Legend has it that all vegetation on the mountain of Ritigala in central Sri Lanka is protected by guardian spirits known as Yakkhas. These are the guardian spirits of the mountain, said to have helped Prince (later King) Pandukhabaya fulfil a prophecy by defeating his eight uncles at the foot of the mountain.
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Sri Lanka’s national flower is the blue waterlily. We saw these beautiful flowers everywhere, not just growing in lakes but also as offerings in Buddhist shrines in particular. This flower is considered a symbol of truth, purity and discipline.
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On the north coast of Sri Lanka, near Jaffna and not far from the island’s northernmost point, we visited three very different shrines in close proximity to each other. Together, for me, they illustrated the diversity of religious belief in a country that has seen its fair share of internal conflict but, for now at least, has settled its differences.
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Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka’s first capital, founded in the 4th century BCE by King Pandukabhaya. It is considered the first city in the country to have embraced Buddhism. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to massive ancient stupas, vast archaeological ruins, and a sacred tree.
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I wasn’t always happy about the way animals are treated in Sri Lanka (we were taken to one elephant facility that I felt was well below the standards I have seen elsewhere). But you can’t fault their extensive national parks system and the habitats they provide for wildlife.
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Wilpattu National Park is one of the largest and oldest national parks in Sri Lanka. Its name is derived from the Sinhala words ‘Willu-pattu’, meaning ‘land of lakes’. The landscape is a mix of dense jungle, open grassy plains and the sand-rimmed water basins that gave it its name.
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When our tour company, Selective Asia, suggested we might like a stay at the unique Mudhouse in western Sri Lanka we were in two minds. Would we love the ‘back to nature’ vibe or would we find sleeping in the semi-open with few ‘mod cons’ too much of a challenge? But we took the plunge, booked a two-night stay, and it proved to be a great decision.
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I often feel the need to seek adventures abroad, especially in the tail-end of winter. So for most of February I have been in Sri Lanka, enjoying a mix of wildlife, culture and a bit of relaxation. This therefore will be a rather different monthly round-up from usual.
