Sri Lanka - The Gemstone in the Indian Ocean.

 If one looks at the world map, Sri Lanka is at the very northern end of the Indian Ocean , just off the coast of the southern most tip of the Indian Subcontinent. It is a small island and sits like a jewel in the ocean. I was eager to see this jewel. We were two travelers out to get a glimpse of this land that is so close to India and yet we haden't been there before. We started at an unearthly hour of 2 am on 18th January to catch the 5:30  am flight from Mumbai to Colombo. Please understand my frustration when it was announced that the flight would depart at 6:30 am. Finally the flight took off at 7 am. The kind of traveller that I am , who loves visiting places , I could not remain angry for long as I had a great journey ahead.  The aircraft gained height and the morning sunlight fell at a slant  on the earth and the colour outside my window was powdery blue. Sunrises and sunsets never stops amazing me with the beautiful hues it creates. As the flight gained height the  contours of Kerala (state of India) coastline came into view. Then we were flying over the mountains of Kerala and  soon we were flying over the Indian ocean. The flight duration was approximately two and a half hours. We landed at Colombo, Bandaranaike Airport. 

      The Colombo city is about 35 Kilometers from the Airport. Our travel was planned in such a way that we were not going to enter Colombo city today. We were picked up in a sedan outside the airport and then we headed towards Bentota, a place south of Colombo. The highway is well made and there is a lot of greenery around. We drove past a huge billboard that had one line in large black font---"DRINK AND DRIVE". I was shocked. This is a crazy country. Was the driver drunk? Was he speeding? Before these thoughts could take hold of my mind, the next billboard came into view. On it there was a photo of a coffee cup with the trademark "Nescafe" written on it, just below the one liner "drink and drive".  It was an eye catching advertisement of "Nescafe". Our nice "driver and tour guide" , did stop by a road side shack to give us a taste of the King coconut drink. It is a bright orange variety of the typical green tender coconut. It is native to Sri Lanka and is renowned for its naturally sweet, electrolyte rich water. So we refreshed ourselves and were back on our way to Bentota. Our destination was the Thaala Hotel resort. We had a long journey ( 2am from Mumbai) today, so we decided to spend the rest of the day at this resort . It is situated next to the beach. The blue water of the Indian ocean constantly hitting the brown sand beach created a nice background sound that was music to my ears. We had a relaxed late lunch next to the swimmig pool and idled away time watching the egrets freely walk around the dining area. 

King Coconut by the road side.

The Beach and The Indian Ocean.

The resort

Egrets in the dining area. (Resort at Bentota).

After a good night's sleep, I was ready to hit the road again. Today our destination was the "Madu River Safari". The destination was a place where the Madu river empties into the wetlands , at Balapitiya. Therefore the water is not exactly sweet water but brackish water. We hired a small motor boat to take us around this wetland. It was like a huge lake with lots of islands. This place is full of mangroves, so dense in some places that it is difficult to see through the leaves and roots. In another unique part of the wetland we floated through a tunnel made of intertwined  mangrove roots and branches. There were a variety of birds, and fishing farm areas. The biodiversity is big. The wetland is home to over 300 species of plants, over 200 vertebrae species, including water monitors, monkeys and birds . Our last stop was an island that cultivates cinnamon trees. We were educated about the growth process and also the techniques of harvesting the barks. The right time of bark removal, the drying process and so on . Finally we were treated to cinnamon tea. It was delicious and we were told of it's medicinal values. We were so impressed by the person who took us around this small island to explain the cinnamon production and it's true value, that we ended up buying many packets of cinnamon pieces and cinnamon powder. It would be a nice gift for friends and relatives. 

Map of the Wetland.

Mangroves & other  vegetation.

Boats in one corner of the wetland at Balapitiya.

Boat rides in the winding mangrove forest.

A closer look at the mangroves.

The mangroves of Madu River.

                                      

Floating through the mangrove tunnel.

Birds on the island of the wetlands. 

Fisherman of the wetland.

Cinnamon plants on Cinnamon island.

