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Back to the Indian subcontinent for two months in Spring 2018.

With Sri Lanka, Mumbai, the Saurashtra peninsula in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Amritsar and Delhi on the menu, we had many sweet experiences sprinkled with some sour ones.

Read on to learn how we fared.

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Path: Photos > The Ancient Cities
Tags: Hanuman 2018 SriLanka

The Ancient Cities

(vero;2018-Oct-11)

We spent a short week touring the Ancient Cities of Sri Lanka, staying in Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura which are all three on the list of the UNESCO world heritage sites.

We loved Sigiriya and its laid-back setting. Because of the steep entry fees in Sri Lanka we decided to give Sigiriya's rock a miss and climbed the opposite Pidurangula rock instead. It was a good outing affording a perfect view of Sigiriya's rock and we walked a loop to go back to our guest house, watching rural life in the surrounding area. We visited Dambulla, its cave temples and wholesale market, as a day trip on our second day. Sigiriya and Dambulla were a definite highlight of our Sri Lankan journey.
We were unlucky in Polonnaruwa as it rained the whole day when we were touring the ruins. We enjoyed the Quadrangle and Gal Vihara in spite of the rain but found the museum quite weak except for the Hindu statues displayed in the last rooms. Polonnaruwa itself was a complete let-down: all roads were being repaved, it was a building site with no life whatsoever. With hindsight we should have stayed 4 km further away in Kaduruwela.
Anuradhapura was an other proposition: we stayed in the new part of town and were for once happy to find shops and eateries. The historical sites being quite scattered we walked a lot and it was really hot. We made a half-day trip to Mihintale which we enjoyed more than Anuradhapura: the setting is pleasant with plenty to explore and great views of the surrounding landscape with the pagodas of Anu popping out of the trees in the plain.

Sigiriya's rock seen from the top of Pidurangula rock. Note the hilly landscape in the hazy background. Sigiriya rock is the site of an ancient citadel built on three levels by King Kashyapa during the 5th century AD. On top of the rock are the ruins of the upper palace, there is a terrace at mid-level which includes the Lion Gate and the mirror wall with frescoes and there are some lower palaces surrounded by gardens, moats and ramparts on the ground (source Wikipedia).

Lines of visitors climbing Sigiriya rock. Unfortunately the haze in the air limited the far views over the water and the hills.

The arresting entrance to Dambulla's Golden Temple topped by a sitting Buddha in the dharmachakra posture representing the teachings of the Buddha as he starts the wheel of the Dharma.

Statues of monks represented waiting in line for alms in the gardens of Dambulla's Golden Temple.

Dambulla's cave temples: outside facade built in front of the entrances to the caves. The caves are dating from the Anuradhapura (1st century BC to 993 AD) and Polonnaruwa periods (1073 to 1250.)

Dambulla's cave temples: reclining Buddha.

Dambulla's cave temples: Buddhas and dagoba inside one of the caves. Dagoba is the Sri Lankan name for stupa.

Dambulla's cave temples: meditating Buddha in the dhyana or lotus posture.

Dambulla's cave temples: standing Buddhas in the abhaya posture, a symbol of the fearlessness (i.e. the spiritual power) of the Buddha.

The Dambulla's cave temples boast wonderful and colourful murals. This picture shows details of some of them, the fourth picture on the bottom right features the statue of a King in front of more murals.

Dambulla's cave temples: an other reclining Buddha.

Dambulla's cave temples: line of sitting Buddhas in the meditating lotus posture.

Welcome in rainy Polonnaruwa: frieze of elephants, lions and dwarfs on a plinth of the Royal Palace. Polonnaruwa was the capital of the island from the 11th to the 13th century.

Polonnaruwa : carved moon-stone at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Vatadage.

Polonnaruwa: oblivous to the rain falling on the Vatadage, Buddha remains stoic in his meditating posture.

Polonnaruwa: a well needed gargoyle to drain the temples.

Polonnaruwa: Menik Vihara.

Polonnaruwa: Kiri Vihara.

Polonnaruwa: remains of a vihara near the Lankatilaka temple, reminiscent of the time when the ruins were buried under encroaching vegetation.

Polonnaruwa: bath near the Lankatilaka temple.

Polonnaruwa: Gal Vihara with the statue of a sitting Buddha in the meditating posture.

Polonnaruwa: reclining Buddha in the Gal Vihara.

Polonnaruwa: detail of the northern staircase leading to the Vatadage.

Polonnaruwa: northern entrance to the Vatadage. Its top level can be accessed by four entrances each featuring a sitting Buddha.

Polonnaruwa: detail of a statue flanking the left side of the northern staircase leading to the Vatadage.

Polonnaruwa: one of the four sitting Buddhas in the Vatadage.

Polonnaruwa: Latha Mandapaya in the Quadrangle with its pillars shaped as lotus stalks ending with lotus buds.

Polonnaruwa: Nelum Pokuna, lotus pond in the northern part of the ruins.

Anuradhapura: the dagoba on top of the rock temple Isurumuniya Vihara. Anuradhapura was founded in the 4th century BC and was the religious and civil capital of Sri Lanka for around 1300 years.

Anuradhapura: carving representing a royal family seen in the small museum located in the compound of Isurumuniya Vihara.

Anuradhapura: the famous lovers statue in the small museum of Isurumuniya Vihara.

Anuradhapura: revered Buddha in Isurumuniya Vihara.

Anuradhapura: colourful murals adorning the walls of the central temple at Isurumuniya Vihara.

Anuradhapura: detail of a mural inside Isurumuniya Vihara's central temple.

Anuradhapura: elephant carving adorning the rocks lining the lotus pond of Isurumuniya Vihara.

Anuradhapura: carving of frolicking elephants skirting the pond of Isurumuniya Vihara.

Anuradhapura: Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba.

Anuradhapura: a feature of many ancient cities in Sri Lanka, reminiscent of the barrays in Cambodian Angkor, are the large reservoirs or artificial tanks built to provide water for irrigation and to raise tax revenue for the surrounding Buddhist monasteries.

Anuradhapura: meet one of the many Buddhas in town.

Anuradhapura: Jetavanaramaya Dagoba.

Mihintale: Aradhana Gala meaning Meditation Rock provides great views over the surrounding countryside and can be accessed via some steps carved in the stone.

Mihintale: Buddha near Ambasthale Dagoba.

Mihintale: the ruined dagoba of Kantaka Chetiya.

Mihintale: school children leaving the viewpoint of Aradhana Gala.

Mihintale: Mahaseya Dagoba, a great lookout over the plain.

Mihintale: Ambasthale Dagoba with the big white Buddha statue in the background.

Hindu shrine at a roadside in Polonnaruwa.

Go back to Dambulla's Wholesale Market or go on to Tamil Jaffna or go up to Photos

$ updated from: Photos.htxt Fri 16 Aug 2024 15:40:09 trvl2 — Copyright © 2024 Vero and Thomas Lauer unless otherwise stated | All rights reserved $