Alu Vihare Matale

S

oon after king Walagamba regained his capital the Buddhist texts were for the first time reduced to writing, with the commentaries. This was about twenty years before our era: for four countries they had been handed down orally from teacher to pupil. Now five hundred monks met recited the texts and agreed on an acceptable version, and wrote them on leaves of the Talipot-Palm.

Traditionally this was at the Aluvihare, near Matale like most tradition s it is contested, but the temple is worth visiting for itself. Ceylon specializes in rock-temple: none I think surpasses this one in extravagant beauty. Not placid elegance but a purer landscape. And this because most of the rock temples nest confidingly like swallows under the overhang of rounded boulders. Here huge shape-edged gneiss rocks were thrown one on another when a baby giant tired of his toys, and the buildings cower below them.

There is a little to see except the rocks. There are some wall paintings: Most of them are modern and bad. On the other hand the little modern bell-arch is at least simple, and its gentle curves contrast attractively with the rocks, like a small confident bird in a crocodile’s mouth.

Where the five hundred monks assembled to record the next is a puzzle. There is one flat space, but it would not seat five hundred, nor even stand them: many must have perched themselves on rock edges and in rock-crevices, like a flock of golden birds. And how did they work, I wonder? Probably one elder, famed for his knowledge of the texts, would recite slowly while sweating monk-scribe wrote with iron style on a palm leaf strips. Then a doubt might arise, one of the five hundred rising in his place to catch the eye of the presiding arch-abbot & suggest a variant reading.

It must have taken years. The texts alone are said to be eleven times the length of the bible, to say nothing of the commentaries. Many million foot prints must have worth the steps which climb from the road. Lots and lots of steps but not steps ones, and well shaded. Halmilla was there, and Daluk, and much of what I thought were ferns but was later assured were mere imitations. A flock of Munias burst like a brown explosion from one grove as I intruded for a photo graph. One of Ceylon sudden small boys usefully warned me as I began to push into the thorny entanglement. Be careful, that Dulak juice will kill your eyes.  He correctly shouted.  It would have been only too easy to get some on a hand in breaking on to be strong, square sectioned branches and the rub & sweat-pestered eye.

One thing you will notice this temple, as I did its entire spotlessness. Ceylon temples are always clean, the paths & courtyards well-swept. This one is exceptionally tidy, so much so that my foot prints seemed intrusions and I felt like asking for a palm- leaf branch to sweep them away. Matale used to be an aristocratic district and handicrafts, for the aristocracy flourished. Tennent and Cave mention ivory-carving, metal-chasing for ceremonial swords, fine grass matting, lacquer, now only the last seems to survive, and this not at the town but in a village some miles 

Esala Perahera (Kandy Perahera)

When the Esala moon beckons in the late July or early August, the city of old lives again as the festival most beloved of the sinhala Buddhist,  the perahara, one of the most magnificient torch-light spectacles anywhere in the world, takes to thr street of Kandy. The town of Kandy itself puts on a bewitching face as the floodlit Maligawa & the twinkling lights of homes on the hil slopes are reflected on the waters of the laka against the sombre, mystical darkness of the surronding hills. The hushed expectancy of the massed thousands of ordinary people on the procession route, as the boom of the ancient Maligawa cannon signals the start of procession, weds the people once again to the faith, pageantry and devotion of a baygone age.

The perahara festival has actually begon days earlier when on the day after the new moon in the month of July, an " Ehala" tree is cut and kap planted in each devala as a vow that the perahara in honour of the four deities, Natha, guardian of the city, vishnu, protector of the land, kataragama, God of victory and Pattini, Goddes of purity, will be held. According to the " Mahavamsa" these gods were regarded by all the people as the fountain of prospertity. Procession are conducted with in the " davale" premises with the devala kapruka carrying the Ran Ayudha, the weapons of the deities, for five days around the kap prepared on the ground and decorated with leaves, flowers and fruits.

On the sixth night the peraharas of the four devales form in the Deva sanhinda, hallowed by the devas, and go round the outer court of the four devales for five days in what is called the Kumbal perahara. After these ceremonies the " Maha" or Randoli perahara parades the streets of kandy for five days in magnificient splendour bringing divine protection to the people and the land. Randoli, meaning the queens' palanquins, were carried along side the elephants till the year 1775 when king Kirti Sri brought in the Maligawa perahara into the procession & decreed that the palanquins should come at the end of the perahara as females could not ride alongside the sacred relic. The palanquins are now a symbol of the consorts of the deities though there is reason to believe that roya queens actually rode in them during the perahara.

