Tour Sri Lanka with "Riolta Lanka Holidays" to enjoy High Value, High Definition Sri Lanka Holidays.
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To end your search for ultimate holiday destination visit the "Land of Delights" , Sri Lanka & get overwhelmed with Sri Lanka holidays bounty of tourist attractions. Enjoy "Total Holiday Experience" while you are being pampered by world class eco-chic resorts & hotels.
PLS CLICK THE IMAGE FOR HOME PAGE just in case you bumped into a highly ranked post such as 'EPIC BATTLE' instead of my Home page with all the posts like a long wave (eh!) at high tide.
If there had been half a dozen such men as me to lead there would not be a white man in Kandyan...
YEAR 1848. THE MATALE REBELLION, KANDY, GATEWAY TO CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, AGAINST THE BRITISH. The best tribute to Weerahennadige Francisco Fernando alias Puran Appu of MORATUWA (that's my hometown, yours truly bunpeiris) WESTERN COASTAL BELT TO THE SOUTH, was paid by his enemies. Governor Torrington wrote to the Colonial Secretary (The letter can be seen at Durham University. "I remind you of the last words of Puran Appu. He held up his hand and said, if there had been half a dozen such men as me to lead there would not be a white man living in the Kandyan Provinces. Let's visit the royal city of Kandy with Sri Lanka Holidays.
Riolta Lanka Holidays (Pvt.) Ltd., Sri Lanka
Click the image for a 108 webpage comprehensive website on tourist attractions of the Land of Delights, Sri Lanka. ************* www.rioltalankaholidays.com OR www.mysrilankaholidays.com
RIOLTA LANKA HOLIDAYS Presents Modern History of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Holidays take you to ancient kingdoms of Sri Lanka. Let's visit Gal Vihare, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka Holidays. ************** "The true Brahmin is one who is rid of passion, hatred & pride; who is restrained in body, speech & mind; profund in intellect & wise; 'mellow as the moon, pure, serene & unperturbed" Gautama Buddha
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Venture into Adam's Peak Sri Pada, Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka Holidays. In this romantic pinnacle (7360 ft) the land rises up grandly i one last gesture of challenge to the ses-but it is the last. If you look south from Adam's Peak, you are facing the ocean that has no limit-at least no limit short of the ice walls of the polar seas. According to the Buddhist tradition, the Master ( Buddha) alighted here on his farewell visit to Ceylon, & planted the impression of his foot upon the rock. Not only that,but all the four previous Buddhas in remote & mystic ages, came to this sacred spot, & left some mark of their paasing. And from generation to generation, Adam's Peak has lured men up its cruel slopes: & in our own age pilgrims of all creeds & nationalities crowed thither in thousands. They are, however, chiefly Buddhists.
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LORD JUPITER. By Jupiter, we will go from strength to strength with Sri Lanka Holidays. Astrologically Jupiter is associated with the principles of growth, expansion, prosperity and good fortune; and a person's inner sense of justice and morality and their ideals and higher goals. Jupiter governs long distance and foreign travel, higher education, religion and the law. It is also associated with the urge for freedom and exploration, humanitarian and protecting roles, and with gambling and merrymaking or 'joviality'. The first-century poet Manilius described Jupiter as temperate and benign, and the greater benefic. It was regarded as warm and moist in nature, and therefore favourable to life.
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Sri Lanka Holidays pay respect to ancient science. SRI YANTRA. By Jupiter, we will go from strength to strength***************************** Yantras come from the more than 2000 years old tantric tradition. A yantra is the yogic equivalent of the Buddhist mandala. Sri yantra is called the mother of all yantras because all other yantras derive from it. The Sri Yantra is a configuration of nine interlacing triangles centred around the bindu (the central point of the yantra), drawn by the super imposition of five downward pointing triangles, representing Shakti ; the female principle and four upright triangles, representing Shiva ; the male principle. Man's spiritual journey from the stage of material existence to ultimate enlightenment is mapped on the Sri Yantra.
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It is not upto you to finish the work. But neither are you free not to take it up. (Avot 2:16)
Sri Lanka Holidays invite you all to click the image & read "The Literary Canon Vs Barbaric ignorance" by bunpeiris
www.bunpeiris.com
Warmest greetings from The Land of Delights, Sri Lanka to all Ladies & Gentlemen, Guys & Babes! And to kids too. Hi, partner. Right Stuff in the left hand side are mainly imports. Right stuff on the right hand side are mainly exports. No sexports. This is a family show free of charge Enjoy life. Be good too. In the center is my two pennies worth. Of course, you may comment. By the way, I cannot sideline American Ellen, she has taken the center stage limelight. We reveal for you to revel. Cheers!!!!!!! bunpeiris B. Upul N. Peiris, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
"It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it." Sherlock Holmes to Dr. Watson : The Hound of Baskervilles
bunpeiris.com ****Click image just in case you are looking for ABOUT ME
That's me. bunpeiris ** Japan was already defeated in the theater of war. Japan was about to negotiate for its surrender. Japan was only defending its land in its own land. Then The Americans Nuclear Bombed the Janpanese: Crimes against Humanity.. As much as boys are boys, cow boys are cow boys. Vietnam then & now Iraq amidst numerous other invasions. It never ends. Next is Iran. SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS SUPPORT IRAN.
www.bunpeiris.com
Riolta Lanka Holidays (Pvt.) Ltd. , Sri Lanka
bunpeiris
Om Cheers Om
Sri Lanka Holidays is brought in by Riolta Lanka Holidays (Pvt.) Ltd., Sri Lanka. Riolta We Reveal for you to Revel.
Manadil Urdi Vendum. Sri Lanka Holidays stress the value of courage
Moral courage is not merely a virtue; it is thevirtue. Without it there are no other virtues. All other virtues do not become virtues unless it takes moral courage to exercise them. **** I have never met a man with moral courage who wouldn't,when it was really necessary, face bodily danger. Moral courage is a higher & rarer virtue than physical courage. Read more on courage at Sri Lanka Holidays.
General Sir William Slim, former Commander-in-chief, Allied Land Forces in South-East Asia
Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others. Socrates
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage" Anais Nin
"Fanaticism has nothing to do with Courage." bunpeiris
"All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" Robert Fulgham
We commemorate Robert Fulgham at Sri Lanka Holidays. Share everything Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life.
Educated Morons, the Useful Idiots of the Terrorists
Sri Lanka Holidays reminds you of the richness of our planet
"I’m so dazzled by the richness of the world that I think fiction is not quite catching it." V. S. Naipaul Not quite, Sir Vidya, not quite. "Russian women are the most talented & beautiful in the World" Russian president Vladimir Putin at Sardinia by the side of good old Silvio in April 2008 No doubt, Mr. President, no doubt indeed.
Wine of the country in a wet ride
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka
This is my kingdom & on me is my queen
Cuter & cuter
Babe petting baby elephant
Buxom buddies
This world is mine & I am all yours. With the exception of Lion, I have no rivals. You know, Lion is the only guy who dine without fear, even I have a glance back while dining, but don't tell your mummy, ok., honey
May all beings free from anger May all beings free from all pain and suffering. hatred. May all beings free from greed and selfishness May all beings free from fears and anxiety. May all beings free from all pain and suffering. May all beings free from ignorance and delusion. May all beings free from all negative states of mind. May all beings be happy and peaceful. May all beings liberated from bondages. May all beings live in Peace and Harmony. May all beings experience the Nibbanic peace within. We are at peace with Sri Lanka Holidays.
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Click the national flag of Sri Lanka to read unbroken recored History of Sri Lanka since 543BC.
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Click the image of Buddhist Flag for Sri Lanka travel Guide to read at Sri Lanka Holidays
Ceylon Sapphires from Sri Lanka
Sri lanka Holidays take you to Ratnapura ( City of gems), Sri lanka. Brilliant engagement ring Ceylon Sapphires are second in hardness only to Diamonds. World class int'l award winning jewellery designers at leading shops in Sri Lanka are at your service, at you beck & call. Ring, wedding & honeymoon all in the Land of Delights, Sri Lanka. Buy Ceylon Sapphires while on tour with Sri Lanka Holidays.
Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Elementary, Dr. Watson, Elementary!
The inhabitants of Jaffna in the year 1803 QUOTE page 48 The inhabitants of Jaffna consist of a collection of various races. The greatest number are of Moorish extraction, & are divided into several tribes, known by the names of Lubabalis, Mopleys, Chittys, & Choliars; they are distinguished by wearing a little round cap on their close shaven heads. There is also a race of Malabars found here somewhat differing in their appearance from those on the continent. These different tribes of foreign settlers greatly exceed in number the native Ceylonese in the district of Jaffna. UNQUOTE Above is an extract from "An Account of The Island of Ceylon" by Robert Percival Esq. of "His Majesty's 19th Regiment of Foot" Published in London, Great Britain in the year 1803 AES reprint ISBN 81-206-0563-2
Tamil district of Jafanapatam, Sri Lanka in the year 1505 QUOTE Page 4 Turning to Ceilao, the chief King & Kingdom there were those of Cotta; this King the others reverenced with the respect of due to an Emperor. UNQUOTE Quote footnote in the same page The king who ruled at Kotte was the Suzerain of the entire country. Tributary Kings ruled over the Tamil district of Jafanapatam in the North, & the Kanda Uda Rata in the centre. Unquote Above is an extract from "The historic Tragedy of the island of Ceilao" by Captain Joao Ribeiro, Lisbon, Portugal, 8th January 1685. Translated from Portuguese by Dr. PAUL E. PIERIS, Colombo, Sri Lanka in the year 1947 AES reprint ISBN 81-206-1334-1 You will not be touring in Jaffna with Sri Lanka Holidays.
