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Araliya at Tantirimale Temple
As you may have already guessed, this one has exclusively become my profile pic. =D Reason is simple, cause it's one of my most favorite pics, out of all the ones snapped by me. *that didn't explain anything, I know* =D
By the way notice the direction of its foliage.. defying the laws of gravity they seem to be drawn towards the right side, isn't it? This is a classic example of the gale-like-wind we experienced at the summit and throughout Tantirimale. For any featherweight person hoping to visit Tantirimale, I do recommend he or she to carry a 20-30 kg heavy backpack for support. *seriously, ask anyone who's experienced the winds out in here and they'd tell the same!*
The left pic shows how the tree should normally appear in line with the laws of gravity. *meaning between the bouts of gale* The right side tree is a different one.
I forgot to mention, Araliya is also called Frangipani or Temple Flowers, and I found the above two trees flanking the Tantirimale Stupa.
See a portion of the stupa weaving the skyline together with the distant Araliya tree. *more pics of stupa will be up eventually*
Tantirimale's landscape is a fascinating one, where one finds himself lost in a terrain of rocky outcrop spanning hundreds of acres as far as the eyes can see.
The white structure in the distant of the first pic is the bell tower I think, sitting few meters away from Tantirimale Bodhi Tree, which rests on the summit of the very rocky terrain. The second pic is slightly tilted *probably I was standing on a slope when I took it!* and the thin indigo line in between the heavens and the earth is the horizon. My mom said it could even be the Indian Ocean! *wish there was a copter at hand to verify*
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PS: I had to intensify the brightness of the last couple of pics a lot, as they looked really gloomy. So please don't mind the unusual glare of the sky.. just this time. =D