On the last night of the Randoli, the perahara, after returning to the Dalada Maligawa, goes back to the "adhahana maluwa", after which the devale procession return to the respective devales. In the early hours of the morning they go out again to thr river at Getambe for the " Diyakapum Mangalliya". At sunrise each devale kapurala pluges in a golden goblet to receive the water of the river as they cleave the water with the golden swords of thr deities in an act of purification. The goblets of water are then taken back to the respective devales in solemn procession to remain there till the Esala moon beckons the kapuralas once again
On the return form the river there is a brief pause at the Gana Devi Kovila. The chettys of the Gana Devi Kovila had the traditional duty of supplying the lights for the perahara. 

The festival is brought to a close on the following day when the Maligawa perahera, bringing back the golden casket from the Adhana maluwa, is joined by the devala peraharas for a last parade on the streets after which it goes three times around the Dalanda Maligawa square. The Maligawa elephant with stately dignity & aware of the solemnity of, the occassion mounts of the Maligawa steps where the Diyawadana Nilame & the Basnayake Nilames of the devales await him. The relic casket is returned to the hands of the Diyawadana Nilame in all solemnity. If not for the tired temple nilames, at least for this stately animal it is a moment of sadness. He partakes of a little kiri-bath fed to him by a Maligawa retainer & prostrates himself in worship, before the shrine. Some say they have seen the tears in his eyes as he withdraws. He weeps not only for the end of tge great festival but also, perahara on this solemn occassion for the inevitable doom that faces the stately living emblem of this land.

It was practice at the close of the festival for the chief to be received by the king, to whom after paying due obeisance, they report the completion of the festival according to the ancient rituals & the prescribed ceremonial. This custom continued during the british period. As.a farewell benediction, pirit is chanted in the devales and merit offered to the gods whilst, at thr Vishnu devale, a walli Yakum is performed to ward off the evil eye.

The " Mahavamsa" relates that people of strange countries and men skilled in divers tongues, and numerous artificers and handicraftsmen also took part in the procession. Robert Knox described perahara time thus.

The street also all made clean, and on both sides along the street poles stuck up with flags and pennons hanging at the tops of them, and adorned with boughts and branches of the coker nut trees hanging like fringes, and lighted lamps all along on both sides of the streets, both by day and night.

Next after the God and their attendance go some thousands of ladies and gentlewomen such as are of the best sort of the inhabitants of the land, arrayed in the bravest manner that their ability can afford, and so go hand in hand, three in a row: at which time all the beauties of zelone in their bravey do go to attend upon their gods in their progress about the city.

Lankathilaka

T

he image house lankathilaka, in polonnaruwa, the beauty spot of lanka as the name suggests was built by king Parakramabahu, (1153-1186) lying on the South of Kiri Vehera with a huge standing Buddha statue with a height of forty one feet. But, only its torso now stands. This Buddha statue is set against a screen wall. A narrow passage appears just there. The lankathilaka inner shrine measures 26 feet in length by 13ft 6 on breadth. On either side of the passage, the floor has been raised to a height of 2ft 4 in and on these raised aisles have been planted stone pillars, square in section with capitals. On each side are 17 free standing pillars which must have supported the upper storey, a wooden construction.

 It is from the vestibule that two flights of stairs lead up, north & south, to the upper floor. The lankathilaka image house is ornamented with relief of buildings in the niches. The facades are ornamented with geese & leogriphs. The chronicle describes the appearance of the building & says that it was a charming images house of five storey adorned with ornaments of flowers & creepers, and with figures of gods & brahmas and embellished with buildings, turrets, grottoes, apartments & halls, space  was provided by the architects to view the Buddha image without any interruption from the main entrance a feature that gives a majestic appearance to the lankathilaka image house is the two polygonal piers which flank the main entrance. Though the preserved fragment of the present piers is 58 ft each in height, the original must have been nearly double. The exterior walls are articulated by four fictitious strays separated by strongly moulded cornices & divided by pilasters in to decorative panels ornamented by representation of pavilions, all delicately sculpted in brick with a fine coating of stucco.

The brick built image house of lankathilaka with the standing Buddha images also image also made out of brick was built by king parakramabahu probably on a site of an earlier temple. In front of the lankathilaka is a pillared “mandapa” on a stylobate 36ft 6 in squre from which bays 18ft 6 in by a ft. were thrown out on all four sides. There are 40 stone pillars & they are chastely carved.

An inscription on the inner side wall of the south balustrade of the image house record that this monument was repaired later by king vijayabahu iv between 1270-1272 AD.

