Sigiriya

Sigiriya which means Lion’s rock, is an ancient fortress made of rock in the Matale district of Sri Lanka. The fortress is surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens and other structures.

The place is part of the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites and is preserved due to its significance in illustrating architecture and culture of the civilization during the time it was built.

The fortress was built around the time of King Kassapa I, between AD477-AD495. For its age, it still features the creativity of its builders by showing that the palace could withstand the test of time.

The fortress was meticulously designed and built. The site plan allowed the use of the natural geometrical forms of its surroundings to be integrated in symmetric and asymmetric design utilized by the builders.

The fortress has some of the first landscaped gardens in the world of that time. There are three basic types of gardens in the surrounding area which are the water gardens, the boulder gardens, and the terraced gardens.

The water gardens contain three principal gardens. The first garden is an island that is connected to the main precinct by four causeways. Each causeway has a gateway connected at its head. The second garden contains two long deep pools. The third garden can be found at a higher place than the other two. It contains an octagonal pool with a podium on the corner.

The boulder gardens contain boulders that line a pathway. These boulders were used as building materials or foundation of a structure perched on top of the boulders. One such structure is the audience hall of the king.

The terraced gardens can be found on a hill at the base of the Sigiriya rock. It was formed on the side of the hill through a series of terraces.

Kandy

Kandy, or the city of Maha Nuvara, is a Sri Lankan city that is both scenic as well as a religious center for Buddhism in the country. The city was estimated to have been founded sometime in the 1300’s and was originally named Senkadagalapura.

The city became the capital of the last independent kingdom in the area after the Portuguese started their conquest of the place in 1592. This independence lasted for many centuries. From the 16th century until the 18th century, the city was successful in fending off Portuguese, Dutch, and British invasions.

In 1815, the ruling party of the kingdom signed a treaty recognizing the King of England as their king and allowed the place to become a protectorate of the British Empire. This is due mainly to the invasion of the British army that got into the city without resistance and took the reigning king prisoner together with all the heirs to the throne. This was to be the last king of the kingdom of Kandy.

As an important religious center for the Sinhalese, the city holds many precious historical items of great value to the history of both the city and religion of the Sinhalese. There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the city, namely, the Palace of the tooth relic, the Royal Palace, the Lankatilaka Temple, and the Gadaladeniya Temple.

The Palace of the Tooth relic is the place that houses the Sinhalese great treasure, the Relic of the Tooth of Buddha. The place is also a great place of worship and pilgrimage for Buddhists around the world. The Royal palace was the last palace in the city to be built by the royal family. It now holds a museum that contains many artifacts important to the kingdom of Kandy and the British colonial rule.

Dambulla Golden Temple

Located in Dambulla Sri Lanka, the Dambulla Golden Temple or the Dambulla cave temple is the largest cave temple complex found in Sri Lanka. It is also the best preserved cave temple that contains cave paintings and statues praising Buddha. The complex is made up of five caves and contains the major attractions of the place.

The cave temple is estimated to have been around since the first century BC. The cave is situated under a huge overhanging rock that stands about 160 meters high and towers over its surrounding plains. A drip line is carved on the rock to allow water to pass through to make the inside of the cave dry. This is also the reason why the cave complex is well preserved as there is very minimal erosion due to water.

The Dambulla Golden Temple has five major caves that serve as its main attractions. The three largest caves are named Devaraja Lena or Cave of the Divine King, Maharaja Lena or Cave of the Great Kings, and Maha Alut Vihara or Great New Monastery. The other two caves are smaller in size and are not as impressive as the other three. They were also made at a later period than the other three. The largest cave is the second cave or the Cave of Great Kings containing about 56 different statues of Buddha.

The interior of the Dambulla Golden Temple consists of art and patterns painted on the walls and ceiling. One of the caves has about 1,500 different paintings of Buddha painted on the ceiling. Each cave consists of different statues of Buddha, kings, and gods. In total, there are 153 Buddha statues, statues of four gods, and statues of three Sri Lankan kings. Buddha’s statues are of different sizes and depict different attitudes. The largest Statue is measured to about 15 meters or approximately 50 feet.

Anuradhapura

Sri Lanka has a rich archaeological landscape. Many of its ancient structures are preserved and still standing to this day. The place named Anuradhapura is one such place.

Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka and contains ruins of structures used by ancient Sri Lankan civilization. The ruins are well preserved which is why the place is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Anuradhapura is a very good example of a place that illustrates the cultural heritage of ancient Sri Lankans, as well as a place filled with structures that illustrates the kind of architecture they used during those times.

Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka from the 4th century BC to the beginning of the 11th century BC. The city is sacred to those practicing Buddhism, which is why the place is surrounded by monasteries.

The ruins of the once great city are majestic to behold. Three types of buildings can be found in the city. The first type is the dagobas. These structures are bell-shaped stone buildings that have circumferences that range from a few feet up to more than 1100 feet. The second type of structure is called monastic buildings. These structures can be found throughout the city and they are in the form of raised platforms, stone pillars and foundations. The third type is called pokunas, which are tanks used for bathing or storing drinking water.

During its time, the inhabitants enjoyed the use of its complex irrigation system. Tanks were used to store water and irrigate the land allowing the people to have water even though the city is situated in the dry area of Sri Lanka. One can see evidence of this through the surviving water tanks in the city.

Anuradhapura is rich in history and culture. This is a fascinating place for people interested in historical monuments.