The sea of rock ~ Tantirimale

Tantirimale is a place I remember since my schooling days. Nope, never been there before the trip we had on 1st of August 2009. It's just that there was this documentary show about it on TV those days, with a very beautiful theme song. Cause my mom was so fond of it, she asked me and sis to note it down. It was played a few times on TV and I used to remember it by heart too.. for a long time.

Sadly now I can recall just a few words of this song along with the tune.. and have no memory of the scenery I saw on TV. So until I set foot in Tantirimale, I didn't know what the place would be like. Though.. I have already heard about it dozens of times from mom. Still.. it was a completely different world I stepped into.. when we finally got there.

If I briefly put it.. it was a sea of rock.. wrapped in a green coat!

You can read about the Tantirimale temple here. *sorry that I've been posting about nothing but temples since lately but can't help it, since I collected all these pics from our last pilgrimage* ^__^

Today I will only add captions.. cause pictures speak a zillion words. Also the pics will be in medium size this time for your convenience. If you wish to see their original size, simply control + click on the images.

Off we go on a virtual tour in Tantirimale!
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The shrine.. near the entrance



Stupa.. in the distance



Stupa.. hidden behind a boulder



Rocky outcrop.. sprawling towards the horizon



Bell tower.. touching the heavens



Bodhi leaves.. fluttering in the winds



Golden railing.. festooned with flags



Sitting Buddha statue... giving life to the rockyscape



Reclining Buddha statue.. redefining the skyline



Stupa.. against the cloudy sky



Pilgrims climbing.. one step at a time


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I've posted some of the other pics of Tantirimale in my previous posts. So now I've officially covered the whole trip that we had on 1st of August. *and it took me over 1.5 months to simply finish posting this bunch of pics!* =D

Skyline and the landscape

I added a new slideshow to the blog, featuring some of the pics I took.. that I can't wait to share. =D Till then, enjoy their thumbnails.

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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