Knuckles Mountain Range

The KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE (so-called because its appearance resembles a set of knuckles in a closed fist) is a major eco tourism venue of Sri Lanka and has been declared a conservation area, now known as the KNUCKLES NATIONAL HERITAGE AND WILDERNESS AREA .

The region stretches an impressive 155 sq km that contains five major forest formations, a wide variety of rare and endemic flora and fauna and some breathtaking mountain scenery of Sri Lanka . It is a real paradise for those who love to hike or mountain bike , offering numerous mountainous trails that journey across clear rivers, through dense forests, past flowing waterfalls and lush tea plantations, and alongside terraced paddy fields and colourful Kandyan home gardens. The chance to visit traditional small mountain villages in the area gives an interesting insight into the close-knit atmosphere that such a local community fosters and provides a welcome departure from fast-paced modern day life.

Location Type

:

Hill Country

Distance From Airport

:

205 Km (6.30 hour drive)

Attractions

:

Knuckles Mountain Range, Waterfalls, Lush Tea Plantations, Rivers, Forests,

Wales Park

View from the Wales Park

Once a protected forest of the Hantane mountain range, later a summer palace of Kandyan kings, then a military post of the British, today Rajawasala Park or Wace Park as it is popularly known in Kandy has become a lovers' paradise.

'Please observe strict discipline' reads a sign at the entrance to the park . But the couples who seek refuge here pay little heed. So acute is the problem that residents of the area, also known as Castle Hill refuse to visit the park. One young lady of 28 who lives in the vicinity says she is embarrassed to be even seen walking past.

The park has a colourful history which deserves mention. Located next to Hillwood College, Kandy, the site was originally selected by King Dharmasuriya I for his palace. Later Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe, the last king of Kandy made it his summer palace. With the fall of the Kandyan kingdom, the British took over the palace, using it as a military post. Its vantage point overlooking the city was no doubt, a factor in this choice. The area became known as Flagstaff Hill due to the barracks being situated there.

In 1887, the then Mayor of Kandy Herbert Wace decided to restore the neglected site and built a park in remembrance.

Today only a Japanese gun placed at the entrance to the park, gives a hint of its old associations. The gun captured in Burma by the British was presented to the Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia, Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten by the soldiers in appreciation of his kindness. That apart, the only other clues to its past are a few stone tiles and carvings.

"This has been a focal point in our history where kings as well as British commanders took decisions and fought while defending a place of exotic history," says Dr. Nihal Karunaratne, researcher and resident of the area. Dr. Karunaratne is also the author of many publications on Kandy

Udawattakele

The Sanctuary in the heart of Kandy with a Royal touch

Udawatta Kele Sanctuary or the Royal Forest Park of Kandy is siuated on the hillside behind the Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Tooth Relic. This forest extents about 257 acres and is considered to be a vital Bio reserve for the much populated Kandy City. Centuries back, area surrounding Kandy had been a Rain Forest and the human settlements took place during the era of King Panditha Parakramabahu (1302-1326 AD) and in 1371 AD, King Wickramabahu made Kandy his Kingdom. During this era Kandy was called as "Senkadagala". This name came into being due to a Brahmin named Senkanda, who lived in a cave at Udawattakele during that era. During the Kandyan Kingdom, this forest area behind the palace was called " Uda wasala watta" or the 'Upper Palace Garden' frequented by the royalty and was out of bound to the people. Since the downfall of the Kandyan Kingdom in 1815, this forest area started to loose it's pristine condition due to wood cutting etc.

The condition of the forest deteriorated due to human activities and in 1856, the Government declared it as a Forest Reserve and later in 1938, it was made a sanctuary. The Kandy Lake gets it's water resourses mainly from this forest's catchment areas. This precious forest area supplies the much needed air purification activity to the Kandy city which is enclaved by several hills.

The forest is rich with vegetation consisting with canopy, sub canopy and an underground layer. The dense plant life restricts sunlight reaching the ground soil surface. The underground layer mostly consists of the seedlings of the canopy layer species and creepers that reaches to the top of caopy layer trees. There is a giant 200 to 300 years old "Pus Wela" or 'Entada pusaetha' liana in the forest.

The important places in Udawatta Kele are the The water Pond, Highest peak "Kodimale", The Senkanda Cave, and the Garrison cemetery. There are also several Buddhist temples and hermitages inside the forest reserve.

Some of the Tree species found in the forest are 'Acronychia pedunculata' (Ankenda) ,Adenanthera pavonina (Madatiya), Aleurites moluccana (Tel kekuna), Antidesma bunius (Karawala Kebella).

