A glimpse of Somawathiya

Thousand Apologies! =D Thanks Chavie for letting me know about that issue with the pics. I just checked it and even I can't use CTRL+ Click to expand them! I think I made a mistake while uploading. Will re-upload and fix that issue so all the pics can be enlarged when clicked. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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It took me a while to get back but finally I'm going to wrap up the Somawathie series. Lots happened here but sadly I don't have time to share them all.


So today I'll be sharing only a few selected shots from my Picasa album. I'll add the link to the album at the bottom of this post.


Before I start, here's a recap about Somawathiya: It is one of our most sacred temples as it enshrines the right tooth relic of Lord Buddha. So for us Buddhists this temple is just as important as the world famous Temple of the Tooth. (Sri Dalada Maligawa)

CTRL + Click as usual to see the pics in their original size.

Let's begin the tour.




The Elephant Pond with lifelike elephant sculptures




The Moonstone with unusual patterns




Oil Lamps with glass jars instead of clay lamps




Big old banyan tree that sheltered most of the devotees




Bird nests inside the Wahalkada




Bell Tower and the tiled compound next to the Stupa




Old brick layers in the midst of the stupa




Incense sticks and their silky smoke




Stupa and the banyan tree




Part of Wahalkada and the pinnacle of Stupa + a rainbow lens flare




A sparrow perched on basal rings of stupa




Samadhi Buddha Statue and the Bodhi Tree




Somawathie Stupa and the Wahalkada

If you'd like to take the complete virtual tour sit back and click here. The descriptive captions will take you on a guided tour. ^__^

We made it... to one corner of Lanka?!

that is how I felt.. considering the staggering distance we traveled today. If I compare the 2 trips of Tantirimale *in last year* and our latest, I think the latter was much more tiring and probably even longer than the former.. is also how I felt.

Nevertheless it was a splendid trip my family had with my relatives from mom's side.. where only 1 cousin was free to attend as my other cousins were all too busy to join.. like last time. -__- Still it was fun having my jovial lil cousin sis around.. and even more jovial and young-at-heart aunts and uncs around. hehe..

Did I say where we went?

It was to see the stupa of Somawathiya that is as sacred as our own Maligawa in Kandy that I've been talking about more regularly. Somawathiya is where the right tooth relic of our Lord Buddha is enshrined.. while Dalada Maligawa claims to have the left tooth relic.

We were also planning to visit one of Lanka's best World Heritage Sites known as Polonnaruwa Gal Viharaya.. which is also a major tourist attraction.

But due to spur of the moment our trip's organizer, my punchi (mom's youngest sis) suddenly declared,

"Haven't we all seen Gal Vihare so many times, so how about Medirigiriya Watadage for a change?" and she said that while we were returning from Somawathiya on our way to Polonnaruwa. O__O

So off we went to see the watadage.. totally unplanned! *had to ask for directions umpteen times* -__-

Medirigiriya Watadage is no ordinary place either cause it is the best among all Lankan watadages (Stupa houses) that flaunts the most finest stone carvings.

En route we passed 2 nature reserves (Somawathiya and Minneriya) and 1 spooky jungle (Habarana = safari hub)! I was straining my neck to see some wildlife around and well.. I did have some weird, unexpected and wonderful encounters en route.. that I would talk about.. with spicy pics and tales I've stacked on my cam and my head, one by one, eventually.

So.. for now.. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... zee ya laterzzzzz!