Sunday, 10 Sep 2023
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Story and pictures by Mahil Wijesinghe
Shading our eyes against the rays of a mild sun, we gazed further inside the narrow Daulagala- Embilimeegama road and the grand vista of the countryside sprawling below in the outskirts of Kandy. Venturing another three and a half kilometres along the same road that winds through fertile lush green paddy fields, we caught a glimpse of the impressive awe-inspiring...
When we visited Maduwanwela Sri Mudalindaramaya in Kolonna a couple of weeks ago, its Chief Incumbent Ven. Maduwanwela Sugathananda Thera said that the Walalgoda Tempita Vihara was on the verge of collapse. Hearing this sad news, we hastily decided to visit this little known archaeologically important Vihara in Panamura, about 12 kms from Maduwanwela. I have visited the...
The weariness and fatigue of a long drive vanished as we walked into the peaceful realm of the Maduwanwela Walawwa and its Tempita Vihara, known as, Maduwanwela Sri Mudalindaramaya, where the age old sacred Bo tree spreads its branches to extend its protective shade, cooling the entire compound. The Bo leaves rustled in the afternoon breeze, soothing our senses.
We...
It was dawn and we were in the Mahagama Wewa (popularly known as Urusitana Wewa) at Hathporuwa in Embilipitiya. At sunrise we headed towards the tank to witness the mesmerizing sunrise over the tank. The scene that met our eyes was most alluring as the sun emerged over the far end of the eastern horizon casting its rays over the shadow of golden light on waters.
At 4 a.m...
The ancient cultural concept of the Dagoba, Ketha (rice field), and Wewa (tank), revolved around the Pansala (temple) and Gama (village). Such ancient sites featuring the Gama and Pansala were rooted not only in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, but also in the outskirts of the city of Colombo. Many visitors don’t realize that an impressive repository of Buddhist art beckons...
Story and pictures by Mahil Wijesinghe
A visit to Independence Memorial Hall in the heart of Colombo city to explore Sinhala art and archi
One of the most important sources for studying history is architecture, which is why it is often called ‘built heritage’. It...
The age of the steam locomotive may have passed, but Sri Lanka still remembers the days when the first Yakada Yaka huffed and...
Our journey started from Wellawaya, an important junction on the Ella-Wellawaya road, and ascending the highlands, the mountain...
Having visited the Batatotalena cave temple (featured in the Sunday Observer last week), my next visit was to nearby...
Growing up in the rural countryside of a mountainous region close to Sabaragamuwa, I was always impressed by the views of the...
If it is history that fascinates you, Sri Lanka’s own spans 2,500 years. Some unique works of architecture, built hundreds of...
Last week I had the opportunity to travel to the Somawathie Chaitiya and was pleasantly surprised by the large wildlife refuge...
After a four-hour drive on the Avissawella-Hatton A-7 Road, we reached Ginigathena town early in the morning with mist-laden...
The third and final destination of our detour of Daulagala road was Embekke Devale. In the early morning sunlight we...
Sri Lanka is embellished by countless Viharas and Devales. Not surprisingly, there are many such places of spiritual...
Enjoy the comfortable drive down the picturesque, newly carpeted road from Suriyawewa to Mahagal Wewa, in the Northern part of...
When I visited Negombo, more than ten years ago, I passed by some of Colombo’s poorer areas, where people lived in wooden shacks...
The sunny morning of last Monday, I was in Negombo, the country’s fourth largest city, with the intention of seeing its colonial...
The meandering Walawe River begins as a spring in the Horton Plains and flows down across several provinces until it meets the...
In 1505, the Portuguese arrived in Ceylon, unintentionally, their fleet having been driven to shelter by a storm. They...
One of the most interesting architectural features of this Dutch Trade Centre building is the use of Kandyan period tiles...
A one hour drive from Weligama along the picturesque Akuressa road brings you to the heart of the rustic countryside of...