Every country has at least one National Park. It actually gives the traveller an idea of the geography of the area. It gives an idea of the native flora and fauna. It also gives us an idea of what the place looked like before the towns and cities came into existance. It tells us  what existed before man encroched upon the land. So we visited Yala National park  , situated at the very south of Sri Lanka. It is one of the national parks that boasts of the many leopards that roam around the terrain. Though during the afternoon / evening safari we did not spot any leopards. We were in a jeep constructed with a high seat and open windows. There were quite a few such safari vehicles carrying tourists. Everybody sat quiely with bated breath to spot a leopard. We were all following the deer movements, hoping the leopard would follow this prey. But then  , how quiet can seven vehicles full of people be ? The leopard is a stealthy animal and knew how to deceive us. We had underestimated its intelligence.  In spite of all the jeep engines being put off , there was quite a din and the leopards were in no mood to show themselves. 

        We had to be content with the plentiful spotted deers , elephants  , buffaloes, mongoose and peacocks. In fact we were fortunate enough to be witness to a wonderful peacock dance. The peacock was trying to impress its mate (peahen). The mate walked away unimpressed , but  we were mesmerized. 

Probably a migratory bird.

Enojying the sun
near its feeding
 ground.

Wild life at a watering hole.

Spotted Deer.

Mongoose like creature.

Regal  and Elegant Resting Peacock.

Buffaloes in a puddle.
Peacock dancing for its mate.

A Peacock's courtship dance.

Evening sun and
 the rock Silhouette.

Sunset at Yala National Park.

Reflection of the setting sun.

We had a nights' rest at a nice hotel ( Tamarind Tree). It wasn't sprawling and lavish but comfortable and with a good spread of Sinhala cuisine for dinner and breakfast. I liked the wooden roof and wooden columns, in the Kerala (state in India) style of home architecture.  The next day was bright and sunny and we were prepared for the road journey ahead. 

       We were on our way to Nuwara Eliya a place in the hills. There were quite a few tea plantations on the way. We stopped briefly at Ravana Falls. It is a cascading water fall with viewing platforms at some levels. Yes, I was in Ravana country! I was standing in Ravan 's Lanka. This thought itself was pretty exciting. The Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka have been  intertwined in thought, myth and folklore fore millenia. 

A cascading water fall "Ravana Falls"

Ravana Falls fron a different angle.

The epic "Ramayana" is well known in India as well as in Sri Lanka. Did the events in Ramayana actually occur ? It probably occured thousands and thousands of years back. It is difficult now to say whether it is history , mythology or folklore. The Ramayan story is a story of good over evil and is very close to every Indian's heart.  In India Ravan is perceived as the Demon King with ten heads, who ruled over the ancient kingdom of Lanka. While in Sri Lanka Ravan is revered as a legendary,  wise and powerful king. He is perceived as an expert in medicine, technology, music, literature and science. He was scholarly and had a brain equivalent  to ten heads. Many of the souvenirs  at the waterfall , depict Ravana as an ascetic  and a devotee of Lord Shiva.

           After this brief stop over we were on the road again. the road began to ascend gradually and we were slowly reaching the higher places in the hills. We passed more tea plantations , and breathed the cooler and fresher air. I could spot white painted stupas on the distant hill tops. Some stupas were small and some were elaborate places of worship. Sixty percent of the population here follow Buddhism.

          It was approximately a four hour drive from the Yala National Park area 

to Nuwara Eliya.  Just on the outskirts of this town is the Sita Temple. We visited the temple and offered our prayers. Photography was not allowed inside the temple, where carvings of Lord Ram, Ma Sita , Lord Lakshman and Lord Hanuman is installed. This place again triggered me to recollect the "Ramayana" epic.

