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| Year and Month | May 2011 |
| Number of Days | Four days (3 night) |
| Crew |
7 (between 3 – 74 years of age)
|
| Accommodation | Guru Gedara and other two rest houses at Anuradhapura and Minneriya |
| Transport | Toyota Town-ace |
| Activities | Ruins, Wildlife, Photography |
| Weather | Good but very dry and hot |
| Route | Panadura -> Horana ->Kurunegala -> Anuradhapura -> Sigiriya -> Polonnaruwa |
| Tips, Notes and Special remark |
|
| Related Resources | Trip Planing Thread – How to travel from Galle to Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa ? Trip advice pls |
| Author | Lakmalnj |
| Comments | Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread |
1st day – Kurunegala Ridi Viharaya at Ridee gama and Monaragala Buddha statue.
Ridi Viharaya is a nice and ancient place. You will not be allowed take the photographs even without flash. But sadly you will see high voltage flash lights directed to some walls with ancient paintings.(Now those paintings are difficult see and don’t seem to have any protection)
 Ridee Viharaya – Rideegama, Kurunegala |
 Some ancient paintings - Ridi Viharalya (Silver temple) |
 වරකා වැළදූ විහාරය – Ridi Viharaya |
 The largest samadi statue(67.5 feet) at Monaragala viharaya – Rambadagalla, Kurunegala |
 The largest samadi statue (67.5 feet) at Monaragala viharaya – Rambadagalla, Kurunegala. This is not an ancient one and construction still in progress. |
 Kala Wewa is an ancient reservoir in A’pura. It was built by King Dhatusena around 400 AD. This reservoir has a circumference of 40 miles (64.4 km) and has a total area of seven square miles 7 square miles (18.1 km2) at full capacity. |
 Aukana Buddha Statue – This statue located close to the Kala Wewa rainwater reservoir, the perfect & elegant 12m-high standing Buddha Statue. |
 Aukana Buddha Statue |
 You will see paint or something in the statue. Seems some one had put something accidently or purposely. We should avoid this kind of activities and we all should keep this kind of great statue for our next generations. |
I noticed that there were several renovation and repairing workhappening when at A’pura and P’naruwa. people who are assigned to do these tasks seems to have no idea about the value of ancient structures. No one was monitoring what they were doing. This should not be just repair job and should follow the correct process for it.
2nd day – Mihintale and Atamasthanya (අටමස්ථානය)
Difficult to visit the palces in time between 11 am – 2 pm because of strong sunlight and hot conditions. I think it is better for you to start going there early in the morning and rest in between mentioned hours (You can use these hours for cooking/lunch/bathing)
 Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura. The site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Arahat Mahinda and the King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the Buddhism in Sri Lanka |
 Mihintale |
 Mihintale |
 Mihintale |
 Mihintale – View from top of Aradhana Gala (ආරාධනා ගල) |
 Mihintale – View from top of Mihintale |
 Mihintale – Aradhana Gala (ආරාධනා ගල) |
 Mihintale – Mihintale – The way to Mihidhu Lena |
 Mihidhu Lena – Belief is that the Mihidhu thero rest at this place |
 Aradhana Gala (ආරාධනා ගල) - Mihintale |
 Some ancient buildings – Mihintale; Seems like there is no proper maintenance of this historical site. |
 Ambasthala Dagoba (අම්බස්තල දාගැබ) - Mihintale |
 Isurumuniya temple |
 King’s family – Isurumuniya Museum |
 Lovers – Isurumuniya; One of the famous Gupta style carving in Sri Lanka |
 Ruwanweli maha seya |
 Ruwanweli maha seya |
 Inscriptions (Click Image to Enlarge) |
 Sri Maha Bodhiya |
 Lovamahapaya |
 Thuparama stupa |
 Muragala |
 Abhayagiri Stupa |
 Samadhi Buddha Statue – Consider Sri Lanka’s most perfect Buddha Statue |
 Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds) |
 Korawakgala (කොරවක්ගල) – You can see sri lanka’s best Korawakgala close to Kuttam Pokuna |
 Jethawana Stupa |
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 Mirisawetiya stupa |
3rd day – Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa
Use morning hours. Then you can get there without much tired.
At Sigiriya only few sentences you can see clearly in “Katapath Pawra (කැටපත් පවුර)” and don’t foget to see it.
At Polonnaruwa don’t forget to visit “thiwanka Pilima gee” If you are interesting in our old paintings (But you should go there before 6 pm. Because you have to go through forest)
 Sigiriya Road map (Click Image to Enlarge) |
 Sigiriya |
 Paintings |
 කැටපත් පවුර (Mirror wall) - Only these text you can see clearly |
 View from Sigiriya |
 සිංහ පාදය (lion’s gate) |
 View from Sigiriya |
 Thorne – Sigiriya |
 Sigiriya |
 Statue of King Maha Parakramabahu |
 Gal Viharaya (Rock temple) |
 Gal Viharaya (Rock temple) |
4th day – Minneriya National park, Namal Uyana
These days you will not see many Elephants in the park (sometime not even one). That happens due to heavy rain experienced during last few months. According to our trekker, a lot of elephants can be seen in July – August months. Also you will not be able to visit some areas of National park during this time of the year because the graces growing.
Also don’t use early morning session and use after 3 pm session to visit there.
 Minneriya National Park – Night Safari (We didn’t do the night safari but according to the trekker this is still not up to the standard) |
 Inside Minneriya National Park |
 Inside Minneriya National Park – They are trying to remove these bamboo trees because these spread fast and becomes a threat to some other trees. But that hasn't been sucessful |
|
 Nice view – Inside Minneriya Park |
 Nice view – Inside Minneriya Park |
 Nice view – Inside Minneriya Park |
 Museum - Minneriya National Park |
 Namal Uyana - Galkiriyagama (Click Image to Enlarge) |
 Namal Uyana – You can see lot of Na trees |
 Pink quartz – Namal Uyana |
 Pink quartz – Namal Uyana |
 Pink quartz – Namal Uyana |
 Pink quartz – Namal Uyana |
 Namal Stupa – Namal Uyana |
 Kalutara Stupa - Kalutara |