SIGIRIYA
THE SIGIRIYA ROCK FORTRESS, A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE, IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN SRI LANKA. THE ROCK, WHICH IS 180 METERS ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, WAS PRODUCED BY MAGMA FROM A LONG-AGO VOLCANO. KING KASHYAPA 1, FEAFUL OF RETALIATION FROM HIS RIGHTFUL HEIR, MOGALLANA, DECIDED TO BUILD HIS ROYAL RESIDENCE HERE SO THAT NO ONE COULD APPROACH HIM. HE STYLED THE FORTRESS ENTRY GATEHOUSE-LION GATE ON THE MID-LEVEL TERRACE IN THE SHAPE OF LION, WITH THE FEET AND PAW VISIBLE TODAY.
GALLE FORT
THE GALLE FORT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE DUTCH FORT, IS A STRONGHOLD ERECTED BY THE PORTUGUESE ON SRI LANKA’S SOUTHWEST COAST. THIS FORTRESS HAS 14 BASTIANS THAT ARE STILL THE BEST PRESERVED AND BEST EXAMPLE OF A WALLED CITY CREATED BY EUROPEANS IN ASIA, DISPLAYING A BLEND OF EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL STYLES WITH SOUTH ASIAN CUSTOMS. WITHIN THE WALLS, IT OCCUPIES A TOTAL AREA OF 52 HECTARES. IN 1505, THE PORTUGUESE, LED BY LORENZO DE ALMEIDA, MADE THEIR FIRST LANDING IN CEYLON, THE PORTUGUESE BUILD A TEMPORARY FORT IN GALLE TO BEGIN WITH, HOWEVER, WHEN THE DUTCH CONQUERED …..
DAMBULLA CAVE TEMPLE
DAMBULLA CAVE TEMPLE(ALSO KNOWN AS THE GOLDEN TEMPLE OF THE DAMBULLA) IS A BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN SRI LANKA’S CENTRAL REGION. THE LOCATION IS 148 KILOMETERS EAST OF COLOMBO. THE ROCK FROM WHICH THE CAVES WERE CARVED CLIMBS 160 METERS ABOVE THE SURROUNDING PLAINS, MAKING IT SRI LANKA’S LARGEST AND BEST-PRESERVED CAVE TEMPLE COMPLEX. IN THE AREA, MORE THAN 80 CAVES HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED AND DOCUMENTED. THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS ARE SPREAD OUT AMONG 5 CAVES, EACH OF WHICH HOUSES STATUES AND MURALS DEPICITING LORD BUDDHA’S LIFE. THERE ARE 153….
ELLA
THE GALLE FORT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE DUTCH FORT, IS A STRONGHOLD ERECTED BY THE PORTUGUESE ON SRI LANKA’S SOUTHWEST COAST. THIS FORTRESS HAS 14 BASTIANS THAT ARE STILL THE BEST PRESERVED AND BEST EXAMPLE OF A WALLED CITY CREATED BY EUROPEANS IN ASIA, DISPLAYING A BLEND OF EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL STYLES WITH SOUTH ASIAN CUSTOMS. WITHIN THE WALLS, IT OCCUPIES A TOTAL AREA OF 52 HECTARES. IN 1505, THE PORTUGUESE, LED BY LORENZO DE ALMEIDA, MADE THEIR FIRST LANDING IN CEYLON, THE PORTUGUESE BUILD A TEMPORARY FORT IN GALLE TO BEGIN WITH, HOWEVER ….
Bentota
BENTOTA IS A BEAUTIFUL BEACH RESORT TOWN ON SRI LANKA’S SOUTHWEST COAST. THE BEACH IS CHARM AND BEAUTY, AS WELL AS THE TOWN’S OVERALL APPEAL, DRAW A HUGE NUMBER OF INHABITANTS AND TOURISTS. THE PORTUGUESE BUILT A TINY FORT AT THE MOUTH OF THE BENTOTA RIVER IN 17TH CENTURY, WHICH WAS KNOWN IN SINHALA AS PARANGI KOTUWA, OR “PORTUGUESE FORT”. THE RIVER MARKED THE SOUTHERNMOST POINT OF PORTUGUESE – CONTROLLED SRI LANKA. AFTER ALLOWING THE FORT TO DETERIORATE, THE DUTCH CONVERTED ONE OF THE …….
HIKKADUWA
HIKKADUWA IS A SMALL SEASIDE TOWN IN SRI LANKA’S SOUTHERN COAST, ABOUT 100KM SOUTH OF COLOMBO. IT IS SAID TO BE FORMED FROM THE TWO TERMS SIP KADUWA, WITH SIP BEING A SHORTENED VERSION OF SHILPAYA, WHICH IN SINHALESE MEANS KNOWLEDGE, AND KADUWA MEANING SWORD. AS A RESULT, THE NAME HIKKADUWA IS THOUGHT TO SIGNIFY “SWORD OF KNOWLEDGE”. IT CAN ALSO INDICATE CORAL OR SEASHELL JUNGLE. DURING THEIR VISIT TO HIKKADUWA, TRAVELLERS WILL FIND A WIDE VARIETY OF LEISURE FACILITIES. THE GALLE ROAD RUNS RIGHT THROUGH HIKKADUWA BECAUSE IT IS SO CLOSE TO ….
