Sunset at Thissamaharama

It is a wonderful experience to be near Thissa Wewa during sunset.
The above photo and more photos in this link will prove it.

Hope you remember some of the earlier photos I posted as well.

Another Evening

This picture was taken near Thissa Wewa.

Every evening here, by the banks of Thissa Wewa, brings colorful memories like the one shown in the picture.

At the Pier

This picture was taken at Thissa Wewa.

To see more scenic images, explore this wonderful site - Scenic Sunday.

Thissa Wewa

This picture was taken from Thissa Wewa of Thissamaharama.

Uda Walawe

Uda Walawe National Park is situated about 160 kilometers from Colombo and it belongs to both Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces. The park is situated in a plain area but you can see mountains from North and West. The western perimeter is in fact made of Rakwana Mountains.

The reservoir is man made, but it has seamlessly merged with the natural eco system. River Walawe is the main water resource.

It is one of the best parks in Sri Lanka to see wild elephants. You can see more details here.

Butawa

Above picture was taken in front of Butawa Tank, within Yala National Park. The prominent rock seen on the other side is Elephant Rock.

A few tanks in the park keep all the animals alive during dry periods. Butawa Wewa is known as the last water resource that remains even during heavy draughts. You could see hundreds of crocodiles here, especially during dry seasons.

Trees in the Lake

Above interesting photo was taken from the tank bund of Thisa Wewa (Tank) of Thissamaharama. Thisa wewa is one of the most scenic places in Sri Lanka. I’ll prove it with some pictures soon.

Thissamaharama is a town south of Sri Lanka situated in a vital location. Some of the facts are mentioned below.

The main temple of Thissamaharama is one of the 16 sacred places of Sri Lanka for Buddhists. In addition there are number of important places with archaeological importance. Thissamaharama is very close to culturally important venue of Katharagama, where people from all religions and race come to worship throughout the year. Also it is the closest town to the southern entrance of Yala National Park.

Yala National Park

Yala is a small area in the south east coast of Sri Lanka . The name ‘Yala’ is well-known as Sri Lanka’s most famous and the second largest national park (Ruhunu National Park) is given the same name. In fact Yala is a part of the park itself.

Yala is situated about 300 km from Colombo . The park is about 1000 square kilometers and it spreads in three districts (Hambanthota, Monaragala and Ampara) belong to three provinces.

The southern part is known as Block 1 and it is the more popular section. The entry point to this section is situated at Palatupana. Nimalawa sanctuary is situated adjacent to this entry point. Western and Northern Parts, belong to Uva Province, are comprised of Yala Blocks 3, 4 and 5. Kataragama and Katagamuwa sanctuaries are situated in the west, adjacent to the park. The eastern part of Yala, belongs to Eastern Province is now known as Kumana National Park. This was recently opened to the public after many years of isolation due to security reasons.

Yala is more famous for its fauna than flora. Elephant, leopard and bear sightings are regarded as prized ones while deer, crocodiles, wild boar and wild buffalos are quite common sights. It is also a paradise for birders.

Yala is situated in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The jungle is mostly made of dry monsoon forests, thorny forests and grasslands. Among the larger varieties, Palu trees are quite common. This area gets water from two main rivers (Kumbukkan Oya and Menik Ganga), but those also run dry during dry seasons. A few tanks in the park keep all the animals alive during dry periods. One prominent tank is Butawa Wewa, which is known as the last water resource that remains even during heavy draughts.

Yala is famous for its historical significance as well. Quite a few ancient ruins are scattered in these areas and some are yet to be discovered. There are a few prominent temples situated within this park. Sithul Pahuwa is the most famous temple which is situated on top of a rocky outcrop. There are a few more rocky outcrops in the park and some of the more prominent ones are Akasa Chethiya (Elephant Rock), Jamburagala and Pimburagala.

The Indian Ocean is the southern boundary of Yala and it has some of the most beautiful and unique beaches in Sri Lanka like, Patanangala, Kumana and Minihagalkanda.