Sita temple built at the base of "Ashok Vatika"

Lord Ram, Ma Sita, Lord Lakshman, Lord Hanuman
( the Ape God in the kneeling position)

According to the mythology, Sita is the daughter of Raja Janak, the ruler of the ancient Kingdom, "Videha". The capital of this kingdom was  Mithila, in present day Bihar (a state in India). Baby Sita was found in the fields near Mithila and was adopted by Raja Janak. Broadly, the sequence of events in the Ramayana story is as follows.  Sita is married to prince Ram of Ayodhya. Ram later is sent into exile for fourteen years. His dutiful and loving wife accompanies him in exile. So does his brother Lakshman. The three of them spend their time in different places, "ashrams" and forests. While they are at Panchavati ( near the Godavari river in present day Nasik in India), there is a small skirmish with Surpanakha the sister of Ravana. Surpanakha reports the matter to Ravana, and the enraged Ravana lands in Panchavati. He abducts Sita and takes her to Lanka on his "Pushpak Rath" / "Vimana"/ Flying Machine. She was housed very comfortably at "Ashok Vatica" ("garden", in present day hill region of Nuwara Eliya) .In the meanwhile Ram and Lakshman looked frantically for Sita. "Hanuman" helped them locate her. What ensued was a full fledged war. Ram was victorious and Ravana was killed. Sita was brought back to the Indian Subcontinent and then the trio returned to Ayodhya (in present day India).

          Sri Lankans believe that Sita was ethinic Sinhalese and the daughter of Ravana. When she was born, Ravana with all his scholarship, wisddom and study realised that Sita would bring badluck to him and his kingdom. So he put her in a boat and floated her away in the sea. So I suppose it is a miracle that baby Sita survived and reached far away Mithila (in present day Bihar). The Sri Lankan's also believe that Surpanakha was roaming the forests of Panchavati in a melancholy state of mind , when she chanced upon the trio , "Ram, Lakshman & Sita". She did not have any pre-meditated intensions. After the skirmish occured, Ravana came to Panchvati, spotted his daughter , and took her to Lanka. The war could have been avoided if the misunderstandings were resolved. But then the war took place, and Ravana lost in spite of having a superior army. Ravana was killed. I suppose one can say that his own prophesy came true. Sita did bring badluck . The Sri Lankan's believe that Ravan was capable of defeating Ram's army but he did not want to kill or defeat his son-in-law. I suppose these are the quirks of life.

               Nuwara Eliya is a nice town with British colonial charm. In fact it is sometimes refered to as "Little England". This town has a "Victoria Park", "Gregory Lake" , colonial era working postoffice, Ivy creeper growing wild  and many houses with wooden beams and structures like in England.

Very Old trees at the Park. 
Entry fee to the park is Rs. 1000 ( Sri Lankan)

Victoria Park established
during the British colonial era.

Nuwara Eliya Municiple Council celebrated on 19/7/2019 the completion
of 100 years of the planting of peace tree, which was planted on 19/7/1919 
by Lady M.M. Wedderburn to mark world peace.

The Colonial Era Post Office that 
is still working.

The Post Office that was established 
during the British Era.

Speed Boats lined up for tours of
Gregory Lake

A clear sunny day at Gregory Lake.

View from a roof top , of Little England (Nuwara Eliya).

The nights were cold in Nuwara Eliya and we needed blankets while sleeping. We spent two days and two nights here. The following day we travelled to Kandy the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. the road took us through hills and valleys of this region. On the way we stopped at a "view point" where one gets a panoramic view of the hills, water falls and the lush greenery. There is a souvenir shop with a good collection of arts and crafts made in Sri Lanka. We also stopped at a tea processing factory and bought many varieties of "Ceylon Tea". By the way Ceylon is the former name of Sri Lanka. The name given to this island nation during the British   colonial rule.  We were driving towards Kandy and effectively moving towards sea level. In other words Nuwara Eliya is at an altitude of 1868 meters and Kandy (the central highland city) is at an altitude of 500 meters. On the way at some places we witnessed the remanents of last year's (2025 November) devastating cyclone. Most of the road debris was cleared for vehicles. Then we also stopped for a while at the temple dedicated to "Hanuman" (the ape God). Lord Hanuman was carved in black stone and depicted in a standing pose. The area was pleasant and well kept. 

