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The beginnings of Vesak in Sri Lanka
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Showing posts with label sri lanka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sri lanka. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Kande Viharaya Temple at Aluthgama (Sri Lanka)
Hi everyone =) I’m back to my blog after a long and well-earned rest ;)
I want to wish all of you a wonderful, prosperous and peaceful New Year 2013!!
This post is about the latest (itsy bitsy) outing the family went on last year. “Outings” are getting to be a rather “difficult” word in our home now, with our daughter’s birth… Anyway here goes…
Last 28th December 2012, my family went to the Kanda Viharaya (Temple Sri Lanka
A little bit of history –
The temple is so called because it is a temple or “Viharaya” situated on top of a hill or "Kanda" in Sinhala. It is also known as the "Aluthgama Kande Viharaya" or "Bentota Kande Viharaya" because of its close proximity to the towns of Aluthgama & Bentota.
There is also nine devalas including four “Maha Devala” within the temple premises, out of which the Vishnu and Paththini Devala are well – known among devotees. Women who are not blessed with children come to the Paththini Devala expecting their dreams to come true and many people come to the Vishnu Devala seeking relief for their problems. Farmers bring their first harvest to the temple and to be blessed by the gods.
Kande Viharaya does not hold any religious processions or “perahera”. The temple is open to devotees from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Kande Viharaya belongs to the Theravada Nikaya and was founded by Venerable Karapagala Dewamitta Thero, back in 1734. Now, under the patronage of the Chief Incumbent the Ven. Batuwanhene Sri Buddharakkitha Thero, Kande Viharaya continues to be a vital link in the socio cultural & religious activities in the country.
In the premises you will find
- The tallest sitting Buddha statue that was constructed within the shortest time
- Nine devalas dedicated to Godd Vishnu, Kataragama, Saman, Paththini, Ishwara, Sooniyam, Gana, Kaali and Senasuru Deviyo
- The "Kshethrarama Pirivena" founded by the Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero in 1904 which acts as a vital centre in Buddhist education in the country.
- Sri Saranatissa Memorial Library
- Three-storeyed Bhikkhu hostel
- Two-storeyed resting place
- A spacious hall to prepare pooja
- Bodhighara with a golden fence around the Bo-tree
- Special frescos and paintings can be found in the underground hall under the sitting Buddha image, which have been done in memory of victims of the tsunami
How to get there
Coordinates: 6°26'57"N 80°0'0"E
Nearby cities: Kalutara, Panadura, Homagama
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Route
The easiest route now is by the Southern Expressway. With new found technology these days, all you have to do is type in the coordinates or location in your GPS and it’s really easy =)
You can read more details on the history of Kande Viharya at http://amazinglanka.com/heritage/kande_vihara/kande_vihara.php
And more beautiful images at http://srilankatravelnotes.com/KALUTHARA/KANDEVIHARAYA/KandeViharaya.html
Drop me a mail or comment if you need specific instructions =)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Adisham and Strawberries...
A visit to the beautiful and quaint bungalow at Adisham ...
.... a walk among charming statutes in the garden ...
Adisham is a beautiful little monastry run by the Catholic monks. They make jam, sauces, and a variety of other foods from fruits like strawberries, guava, mango and woodapples grown in the monastry garden.
Set beneath mist-rolling mountains, Adisham is a definite must, when you visit Sri Lanka.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Kite-surfing off Negombo beach
Kitesurfing has become the newest rage in extreme water-surface sports in Sri Lanka.
Obviously, the clear weather, blue skies and huge waves are all great crowd and confidence boosters
Thursday, June 23, 2011
At Paasikuda beach
We visited Paasikuda last April. It is one of the prettiest and most calm beaches in Sri Lanka. The waters are not too deep nor too rough....
Paasikuda means Green-Algae-Bay. It is a coastal resort which is situated 35 kilometers North West of Batticaloa. We found a really nice and cost effective place to stay the night. Let me know if you want any details...
The food was marvellous with delectable flavours that only home cooking can bring you... I will post more photos soon..
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Dr. R. L. Spittel - Hail Lanka!
Hail Lanka!
Let others belaud the ways of the West,
Or homeland or township, wherever it be,
However mighty, however blest -
Lanka, my Island , you are all to me.
When homeward I keel from travels afar,
And your mountains arise like wraiths from the sea,
By rose of the dawn or beam of the star:
Oh, Island mine, you are heaven to me.
And from the Peak and the table-land
That brave the blue dome's immensity,
From tree-girt shore and glittering sand,
The emerald Island calls to me.
Ancestral strains on her breezes blown
Steal out of her solitudes eerily:
The tales that are shrined in legend and stone
Are the songs the old Island sings to me.
But oh for the trails that the wild men tread,
For the hills that are haunts of the hiving bee,
For the twittering bill and the branching head:
Oh Island, wild Island , you are home to me.
By Dr. R. L. Spittel
Even the sands are varied in Sri Lanka...
Sri Lankan beaches host many colours of sand... every beach is unique and vividly colourful in its own way... Have you ever stopped to wonder at the myriads of little animals on a sea shore?
Sunday, June 12, 2011
One beautiful moment in Sri Lanka......
" To me the beauty of Ceylon lies not so much in its blue seas and golden beaches, its jungles and its mountain peaks, as in its ancient atmosphere.
There is no nation, from Egypt of the Pharaohs to modern Britian, in whose literature this island has not at some time been mentioned by one or other of its many names -- Lanka, Serendib, Taprobane, Cellao, Zellan, to recall a few. History lies buried in its sands, and ghosts of romance lurk among its bastioned rocks, for Lanka is very, very old. "
There is no nation, from Egypt of the Pharaohs to modern Britian, in whose literature this island has not at some time been mentioned by one or other of its many names -- Lanka, Serendib, Taprobane, Cellao, Zellan, to recall a few. History lies buried in its sands, and ghosts of romance lurk among its bastioned rocks, for Lanka is very, very old. "
- D. J. G. Hennessy, GREEN AISLES, 1949
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