BRAWN & BRAIN:The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori by Mark Ravina
On September 24, 1877, Saigõ Takamori, one of Japan's most loyal and honored samurai, died in the bloodiest conflict Japan had seen in over two hundred years, a battle led by Saigõ and his band of loyal students. Now, more than 125 years after his death, Saigõ still remains a legendary yet enigmatic figure in Japan. Why would Japan's greatest warrior, whose sole purpose was to serve his country, set in motion a civil war and lead a group of rebel soldiers to overthrow the government that he had personally helped to restore? The Last Samurai sets forth to demystify Saigõ's life, his machinations, and the dramatic historical events that shaped the life and death of Japan's favorite samurai.Exiled for misconduct, Saigõ was pardoned in 1864 and called back to the mainland to train a group of Satsuma warriors. Their mission was to seize control of the imperial palace and restore the imperial house to its former glory. Saigõ's coup was successful, and in 1867 he led the drive to destroy the shogunate and to create a powerful new state. But with Saigõ's victory came a crushing defeat: in his drive to modernize Japan, the Meiji emperor, whom Saigõ had helped bring to power, abolished all samurai privileges, including their ancient right to carry swords.Now an acting member of a modernizing Meiji government, Saigõ was given command of the new Imperial Guard, Japan's first national army in nearly a millennium. Saigõ supported many of the government's Western-style reforms, but he was torn by the sense that he was betraying his most stalwart supporters. Deeply ambivalent about the government he hadhelped create, Saigõ sought to end his career with a final dramatic gesture: he sought to go as imperial envoy to Korea, where he would insist that the Korean king recognize the Meiji emperor. When his plan was denounced as reckless, Saigõ resigned from government, returned to his native Satsuma, and opened a military academy for former samurai warriors. His group of disgruntled students resented the rapid modernization of Japan even more than did Saigõ. They set forth to slow the hand of change with their swords, making Saigõ the reluctant leader of their uprising. Old Japan and New Japan met in battle-blades against artillery-and old Japan lost. Saigõ died in battle from a bullet wound, but legend still has it that he died by his own sword, upholding samurai honor to the end.In life, Saigõ had represented all that was commendable in the samurai estate. In death, Saigõ's legend grew even greater. The Last Samurai deftly traces the rise, fall, and rise again of Saigõ's life, his legend, and his dedication to all he believed in: tradition, honor, and glory. This compelling book provides a fascinating glimpse into the final days of Japanese feudal society, the blood-swept path of Saigõ's career, and his lasting impact on the nation to which he gave his life.
BEAUTY & BRAIN ;buy beauty & get brain free
Hedy Lamarr is known primarily for being a film star and throughout her career she certainly wasn’t one to hide from the spot light. She rose to fame in the 1933 film Ecstasy, thanks largely, but not entirely, to the extensive nude scenes. Many people thought Hedy was the most beautiful woman in Hollywood at the time and over the years a total of six husbands thought exactly the same. Often outspoken, Hedy once stated, "Any girl can be glamorous, all she has to do is stand still and look stupid." Despite all the glitz and glamour, under that beautiful exterior was an incredible mind, both brilliant and inventive. She was a quick learner, seemingly soaking up information from whom ever she was with. Her first husband, Fritz Mandal, worked on control systems in military aircraft. Hedy obviously picked up a few useful tips before their split in 1937 because three years later she went on to co-invent the torpedo guidance system some twenty years before its time. In one of the most astonishing transformations of modern time, Hedy went from being a silver screen temptress to an engineering goddess. Far from just being an iconic sex symbol, she could also explain the functioning of a frequency-hopping spread spectrum – and that’s no mean feat. In 1941, together with co-inventor George Antheil, she submitted her secret radio-guided torpedo system which allowed a torpedo to switch (or hop) between 88 different frequencies, making it virtually impossible for the enemy to track and detect the underwater onslaught. The system was so advanced the US Navy said it was unworkable and poured scorn on the explanation that certain parts of it worked like the fundamental mechanism of a player piano. Technology did eventually catch up and in 1962 her system was finally put in place by the Navy. Hedy didn’t make any money from her patent and she wasn’t even allowed to join the National Inventors Council. Maybe they just couldn’t cope with such brains and beauty all in the same body.
Even Samson was betrayed. Oh! these women!
Hedy Lamarr : my, my, my Dalila
Thus he killed many more as he died than while he lived."
Join Sri Lanka Holidays to read King Dutthagamini, ten Samson–like commanders & the unmanned, armored & armed beast, Kandula the battle elephant.
Gorgeous, Vivacious, IT talented, bubbly and merrily, she likes a good pistol, a fast draw indeed
"Russian women are the most talented & beautiful in the World" Russian president Vladimir Putin at Sardinia by the side of good old Silvio in April 2008. No doubt, Mr. President, no doubt. So much talent. So are the neighbours, Ukranians & Moldavians.
Oh! Christ! Is that Yulia?
Not her, you have had too many joints, dummy
She is at once regal & sexotic, isn't she?
Sri Lanka Holidays unravel history for your enlightenment. The first king of Lanka, King Vijaya, who arrived in the Resplendent Island, the Land of Delights in the year of final extinction of Gauthama Buddha (543 BC), by karma, wasn’t blessed to have a son. Since the next best one, if there is such a one, no doubt is the nephew. Prince Panduvasdev (Pandu Vasudeva), son of the brother of King Vijaya, King Sumithra of Vanga Kingdom (modern Bengal) of northern India was brought into the island & was crowned the king of Lanka an year following the demise of King Vijaya. Meanwhile in India, King Pandu of Vanga kingdom was threatened with war by no less than seven princes of seven neighboring kingdoms. The cause of the impending war, as in the Iliad & Ramayana & many other epics was non other than a woman: the king’s lissome daughter of matchless beauty. Her hand in marriage was valued, by the princes, over & above the war & death of hundreds of thousands of men. Well! Hell or nuclear bomb, you have to get your women, a man has to do what he has to do. Her marriage to one would cause numerous bloody battles since no prince worth his salt, with an army & kingdom in his possession, could leave a goddess-like princess to any other man. Her father King Pandu was no other than son of King Amithodana, the brother of King Suddhodana, whose son Prince Siddhartha transcended the human condition to become supremely enlightened Buddha. It was beneath the virtues of kings of Shakya clan to get involved in wars. The court astrologers came to the fore by making a timely prediction. Set the princess adrift in the ocean, she would safely reach an island, whose king would make her his queen. The princess together with 32 noble maids was set adrift in the great River Ganges. The river carried them to the ocean & by good fortune, the vessel caught favorable land-bound wind & ended up in the coast of Thammana of the kingdom of Lanka.King Panduvasdev of the Resplendent Island, the Land of Delights, already being alerted by his own astrologers on a miraculous event to unfold had made his post at the coast. The princess & her entourage of 32 noble maids were taken to the kingdom in ceremony. As if the kingdom of the Land of Delights wouldn’t do, now the king had the untold fortune of taking a seaborne delight of a lissome princess of matchless beauty to his embrace: a Venus. The state of affairs couldn’t get any better. His ministers wouldn’t take a backseat either: they made swift moves to the 32 maids. All comes to the one who wait & make the right move in ripe time.{Click image to read the whole story}
Prangige Ranjan Peiris Gunarathne
This is my maternal uncle who drove me around the bund of inland sea like Parakaram Samudra Rainwater reservoir, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka Ceylon (Sri lanka) during the prosperous days of my maternal grandfather Ayu. Dr. Prangige Silmon Peter Peiris Gunaratne. Ceylon Driving Licence No. D.L. 218998 of 26th July 1967.
1 & 2 Buddhist Compassion overrides the Buddhist code of ethics of Theravada Cannon 3. Exposition
“ Discite grammatici cur mascula nomina cunnes. Et cur femineum mentula nomen habet “ (Teach us, grammarians, why cunnus (vagina) is masculine. And Mentula (penis) feminine) Eleven-year-old Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798), after a moment’s reflection, writes out the following pentameter: “Dice quod a domino nomina servus habet” (Because the slave always takes the name of his master.) Each sex is the slave of the other sex; each sex depends on the other for pleasure. Oh! Casa!
"As a child, I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. ...................No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life." Albert E.
Show me your Right Stuff: You must be Anvil or Hammer
There are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, and the third is useless. Niccolo Machiavelli
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. Nelson Mandela
You must rise or you must fail. You must rule & win, or serve & lose, you must suffer or triumph, you must be anvil or hammer. Goethe
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit. Socrates
Opportunities multiply as they are seized. The Art of War
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. Bruce Lee
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. Winston Churchill
To believe in something, and not live it, is dishonest. Mohandas Gandhi
"The rosy fingered dawn,"
Eos is the Morning Star, known as Dawn. She is the sister of Selene and Helios (the Sun). The painting is called "Dawn" by the awesome artist Boris Vallejo,
Literature in the Early Medieval Period in Sri Lanka ( A.D.362-1017)
The growing interest in Buddhism led to a great deal of literary activity. At the beginning of this period, or perhaps earlier, many commentaries on the Pali Cannon were written in Sinhalese. the chief of them was the Maha Atthakatha of the Mahavihara. But these commentaries do not exist any longer, & we cannot be sure of their date or their exact contents. The earliest Pali work of this period is Dipavasa, a compilation of ballads & verses dealing with the introduction of Buddhism into Sri Lanka & the history of Sri Lanka up to King Mahasen. The study of Pali &the use of it for writing of books became more common with the arrival of Buddhaghosafrom India in the reign of Mahanama (A.D.409- 431). He is the author of the Visuddhi Magga(The Path to Purity), in which he gives a restatement of Buddhist doctrine. He is also said to have translated the Sinhalese commentaries on the cannonical works into Pali language. his works had a profound influence on later Buddhism, & his methods of exposition of the scriptures were followed in later times even in Burma. The most important Pali work of this period is the Mahavamsa, written about the sixth century A.D. It covers the same ground as the Dipavansa, but gives much more matter,borrowed from the Atthakatha. It is an epic & work of art, & shows the influence of Sanskrit both in language & style. The Mahavihara was one of the two works that most influenced later Pali & Sinhalese literature. The other was the Jataka, with its introduction, the Nidana Katha. The Mahabodivansa, which shows the influence of these two works, also appeared before the end of this period. Literary activity in Sinhalese was much less. In the time of King Buddadasa, at the end of the fourth century, some sections of the Pali Cannon were translated into Sinhalese. In the time of King Agbo 1 (A.D.568-601) it is said that there were twelve Sinhalese poets. Before the end of this period a Sinhalese glossary to the Dhammapada Atthakatha was written. This work still exists, & is called the Dampiya Atuva Gatapada. the form of the Sinhalese language in the early centuries of the Christian era was not so different from other Indian Aryan dialects as now, but at the beginning of this period Sinhalese began to take a distinctive form. the script, too, went through a change about the same time, bu it began to take on its modern rounded form only at the end of this period, when the language, too, began to strongly influenced by Pali & Sanskrit forms.
