7D Sri Lanka: Sri Dalada Maligawa at Kandy

Date: 10/6/2013

Sri Dalada Maligawa is called as The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple.

Dalada Maligawa the Temple of Tooth Relic is the most religious place of Sri Lankan Buddhists. They are worshiping there for the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. This is called the "Dalada" and in Sri Lanka the Dalada hold the greatest place. In the past Sri Lankans assume the King that who owns the Dalada.

Temple of the Tooth Library building

People come quietly to offer a prayer from behind the decorative fence, however there is very much more.

The hall is stunning with the gold elephants guarding each pillar between which are pictures telling the story from the retrieval of the tooth from the Buddha's funeral pyre, its journey to Sri Lanka, various kingdoms where it was held right through to its delivery into the hands of the Kandyan Kings and the coming of the British.

Hindu aspect

A glimpse of the tooth casket in a very busy hall where
many people were making their offerings and chanting.

Oldest ever Ola Leaf Book

One of the descriptive murals

7D Sri Lanka: Aluvihara Rock Cave Temple

Date: 10/6/2013

Aluvihara Rock Cave Temple is situated in Matale. It is 26 Km away from Kandy. This temple is famous around the Buddhist world as the site where scripture was first put down in writing. Before this monumental task, which was completed in the 1st century BC by a force of 500 monks, Buddhist doctrine had been passed down orally. This temple also consisted caves with frescoes and Buddha Statues that shows talents of Archeologists .

graphic depictions of Buddhist Hell

7D Sri Lanka: Dambulla Cave Temple

Date: 10/6/2013

Dambulla Cave Temple or the Golden Temple of Dambulla (Rangiri Dambulla in Sinhala) is one of the eight World Heritage spots in Sri Lanka. Located in North Central Sri Lanka, it is around 150 KM from the capital Colombo. The temple it self is located around 500 meters from the city centre of Dambulla.

Dambulla Cave Temple is the largest and best preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka, it is spread over 5 separate caves. Home to hundreds of ancient statues, and amazing paintings some dating as far back as the 1st century BC. As the temple was preserved by the Kings of Sri Lanka over the ages, you can see the changing nature of Sri Lankan art over time, with some paintings dating as near as the late 18th century.

A gigantic golden (of course) Buddha, seated cross-legged over a lion’s head

 Our ascend via the steps just to the left of the Golden Temple

The walk up itself was rather steep

View at the top of Dambulla Temple

 The actual entrance of the cave temple

There are five cave temples altogether, numbered, well, 1 to 5.

The one immediately adjacent to the entrance is cave 1 and the furthest away being cave 5.

The cave temples were undoubtedly dark in the interior

Frescoes on the walls and ceilings

Statues of Buddha in various positions and in many different sizes

Monkeys lounged about the doorways of the temples, 

snuck in to steal the flower offerings, then scampered away quickly.

Visited Garden By The Bay on Youth Day

Date: 8/7/2013

A park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres) of reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden.

The Supertrees

The 22-metre high OCBC Skyway

Flower Dome & Cloud Forest

Marina Bay Sand Hotel

Singapore Flyer

OCBC Skyway

Kids had fun at the Heritage Park

7D Sri Lanka - Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Date: 9/6/2013

Sigiriya Rock Fortress, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. Sigiriya is one of the largest monoliths in the world. A sheer 200m tall magma plug leftover from an eroded volcano jutting out of a flat rain-forest covered plain. It is a popular tourist destination, also known for its ancient paintings (frescos). The Sigiraya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.

The Moat

One of the pool in the garden complex

Sigiriya Rock

Fountains made of circular limestone plates Underground water conduits supply water to these fountains which are still functional, especially during the rainy season.

Steps at Sigiriya - In total there are about 1200 steps from the king's beautiful water gardens to the base of Sigiriya rock fortress.

Boulder Garden

Deraniyagala Cave

The Mirror Wall & Spiral Stairs leading to the Frescos

Spiral Stairs - View from the bottom

The Garden- View from the top The Gardens of the Sigiriya city is one of the most important aspects of the site as it is among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. The gardens are divided into three distinct but linked forms; water gardens, Cave and boulder gardens, and terraced gardens.

The Spiral Iron Stairs

Ancient Painting - Frescos The paintings would have covered most of the western face of the rock, covering an area 140 metres long and 40 metres high. There are references in the graffiti to 500 ladies in these paintings. However, many more are lost forever, having been wiped out when the Palace once more became a Monastery so that they would not disturb meditation.

The Mirror Wall Originally this wall was so well polished that the king could see himself whilst he walked alongside it. Made of a kind of porcelain, the wall is now partially covered with verses scribbled by visitors to the rock.

Steps

Lion's Paw Terrace The entrance to the upper palace where a 60m lion gate once stood. Today only the feet remain.

Stairs to the top of the Rock

Top of The Rock - summit ruins

Palace Pool

The audience hall of the king was situated in the boulder garden, the remains of which are seen on the flattened and polished summit of a large boulder.

Cobra Hood Cave

The Cobra Head Rock