Around The Island #2 - SRI LANKA [Travel Vlog 6.2]
◘ Sithulpawwa Rahamaha Viharaya
Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist monastery located in Hambantota District, South Eastern Sri Lanka. Situated 18 km east of the pilgrimage town Katharagama, it is believed to have been built in the 2nd century B.C by king Kavantissa.Sithulpawwa Vihara can be reached by travelling 18 miles along the Tissamaharama-Yodhakandiya road towards the Yala National Park. The name Sithulpawwa is derived from the word Chiththala Pabbatha, which means the hill of the quiet mind.This ancient monastery with a history over 2200 years, was a place of worship for devotees as well as a center of Buddhist education for Buddhist monks. Paintings of the Anuradhapura era and the ruins of stone Buddha images, Bodhisattva images, Image Houses, Circular Relic Houses are spread throughout the monastery premises. The present chief incumbent of Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Vihara is Ven. Metaramba Hemarathana Nayake Thera.
◘Muthiyangana Rajamaha Viharaya
History of this site starts with the Lord Buddha’s 3rd arrival to the island but legends on the area called Badulla begins from 19th – 18th century BC. Some names of places in the area, e.g. Seetha Eliya, Seetha Kotuwa, Ravana Ella, etc., refers to the Seetha and Ravana - the main characters in the Indian episode titled Ramayana. So it is believed that said war had taken place in this locale, where was the capital of then powerful king named Ravana who ruled the island.Buddhists believe that this site has been visited by Gautama Buddha, and it is regarded as one of the Solosmasthana, the 16 sacred places in the country. On the 8th year after attaining the Enlightenment, the Lord Buddha made His 3rd visit to Kelaniya on the invitation by a king of Naga people named Maniakkitha. During this visit, a local chieftain named Indaka invited Lord Buddha to visit his place in Badulla. At the end of sermons made by Lord Buddha there, Indaka had wanted something to worship in memory of Lord Buddha's visit. The Lord Buddha is said to have given him a few of His hairs and a few drops of sweat that turned into pearls (mukthaka). Indaka had enshrined these sacred hair and pearls in a stupa, believed to be the stupa here.ndaka, the chieftain of then Deva people is now regarded as a deity, reigning the Namunukula mauntain rangeand Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya.
◘Demodara Railway Loop
Demodara railway station is the third last station on the Main Line, and is 277.71 km (172.56 mi) away from Colombo. It is located 912.5 m (2,994 ft) above mean sea level and 8 km (5.0 mi) from Badulla, the capital city of Uva Province. All the trains that run on the Main Line, including the Podi Menike and Udarata Menike express trains stop at the station.The station is most notable for its spiral rail line at this location, popularly known as the 'Demodara Loop'. The rail line passes under itself, going around the loop and emerging from a tunnel, which runs directly beneath the Demodara railway station. The rail loop is approximately 900 metres (3,000 ft) long and the tunnel is 320 m (1,050 ft) in length. It is considered the only loop in the world with a railway station situated exactly over a tunnel at spiral loop. During the construction of the rail extension to Badulla the engineers and surveyors found that elevation between the hills at Demodara was too much for the track to negotiate, with the maximum inclination allowed by the Ceylon Government Railway being one foot per 44 feet (1/44), an innovative track design had to be devised.
◘Nine Arch Bridge
The Nine Arch Bridge (Sinhala: ආරුක්කු නමයේ පාලම,) also called the Bridge in the Sky, is a viaduct bridge in Sri Lanka. It is one of the best examples of colonial-era railway construction in the country.[4] The construction of the bridge is generally attributed to a local Ceylonese builder, P. K. Appuhami, in consultation with British engineers The chief designer and project manager of the 'upcountry railway line of Ceylon' project was D. J. Wimalasurendra, a distinguished Ceylonese engineer and inventor. The designer of the viaduct was Harold Cuthbert Marwood of Railway Construction Department of Ceylon Government Railway. The 1923 report titled Construction of a Concrete Railway Viaduct in Ceylon published by the Engineering Association of Ceylon has details of all the records including the plans and drawings. It is located in Demodara, between Ella and Demodara railway stations. Popular rumours suggest that when construction work commenced on the bridge, the Great War began between the empires of Europe and the steel assigned for this site was reallocated to Britain's War related projects at the battlefront. As a result, the work came to a standstill, leading the locals to build the bridge with stone bricks and cement, but without steel.
Used Camera Equipments
►Canon M50
►Ronin SC
►Gopro Hero 7 Black (Till it damages)
►Small Tripod
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