North India In the Ancient period the country that influence Sri Lanka most was India. Sri Lanka was in touch with almost all parts of it, & its influence on Sri Lanka in matters of religion, in sculpture & painting have already been mentioned. After the break-up of the Maurya Empire, India was divided into a number of independent states which often wage war against one another. In the fourth century A.D., Samudragupta brought almost the whole of North India under his rule, & ushered in an era of peace & prosperity. his supremacy was generally recognised all over India, & he claimed to have received the homage of the Sinhalese. Kit Siri Mevansent him an embassy with gifts, to obtain permission for the building of a monastery at Buddha gaya for the use of Sinhalese pilgrims. During the rule of Samudragupta& his successors, India was the leading power in the East. It had dealings with the Persian, Roman & Chinese emperors. Chinese pilgrims, such as Fa-Hsien& Hiuen Tsiang, visited India, & Indian sages, like Kumarajiva, went to China. It was also in this period that Farther India & Java came fuly under Buddhist influence. This was also a period of Hindu renaissance. The Gupta kings were worshippers of Vishnu, though they allowed complete freedom of worship to Buddhists& Jains. They encouraged literature, science, architecture, sculpture & painting. Sanskrit became the language of the learned. The Indian epics, the Mahabharata& the Ramayana, & other Sanskrit works, such as the Laws of Manu & Kautilya's Arthasastra,took their final form at this time.Kalidasawrote his dramas & poems, which later influenced Sinhalese literature. It was also about this time that Kumaradasawrote the Sanskrit poem Janakiharana, or the abduction of Sita, which became popular among scholars in Ceylon. The sculpture, which exhibited extraordinary beauty of figure, dignity of pose, & restraint of treatment in detail, & the paintings, such as the frescoes of Ajanta, reached an extraodinarily high standard of excellence. The influence of India was so extensive that many Asiatic countries looked to it at his time for the sources of their inspiration. Above is an extract from The Early History of Ceylon by G.C. Mendis, 1932
The first murder trial
Sri Lanka Holidays hail the begining of justice. Alcippe was the daughter of Ares (God of War) and Aglauros. She was raped by a son of Poseidon. Ares immediately killed the rapist, and was brought on trial by the other gods. It was the first murder trial. After the facts were laid out, and they heard what happened to Alcippe, Ares was quickly aquitted. The painting is called "Phryne before the Areopagus" by Jean-Leon Gerome.
Jürgen Schumann (* 29. April 1940 in Colditz; † 16. Oktober 1977 in Aden, Jemen) war ein deutscher
Sri Lanka Holidays salute all heroes. Maurice Philip Remy found out what Juergen Schumann in Aden on 16 Oktober 1977 tat: Er verließ das Flugzeug, prüfte das Fahrwerk und ging ins Flughafengebäude, um zu erreichen, dass sie nicht weiterfliegen mussten. October 1977 did: He left the plane, considered the chassis and went to the airport building to ensure that they had not weiterfliegen. Der Mann, mit dem Schumann sprach, den Remy fand und der die Antwort auf die lange offene Frage weiß, heißt Scheich Ahmed Mansur. The man, with the Schumann said, and Remy found the answer to the long white open question, says Sheikh Ahmed Mansur. Er kommandierte als Luftwaffengeneral die Sondereinheit, die damals das Flugzeug umstellt hatte. He commanded Air Force General as the special unit, which then surrounded the plane. Schumann, erinnert sich Mansur, der noch heute in Aden lebt, „verlangte, wir sollten auf die Forderungen der Entführer eingehen. Schumann remembers Mansur, who still lives in Aden, "demanded that we should to the demands of the kidnappers. Ich sagte ihm: Ich kann jeden anderen Wunsch erfüllen, aber unmöglich den, dass die Passagiere aussteigen und die Entführer von jemenitischem Boden aus verhandeln.“ Schumanns letzte Worte habe er nicht vergessen: „Ich kehre jetzt zurück. I told him: I can fulfill any other desire but impossible, that the passengers off and the kidnappers of jemenitischem ground to negotiate. "Schumann's last words, he had not forgotten:" I go back now. Ich bin sicher, sie werden mich umbringen.“ An Bord hatte Schumann keine Gelegenheit mehr, etwas zu sagen, Mahmud brüllte ihn nieder und erschoss ihn sofort. I am sure that they will kill me. "Aboard Schumann had no opportunity, something to say, Mahmoud roared him down and shot him immediately.
Truce with Terrorists :"Punica fides"
Sri Lanka Holidays mince no words. "FIDES" is often (and wrongly) translated 'faith', but it has nothing to do with the word as used by Christians writing in Latin about the Christian virute (St. Paul Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13). For the Romans, FIDES was an essential element in the character of a man of public affairs, and a necessary constituent element of all social and political transactions (perhaps = 'good faith'). FIDES meant 'reliablilty', a sense of trust between two parties if a relationship between them was to exist. FIDES was always reciprocal and mutual, and implied both privileges and responsibilities on both sides. In both public and private life the violation of FIDES was considered a serious matter, with both legal and religious consequences. FIDES, in fact, was one of the first of the 'virtues' to be considered an actual divinity at Rome. The Romans had a saying, "Punica fides" (the reliability of a Carthaginian) which for them represented the highest degree of treachery: the word of a Carthaginian (like Hannibal) was not to be trusted, nor could a Carthaginian be relied on to maintain his political relationships. Sri Lanka Holidays reveal bare facts sans nonsense. Tour the ancient island of Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka Holidays. Contact Riolta Lanka Holidays today.
Sri Lanka holidays: no tomb Sri Lanka Holidays bring you the Total Holiday Experience. The Land of Delights shall not flag or fail. During Sri Lanka Holidays you will have fun & frolic in the beaches, you will make merry in the hills & plains. You will enjoy the journeys as well as the destinations. You will be enlightened in the numerous cultural attractions; you will get thrilled in the numerous nature, adventure & wildlife reserves. You will have all the delights.
In the year 205 B.C., Sinhalese king Asela (215-205 B.C) of the island of Lanka was vanquished by marauding Dravidian invader from Southern India & ruled the dry plains for four decades. The appraisal of Elara (205-161 B.C.) in the Pali Chronicles is quite favourable in spite of his being a foreign invader. The Mahavamsamentions that he was doing “even justice to friend & foe”. He was respected & esteemed by every one, including his enemies. However during his reign Buddhism & Buddhist temples at Aunradhapura suffered at the hands of marauding Dravidians. Then again, the marauding Dravidian invaders too met their mauler. Mahawamsa records how a Samsonesque Nandhimitta, who was to become one of the commanders of the King Duttha Gamini, single handedly, set about killing the marauding Dravidians: “When grown up, he came to the city & served his uncle. At that time, when Damilas desecrated thupas, etc, this strong man would trample one thigh with his foot, take the other with his hand, tear the Damilas asunder & throw them out.”
Hero of the nation, King Duttha Gamini, elder son of King Kavan Tissa of Magama & Queen Vihara Maha Devi of Kaleniya (of modern Colombo district) in the battle of Vijitapura declared that his sole intention was to protect Buddhism from the marauding Dravidian invaders. Mahavamsa narrates the words of the king: ‘This effort of mine is not for the joy of sovereignity; it is for the establishment of the faith of Buddha forever. By this truth, let the articles worn on the body of my troops take the colour of fire” Then it came to pass exactly in that manner.
‘Near the south gate of the city of Anuradhapura the two kings fought; Elara hurled his dart; Gamani evaded it; he made his own elephant pierce (Elara’s) elephant with his tusks & he hurled his dart at Elara; & this (latter) fell there with his elephant.” Mahavamsa.
King Duttha Gamani built a monument on the very spot. He had the slain enemy's body cremated & ordained worship. A pillar later was erected which read “Let no man, prince or peasant, in future pass this way riding in palanquin or litter with beating of drums”.
One & only monument of the world built in honor of a fallen enemy Sri Lanka is the only country in the world known to have a monument built in honor of a fallen enemy. The ancient concept of tolerance of the Sinhalese has been inspired by the gentle sway of Buddhism
When Anuradhapurawas being excavated by illustrious Mr. H. P. Bell (British colonial head of the dept. of Archeology in1890 & during 1893-1912) the Indian coolies who settled down around an overgrown mound of earth, owing to a lack of suitable facilities, set upon using the area for purposes far from religious. Determined to arrest the sacrilege, a SinhalaBuddhist spread rumour that the overgrown mound was in fact the tomb of the Tamil invader Elara defeated & slain by King Duttha Gamani(161-137 B.C.) The word spread around & the dirty practice of the Tamil coolies came to end. However the misnomer Elara’s tomb held fast until 1948, when the renowned Sinhalese archeologist Dr. Senerath Pranavitana declared that it might contains the ashes ofKing Duttha Gamanihimself, who could have been cremated on this very spot. Today, thanks to the discovery of a Brahmiinscription in the site, it is said that it was part of the Southern Monastery also called the Dakkina Vihara. It became the seat of the Sagaliya Sect which separated from the sect of Abhayagiri in the 4th century. Golden reliquaries in the shape of stupa were found during excavation.
Describing the arrival of the Bo tree, the Pali Thupawamsa, another ancient chronicle, records that they brought it by the northern gate of the city & taking it out by the southern gate, for a distance of five-hundred bow-lengths, caused it to be planted in the Maha Mega gardens. Taking a bow-length as eight feet according to conditions then, the distance becomes 4000 feet. Mr. J.A. Balfour of Irrigation Department of Ceylon measured the distance from the sacred Bo tree to the irrigation channel which was laid by illustrious irrigation engineer Mr. H. Parker in 1887, & it was found to be 3986 feet! Mr. Parker himself believed that the low ditch in which he laid the channel that the low ditch in which he laid the channel was the moat surrounding the ancient city ofAnuradhapura. For not more than twenty feet away is an artificial hilly ridge discernible from the road, which runs through a private garden, & is easily traceable for a very long distance. This is the ruin of the wall which surrounded the ancient metropolis. Incidentally, a few yards outside this wall, while a well was being sunk in the compound of a Government bungalow, ten feet below the surface a few granite balls of about two inches in diameter were brought to light. No such objects seem to have been discovered or are to be seen anywhere else atAnuradhapura. The wall of the city was only some twenty yards from the location where these were found. Mahawamsa narrating the epic battle of Lanka juxtaposes a military catapult: "Stones without number hurled from engines flew about from every side.”
