Sri lanka, an island nation on
the Indian sea is a deeply religious country. Every corner of this beautiful
country is dotted with several pilgrimage destinations which beckons both
pilgrims and tourists from all across the globe.
Most of these religious sites are related to Buddhism. Apart from Buddhist
religious sites, Sri lanka also has large number of Hindu, Muslim and
Christian sacred places. These religious places provide solace to the people
and give them courage to face the challenges of life.
Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic : Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic also
known as Dalda Maligawa temple is the pride of entire Sri Lanka. It is
located in the hill capital of Kandy, within the royal palace complex. It is
the most important Buddhist pilgrimage site and houses the upper tooth of
Lord Buddha. The temple is an imposing pink-painted structure, encircled by
a deep moat. It took nearly 100 years (from 1687 to 1787) to complete the
construction of the temple. Daily rituals are performed three times a day-at
4.30 a.m., 10.30 a.m and 6.30 p.m. respectively. Person wearing shorts is
not allowed to enter in this temple and shoes must be removed before
entering.
Adam’s Peak : Adam’s Peak or Sri Pada is an ancient and
most significant pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka. This place has a distinct
feature as it is highly revered by the followers of four religions-Buddhism,
Islamism, Hinduism and Christianity. Adam’s Peak is a conical mountain
of height 2, 243 m above the sea level. According to a legend it is believed
that Lord Buddha during his third visit to Sri Lanka placed his footprint on
the summit of this sacred mountain. So, the name Sripada-the sacred
footprint.
Muslims believe the footprint is of Adam (hence the name Adam's Peak);
Christians, that of St. Thomas, the disciple of Jesus; and Hindus, that of
the God Siva. Pilgrims generally likes to visit Adam’s Peak in the
month of April, which is the dry season just before the southeast monsoon
breaks. Apart from worshipping, another main attraction of this place is
that it is an ideal place to view to the first rays of rising sun.
Bogoda Temple : Bogoda Vihara or Bogada temple is a famous Buddhist
temple, situated beside the Bagoda Wooden Bridge. This ancient rock temple
is partly built into the rocks to one side of the bridge has a few old
murals, large reclining Buddha and one in Samadhi position. This rock was
converted into a temple by King Walagambahu (104-76 B.C). The walls of the
temple were built with a paste made of cotton wool, bee honey and extracted
and purified white clay.[1] The paintings were drawn on this walls. Stone
inscription in the temple is written in Brahmin scripture says that the
temple was donated to a priest called Brahmadatta by Tissa, a provincial
leader in Badulla.
Buduruwagala : Located 5 km south of Wellawaya town in UVA Province,
Buduruwagala complex is famous for its Buddha images. The complex consists
of seven statues carved on the rock. The central figure of the group is the
Buddha, standing 51 feet (15.5m) and is the largest standing Buddha in Sri
Lanka. Buduruwagala rock a stone Shrine situated above the Buduruwagala tank
in a picturesque place below a mountain. Origins of these statues are dated
back to 10 century A.D. The gigantic Buddha statue in the central still
bears traces of its original stuccoes robe and a long streak of orange,
which suggests that once it was brightly painted. After the destruction of
Bamiyan Buddha statue by Taliban, now the Buduruwagala Buddha Statue is now
considered as the tallest in the world.
Dowa Cave Temple : Dowa Cave Temple is another Buddhist religious
site in Sri Lanka. This historic cave temple complex was once the sanctuary
for King Walagamba as it is nestled amidst the lush forests and located 6 km
from Bandarawela on Badulla-Bandarawella highway. The temple has a beautiful
ornamental gateway that attracts visitors. Also a 38 ft Buddha image
sculptured from a rock and some paintings belonging to the Kandyan era,
depicting various Jataka stories are available in this temple.