Cinnamon

From the dawn of commercial navigation, the Romans, Arabs & Chinese sailed this islands-Galle And Jaffna being ports on the silk routes to acquire its fabulous merchandise such as ivory, ebony, tortoise-shell, pearls & gems. Furthermore the island’s spices were in demand, particularly cinnamon, obtained from an endemic species, cinnamomum zeylanicum which has historical been considered the world’s finest: a gift fit for a monarch or a god in ancient times. Pliny the elder, during the first century AD, wrote that a mere 350 grams of cinnamon was equal in value to five kilograms of silver. Trade in it was such that Michel Boyn (1652) revealed : “there were to be seen in the Persian gulf 400 Chinese vessels laden with zeilan ( Ceylon/Sri lanka) cinnamon, species & other goods.”

“Zeilan cinnamon”, such a moniker was accurate, fro even today this spice is giving the same geographic identity in the spice trade, namely “ Ceylon Cinnamon”, and its fine quality is reflected by its grade, “True Cinnamon” the bark is paper thin, brittle, yellowish brown in colour, and highly fragrant; far superior to common cinnamon varieties such as Cinnamon Cassia, known popularly as “Cassia”, which is grown throughout Southeast Asia and has provided competition for Ceylon cinnamon down the centuries due to its economical price.

Despites such advantages, the island’s cinnamon was not cultivated with commercial intent in earlier times ‘it grows wild in the woods as other trees, by them no more esteemed”, explained Robert knox (1681). “the wood which they burn is cinnamon,’ commented Ralph Fitch( 1589), although it was often extracted from the fire due to its overpowering reek.

Cinnamon-Kurundu in Sinhala, pattai in Tamil- was a royal monopoly and therefore brought no gain to the villagers. Nevertheless, it was-and is added to vegetable, fish and meat curries and also administrated in the indigenous herbal medicine hela-veda, and later in India –imported ayurveda, to relieve, as knox put it, “ Aches and pains”- more specifically in the abdomen and respiratory system. Cinnamon certainly has antibacterial and antifungal properties and act as a carminative & restorative. Moreover, recent studies suggest it may be beneficial in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, arthritis & cholesterol.

The arrival in 1505 of the Portuguese, the first European colonists, ended the non-commercial cultivation of cinnamon as they recognized the production and subsequently became the first European to trade in true cinnamon . the spice was precious enough for Portugal and Holland to engage in battle to control its trade, and in 1656 the Dutch seized the island, which was by then the world’s largest cinnamon supplier. The Dutch east Indian company substainlly increased cultivation, and cinnamon became the main purpose of the Dutch presence in the island. “ The shores of the island are full of it”. a Dutch captain enthused, “and it is the best in all the orient: downwind of the island, one can still smell cinnamon eight leagues out to sea.”

Such an incredible olfactory experience became a widely- known traveler’s  tale, although it has been suggested that it was hoax perpetrated by ships’ crew on passengers-seeker of the exotic- with the clandestine application of cinnamon oil somewhere onboard. Nevertheless, the spices was cultivated exclusively on the islands’ western & southwestern seaboard, an ideal hot & wet habitat, along which ships made their approach from the west to the ports of Galle & Colombo. Even the environs of colombo once comprised large cinnamon groves, as is evident from the name cinnamon gardens, now applied to the prime residential district. 

Ceylon cinnamon is a tropical evergreen tree of the laurel family that can grow up to seven metres in height. The ovate leaves with their five highly visible veins are the most remarkable aspect. When young they are cherry like in color, which then turns to lime green & finally dark green. They are particularly shiny, and have a thick texture that makes them rustle in seasonal winds. Blossom time I eagerly await, when the white, spicily-fragrant flowers attract myriad birds & bees. But it is only when I cut unruly branches that I experience the authentic smell of cinnamon.

When cultivated cinnamon trees are pruned two years after being planted, which produce “tillering’, an abundant growth of bark-yielding shoots. Harvesting starts when the trees are over three years old & takes place twice a year following the rainy seasons when the wetted bark is more easily stripped. Nevertheless, it is an intricate process, traditionally carried out by members of the salgama caste who have no connection with growers.

The shoots are cut, scraped with a blade to remove the rough outer bank and then rubbed with a brass block to smooth the inner bark. A curved knife called kokaththa is used to make two parallel cuts on the shoot after which the peeler man oeuvres the inner bark free in one piece. The next stage involves the pieces of bark being rolled together, a method called “telescoping”. Then they are air dried indoors & curled to resemble fine, papery quills. Finally after being sun-dried, they are trimmed precisely to 106.7cm (42 inches), the length specified by the world cinnamon market. And packed in 45kg cylindrical bales.