The southern gate having been definitely fixed the intriguing question arises as to where the elusive tomb of the Tamil marauder Elara lies. This time around there wouldn’t be a question of a tomb for the simple reason the Pol Pot suffering from wounds, diabetes & hyper tension would be entombed & flattened by the Migs & Kaffirs. He is on his last bloody leg.
Two years on from the Boxing Day tsunami, and Sri Lanka is still getting back on its feet. You can help by staying in locally-run hotels. One of the most authentic is Galapita Eco Lodge, a small solar-powered lodge in jungle bordering the Yala National Park in the south-east. Getting there is best done the local way - take the bus, or drive down from Colombo, then jump in a tuk tuk at the village of Battala before crossing to the lodge over the precarious footbridge that hangs 40ft over the river Menik Ganga.
There are futon-style beds in two tree houses and five mud huts on the banks of the river, from where it's a short towel-covered hop to a soak in the natural outdoor spa. If the river conditions are right, take a tyre tube ride over the rapids through the forest to the village of Demodara. It's a bumpy two-hour trip, so worth booking yourself in for a late afternoon herbal bath or massage at the lodge before dining on locally caught fish or prawns cooked in clay pots on log fires. Just 15 minutes away is the new entrance to the national park, where local guides run safaris to see elephants.
This article, by Richard Hammond, was first published in the Guardian.
British Colonialists in Ceylon Tour Sri Lanka, The Land of Delights with Riolta Sri Lanka Holidays, Sri Lanka. Total Holiday Experience awaits you in the beautiful tropical island of Sri Lanka.
Victoria Dam At the commissioning of Victoria dam of Mahaweli River diversification Project on 12th April 1985, Minister Gamini Dissanayake in his speech carried an implication that UK grant-aided Victoria multi-purpose reservoir project, in a way, was a compensation for the damage done to the island during it’s extended colonial rule during 1815-1948: “If the plantation economy introduced a major social change Victoria signals another & a much vaster change. If the plantation economy enfeebled the peasantry, Victoria & the Mahaweli scheme gives them a new life”
Damage done by the colonialist British Frantz Fannon stated colonialism distorts human nature, breeds contemptuous human relationships; it enthrones human cruelty, destroys & emasculates the urge for human freedom; it supplants the natural with the artificial, setting in motion a train of misery, death & destruction. The last wish of Keppetipola Disava of Kandy, the leader of Uva Rebellion in 1818 was “May I be reborn in Lanka to continue struggle for freedom of Sinhalese from British; the last words, defiant to the last breadth, of Weerahennadige Francisco Fernando alias Puran Appu of Moratuwa, the leader of Matale Rebellion in 1848 was “if there had been half a dozen such men as me to lead there would not be a white man living in the Kandyan Provinces”. Ceylon became a lucrative British colony of the Great Empire, rather a great market. Profitable trade in cinnamon, coconut, rubber and coffee, and later tea, brought wealth to the coffers of the colonialists. During the early period of colonial administration was pre-occupied with military & political consolidation, & thereafter, with capitalist enterprise in the plantation. The indentured labour from Southern India was to shatter the social fabric of the island; documented favourtism to minority Tamils resulted in them secured in the box seat to the detriment of majority Sinhalese. But then again, in spite of the adverse effects, it was not without favourable changes; banking & commerce was developed, brokering & agency houses came into being, the railways were laid, legislation was brought regulating industry, trade & commerce. This country stepped into the age of mercantilism. Thus, were set in motion the path to new way of life, breaking off old feudal patterns.
Belated revival of irrigation projects by the colonialist British It must be also said in fairness, that Sir Emerson Tennent (1843-1850) a Colonial Secretary, who authored the famous work CEYLON-An Account Of The Island (1859), focused attention on the importance of irrigation. Then the British Governor, Sir Henry Ward (1855-1869) took up an enlightened view: he stated that the British administration had “never devoted a fair proportion of the revenue towards the restoration of old works & the one thing that comes home to every Sinhalese is the improvement of those means of irrigation which the climate rendered indispensable.The irrigation Department was set up in 1900 with H.T.S. Ward as the first Director of Irrigation. The scholar-engineer, Henry Parker who wrote ANCIENT CEYLON (1909) was assigned to the new department & did much to kindle interest in the old irrigation system in the Rajarata. An irrigation expert, William Strange, arrived in 1909 to carry out as study. Renovation or re-construction of numerous major irrigation works including Giant’s tank, Giritale reservoir, Kumbukkan Oya scheme, Minneriya reservoir, Nuwarawewa reservoirTissa wewa reservoir, Walwe Ganga river, Kirindi Oya Scheme, Kala Wewa & Gal Oya west scheme were carried out by the colonial administration during 1900 to 1948. The first major construction in the Mahaweli system in the modern era, was completed in 1937, with the restoration of the ancient Elahera-Minneriya Yoda Ela Cannal (54 miles) to take water from the Amban Ganga, to the restored Minneriya reservoir. The tradition of renovation & construction of irrigation projects thus initiated & carried out by the British has been continued by Free Ceylon since 1948 & culminated in accelerated Mahaweli River diversification project in 1980.
Knowledge of the Sinhalese of their Ancient Glory During the colonial period, the Sinhalese were not unaware of their glorious chronicle Mahwamse, history, irrigation & heritage in the lost cities of Anuradhapura & Polonnaruwa. What they had no knowledge of were the precise locations of some of the monuments & ruins. The Mahawamsa records that King Duttha Gamani made a proclamation that Elara’s tomb should receive the same honours given to that of a chakkavatti or supreme monarch, & that all processions passing the spot should silence their instruments & even if he were the king himself, should go on foot & in silence. In1818 nearly one thousand eight hundred years later, Pilima Talawe, the Adigar or chief minister was fleeing from the British forces, & happening to pass through Anuradhapura, though hotly pursued, yet in spite of the danger & his own fatigue, he got down from his palanquin & as he did not know the precise location of the tomb of Elara, he walked on nearly a mile till he had passed far beyond.
Sanda Kalum of Sandamali by bunpeiris Oh! Myeee....Look at that! Did you see that? Hold me tight, I am reeling. A lissome woman of matchless grace from Sri Lanka flashes her Sanda Kalums (Moon beams) That's non other than Sandamali meaning Moon face inSinhala. Stars won't come out 'cause they know you are about Sandamali kills you with her hi power Moon beams! Killing me softly with your Moon beams, oh! Sweet Jeeses , could it get any better ever? Never, Honey This is the ultimate moon beam, the moon beam to beat all beams, hands down. Aren't you afraid of death they ask...He replies; No, the only fears I face are the fear of not seeing any more Moon beams of Sandamali & not knowing how fruitful my valour in defense of my land. Nadeeka Sandamali Perera won the International Best Female Model 2007 in Alcante, Spain. She also won Miss Catwalk, Miss Glamour, Best National Costume & Miss photogenic.
Ven. Medhananda thero tells Thoppigala area was the birthplace of Suranimala and that many national treasures are buried there. July 17, 2007 by lrrp
Archeologist Venerable Ellawela Medhananda, rejected the notion expressed by United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe that Thoppigala, just captured from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is simply an insignificant jungle and said it is an area buried with archeological treasures very significant to Sri Lanka’s history including the birthplace of Suranimala, an ancient war hero who helped to liberate Sri Lanka from foreign yoke during the Anuradhapura civilization.
He said according to some of his own research one of the mountainous regions called Nelugala, close to Thoppigala in the area just taken over from the Tamil Tigers, has been identified as the birthplace of the ancient war hero Suranimala , whose heroic military efforts are vividly described in the epic historical chronicle called Mahavamsa or Great Chronicle. The chronicle records historical chronology of the island nation from the 6th century BC to the 4th century AC.
Archeologist Venerable Medhananda said, an ancient stone inscription found in Nelugala reveals that the village in Nelugala called Kottiwela settlement was the birthplace of Suranimala. He said according to his research he has identified 114 abandoned ancient irrigation tanks in the area and only one has been restored so far. He said the only tank restored was built during erecting a dam across Maduru Oya which is able to supply water to 10,000 acres of farmland. He said the ancient irrigation works in the area prove it was a granary of ancient Sri Lanka and it is not an insignificant jungle as some politicians attempted to indicate. He said surrounding Thoppigala there are Motagala, Nelugala, Wesibendagala, Atubendagala and Keviligala and all are connected with Sri Lanka’s ancient civilization.
Venerable Ellawela Medhananda said there are very many ancient religious monuments still to be excavated in the area and people shouldn’t simply say that Thoppigala area is an insignificant jungle. Venerable Ellawela Medhananda said this in an obvious reference to UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who told a UNP propaganda meeting in Galle that the army has captured an insignificant jungle. Venerable Medhananda said apart from the significance of the area as a strategic place to provide security to the Eastern Province it is definitely an important area where very many national treasures are still buried of our national heritage. Some Archaeological remains at Thoppigala forest.Unfortunately some sites have been vandalized by Tamil tigers terrorists as seen below.
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Following is an excerpt from "An Illustrated Guide To The Buried Cities of Ceylon" by Dorothy Jones-Bateman published in the year 1932
There have been several references in this book to the tank of Kala Wewa which can be reached, as already stated, by a six-mile drive from the village of Kekirawa. The great reservoir has been restored under British rule & fulfils its original functions. One is apt to forget that it formed a part of the old civilization. Its construction by Dhatu Sena in the 5th century A.D. recalls the story of Sigiriya& the dreadful death of the king at the hands of his son & his nephew. The remains of the old monastery on the bund speak of Mahanama & his last interview with his sovereign. Near by too are the ruins of the city of Vijitapura, somewhat confused in the chronicles with a town of the same name near Polonnaruwa. A jungle walk of a mile or so brings one to the colossal Buddha of Aukana. The bund of Kala Wewa extends for five or six miles. The motorist at one point crosses the main spill, a dangerous proceeding when there is any quantity of water coming down. I have spent pleasant hours in the little circuit bungalow, which occupies a site near an ugly modern monument. END
Following is an excerpt from "Historical Guide To Anuradhapura's Ruins" by Hubert E. Weerasooriya in the year 1939.
