The Rajagala Monastery is a sacred site in which history dates back to the Advent of Arhath Mahinda Thera. This place is in the Uhana area of the Ampara District in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. The archaeological excavation is still underway and it is one of the largest archaeological sites in Sri Lanka with 1025 acres. The rock inscription found here regarding the Arhat Mahinda Thera is the most valued inscription of archaeological interest. According to the archaeological discoveries, the area had been inhabited from the prehistoric times. You can read more about this site from the external links given below. Read more...

Meemure is a village in Kandy district in Central province of  Sri Lanka. It is located near the border between Kandy District and Matale District in the Knuckles Mountain Range. The village is rich with natural beauty. The Lakegala mountain, which is part of the Knuckles Mountain Range is also located in Meemure. According to the legend, Lakegala is the place King Ravana landed his historical airplane called Dandu Monara. Read more...

Buduruwagala is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Monaragala District of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. The Sinhalese name “Buduruwagala” has the meaning of “the rock of Buddhist Sculpture”. As the name suggests, the main attraction of this site is the rock with seven statues including the tallest standing Buddha statue in Sri Lanka. The standing Buddha image sculptured at the center is 51 feet tall, making it the tallest in Sri Lanka.  On the right of the Standing Buddha image are the sculptures of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisatva, Goddess Tara, Prince Sudhana and on the left are the sculptures of Maitree Bodhisatva, Read more...

The Bahirawakanda Buddha Statue can be seen from many places of the Kandy City. The statue is 88 feet in height. The temple is located 1km away from the Kandy Clock tower (2km away from Sri Dalanda Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic)). Read more...

The Udawalawa National Park is very popular among visitors for Sri Lankan elephants. Visitors can see elephants at any time of the day. The park was declared as a national park in 1972 and it covers about 30,821 hectares of land. It lies in the Monaragala District of Uva Province and Ratnapura District of Sabaragamuwa Province. Animal Life Grizzled Giant Squirrel   Elephants Buffalos Birds Udawalawa Reservoir Udawalawa Reservoir External Links Department of Wildlife Conservation > National Parks Map of Protected Areas in Sri Lanka   Read more...

This image house is located in the Dalada Maluwa premises in Polonnaruwa District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Although it is known as Thuparama Image House, the ancient name or the builder is not known. The image house is categorized as Gedige type as its walls and the roof is completely built with bricks. This is the only monument among those in Polonnaruwa where the roof is well preserved. A large seat thought to be the base of a giant seated Buddha statue can be seen inside the image house. The ornamentation of the exterior walls shows the influence of the Read more...

Deegawapi Stupa is one of the Solosmasthana (16 most sacred places to be worshiped by Buddhist in Sri Lanka), located in Ampara District of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Deegavapi has always been a place of reverence for Buddhists in Sri Lanka. According to the legends, the Lord Buddha in his third visit to Sri Lanka proceeded to Deegavapi after placing an imprint of his foot on a gemstone at the summit of Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak). It is said to be that the stupa we see today is located in the place where the Lord Buddha and 500 arhats spent Read more...

Thanthirimale Rajamaha Viharaya is located in Anuradhapura District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The temple was built in the 3rd century BC. It is believed that, when the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi was brought in to Sri Lanka, one night along the way to Anuradhapura, the pot containing the sapling was kept at Thanthirimale.   Read more...

Hatadage is an ancient shrine in the Polonnaruwa District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. It was built by the King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196 A.D.). This had been used to place the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha. According to historical sources, the shrine has built in sixty hours. The English translation of the Sinhalese word “Hata” is sixty, represent the duration of the construction period and the word “Dage” has the meaning of “relic shrine”. The remaining features of the building for today, evidence that the shrine was originally a two-story building. The shrine is 120 ft in length Read more...

Ape Gama (Our Village) is a replica of the villages of yesteryear in Sri Lanka, where society was managed as an agro-economy with flourishing traditional industries and the inhabitants lived a simple life with contentment. The spot is located in Battaramulla area of Colombo District, very close to the Parliament of Sri Lanka.   Read more...

Ridi Viharaya (which has the English meaning of “Silver Temple”) is a Buddhist temple located in Ridigama, in Kurunegala District of North Western Province. The history of this temple is dates back to the reign of King Dutugemunu (161 BC to 137 BC).  A silver (in Sinhala; “Ridi”) ore deposit found in this place has provided the funds for the construction of the Ruwanwelisaya Stupa. In return, King Dutugemunu has built this Ridi Viharaya on the same location where the silver ore deposit was located. The gold-plated Buddha statue, which has been brought from India also a donation of the Read more...

The Devon Falls is located in the Nuwara Eliya District of Central Province, Sri Lanka. The waterfall is 97 meters high and it is the 19th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. The waterfall is a part of the Kothmale Oya,  a tributary of the Mahaweli River. The Devon Falls can be easily seen from the Avissawella – Hatton – Nuwara Eliya road (see the map for the most suitable viewpoint). The St. Clairs Falls located close to this waterfall. Read more...

The Galle Fort, also known as Dutch Fort, located in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. It was first built by the Portuguese in 1588 and then by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onward. UNESCO has inscribed this site as a cultural heritage. External Links UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka Read more...