Sri Lanka products more than four-fifths of the worlds’ output of the true grade of the spice, other exporters being china, Indian & Vietnam. Despite such overwhelming dominance in the world market, cinnamon was considered a minor export crop in comparison to tea due to its small land coverage. But in 2011, Sri Lanka unveiled pure Ceylon cinnamon, the country’s second national brand, the first being pure Ceylon tea.

The main importer of pure Ceylon cinnamon is Mexico, where it is used extensively in the preparation of chocolate. Elsewhere, especially in Europe and America, it is employed to flavor desserts such as apple pie, doughnuts and buns, as well as tea. Cocoa and liqueurs. It is also employed in America to flavor cereals, bread-based dishes and fruits. In the middle east it is the used in savoury dishes of chicken and lamb, and cinnamon powder is used in soups, drinks & sweets.

So the next time you purchase cinnamon ensure that it is the best the world produces-pure Ceylon cinnamon, the cinnamon-and discover why humanity has prized its unsurpassed flavor and aroma from time immemorial. 

The Wooden Bridge Of Bogoda

Bogoda Raja Maha Viharaya is most famous for its Wooden Bridge of the Kandyan Era. This bridge (popularly known as Bogoda Bridge) is built over the Gallanda Oya river which is a tributary of Mahaweli River and is only surviving bridge of such nature of this Era. The bridge initially made out wood without a single nail was in a very depleted state few years ago. This has been now renovated by Department of Archaeology. This bridge is thought to be lying on one of the ancient pilgrims paths from Kandy Kindom to the Uva province where there is a large number of important Buddhist shrines such as Muthiyanganaya. Another unique feature of the bridge is that this bridge comes with a roof clad in flat tiles of the Kandyan Period. The reason for this is unknown but it is thought that the bridge would havde been serving as Ambalama in addition to the main function.

Just at the bridge is a ancient cave temple with the image house buit using a natural rock cave. This date back to the time of King Vattagamini Abaya (better known as King Walagamba) in the 1st century BC but the current building belong to the Kandyan Era. On the far side of the building is a flight of steps which leads to a large rock cave. King Walagamba is though to have been using this cave during time he was hiding from a Indian Invasion in Capital Anuradhapura. On a side of the cave is is a damp tunnel. This is said to be a secret tunnel built by the king to as a escape route. This tunnel is said to be connecting to the tunnel at Dowa Raja Maha Viharaya which lies on the main Badulla – Bandarawela Road. and the Rawana Raja maha Viharaya close to the Ravana Ella . 

About Kandyan Dancer

Lavishly costumed performers leap & swirl in frenzies of acrobatic movements. Their feel bounce off the ground in intricate patterns that reflect the complex rhythms of drum beats. Hips swing, hands swag, shoulders shrug. Heads, heavy with mask or make-up, tilt torsos, fringed with frills & fancy ornaments, move constantly such is the essence of dance & drama in Sri Lanka. In all its verve & colour, it dazzles the eye & excites the senses. It remotely resembles two forms of classical Indian dancing. The bharatha natyam & Kathakali. But the dances of Sri Lanka are inimitable inventions of the Sinhalese & soul, Unique in the repertories of the world.

THE ELEMENT OF SINHALESE DANCE

The famous Sanskrit treatise on dance & music composed by the sage bharata, sometimes between 2^nd century B.C & the 3^rd century A.D, distinguishes between a pure dance from (nritta), expressive dance (nritya) & drama (natya) by bharatha’s definition, Sinhalese dance can be considered (nritta), Which fit into the category of ‘’Nritya’’.

The two Indian dance forms are primarily employed as media for story-telling & for expressing a wide variety of emotions through the use of symbolic gestures & facial expressions familiar to the audience. In contrast Sinhalese dancing. Relies on the use of symbolic body movement’s expert foot work & strenuous acrobatics to tell its tales.

Bharata also classified dance into two other categories: tandava, its vigorous, masculine manifestations, & lasya, the graceful, feminine form. Sinhalese dancing more closely fits the description of tandava, since it is usually performed by males who can do justice to its dynamism.

Sinhalese dance separates neatly into two stykes, ‘’ Low country dancing’’ refers to the form practiced throughout the coastal belt south of Colombo; this is often broadly called ‘’devil dancing’’ because of its exorcist nature. ‘’ Up country’’ also known as the Kandy school flourishes in the provinces of the former Kandyan Kingdom.