King Dhatusena is specially known for the construction of the enormous reservoir Kala Wewa in the fifth century. Kala Wewa to this day replenishes the water supply of Anuradhapura by a giant channel over fifty miles long, the wonderful of which area cause for marvel to engineers of even the present day. It was King Dhatusena's uncle, the priest Mahanama who wrote the Mahawamsa. King Dhatusena's notorious son, the parricide Kassappa, then removed the seat of Government to the impenetrable rock-fortress Sigiriya, but his brother Moggallan re-established Anuradhapura as the royal capital. Sri Lanka Holidays takes you to Kala Wewa on the way to Sigirya Lion Rock Citadel. END
A close examination of Mahavamsa, the great chronicle which contains the details of Sri Lanka’s authentic history, makes us understand that Sri Lankan women had always been leading relatively independent lives compared to contemporary Indian women. From the very early days of the history ,they had actively engaged in matters of the government. Four queens of whom Mahavamsa talks of alone would vouch for the fact. In India, even during the period of the Buddha in the 6th Century B.C, the position of women in society was extremely low. Male dominance and male chauvinism were acute in society and the birth of a girl was treated with scorn. One major reason for this was the need of manpower to be used in wars.
However tragic the story of Kuveni may be, though there are lots of contradictory interpretations of her role in Sri Lanka’s history, it is impossible to ignore her character when talking of ancient women in Sri Lanka as she is the first woman we come across in Mahavamsa. She was a tribal queen who lived in the country at the time Prince Vijaya arrived in Thambapanni , on the day the Buddha attained Parinirvana in Kusinara, India.
Bravery
She could act bravely and independently when confronted with a set of men who were complete strangers Amidst the objections raised by her relatives, she was courageous enough to be the wife of prince Vijaya. Her decision making power (though it later dug her own grave) was such that she could even go against her relatives to the extent of giving Prince Viaya the authority to rule the land. Later as King Viaya betrayed her after establishing power over the land, she was courageous enough to go back to her relatives though she had sensed by then what her plight would be. Anyway sensing the impending danger, she was also careful not to take her children along with her.
Baddha Kachchayana was a Sakyan princess of whom Mahavamsa talks with much pride and emphasis. She was a dazzling beauty who had to come on a journey of destiny to Sri Lanka, at her father’s behest. She became the queen of King Panduvasdevu.
Princess Chithra, Baddha Kachchayana’s only daughter too is significant in the country’s history. It was not merely her great beauty (that made everyone spellbound at the sight of her) that made princess Chithra a much talked of character in history. Her role is pivotal as the mother of King Pandukabhaya, the founder of Anuradhapura kingdom, the glory of which remains to this day as the kingdom which lasted for over thousand years. Princess Unmada Chithra was imprisoned in an “ek Tam geya” by her brothers following a prophecy made by a prophet soon after her birth. The forecast was that if princess Chithra bears a son one day, he would become the king by killing all his uncles. So she was not allowed to mingle with others freely and had to lead a solitary life. Anyway despite all the obstacles princess Chithra was clever enough to carry on a secret affair with her cousin. The movement which she put into operation silently is symbolic of women’s ability to fight for their rights. Chithra’s mother, Queen Baddha Kachchayana was constantly by her side. When Princess Chithra bore a son, it was her Queen mother who took necessary steps to send the baby to Doramadalawa. Though it could be even interpreted as an act of betrayal (from the point of view of her sons), in fact it was not only for the rights of her daughter that she stood for, but also for women in general. It was Baddha Kachchayana who coined a new name for the baby by joining the names of her husband and elder son who was always sympathetic of Princess Chithra. The baby was thus named a Pandukhabaya.
Though her son lived several miles away from her princess Chithra managed to send him to a proper teacher at the right time. All these are sufficient to prove that even at an early age, despite the society being highly patriarchal, women could act on their own, without abiding by rigid rules imposed by men.
Another woman we come across in Mahavamsa is Pali, the daughter of Girikandhashiwa who later became the queen of King Pandukhabaya. Her encounter with Pandukhabaya was accidental. As she was on her way to the harvesting festival which her father and his helpers had been attending, she met him. When Pali took a leaf to serve Pandukhabaya and the group, it turned to gold. The sight reminded the Prince of a prophecy made by his teacher some time ago about his future wife and decided to marry her. After the incident she came to be known as Swarnapali. The role she played in history as the chief queen of the founder king of Anuradhapura kingdom was outstanding. King Devanampiya Tissa, during whose reign Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka, was a grand son of Swarnapali, Mahavamsa reveals.
Anula was the queen of King Devanampiya Tissa’s younger brother Maha Naga who was a ‘Yuwaraja. Just like Queen Prajapathi of India who played a major role in establishing the Bhikkhuni Sasana in India, here in Sri Lanka it was Queen Anula’s constant pleas that expedited the arrival of Sanghamitta Therani in Sri Lanka. Queen Anula along with 500 other women entered the first stage of the path to Nibbana after listening to the Dhamma preached by Arhat Mahindaon the second day of his arrival in Sri Lanka. Queen Anula was intelligent enough to grasp the contents of such an indepth dhamma discussion instantly. Since the arrival of Arhat Sanghamitta, Queen Anula had been leading a religious life observing ten precepts confining herself to a asapuwa.
The errand Maha Mahendra thera sent to Emperor Dharmashoka read as follows: “Please make necessary arrangements to send Arhat Sanghamitta to the country in order to ordain Queen Anula, the queen of ‘Yuwaraja’, brother of your colleague, Devanampiya Tissa. Also make necessary arrangements to send a sapling of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi.”
Mahavamsa Teeka mentions how Queen Anula and five hundred women were ordained after the Therani’s arrival. Queen Anula not only entered the Order, but also attained Arhathood. So undoubtedly in the history of Country’s Buddhism, specially when dealing with Women’s role in it, Queen Anula’s name is unforgettable.
Vihara Maha Devi
The sacrifice princess Vihara Devi made is unparalleled. Gods got enraged as King Kelani Tissa mercilessly killed an Arhath by immersing him in a cauldron of boiling oil and in order to punish the king for the heinous offence that he committed, a tsunami struck the island unexpectedly. To appease the gods, the king decided to set afloat his daughter, Princess Devi as a sacrifice to the sea gods placing her in a gilded canoe. Princess Devi was destined to make such a sacrifice and her journey created history. The canoe reached the Southern coast of the island (known as Kirindatoday) safely and when this was brought to the notice of King Kavanthissa, ruler ofRuhunaat that time, he took charge of her. Mahavamsa says that since she had not attained age by the time she reached there, the king’s maids had attended to her every need and as she reached the proper age, King Kavan Tissa had made her his Chief queen.
Vihara Devi, who came to be known as Vihara Maha Devi later, was significant in our 2559 year old continuous history mainly because of her son King Duttha Gamini. She was a deeply religious woman and it was said that she played a major role in inculcating patriotic feelings in young Prince Gemunu’s mind.
She was known as a wonderful mother who always directed her sons in the proper path. She had always supported the attempts King Duttha Gaminimade to unite the country. Mahavamsa also talks of her visits even to the battlefront to advise her son. Since the son always listened to his mother’s advice, he could easily overcome many a difficulty. Moreover the service she rendered to protect the Buddha Sasana is significant.
Soma Devi’s unselfishness is exemplary. She was a queen of King Walagamba and was brave enough to get down from the chariot in order to allow the king flee from the warfront quickly. The chariot was carrying the King, Soma Devi, queen Anula and her two sons. Since Queen Anula was pregnant, Soma Devi voluntarily got down from the chariot into the jaws of the enemy. Harum queens were never known for their kindness for each other and in that backdrop, queen Anula’s sacrifice was exceptional. No sooner She got down from the chariot she was captured by one of the Tamils who were chasing after the king and was taken to India.
Queen Seewali who reigned the country only for four months was the daughter of Amanda Gamini, and the sister of King Chulabhaya (34-35A.D). She succeeded to the throne after her brother Chulabhaya, but was overthrown from power soon by Ilanga who became the king. King Ilanga’s queen was a tactful woman according to Mahavamsawho knew how to act wisely according to the situation. When enraged Lambakarnas (High caste people who served the king) imprisoned the king in his own palace, the queen set a plan to rescue the king as she knew that Lambakarnas will kill him at the end.
She dressed her little son and asked his nursing mothers to take him to the royal tusker (Magul Atha) along with an errand.Mahavamsa perhaps with a bit exaggeration states how the nursing mothers read the queen’s message to the tusker after placing the baby by its feet. It read thus:
“This prince is the son of the king who is being imprisoned. It is rather better if you crush and kill the baby than letting him get killed by the enemies in the near future. These are the words of the queen.”
The royal tusker who was intelligent enough to understand what it meant dashed the door of the palace where the king was being kept.The elephant then placed the king on its back and took him to Mannar (Mahathota) and let him flee. The king returned to his kingdom after three years with a strong army and re-established his power.
Meththa was the wife of King Subha’s Chief Commander (Senapathi). She was not at all hesitant to go against certain unjust decisions of her husband. Reacting to a prediction by a prophet (that one day a person called Wasabha will become the king of the country) king Subha gave orders to massacre everyone in the country who bore the name Wasabha. The Commander too had a relative called Wasabha working at their place. Being avaricious over the monetary gains, the commander decided to hand over their relative to the king. It was Meththa who saved the boy’s life from the jaws of death by instruting him to leave the area immediately. The young boy who thus fled became the king of the country later. King Wasabha rendered a great service to the country ruling the country for forty five years.
Ancient Sinhalese women were brave enough to raise objections even to certain acts of the kings if they adversely affected the country. It was a woman who got Sanghamithra thera and Minister Sona killed as they inspired King Mahasen to engage in anti-Buddhist -activities. (destroying Maha vihara, etc) All these show that ancient Sinhalese women were brave enough to arrive at decisions independently and bravely according to the situation.