Abhayagiri Stupa is the second-highest stupa in the country and it is located in Anuradhapura District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is one also of the Eight Sacred places known as “Atamasthana”. The stupa was built by King Valagamba was also known as Vattagamani Abhaya and Valagambahu in 1st century BC. According to legends, the king has built this stupa to commemorate some incident that happened while he escaping from one fight with Tamil invaders.  According to this legend, a Jain monk called Giri has shouted at the king saying “the great black Sinhalese is fleeing”  while he was passing Read more...

Sandakada Pahana (or Moonstone) is a semi-circular stone slab usually seen at the bottom of staircases of ancient religious places as well as some ancient royal palaces in Sri Lanka. It is a unique creation of ancient Sinhalese architecture. The Moonstone located in Mahasena’s Palace is the finest and best-preserved Moonstone found in Sri Lanka. This palace is located in the Sacred City of Anuradhapura in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Sandakada Pahana (the Moonstone) at Mahasena’s Palace interpretation According to historians, the symbols and their arrangement represents a great religious meaning. The widely accepted interpretation was introduced by Prof. Senarath Read more...

Yala National Park lies within Monaragala District of Uva Province and Hambanthota District of Southern Province.  The park covers about 979 km2 and one side is bounded by South East coast of Sri Lanka. The park was first declared as as a protected area in 1900 and it was gazetted as National Park in 25th February 1938. The entrance to the Yala National Park is located in Tissamaharama. There are many tour companies who operate jeep safari at Yala and visitors can select suitable one. Vegetation This area is characterized by semi-arid thorn scrub habitat. However it has been modified by Read more...

The Lovamahapaya is one of the Eight Sacred places known as “Atamasthana” and it is located in the Sacred City of Anuradhapura in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. When you walk towards Ruwanweliseya from Sri Maha Bodhiya, The Lovamahapaya can be seen on your right-hand side. According to the Mahawamsa, the Lowamahapaya was a nine-story building and It was built by the King Dutugemunu (161-137 BC). You can read more about this place by visiting the external links given below. Photo Credit:  Balou46, ChampikaG External Links: King Dutugemunu’s gracious gift to Maha Sangha The Entrance Into the Tusita-Heaven Read more...

Gal Potha (Stone Book) is a giant stone inscription located in the Dalada Maluwa premises of main archaeological site in Polonnaruwa District, Sri Lanka. It is a work of King Nissankamalla (1187-1196) and it is the largest stone inscription discovered so far. The inscription itself tells that this large stone was transported from Minintale, some hundred kilometers away from Polonnaruwa. It describes the genealogy, heroic and altruistic deed of King Nissankamalla. The letters of the inscription were embossed with molten iron. The figure of the woman on the side face of the stone on whom two elephants are sprinkling water has been identified as Goddess Gajalakshmi (Goddess Read more...

The Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya is a Buddhist temple located in Kelaniya, Gampaha District,  few kilometers away from Colombo. You can access the temple within one hour from Colombo. According to Buddhist history the temple is dates back to the third and final visit of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka. Which says that the history of this temple is go back to 500 BCE. According to the Mahavamsa the original stupa of Kelaniya enshrined a gem-studded throne on which the Buddha sat and preached. External Links The Mahavamsa The Visit of The Thatagatha (Lord Buddha)   Read more...

Gal Viharaya (or Rock Monastery), originally named Uttararamaya is located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in North Central Province. It was created during the reign of King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century. The temple is famous due to the four statues of Lord Buddha carved into the face of granite rocks. The four statues included a large statue of seated Buddha, a small statue of seated Buddha, a standing figure of Buddha, and a reclining figure of Buddha. Read more...

The Sankapala Raja Maha Viharaya is located in the Ratnapura District of Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. According to rock inscription found here, the history of this temple goes back to the reign of King Dutugemunu (161-137 BC). As said by the legends, there had been Ten Giants in king Dutugemunu’s troops. The giant Pussadeva is one of them who had a special skill of blowing conch shells (“Sankha” in Sinhala) so loudly. The symbol of the giant was also the conch shell itself. After winning the Vijithapura war, the king Dutugemunu has offered this area to the Pussadeva giant. Later, he has Read more...

The Jathika Namal Uyana is located in Anuradhapura District of North Central Province. This can be accessed through Madatugama Pubbogama Andiyagala road and 6.5km away from the Kandy-Jaffna Highway (see the below map for exact location). This is the largest ironwood forest in Sri Lanka and where Asia’s largest rose quartz mountain is located in. The Jathika Namal Uyana had been a sanctuary for Buddhist monks during the era of King Devanampiyatissa. Later it had been used as a prison camp where the punishment was to plant Na trees.   External Links Mother Nature’s wonderful creation Jathika Namal Uyana Sri Read more...

Mandaram Nuwara is a beautiful small village located in Nuwara Eliya District of Central Province, sri Lanka. It is in the foothills of Piduruthalagala Mountain. The village is colloquially known as “mist city” as it is shrouded in mist majority of the day. At one end of the village there is a waterfall called Kolapothana Ella. Mandaram Nuwara Read more...

This stupa popularly known as Kiri Vehera is located in Polonnaruwa District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The stupa is also a part of the archaeological site called Alahana Pirivena. The origin of this stupa not exactly traced yet. However, it is speculated that this was done by Queen Subhadra, a consort of  King Parakramabahu the Great (1153-1186). This is the second largest stupa in Polonnaruwa. The lime plaster of the dome is better preserved compared to the most of other stupa found in Polonnaruwa. Probably the present name “Kiri Vehera” also derived due to this preserved lime plaster. Read more...