While both forms exhibit the vigorous movements common to all dances in Sri Lanka, Kandyan dancing has been taught to girls as well as boys. Today it is often performed, particularly for tourists. By women – a development that has softened some of the masculine moves integral to a successful performance.

THE KOHOMBAOF KANDY

Both forms of Sinhalese dancing originated in the folk rituals of the island & still exhibit those roots. The dances of kandy date back to the rituals of god khomba, an all-night ceremony for the purpose of appeasing that god & his spiritual associates.

The aesthetics of kandyan dance, and the meaning of its movements, can be most fully appreciated during performances in its original setting: The khomba kankariya, an assortment of ceremonies in honour of komba. In a magnificently decorated pavilion, about 50 dancers fill the stage. Attired in frilled costumes – their beads & breast plates glistening light of torches – the dancers pirouette, skip & whirl to the beat of 10 drums, executing astonishing acrobatics in midair.

The performance culminates in a gesture of obeisance performed with hands folded in worship before the altar of the god. In this scenario, the dancer doubles as a shaman or priest. The yakdessa who has express his devotion to his god in terms of rhythm & movements.

Such ritual dance gave rise to a kind of secular dance entertainment known as vannama. As the appellation suggests, these are descriptive dances manned after the animals & birds whose movements they mimic. In theory, it appears this form denotes a leap from nritta to nritya. In reality the form remains pure rather than expressive dance.

The ‘’Vannama’’ usually marks only a superficial attempt to portray the movements of the animal or bird for which it is named. The gajaga vannama or dance of the elephant is a perfect example of this idiosyncrasy. The dancer begins by singing the ‘’Song of the elephant’’. The words describe a fabulous beats that has eight long tusks & 16 trunks & lives in heaven as he sings, the dancer moves his arms in the sweeping style characteristic of kandyan dance. He does littlie actual dance. The slow, dignified rhythm of the song suggests the majestic gait of the elephant. But when the song ends, the dancer vaults into action, bounding & bouncing to a frenzied rhythm in a manner that bears no resemblance what so ever to the lumbering gait of an elephant.

The other 17 traditional vannams follow the same peculiar patters. The opening rhythm imitates the trot of gallop of a horse or the swoop of a hawk, but the dance that follows leaves the beat being in a delirious fit of pure, ecstatic movement. Interludes of vannama dancing often accompany performance of a traditional kohomba kankariya. Dancers from various schools that practice differing interpretations of the vannama often compete with another during these sessions, providing exhibitions of rare virtuosity.

Kandyan dance can be enjoyed in all its primitive grandeur at the esala perahara, the annual festival in Kandy.

Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya

Peradeniya is km from Kandy, on the Colombo road. It was a royal seat for a short period before Kandy -became the capital. The famous botanical gardens & the university, in a beautiful setting, are on the banks of the Mahaweli River. During the reign of King Kirthi Sri Raja Singha (1747-82), what is now the botanical gardens was a royal residence e& park. Gnnoruwa, a village on the other side of the river reached by a suspension bridge, was the sense of much fighting between the Portuguese & the kandyans. In 1636, a Portuguese army of 27000 sacked Kandy but was surrounded & defeated by King Raja Singha ii (1620-87). Gannoruwa was also the site of the rest house for distinguished foreigners who visited the king in Kandy. From the ceremonial processions formed up. The larger part of Gannoruwa is now taken up by an agricultural experimental station.

In 1821, six years after the fall of the kandyan kingdom, the botanical gardens of about 607029 sq m were opened. They are 472.4m above sea level & have a mean annual temperature of 21.11’ centigrade. The golden age of the gardens began in, 1848 with the appointment of “Henry Kendrick Thwaites, aged 37 as director. In his time the coffee blight hit Ceylon. But he had foreseen it & recommended the planting of the tea shrubs, thus rescuing the Ceylon planting industry from the shattering blow it had received.

The morning hours between eight & ten & the afternoon between four & six are the best times to see the gardens. At the main entrance, on the Kandy side, are a striking row of the plants known as “The Queen of the Flowering Trees” (Amherst Mobiles). During the chief flowering season, between November & April, they yield graceful sprays of vermilion & yellow flowers. On either side of the gate are two handsome specimens of the “Flame Tree” of Madagascar, introduce to Ceylon in 1841.

From here the visitors can take many walks. The spice collecting with the nutmeg grove, is only a few yards from the gate. Cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, pimento, bay, vanilla, pepper & aromatic grasses may be seen here.