The story of the Sangha shows the courage ancient women had to work on par with men. She always stood for her rights. She was the daughter of Mahanama’s Chief queen. Prince Soththisena was also a son of the king born to a Tamil woman. After the demise of Mahanama, Soththisena became the king.
Princess Sangha who was of the view that she was the rightful heir to the throne, was brave enough to make her husband, Chaththa Gahaka the king after getting king Soththisena killed. Mahavamsa says that it was not because Soththisena was born to a Tamil woman that Sangha raised objections, but because she was the daughter of King’s chief queen which made her legally accessible to the throne.
Another unforgettable woman whom we come across in Mahavamsa is Sugala, the daughter of King Maha Vijayabahu. She gave leadership to people of Ruhunain their concerted battles against King Parakkarma Bahu the Great who was eager to unify all Sri Lanka under his control. After the death of Manabarana, she became the leader ofRuhuna. Since she owned the sacred tooth relics, the ownership of which was compulsory in asserting one’s right to accede to the throne, her presence was a huge threat to King Parakrama Bahu the Great.
Though he was a mighty king, it was only after a gruesome war that he could take the area under him. This shows the tactfulness and the military strength Queen Sugala possessed. Her strength ,courage and bravery are remarkable in Sri Lanka’s history.
Leelawathi, a queen of King Prakrama Bahu the Great who ruled the country from 1197 A.D to 1200 is considered the third queen of the country. Kalyanawathi too was a queen of the country(1201 A.D.-1208 A.D). She was the chief queen of Keerthi Sri Nissanka. According to Mahavamsa she was a devout Buddhist who even compiled a book called “Dharmadhikarana”.
However not all women are known for their virtues. King Sulumugalan’s wife tried to keep the power in her hands even after the death of the king. She wanted to give power to her son. She made her the son, Keerthi Sri Megha the king and ruled the country the way she wanted turning the whole process upside down. Her short sighted behaviour weakened king Keerthi Sri Megha’s reign.
King Devanampiya Tissa’s queen was Anula. For her own misfortune she never wanted to participate in any of the religious programmes launched by the king. Fearing that her own son won’t get the opportunity to become the future king because of Yuwa raja, Maha Naga, she schemed to kill him.
She sent poisoned mangoes to the place where Maha Naga was monitoring the construction work of Walas wewa (Tharachchi vapi) But ironically it was her own son (who had been in the same site) that died in the end. Maha Naga who was intelligent enough to understand the plot fled to Ruhuna. In fact it was Anula’s evil deeds that resulted in the emergence of the kingdom of Ruhuna.
Mahavamsa talks of quite a few women who had the name Anula. Even the first Sinhalese queen was Anula. She was the chief queen of Chora Naga and was known as an evil woman who was sadistic enough to kill almost all her partners. First she poisoned King Chora Naga as she wanted her lover Siva, a doorman, to become the king.Anyway it was a prince called Tissa who rose to power in the end. Somehow she managed to Kill him and let Siva become the king and she became his queen. After a while she started another relationship with a Tamil called Watuka. After the elapse of just a year and two months, King Siva was too poisoned by Queen Anula and Watuka was made the king. Watuka too had to face the same plight as he was killed as Anula wanted to make her next lover, Darakatiya, became the King and assumed the name Tissa. Anula was his chief queen. To quench her never ending desires she then started an affair with a Brahmin adviser called Neeliya and poisoned Darakati Tissa. Then she made Neeliya, the king and became his chief queen. In the end as her lust was overpowered by her desire to take power into her own hands , she poisoned Neeliya and ruled the country for four months. Her sadism is well known in history.
Sustainable tourism (Green i.e., eco) credentials of the hotel The restaurant offer organic & local food: all meals are prepared using fresh produce directly from the hotel's extensive organic farm. SigiriyaVillage takes pride in offering guests their own home grown fruit and vegetables. All the herbal oils, scrubs, and wraps used at the on-siteAyurvedic Centre for the therapies are prepared using herbs from the hotel's own garden. Do not miss the opportunity to experience the indigenous, ancient healing wisdom of Ayurveda, which provides the most natural methods of relaxing one's body and mind.
Location Located 169 km from Colombo & 165 km from Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), KatunayakeAirport, the hotel is close to the Lion Rock Citadel Sigiriya.
Setting in “back to the nature style” With a view of Lion Rock Citadel Sigiriya, Sigiriya village is comprised of small duplexes designed to blend it with their natural environment. The earth-toned cottages in clusters set in parkland so even during the high season, the gardens retain the serene atmosphere, mingle into the environment. Ideally, you too may avoid bright colours & wear cloths of matching colours & blend into the environment. Now, that cannot get any better.
Accommodation 120 individually designed earth-toned cottages of enchanting rural atmosphere, each with a bedroom, ensuite bathroom, and private verandah overlooking carefully nurtured gardens & ponds, are decorated carefully with themes symbolic of rustic life.
Facilities Recreational facilities include a swimming pool with separate children's pool The hotel further offers guests mini-golf, badminton, tennis and board games on the premises. Mini golf - Badminton - Tennis - Jogging track
Meals are served at the main dining area overlooking the swimming pool and the magnificent Sigiriya rock which looms over the treetops. Traditional Sri Lanka rice and curry is a speciality here. Buffets – with Western and Eastern food -- are served for breakfast and lunch. There is also an a la carte menu and room service menu
Leisure Bird-watching, Elephant ride Traditional dance and music troupes provide nightly entertainment within the main restaurant area.
Excursions Lion Rock citadel Sigiriya(UNESCO World Heritage Site)(You are right there) Golden Dambulla Rock temple(UNESCO World Heritage Site) (round trip 48 km) Anuradhapura,(UNESCO World Heritage Site) (round trip 164 km) Polonnaruwa (UNESCO World Heritage Site) (round trip 134 km)
Riolta Recommendation SigiriyaVillage providing value for money, is among the best of the mid market hotels in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka.
If you, as Christians, seem to be more in par with the westerners, it is because of your religion adopts the western thinking and values. Western way of thinking alone is not going to help Sri Lanka. Buddhist Sinhalese, as they have proven in the first millennium, should even be able to teach the west. Let the talent, the competent, the capable take charge and clean up Sri Lanka according to the very fair and harmless Buddhist Sinhalese principles. Sinhalese Buddhists are not racists, If they were, Sri Lanka, would never have ended up like this, and all you minorities will not be able to scavenge on the system.
The selfish social class that holds power in Sri Lanka, made sure that the Sinhalese Buddhists are so weak, both socially and economically. Sinhalese Buddhist masses have realized their fate now and will one day rise up to clean up the mess. Join hands with them. It is true that this socially powerful ruling class allowed you as Christians to make Sinhalese Buddhists, a joke. But to the Sinhalese Buddhists, it is not a joke anymore. Sri Lanka is the only country that carries the Sinhalese Buddhist cultural heritage. As Christians, you must learn to admit it without feeling insecure. Genuine Sinhalese Buddhists are very fair and reasonable people. They are the best majority a minority can dream about. Do not panic, or misunderstand their concern of their heritage. Do not think all those selfish authorities and their corrupt Buddhist monks who make such a fuss about the heritage, are the genuine Buddhist Sinhalese. Do not try to silence the good, because it is the silence of the good that paves the way for the extremists as such to take advantage of the vacuum. (Classic example is the way the LTTE took the advantage of the silence of the Tamil moderates to emerge as the sole force on behalf of the Eelamists). It was your European masters who taught you to despise the Buddhist heritage.
So learn to admit the Buddhist Sinhalese heritage and respect it. After all, you too want respect, won’t you? So join hands with the Sinhalese Buddhists.
Tour the ancient island of Sri Lanka with My Sri Lanka Holidays. Contact Riolta Lanka Holidays today.
SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS: King Kirti Sri Raja Sinha (1747-1782)
Tour the beautiful island of Sri Lanka with My Sri Lanka Holidays. Contact Riolta Lanka Holidays today. Year 1747 ushered a revivalist period following the enthronement of King Kirti Rajasinha, a scholar. The new sovereign was from the very commencement of his reign greatly interested in spiritual & temporal welfare of the people. Having visited Polonnaruwa & emboldened by the achievement of the great kings of Lanka, the sovereign made King Parakrama Bahu the Great (1164-1196 AD) his role model: “I also will walk in the excellent path of the duties of Kings” (Mahawamsa)
His countrymen were intensely stirred for they had been injured & insulted by patricide Sitawake Rajasinghe who entrusted the custody of Sri Pada Adam’s Peakto Aritta Kivendu Perumal (1), the South Indian Hindu priest, following his proclamation that redemption from the patricide would be achieved by means of Hinduism. King Sitawake Rajasingha, in spite of his repentance, had no word of consolation either from Buddhism or from the Buddhist monks: patricide was an irredeemable sin. It wouldn’t be redeemed in the existing lifetime, nor in this kalpa (2), thus was he told.
The injury & insult of entrusting the custodianship of the shrine at Sri Pada Adam's Peakwas bitterly felt & never forgiven by the Sinhalese.King Kirti Rajasinha was prompt to make amends by appointing the most respected Buddhist monk in his Kingdom, Weliwita Saranankara, who had played a leading part in the Buddhist revival since the time of King Narendra Sinha, to the custodianship.
Order of Buddhism monks had declined to such an extent no Upasampada Bhikkus (monks who achieved higher ordination) were known then in Sri Lanka The king had the novices collected & encouraged; religious books copied & distributed. Adigar Ahalepola, a chief minister of the king, supported Weliwita Saranankara to lead a Mission to Thailand, then known by the name of Siam.(3) In August 1750 of five ambassadors & sixty-one attendants departed from Trikuna Male (Trincomalee) by a vessel of Dutch East India Company. Having narrowly escaped from a storm & being forced by adverse winds to remain for six months at Batavia, the mission at last reached Siam, where they were received by the King of Siam with the most gratifying kindness.
The Siamese Buddhist priests led by Venerable Upali, from Ayuthia capital of Siam having arrived in Sri Lanka in 1753, set about to re-establish the order of the Buddhist monks.(4) Within three years seven hundred bhikkhus followed their example & many thousand youths joined the order of Buddhist monks. Saranankara was raised to the high dignity of Sangha Raja, or Chief over the entire Sangha, an office which was in abeyance since Sri Rahula’s death in the fifteenth century. When at length the Siamese returned home, the ambassadors who escortedthem back took a model of the Tooth Relic as a present from the King Kirti Sri Raja Sinha to King Dharmaka of Siam; it was gratefully accepted, & a fresh Chapter was sent in October, 1755, with more religious books & offerings for the Relic.
