When ever I have climbed up Yapahuwa I have noted an interesting rocky monadnock which was like a soldier keeping an eye on Yapahuwa fortress. Later I got to know that it was called Diyabete kanda.

Our son in Grade 1 & he getting long vacation in August. That means we were free from normal routine work. Then we decided to arrange a trip. We thought arrange a long trip. It will easy for us to visit many places & visit all relatives’ houses in one trip. On 30th June morning we went to Anuradhapura. But on that moment also we don’t have any fix plan. But one thing , I knew that this will be more than 10 days trip.

The historical legend of Sri Lanka starts from Vijaya, who was the eldest son of King Sinhabahu and queen Sinhasivali of Lata deshaya of India (Identified as present Rarh region of West Bengal) who landed at Thambapanni in 543BC with 700 followers. He became the ruler of the country starting the genealogy of kings of Sri Lanka. His administration was from Thambapanni, the area where he landed.

The staircase of Yapahuwa is one of the most recognizable and reproduced icons of our cultural heritage. However, the actual ruins themselves are visited by only a small percentage of people visiting the cultural triangle. Sharing many similarities with the more famous Sigiriya, the mystique of Yapahuwa is enhanced by its turbulent past, majestic ruins, impressive fortifications and the vivid descriptions left by the travellers of antiquity who visited its kingdom. Its easy accessibility using public transport should make this an ideal location for a one day excursion for photography enthusiasts like me or those who are planning an educational, enjoyable and affordable day out for the whole family. Perhaps the greatest mystery in Yapahuwa is why so few Sri Lankans have actually been there to experience its splendors first hand…

When we woke up in the morning, rain had stopped completely. The sky was cloudy but it was not all gloomy. It is under these conditions that we set off for the 8th consecutive day on bikes. From Makulpotha-Thalwehera we turned right towards Hakwetuna Oya reservoir with the objective of cutting across the country side to reach Galtenwewa Junction.

We started around 5.00 am on old new year day and arrived at Dambadeniya around 7.00 am. Our plan was to visit Dambadeniya Raja Maha Viharaya and the kingdom. But it was raining heavily and we gave up the idea andproceeded further and came to Panduwasnuwara around 8.30 am.

I’d always wanted to go see Yapahuwa as it is a very historical place and that famous Lion’s statue made me want to go there even more. So I hastily arranged the plans to visit Yapahuwa and on 07 May, my friend and I left Fort Station by 6.10 am train which goes to Batticaloa. (You can also take 5.45 pm train to Omanthai)

I visited Tonigala inscription first and it is very close to the main road. This is said to be the longest inscription in Sri Lannka and there are two of them. I had to re visit the place to see the second inscription on another day 🙂 The inscriptions are on a rocky mountain which is near by a lake. I also noted my next destination (Paramakanda) from the 2nd inscription site.

Visiting ritigala has been on the cards for a long time now and the closest I got was a planned trip last August but had to cancel it at the last moment due to unavoidable circumstances. Yapahuwa too has been lingering in my mind for some time but never materialized. Due to the above reasons my initial idea was to do a 2 day trip but for that too work commitments got in the way and on the ‘thaipongal’ weekend on Saturday I hastily decided to do a one day trip the next day(Sunday) to visit the above places which I’ve never been to.