The floricultural section & fernery are also by in the lawn are colorful beds planted with caladiums, spatheglottis, gerbera, helianthus, cannas, chrysanthemums, etc. the fernery, which was originally laid down in 1861 has since been extended & improved.

The orchid house is entered through an archway draped by a creeper of thumbergia. (Cinderella Slipper). Within are represented many genera of orchids both indigenous & exotic, & hybrids: dendrobium, cattleys, Vanda, phalanenopsis, caelogyme, oncidium, stanhopea, aerides, etc.

Three sides of the garden are surrounded by the Mahaweli River. Looking down the river at one point the Hantane peak rises partly framed by a clump of giant bamboos. Experiments show that they grow as much as two feet in a single night.

The avenue of the royal palms is much admired & photographed by visitors. These were planted in 1905 & now present a graceful feature of the gardens. The cabbage palm is a native panamas.

Many varieties of birds are to be found in the gardens, though the heavy foliage hides them. Squirrels go bouncing over the grass while butterflies flourish. The deep cool shade & endless variety of trees growing with space for each to develop in its natural shape make a lasting impression on the visitor.

“Probably no spot in Ceylon” writes Bella Sidney Woolf in how to see Ceylon, “had made more admiration been lavished on it that the peradeniya gardens. “ An earthly Paradise” is in fact non too extravagant a description. Apart from their historical & botanical interest, the gardens stand unrivalled in the natural style of gardening which has ousted the formal gardens. It is a case of “Nature unadorned adorned the most”

Flowers known to western climes are grown in many gardens in Ceylon: roses, geraniums, violets, sweet peas, arum lilies, foxgloves, lobelias, among them. They flourish best in higher altitude retaining their authentic colors. But everywhere , untended one finds magnolias, oleanders, ixoras, Jasmines, rhododendron (above 1524m), frangipani (temple flowers) , hibiscus, lantana & lotus above all pink & white lotus.

There is a great variety of flowering trees & shrubs. Some are deciduous & develop their blossoms when bare of foliage. (e.g. Katu imbul, with large, fleshy, bright red flowers )while others such as amherstia & spathodea are in their full glory of foliage & blossom simultaneously.

The cassias, jacaranda, golden moor (Poinciana) frangipani (temple trees),tabubias & iron wood (a- Gaha) are to be seen lining streets even in Colombo as well as in gardens.

In a later chapter reference will be made to the botanical gardens at Hakgala, the orchid collection of which are also notable. For a small island of its size, Ceylon is rich in orchids. They comprise its third largest natural order of flowering plants both in genera (over 60 different families) & of species & three of the genera are endemic to Ceylon. About two thirds of the Ceylon orchids are epiphytes, growing on rocks of trees. Which they use only for support & not for nourishment. The remainders are ground orchids. The orchids are distributed over the island according to climate zone which may be roughly demarcated according to altitude & humidity: a hot lowland zone from sea-level up to about 1500feet; a cool highland zone covering the hill country, from about 3500 feet to 8000 feet and midland zone an area of intermediate temperature between these two zones.

Among the orchids endemic to Ceylon is the wesak orchid (Dendrobium macarthiae). It is usually violet pink , rarely white & grows in the hot , humid, shady forests of “Sabaragamuwa Province”. A rare albino variety of these orchids is known as the “Bak Mala (Bak Flower) because it blooms in April or the Month of “Bak”. A popular low country orchids is the dove or pigeon orchid (Dendrobium Crumenatum) it is pure white

The Ceylon vandas prefer the less rainy areas of the low lands, where they flower in profusion. Vanda tessellate is said to be the only grey orchid in the world. It carries branching clusters of large fragrant, slate-grey or greenish grey flowers with purple lips. The foxtail orchids in one of the hardiest species in the low country. Defying droughts it produces very handsome drooping trusses of closely packed white florets, splashed with purple. The majority of ground orchids grow in damp, shady jungles in the higher elevations of the midlands & the highlands.  The handsomest of these is the star orchids which has a distribution from 762m to 2133m. stout erect flower spikes bear a succession of showy star shaped flowers about 3inches across, reddish brown, suffused with purplish orange in front, greenish yellow behind with large trumpet-shaped lips.

The daffodil orchids (ipsea speciosa) is an endemic species which grows in open grassy patinas around “ Haputala, Diyathalawa & N.I. The fragrant bright golden flowers are seen in profusion in March or April. The lily of the valley ( white flowers on purple stalks) also flourish in the montane zone.

In the intermediate zone we come across the wana-raja (aneectichilus regalis) which bears beautiful velvety bronze leaves with golden veins. The flowers however are inconspicuous.

