Bell:
These caves depict golden women as the court ladies of King Kasyapa and blue women as their maids. Mr. Winston Smith also endorsed this view.
II) Ananda Coomaraswamy’s opinion:
As the Sigiriya paintings show only the upper part, as well as the appearance of clouds, they are not the women of the Sigiriya inner city, and the divine maidens come to the top of the Sigiriya rock with their maids and shower flowers.