The school which the Sangha Raja had gathered zealously pursued the study of Pali, & many books dealing with the subjects were produced. Siddharatha Buddharakita Nayaka Thera of Tibbatuvava, a scholar of no mean repute, was entrusted by the King with the task of collating the Sinhalese, Pali & Sanskrit copies of the Mahavamsawith a copy from Siam, & bringing the great historical narrative continued from where it has taken a break, i.e. King Pandita Parakrama Bahu of Kurunagala, down to his own reign.
Rehabilitation of ancient temples at Anuradhapura&Polonnaruwa was carried out with great interest & determination. Ridi Viharaya Silver Temple founded by King Duttha Gaminiwas rebuilt. Malvatta temple, of one of the two main schools of Buddhism of Sri Lanka, was established. Gangarama temple which the king had built & Baron Van Van Eck (Dutch Governor of Ceylon’s coastal areas) destroyed was restored. Degaldoruwa templewere constructedon the outskirts ofKandy by the king. Asgiriya temple of other main school of Buddhism was constructed by Pilima Talauve family of Kandy. Such was the manifestation of revivalist spirit of the king, it has been said that there was hardly a temple of any importance in Kandy district which was not restored by him.
Golden Dambulla Rock templewas renovated; Holy Temple of the Tooth at Kandy was renovated & decorated; Kandy Esala Perhera Pageantwas re-established, observed & carried out yearly with great splendour
Quote History of Ceylon by Professor Peter Courtenay Kirti Sri Raja Singha the King of Kandy died in 1782. He was a handsome, active, intelligent prince & a man of great strength. It was his passion to tame fiery horses, & this passion was the cause of his death. He was thrown down from a restive horse, which had been given to him by Governor Falk, & a few months later died from the effects of his fall. Unquote
(1) Following the death of the arch enemy of the Portuguese in Lanka, King Sitawake Rajasinghe in the year 1594, the traitor Aritta Kivendu Perumal discarded his Dravidian name & assumed a Sinhalese name -Jayawira Bandara- & wasted no time in joining the marauding Portuguese against the island race & attacked Kandyan districts of Wellassa and Uwa. Jayawira was stabbed to death with his own golden dagger by the Portuguese General Don Jerome d’Azevedo, who fell all ends up into a plot by the Sinhalese to have Jayawira Bandara incriminated.
(2) Imagine a huge empty cube at the beginning of a kalpa, approximately 16 miles in each side. Once every 100 years, you insert a tiny mustard seed into the cube. How long would it take you to fill the cube? Kalpa is a still longer period. That is how kalpe is summed up in Buddhism. In Hinduism, the Kalpa is equal to 4.32 billion years, a "day (day only) of Brahma" Two kalpas constitute a day and night of Brahma. Jesus!
(3) Sri Lanka's relations with Thailand, the other main Theravada Buddhist nation goes back to the third century before Christ when the great Indian emperor Asoka, dispatched, almost at the same time, Buddhist missionaries to Sri Lanka during the reign ofKing Devanampiya Tissa, then known as "Dhamma-dipa",(the Land of Righteousness) and Thailand, then known as "Suvanna-bhumi" (the Land of Gold).. The Buddhist kings of Sukhothai, such as King Thammaraja I (Lithai) patronized Buddhism and invited monks from Sri Lanka to spread the Dhamma in his kingdom. The Thai monks who were ordained by the Sri Lankan monks came to be known as "Sihala sangha" or monks of the "Lanka wong". As a result of the patronage of Buddhist kings and the Sangha, saplings of the Sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura, the first royal capital of Sri Lanka were brought from time to time and planted in several temples in Thailand. This custom is followed even today.Furthermore, the footprints of the Buddha found in many Thai temples seem to have been designed on a Sri Lankan model. The shape of the stupa ("cedi" in Thai and "ceti" in Pali) also show remarkable affinities with stupas in Sri Lanka. In fact, the bell-shaped stupas in Thailand are usually referred to as "Sihala cedi" or "Lanka cedi". The rows of sculptured elephants that surround the stupas in Sukhothai have no doubt been influenced by the elephant-wall (hasti prakara) at the Golden SandStupa (Ruwan Weli Seya) at Anuradhapura.
In March 2005, that Her Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana visited Sri Lanka to present the President of Sri Lanka an inaugural edition of the Ti-pitaka, the sacred texts of the Buddhists, in Romanized script.
(4) The main sect of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, the Siam Nikaya (Siamese sect) of Buddhism was thus founded in the island. MalvattaChapter & Asgiriya Chapter of Siam Nikaya with main monasteries at Kandytoday are in possession of the greater part of the old temples and of their temporalities in Sri Lanka.
Welcome! Riolta Lanka Holidays reveal the high value high definition holidays for you to revel.
Click the image to browse a comprehensive website on Sri Lanka Holidays with superior navigation (on theme & then again on title) hundreds of tourists attractions in "The Land Of Delights".
Sri Lanka is one of the most diverse islands in the world with hundreds of tourist attractions to keep all Sri Lanka holiday makers happy. For those guests on Sri Lanka holidays looking for relaxing Sri Lanka holidays with lots of variety, Sri Lanka provides attractions ranging from sites of archeology, history, culture to adventure, nature, wildlife & pristine beaches in a compact island.
May I be reborn in Lanka to continue the struggle for freedom (of Sinhalese from the British)
TOUR SRI LANKA WITH SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS. YEAR 1818 UVA REBELLION AGAINST THE BRITISH. The last wish of Keppetipola Disava of MEDEIVAL ROYAL CITY OF KANDY, uttered in the temple of the Sacred Tooth where he was taken for worship, before being led to be beheaded for his part in the Uva Rebellion, speaks the voice of the that patriotism which is the pure flame of an impassioned & selfless idealism. Let's visit kandy, the gateway to Central Highlands with Sri Lanka Holidays.
Supremely Enlightened Buddha
Sri Lanka Holidays brings you the words of Buddha. "Not by birth does one become an outcast, Not by birth does one become Brahmin ; By one's own actions one becomes an outcast, By one's own actions one becomes a Brahmin" Gautama Buddha
RIOLTA LANKA HOLIDAYS Presents 2550 years of unbroken recorded history of Sri lanka
Tour the ancient island of Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka Holidays. Click the image for a 108 webpage comprehensive website on tourist attractions of the Land of Delights, Sri Lanka. ************* www.rioltalankaholidays.com OR www.mysrilankaholidays.com
Sri Lanka Holidays takes you to the summit of Adam's Peak. Trek in the night to the summit of Adam's Peak Sri Pada, Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka Holidays. It may be said at once that here are no dangers at all in the ascent, at least from the Hatton side, where the climb is only one of 3600 feet. But from the valleys of Ratnapura, the ascent is almost from sea-level, & is much more severe. Along the route there are chains for people to catch on to, & these chains appear to be of very great antiquity. They are mentioned by the Mohommedan traveller Ibn Batuta in the 10th centurt;but no legend even suggests who put them; & so well have they been fixed that, to this day, there seems to be no necessity for keeping them in repair. They are fastened merely at upper ends, & the only accident of which I have heard is when some pilgrims, wo were holding a chain, were blown over a cliff in a high wind.
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LORD URANUS. By Uranus, we will have Light & Enlightenment with Sri LankaHolidays. Astrologically modern interpretations associate Uranus with the principles of genius, individuality, new and unconventional ideas, discoveries, electricity, inventions, and the beginnings of the industrial revolution. Uranus governs societies, clubs and any group dedicated to humanitarian or progressive ideals. Historically it was associated with the principles of the Enlightenment and radical political ideas of equality and freedom, among other things. Around the period of its discovery in 1781, the idea of democracy and the human rights was prevalent, with the breakaway of the American colonies from England and a few years later in 1789, the French revolution. In art and literature, the discovery of Uranus coincided with the Romantic movement, which emphasised individuality and freedom of expression.
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Sri Lanka Holidays pay respect to ancient science. SRI YANTRA. By Uranus, we will have Light & Enlightenment ********************The spiritual journey is taken as a pilgrimage in which every step is an ascent to the center, a movement beyond one's limited existence, and every level is nearer to the goal.Each of the circuits of the Sri Yantra, from the outer plane to the bindu (the center), corresponds with one of the stages of the spiritual journey. The goal of contemplating the Sri Yantra is that the adept can rediscover his primordial sources. The circuits symbolically indicate the sucessive phases in the process of becoming.
You ain't seen nothing yet baby. Read "There's a Kind of Hush" by bunpeiris
Click the image & read "There's a Kind of Hush" by bunpeiris.
These are the people Americans Nuclear Bombed, twice.
I wish they don't forget to keep those treasures pure which they have in excellence over the west: their artistic building of life, the simplicity and modesty in personal need, and the pureness and calmness of Japanese soul. Albert E.
Sri Lanka Holidays urge you to remember who is who & what.
This Web Log is dedicated to My Father **There's a Kind of Hush
That's my father. Late B. Donald B. Peiris (1930-2005) .... May you attain Nirvana *********"This is the fate of our generation. This is our life's choice - to be prepared and armed, strong and determined, lest the sword be stricken from our fist and our lives cut down." Moshe Dayan (1915-1981) ******************* As early as the early eighties he would vociferously state Tamil Terrorist Propaganda against Sri Lanka is bound to become the most destructive, most treacherous propaganda machinery since that of Joseph Goebbles. His calculated prediction, to the tragedy of the island, was to become true within no more than a couple of years. Sri Lanka Holidays urge you to engage in counter propaganda, the truth.
