Anuradhapura
Sri Lanka’s first capital, Anuradhapura, was the greatest monastic city of the ancient world. It was royal capital for more than 100 Sri Lankan kings and at its heights was home to thousands of monks from dozens of monasteries. Originally founded by a minister called Anuradha, in the 4th century BC, it became the capital of Sri Lanka two centuries later. The ruins of Mahavihara, the first monastery, built by King Devanam Piyatissa in 250 B.C.E, and several other monasteries and temples can be seen.
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Habarana
Spend a morning in the remote village of Hiruwadunna and experience Sri Lanka’s unhurried rural village life. This is a beautiful setting where the villagers go about their daily lives with the greatest respect to nature. Take a bumpy, cattle-drawn bullock cart ride pass paddy fields and the village temple. Join a fisherman in his […]
Ambalangoda
Traditional masks in Ambalangoda – The traditional masks are very much a part of Sri Lanka’s culture and folklore. Kolam masks are used for dramatic purposes to enact traditional folktales and history; Thovil masks are used for exorcism rituals especially to eradicate disease. Each mask has a specific purpose. Mask crafting is an intricate skill […]
Colombo
Colombo is a throwback. It has smartened up considerably since the end of the conflict, but there is still only a limited sense of the dash for development that characterizes most capital cities in south-east Asia and the result is a compact city retaining an atmosphere all of its own.It is now a mixture of […]
Polonnaruwa
Sri Lanka’s royal medieval capital for nearly a century from 1073, Polonnaruwa had been a military base for invading Chola tribes, from southern India, until they were overthrown by the Sinhalese king, Vijayabahu I in 1070. The next king, Parakramabahu I, was the main driving force behind the development of Polonnuruwa. It remained Sri Lanka’s […]