      We reached the hotel at Kandy in the evening and decided to refresh and rest for the rest of the night. Kandy was once the capital, and the strong hold of the royals. It was the last stronghold of the Sinhalese kings. Kandy remained independent, and resisted the Portuguese and Dutch invasion before falling into the British hands. This city is considered sacred because of the Tooth Relic Temple. The sacred tooth of Gautam Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka by Princess Hemamala and Prince Dantha from the city of Kalinga in ancient India. We spent half a day inside the Tooth Relic temple. It is quite a big area and there is plenty  to see and ponder. 

         A security protocol needs to be followed at the entry of the palace premises. At the temple entrance an entry fee is charged and a thorough frisking is done. The temple building itself is quite large and has on display The Buddha in different postures and sizes. Many other artifacts are also on display. I took my time to enjoy everything on display, but, after visiting the "sanctum sanctorum". This is because there was a crowd that wanted to go there to offer their prayers and get a glimpse of  the tooth relic. The holy tooth itself is enclosed in a box and nested golden  stupas. So all one can see is an ornate  golden stupa. The devotees were offering their prayers here and there was quite a crowd and they were jostling for space. There were dedicated police force ensuring a regulated movement of devotees. In fact there were three or four queues, all converging at the "sanctum sanctorum" I could just get a fleeting glimpse of the golden stupa housing the sacred tooth, before I was coaxed out of the prime viewing spot. There was a separate queue for mother's with their babies in their arms. There is a sitting space for them before getting the blessings at the nested golden stupas. 

Flowers sold at the Palace Entrance --
Offerings for the Tooth Relic Temple.

Tooth Relic Temple from the outside.

Decorated and carved outer walls
of the Temple. Sri Dalada Maligawa. 

Copious Carvings on the outer wall
of the Holy Site.

"Sanctum Sanctorum"
The Tooth Relic housing.

Floral offerings at the "Sanctum Sanctorum"

Devotees and Viewers at the golden stupa that houses the Tooth Relic.

The bright glow from the golden , nested,
stupas that contain the Tooth Relic.

 

Mothers and New born babies waiting
for blessings in front of the "Sanctum Sanctorum" 

I wandered around the temple, admiring the sculptures, murals, paintings and intricate decorations. The decorations included many elephant tusks. The story of Buddha and incidents related to him were on display too, through murals and paintings. Two floors in the temple is dedicated to a museum, that has collected many historical artifacts related to this region and related to the introduction of Buddhism to this land. 

         Once I stepped out of the Temple building, I was in the Palace grounds. This is a UNESCO world heritage site, situated next to a lake. The lake is artificially made and forms one of the landmarks of Kandy ( Also called Kiri Muhuda or Sea of Milk). I explored the Royal Audience Hall that is built with carved pillars in traditional Kandyan style. The Royal Palace Museum, Museum of world Buddhism, stupas, decorative gateways, small Hindu diety temple, are all scattered across the premises, with gardens embedded inbetween. 

            It was time for lunch by now. I returned to the hotel, had lunch and then I was back to exploring. I wanted to see the gem selling outlets. I had explored a small gem store in Nuwara Eliya. Our guide told us that the best place for seeing a variety of gemstones is at Kandy city centre. So here I was at one of the big gem selling outlet (Gamini Gem & Jewellery Pvt Ltd.) . This place gave me a nice experience. One person was fully dedicated to showing me around. They began with a short documentary on traditional gem mining in Sri Lanka  and then a tour of the exhibition room, describing the different stones found here. There are charts and diagrams that describe  the gem structure at the molecular level. There are charts that list out lucky birthday stones and zodiac sign related stones. I learnt that diamonds are not found in Sri Lanka but a variety of sapphires and rubies are found. Next I was walked through all the showcases displaying jewelery grade stones. The yellow, blue, red and green coloured stones were dazzling. I got attracted to all of them, but could not afford to buy all. So I settled for Moon Stone. I purchased a pair of earrings and a  pendant. Though Moonstones  are found in many parts of the world, Sri Lanka has a major deposit of this stone. It is translucent in parts and milky in some parts and at the same time has a pearly shimmer with a blue tint, when viewed at some angles. 