Yala is one of the must-go-places in Sri Lanka and I shall bring more about this place soon.

This post was selected for Kottu Section of week end news paper, The Sunday Leader.

Eye of Sauron

I saw it above Thissamaharama recently!

Kala Wewa

This beautiful tank, Kala Wewa is situated in the North Central Province. You can reach here on your way to Anuradhapura (via Dambulla) by turning off at Kekirawa town.

Kala wewa was built by the King Dhatusena in the 5th century AD. In fact the King built another tank (Balalu) adjacent to this one and the two tanks are joined to form one of the biggest tanks in Sri Lanka (Kala - Balalu wewa)

There are many interesting places to visit close to this area. Some of the key places are mentioned below.
• Aukana buddha statue - A standing buddha statue date back to the same period as the tank. The statue is situated by the side of the tank
• Jaya Ganga - An ancient canal that link Kala Wewa and Thisa Wewa of Anuradhapuara.

The above picture was taken from the bund of the tank, which I mentioned in one of my earlier posts.

Over the Tank Bund

This picture was taken from the road over the bund of Kala Wewa (Tank). This is a splendid road that I love to travel while watching the great ocean like tank on one side. You can reach here on your way to Anuradhapura (via Dambulla) by turning off at Kekirawa town.

As I mentioned some time back, there are many man made tanks in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. Similarly we get similar roads laid over those tank bunds all over Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts.

The Fountain of Kandy

Kandy, the hill capital is the most beautiful city in Sri Lanka. The famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha (Dalada Maligawa) is situated in this city. Kandy becomes very colorful during the Annual Esala Perahera Season, which brings the country's biggest cultural pageant. The 2009 Perahera concluded a few days ago.

The Nuwara Wewa (Tank), which is in the middle of Kandy is very scenic and the surrounding mountains add extreme charm to the city. The Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya which is close to the city is one of the most attractive parks in the South Asia. Hanthana Mountain Range and Udawaththa Kele (Forest) are popular places for nature lovers and hikers.

This picture was taken from Udawaththa Kele and it clearly shows one of the newer attractions in the Nuwara Wewa, the fountain.

Ethugalpuraya

Ethugalpuraya or Kurunegala is famous for its many surrounding rock formations. Out of them, Ethagala (Elephant rock), Anda gala (Eel rock) and Ibba gala (Tortoise Rock) are more famous rock outcrops. The name Ethugalpuraya must have derived from Ethagala which is very prominent from the town.

You can climb all of the rocks and make sure you do it early in the morning or late in the evening otherwise the heat reflected from the rock will be quite unbearable.

The view from Ethagala is superb and you can see the whole Kurunegala town, the wewa (Reservoir or tank) and endless 360 degree panaroma till the horizon!

See more pictures of Ethagala from amilatravels.blogspot.com.

Kandalama Wewa

'Wewa' in sinhala is a tank or a huge mass of water.

North Central Province of Sri Lanka is famous for rich water resources. Most of these tanks are built by ancient kings.

The land is mostly flat but you find some interesting smaller mountains all over the area. Especially a lake surrounded by mountains will be great area for a hike.

Kandalama Tank is one such place, but situated in the Central Province (Mathale District).

This area is hotter than the central hill country so the best time for a hike would be early in the morning or in the evenings.

Kandalama is about 8 km from Dambulla and famous for many hotels in the surrounding.

Minneriya Safari

Although you are not allowed to walk in this nature reserve, this is one of the most picturesque nature parks in Sri Lanka. Hence I thought, I must write something about this beautiful place.

The exact name is Minneriya Girithale Nature reserve as it spread around and between two tanks known by the same names. you can reach there on Habarana - Polonnaruwa Road.There are lots of animals in this park and you are sure to see lots of wild elephants in vast grassy lands adjoining the tanks. The view is spectacular!