About Asala Perahera Kandy

Asala

Next full moon day is Asala. This is the anniversary of the Buddhas preaching his first sermon, the turning of the wheel of the law. Monks preach sermons recalling this event, which began the Buddha’s ministry Asala is also the beginning of the rains retreat (In Sinhala Vas)

Processing of the month of Asala (July/August)

In the latter half of the month of Asala occurs the “Asala Perahara” (Processing of the month of Asala), the most spectacular ceremony in the Sri Lanka calendar. It is hard to know whether to call it religious: Though it is certainly performed by Buddhists, It is rather religion national. Monks take no part in it. Though they are allowed to watch. It consists of conducting the Buddha’s tooth relic through the streets of Kandy. Kandy was the capital of the Sinhalese kingdom of the sixteenth to the early nineteenth century CE, and to be regarded as legitimate a Sinhalese king had to control the tooth relic. The purpose of the processing was thus mainly to display the king’s power legitimacy (Under a show of piety).

It is really an amalgamation of five processions, one for each of the four guardian deities of Ceylon, Which proceed- and thus conduct the tooth relic itself. Caparisoned elephants, in numerable dancers, Drummers & Waving firebrands make this a world – famous tourist attraction, & local people too flock to see it.

Temple of the Tooth Relic (Dalada Maligawa) ශ්‍රී දළදා මාලිගාව

Sri Dalada Maligawa (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී දළදා මාළිගාව   http://www.sridaladamaligawa.com/) or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple.

Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are performed three times daily: 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 fragrant flowers, called Nanumura Mangallaya. This holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed among those present.

History

After the parinirvana of Gautama Buddha, the tooth relic was preserved in Kalinga and smuggled to the island by Princess Hemamali and her husband, Prince Dantha on the instructions of her father King Guhasiva.They landed in the island in Lankapattana during the reign of King Kirthi Sri Meghavarna (301-328) and handed over the tooth relic. The king enshrined it Meghagiri Vihara (present day Isurumuniya) in Anuradhapura. Safeguard of the relic was a responsibility of the monarch, therefore over the years the custodianship of relic became to symbolize the right to rule. Therefore reigning monarchs built the tooth relic temples quite close to their royal residences, as was the case during the times Princess Hemamali and Prince Dantha of Anuradhapura,Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa and Kurunegala kingdoms. During the era of Kingdom of Gampola the relic was housed in Niyamgampaya Vihara. It is reported in the messenger poems such as Hamsa, Gira, and Selalihini that the temple of tooth relic was situated within the city of Kotte when the kingdom was established there During the reign of King Dharmapala, the relic kept hidden in Delgamuwa Vihara, Ratnapura in a grinding stone.It was brought to Kandy by Hiripitiye Diyawadana Rala and Devanagala Rathnalankara Thera. King Vimaladharmasuriya I built a two storey building to deposit the tooth relic and the building is now gone.In 1603 when the Portuguese invaded Kandy, it was carried to Meda Mahanuwara in Dumbara. It was recovered in the time of Râjasimha II and it has been reported that he reinstate the original building or has built a new temple.The present day temple of the tooth was built by Vira Narendra Sinha.The octagonal Patthirippuwa and moat was added during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. Famous Kandyan architect Devandra Mulacharin is credited with building the Patthirippuwa. Originally it was used by the kings for recreational activities and later it was offered to the tooth relic. Now it is an oriental library. Although it was heavily damaged in the 1998 terrorist attack it has restored to its previous state.

Esala Perahera (the festival of the tooth)

Esala Perahera (the festival of the tooth) is the grand festival of Esala held in Sri Lanka. It is very grand with elegant costumes. Happening in July or August in Kandy, it has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist festival consisting of dances and nicely decorated elephants. There are fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances. The elephants are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional 'diya-kepeema'.

#2 Most Popular Location | Kandy Overview

This sacred Buddhist site, popularly known as the city of Senkadagalapura, was the last capital of the Sinhala kings whose patronage enabled the Dinahala culture to flourish for more than 2,500 years until the occupation of Sri Lanka by the British in 1815. It is also the site of the Temple of the Tooth Relic (the sacred tooth of the Buddha), which is a famous pilgrimage site.

Kandy is situated 488 meters above sea level and was Sri Lanka's capital in the 16th century. Today, it is known as a city of culture and beauty, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

There is a scenic lake in the middle of the city, opposite the Temple of the Tooth. 

A regular train service runs between the present capital of Colombo and Kandy. It can also be reached by bus or car from other towns in Sri Lanka.