         This day tour ended with a very nice cultural show (Kandyan Dance) performed at the "Oak-Ray Regency" for a fee of Rs. 2000/-. The one hour show included quite a few interesting traditional folk dances. The atire the performers wore and the musical instruments they played had unmistakable Indian flavour. Many of the dance moves and surround sound are also found in Indian folk dances. These two countries had definitely influenced each other slowly over millennia. 

Golden Buddha in a dazzling Hall.

The Buddha Story in Murals 
sculptures and paintings.

Part of the Palace.

The Museum of World Buddhism.

Palace grounds. The golden roof is the roof
of the Tooth Relic Temple.

Figures inside the Royal Palace Museum.

Kandyan Dance.----A cultural show organised at Oak-Ray Regency---Tickets for Rs. 2000/-

Kandyan Dance including, (1)Magul Bera / Ceremonial drums, (2)Puja Natuma/Pooja Dance, (3)Devil Dance, (4) Pantheru Neatuma / Sinhala warrior on way to battle, (5)Mayura Natuma/ Peacock dance, (6)Raban/ Tambourine, (7) Salupaliya/demon's dance, (8) Kulu dance, (9)Drum Orchestra, (10) Gini Sisila/fire dance. 

Artificial Lake & Kandy City from a high view point.

        From Kandy we headed towards Sigiriya, a village in the plains of Sri Lanka. We drove for about three hours to reach Sigiriya. We stopped over at two other places on the way to Sigiriya. One is the Golden Temple, which is a golden coloured stupa temple. We also stopped  and spend time at the spice gardens and got educated on all the medicinal plants that grow on this island nation. We were  also introduced to the ayurvedic traditional therapeutic remedies and indigenous ayurvedic cosmetics. 

         Sigiriya is famous for the monolithic "Lion Rock". Many visitors come here to climb the rock or to just view it. It rises upto 200 meters almost perpendicular to the ground. It is an enigmatic piece of rock in the middle of almost plain flat land. As if a celestial being rolled it down the hill and it magically came to a stand still in the flat land. Local folklore says that Ravan's palace and "helipad" (or " vimana" landing) was situated on top of the rock. 

         The top does have the ruins of a palace along with constructed water tanks and well architectured water management system of the ancient palace. The archaeological department here dates this fortress construction back to the 5th century. Built during the reign of King Kashapa. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. There are stone and brick staircases built during that reign. These pathways reach upto about 2/3rd of the way up. I could climb up to this point with the help of a guide. At this point there are two lion paws carved out of stone. This is the 

" lion" entrance to the ancient palace. The lion face is no longer there. This place is a plateau kind of place on one side of the monolithic rock. Beyond this point the tourists were climbing up an iron staircase (made in recent times) to reach the top. My energy was totally spent so I spend some time sitting under a tree and contemplating the massive paws. The mysterious part is that there are no ancient stairs here. How did the King or his house hold reach the top? Did they use some kind of rope way, or did they use some kind of pulley system? This remains a mystery till date. I suppose this is one way to fortify the fortress! That is, not to have any obvious ( or visible) pathway! I made my way down to the base. The climb down was quicker than the climb up.  My "driver  and guide" drove me down to the hotel. The hotel was a  nice quaint place styled in a typical village architecture. I was in no mood to enjoy that. I had a quick early dinner and slept like a log. 

Way to the Majestic monolithic Rock of Sigiriya.------Ravana's "Helipad"&Palace

Rocks and steps in the garden area
 developed by the Archaeological Survey.

Stairs , going towards the main Sigiriya
Monolith, built during ancient times.

Boulder Arch--This is on the ancient
pathway and is a fine example of
adopting the features of the natural
landscape in the Sigiriya planning.

One side of the "Lion Rock"

A breathtaking view of the plains surrounding Sigiriya Rock. 

The Monolithic Rock from another level of the climb up.

View at approxomately 2/3rd of the way up to the top. Lion Paws visible. 

