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Dambulla, Galkiriyagama, Golden Temple, Namal Uyana, Sigiriya, Sigiriya Museum, Three Days, November, Dry Zone, Culture, History, 2011, Ballooning, Photograhy

Author: Sri Abeywickrema (127 Trips)

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I saw this ad on Anything.lk about 60% reduction (7200/- only from the Actual fee of 18,000/-) on Hot Air Ballooning in Kandalama and as always the adventurous soul in me willingly agreed to explore.

So I got my friend, Lasantha, also agreed to join the fun. As always I didn’t just wanna go there do the balloon ride and return, instead I wanted to make our stay a bit extended so decided to visit Namal Uyana, Sigiriya and the Golden Temple in Dambulla.

My friend, Podi (Very difficult to get hold of) also joined and we set off on 04 November around 6.00 from Pettah to Dambulla.

We had made arrangements with Lihini Village guest house for B&B and reached there by 10.30 am and had a bath. As usual, Dambulla is extremely hot and parched so it was a bit difficult to walk in the sun.

After lunch, we came to the central bus stand to get a bus to Namal Uyana. Thankfully we got the only bus which goes via Namal Uyana (Otherwise you have to take a tuk tuk which might charge you about 400/-) and to my amazement met Rahula Thero who’s the guardian of the place.

The bus ride was through the Ibbankatuwa tank and the channel which takes water to the nearby villages.

Ibbankatuwa tank bunt…towards Namal Uyana

We reached Namal Uyana around 2.30pm and started about 2km journey to the Rose Quartz Mountain which is believed to be about 500 million years old and the largest “Na” forest in Sri Lanka.

It was such a beautiful place full of Na trees and flowers

Click Image to Enlarge

Click Image to Enlarge

Thre were streams like these

They’ve built a Samadhi Buddha Statue on the top of The Quartz mountain which is serene looking. You can see miles and miles of greenery.

Further up…

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Serene looking Samadhi Buddha Statue on top

Rose Quartz

There was also a ruin of the Stupa which is called “Namal Seya”.

We took the bus back to Dambulla around 4.45 pm and after reaching the hotel turned in early as we had an early rendezvous with a tuk tuk that took us to the Kandalama hotel to meet up with Air Magic crew for our balloon ride.

So the following day, early morning we left for Kandalama and reached the there by 5.15 am. The hotel was magnificent facing the Kandalama Tank.

The Air Magic crew picked us around 5.30 am and went to the Dambulla Public ground where we took off.

They were getting the balloon ready by the time we reached there.

Air Magic – facilitator of Hot Air Ballooning

Getting ready

Feeding gas into the balloon

Lasantha and I were very anxious as to what would it be like to go up there about 1500 ft. There were 6 others who would join us and the captain of the balloon.

So around 6.15 am we took off, gosh what a feeling that was. A bit by bit we went up and up reaching into the sky and clouds…

Got it up

The surrounding was magnificent and we could see paddy fields, tanks and hills all around.

Oh yeah, we are up at last

A-9 from about 750ft up

Altimeter… 293m up

It’s bit hot under the gas

The Golden Buddha Statue of Dambulla Temple was majestically rising.

We could also see the Grand Stand of Dambulla Cricket Ground.

Utter waste…Dambulla Int Cricket Stadium

Morning rising sun

After about an hour we landed about 5km away from where we took off.

Landed after a wonderful journey

Got to get this wrapped up

Then got a lift back to the hotel around 7.45 am and after breakfast immediately came to the bus stand to go to Sigiriya.

I was a bit wary of wasps as there had been numerous attacks on tourists.

I was silently wishing that we wouldn’t have any trouble with the wasps and my wish was granted in big time in the end.

We reached Sigiriya around 9.30 and it had started a drizzle by then

Sigiriya first glance

However it wasn’t so cruel to ruin our day as it stopped and gave us a good cloud cover till we climbed down protecting from the scorching sun.

Nice place for a nap

Unfortunately couldn’t make it there – Click Image to Enlarge

The canal protecting the fortress

World Heritage City of Sigiriya – Click Image to Enlarge

We first went to the recently built Sigiriya Museum which house a vast array of artifacts and how our village life was constructed based on the concepts such as Wewa; Dagaba; Gama; Pansala

Me at the entrance to the museum

Shiva Natarajah Statue

Artefacts for Sale at the Museum shop

Typical village life

Different kinds of rice

This has been used to control bulls and made of bull horn

Things in a Village Kitchen

Buddha Statue

It also depicted the World Class Sigiriya paintings.

The Master of Archeology, Dr. Senarath Paranavithana’s statue is built next to the museum

After about an hour there, we went through the entrance to climb this marvelous work of rock which shows the craftsmanship of our people

From afar

Zoomed in

The water fountains are still working but now become almost redundant due to the water level of Sigiriya tank is going down rapidly. This so-called development work and illegal (Politically influenced) hotels have been the cause for this which is a real pity.

Being made redundant by the so-called development….natural water fountains

Afterwards, still skeptical about wasps we started our ascent.

After about half hour we reached Sigiriya Paintings, there are only 11 left and well covered so as to protect from weather.

Painting 1

Painting 2

Painting 3

Painting 4

Painting 5

Painting 6

Painting 7

Painting 8

Painting 9

Painting 10

Painting 11

Afterwards we went passing the famous mirror wall towards the second half of Sigiriya.

Mirror wall

The view and the architecture is amazing

We came to the Lion’s feet and started the steep climb among many others.

Left one

Right one

The steep bit

The wasps’ nest…but no trouble at all

When we reached the top, it simply was amazing and breathtaking.

Giant pool on top

King’s seat facing the pool

Slowly dying – Sigiriya tank

We stayed up there about half hour and climbed down after about 2 hours.

We came back to Dambulla town around 1.30 pm and had lunch.

Then thought of going to the Kandalama tank for a boat ride, unfortunately it started drizzling a bit so we thought of going to the hotel for some rest.

The following day, after breakfast we left and came to the Golden Temple where a giant Golden Buddha is rising into the clear blue sky.

Golden Temple

Giant buddha

Dimensions of the statue

What a sight

Everything’s golden

Entrance to the museum

The temple itself has a museum which has very valuable artifacts

These are to be donated to countries like Burma, Thailand, etc..

Almost natural

Princess Hemamala & Prince Dantha

Old statues

Nice colour too

Different kinds of statues

Lord Buddha…

It also has paintings of various ceremonies of ancient Sri Lanka

Paintings….

Some more

Never Ending..

Then we climbed up the rocky steps to the top of the ancient temple and along the way came across vendors selling artifacts

For sale

Built on top of a rock

Can see the “Katarama”

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Afterwards we went into the temple which house endless collection of statues and paintings which are priceless

Hundreds of statues…

World class cave sculpture

Kandy Era paintings and statues

.

.

.

.Even the roof is painted with pics

Giant Buddha statues inside the cave complex

.

.

.	Never Ending

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There’s also a never ending water hole which fills a copper container and it’s being used on religious ceremonies

No matter what….there’s always water dripping to the pot

Tiny pond

Entrance to the cave temple

It really was awesome

So after about couple of hours we left the temple and had lunch and took a Kurunegala bound bus then to Colombo.