A UNESCO Wolrld Heritage Site: the whole ancient city with numerous monumental cultural & irrigation attractions. ** Quote Year 1812 C.Major M. Enriquez: Ceylon Past & Present. *The question is often asked- "Can it be seen in a day?" The reply is that emphatically it cannot, but that it frequently is. Nevertheless, its charms are not for those who hurry by. I t is a place to longer over. We must get into harmony with its antiquity: we must absorb its atmosphere of history & romance. the thoughtful student will find many things to weigh & ponder; for these ancient stones, apparently so uniform, possess in fat an endless individuality. New impression crowd in upon one, & they thicken as one begins to appreciate the siginficance of the many problems presented. I can truly say that an Author is to be pitied who sets out to reduce Anuradhapura to ordered writing. It is indeed a temendous task. Unquote ISBN 81-206-1385-6
Polonnaruwa, Sri LankaA UNESCO World Heritage Site: whole ancient city with numerous monumental cultural & irrigation attractions
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www.rioltalankaholidays.com **** Year 1812 Major C. M. Enriquez, F. R. G. S. 2/20 Burma Rifles **Doubts have been cast by some writers on the identity of this statue, but I think we may safely accept the tradition that it does indeed represent King Prakarama Bahu. Even supposing it to be a figure of a hermit, it might still represent Prakrama in a conventional ascetic guise. But as a matter of fact, if the statue was that of some 'guru', there would certainly be symbols by which it might be recognized as such. But there are none. On the contrary, the figure is that of bearded, corpulent man. the girdle & draperies, though worn of age, are rich. The round head-dress is not unlike the 'crown' worn by the almost contemporary statue of Kyanzittha in Burma. The image is of kingly size, & is very obviously fithful portrait. All thses are grounds for crediting the tradition that the figure is that of Prakrama. I can seeno reason to doubt it. The statue is approached along the embankment of the beautiful lake that Prakrama enlarged. It is about ten feet high, & is hewn out of a solitary granite boulder. The eyes are bent upn the palm leaf book which is held in both the hands. The lower part of the body is finely draped, & is clasped at the waist by a belt. The belly is skillfully carved to gIve a suggestion of stouteness. the beard is full, the moustach is heavy & drooping- the general effect recalling some one of the more benevolent Chinese gods. And there stands the King, aloof & grand, in the forest that overwhelmed the city he built. No vandal has molested his vigil: but centuries of storm have worn down the details of his features & of his dress. And as he, & his legend, & the works that he did, faded from the memory of man, we can imagine that villagers, awed by his lonely & majestic figure, invested him with divineattributes, & worshipped him as God. Certain it is, that to this day offerings, & the grease of manycandles, testify to the respect with which he is still regarded.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site *** Galle is undoubtedly a port of great antiquty. The Arabs used it for their trade between Venice & the Malay Archipelago: & , according to Tennent, it was the "Kalah" at which the Arabians in the time of Haroun al Raschid met the junks of the Chinese, & "brought back gems, silks & spices from Serendib." Some say it was from Ceylon that came those lovely pearl-encrusted fabrics that were the delight of the ultra-modern patrician ladies of ancient Rome.
Udarata Menike (The Highland Damsel ) the morning diesel locomotive train from Colombo to Badulla, Central Highlands. Tour beautifu island of Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka Holidays
Colombo Badulla Main Road
By courtesy of Mr. Peter Forwood
Nuwara Eliya, Central Highlands
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Late Prangige Silmon Peter Peiris Gunarathne, Lakshapatiya, Moratuwa & Sri Wijaya Medical Hall
PETER PEIRIS FORTNIGHT "The coming of Vijaya & his followers, about 486 B.C., began a reign of prosperity which reached its height in the reign of Tissa & Duttha Gamini. After that, Ceylon entered upon a long period of slow decline, due largely to Tamil invasions. The decline was averted for a time by vigorous Kings, chiefly by the great Parakrambahu, but it soon set in again. "By 1505, the wars with the Tamils were over. The long & fierce struggle had spoiled the glory & destoyed the prosperity of the Sinhalese Kingdom;but at the end of it the Sinhalese had the two things which they most valued, their religion & their distinct nationality, still in their hands. They had gone through a terrible struggle to keep them, but they had kept them, & to that extent they had won. David Hussey, M.A. in his book , Ceylon & World History, summaries twenty centuries of Ceylon- the period from Vijaya to the coming of the Portuguese- in two paragraphs. Please click the link "A SHORT HISTORY OF LANKA" by Humphrey William Codrington. Tour the beautiful island of Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka Holidays. Contact Riolta Lanka Holidays today.
Southern Coast, Sri Lanka
By courtesy of Peter Forwood
A SHORT HISTORY OF LANKA by Humphry William Codrignton
Minneriya Rainwater reservoir, SriLanka********The special feature of the ancient civilisation of Ceylon was its irrigation works, which with the exception of part of the mountain district were made throughout the whole country. Their purpose was to store or convey the water which was required for the rice fields that were formed at every suitable place in the island. Two different systems of irrigation were adopted, depending on the circumstances of each case. According to one tjhe water was imounded in reservoirs, from which it was gradually passed out, either in directly onto fields where it was wanted, or by means of excavted channels down which it flowed to them. According to the othe system, part of the water flowing down the rivers was turned nto longer excavted channels which conveyed it to more distant lands, or reservoirs, temporary dams or permanent masonry dams being constructed across the rivers below the off-takes of the channels, in order to divert into them a larger quantity of water than could be secured without such aid when the flow of the rivers began to diminish after the end of the seasonal rains of the wo monsoons. The nort-east monsoon lasts from October to March & its regular rains end in January; the Southwest monsoon lasts from April to September, & its rainscease in June. H. Parker; Ancient Ceylon 1909
Rathnapura (City of Gems) Market. www.mysrilankaholidays.com
I can do better, see I took off the bra too
Lion Rock Sigiriya Frescoes, Celestial Nymphs. We reveal for your to revel www.mysrilankaholidays.com
Ratnapura (The City of Gems), Sri Lanka
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1.Sri Lanka's Contribution to the World Heritage 2. Exposition of Buddhism in the Modern World
1 "One of the greatest contributions of the Sinhalese people to the cultural development of South & South East Asia & to world literature is the creation of a historic literature. It is well-known that on the Indian sub continent before the invasion of the Islamic conquerors virtually no historic literature had developed... Sri Lanka tells a different story. In the Dipavamsa & Mahavamsa & in various other Sinhalese texts, we are given an account of the political & cultural history of the island from earliest times until the present time" (Wilhelm Geiger - His Life & Works, Heinz Bechert, 2nd ed., 69)
1 From Sri Lanka to the intellectual heritage of the world The Pali Tripitake contains the earliest Buddhist cannon. It is also the complete version. The Chinese, Tibetan & Sanskrit Tripitaka are fragmented. Dr. Senerath Paranavitana points out that the preservation of the Theravada cannon ranks as the greatest contribution make by the island of Sri Lanka to the intellectual heritage of the world. The Pali Tripitake contains the earliest Buddhist cannon. It is also the complete version. The Chinese, Tibetan & Sanskrit Tripitaka are fragmented. Dr. Senerath Paranavitana points out that the preservation of the Theravada cannon ranks as the greatest contribution make by the island of Sri Lanka to the intellectual heritage of the world.
2 "The creative impulse of Buddhist thought came to a halt about 1500 years after the Buddha's Nirvana. During the last 1000 years no new school of importance has sprung up, & the Buddhists have merely preserved, as best they could, the great heritage of the past. It is possible to believe that the lotus of the doctrine has, after 1500 years, fully unfolded itself. Perhaps there is no more to come. The condition of our industrial civilization, however, offer a challenge which may lead to a new synthesis. Unless our present civilization perishes soon from its own violence, Buddhism will have to seek some accommodation with it. The Dharma cannot be heard in a world dominated by modern science & technical progress. A great deal of adaptation is needed, & a great change is bound to take place in the exposition of the doctrine. Dr. EDWARD CONZE
3.original scriptural sources in Pali, Sanskrit and other Canonical languages is indispensable. One is no doubt appalled by the falling standard of Pali learning in the country. It is hardly taught in schools and one cannot be altogether satisfied with the standard of Pali teaching in the Pirivenas. Sanskrit has gone down even further. Without a very high level of proficiency in these languages, few monastics are in a position to produce the kind of scholarly work that those of a previous generation could. It is the Sangha that had preserved the study of Pali and Sanskrit not only through the Pirivenas but also through schools. Serious attention has to be given to the promotion of these languages if Sri Lanka has to retain its leadership in Buddhist Studies. 2. A critical mass of research scholars should acquire an excellent command of the spoken and written English because the fruits of their labors would never be known outside the Island unless they are presented in impeccable standard of English. At the same time, our scholars should be able to access the research that is being done in the world. Without such access at least through the medium of English, the greatest danger in our institutions of higher education is that students are not introduced to new knowledge.3. Some at least among them should proceed to gain some degree of proficiency in research languages useful for Buddhist Studies such as Chinese, Tibetan, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese as well as French, German and Italian. 4. Scholars with ability to speak and write in foreign languages should be given every opportunity (with financial provisions for membership fees, travel and subsidies for publications) to - 1. Become members of international professional associations and organizations such as the Royal Asiatic Societies, International Association of Buddhist Studies, Indian Association of Buddhist Studies, International Association of Sanskrit Studies, etc.; 2. Contribute well-researched learned articles to recognized peer-reviewed foreign journals and also to have their books published abroad. (Equally important is to get articles and books of high quality in national languages translated into foreign languages. It must be stated here that Sri Lankan scholars do publish annually a substantial number of learned articles in English in Felicitation and Commemorative Volumes, the Sri Lankan Journal of Buddhist Studies and University Journals but their outreach to the world is very limited.. The efforts of Professors Y. Karunadasa, Asanga Tilakaratna and Venerable Kuala Lumpur Dhammajoti in this regard are very creditable. The speedy completion of the Encyclopedia of Buddhism has also to receive the highest priority.) 3. Review in national journals important works by foreign scholars both for the purpose of apprising local scholars and students of the availability of new research findings and also to let the international scholars know that their work is under scrutiny by our scholars; 4. Participate in international seminars and conferences, presenting papers and interacting with worldwide scholars to have an international peer review of research done by them in Sri Lanka.
NA Tree, the National Tree of Sri Lanka
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NA Logo
This indigenous tree is grown in parks because of its majestic beauty. Botanically it is called "Mesua Nagassarium" and in English it is called the Iron Wood tree. The Na Tree is very hard and durable. The wood is used in building Sri Lankan temples