Visitors can reach the top of the Sigiriya Rock , by climbing iron stairs
made in relatively recent times.

One of the massive Lion Paws.

Cobra Hood Cave---
Natural cobra hood shape.

Part of the Cobra Hood Cave ---
This cave with drip-ledges that had
been used as dwelling.

Our last place of visit in this tour was Colombo the present capital of Sri Lanka. We just had one and a half day here, therefore could not explore much.There is a part of the city that has a colonial feel to it still. Colonial architecture has been preserved. For exmple the museum , is a British architectured building and has a large area with old trees and well manicured gardens. In fact it was established in 1877  by Sir William Henry Gregory. The museum traces the cultural history of Sri Lanka from the Kandyan Kingdom to the introduction and spread of Buddhism. There is also a small cafe within the leafy premises , where one can enjoy English tea , biscuits and titbits.This location is called Cinnamon Gardens. In the same area , is "The Independance  Memorial Hall" . This was constructed to commemorate the independance of Ceylon from British rule in 1948. This is inspired by the "Royal Audience Hall "of the ancient Kandyan rulers . This architecture definitely has the influence of the far East.

          The Gangaramaya Temple is also a very interesting place. It is a temple dedicated to Buddha and was established by a monk. There are quite a few statues of Buddha, small and big and in different "mudras" (postures). The architecture is a mix of Sri Lankan style, Thai style, Indian style and Chinese style. This place is a treasure trove of artifacts and jewels, that have been collected over the years. There is art on metal, silver utensils, ornate wood carved desks and chairs, carved elephants and artistic work with elephant tusks, and more. There are figures of Hindu deities as well as celestial beings associated with the far "East Asian" thought. Many figurines are placed around the premises. I spotted a photograph of former Japanese prime minister, Mr. Shinzo Abe, during his visit here. Also spotted a photograph of Indian prime minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, during his  visit here. There is a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi too. In short, this is a very very nice place to spend time. Visitors were moving around or meditating in a corner or were absorbed in the variety of artifacts. 

          Being in Colombo and not visiting the beach or shore line would be unthinkable. So we did just that and photographed the Colombo skyline from the beach. The best panoramic view of the city is from the "Lotus Tower". This tower has been added to the city in recent times ( opened to the public in 2022). There is a massive exhibition area at the base of the tower. Spaces with electronic LED screens, cameras, coloured lights, pixel blooms and so on, making a fantasy atmosphere. The exhibition area educates you on the tall towers of many cities around the world. The Lotus Tower is comparable to many of  these. One needs an entry fee to reach the tower top. The view of the cityscape is simply amazing from the top.

Bodhisatva Sandals, in bronze
At the Colombo National Museum.
Entry fee of Rs. 1200. per head. 

At the largest and oldest museum in Sri Lanka .
The Colombo National Museum.
The Mahayana Bodhisattva--Avalokitesvara.

The King's Throne
@ The Colombo National Museum

"Shivling" @ The National Museum.

        

Colombo Skyline.

Independence Memorial Hall. Independence of Ceylon on 4th February 1948.

Along the shore at Colombo.
The Indian Ocean.

Palm trees along the shore.

Entrance to the Gangaramaya Temple

Relief  work  on  metal -----
Gangaramaya Temple entrance.

Metal statue of Buddha inside
Gangaramaya Temple.

Treasures inside the temple. 

Within the premises of
Gangaramaya Temple
BUDDHA IN MEDITATION. 

Lotus Tower - - -
Entry fee for foreigners
 is Rs. 6300. per head. 

View of the Lotus Tower from a
different direction. 

We had to be at the airport by evening for the late night flight to Mumbai. I think I want to explore Sri Lanka again. I wish to enter Sri Lanka from the north, via the Bay of Bengal. A very narrow water strip needs to be crossed. Probably I will be able to see " Ram Setu / Adam's Bridge". This is a natural connection between India and Sri Lanka. It is a 48 km long chain of limestone shoals and sand banks. It is like a string of pearls easily visible from space.  I wish to see it with my own eyes.