After staying a pleasant night in the NuwaraEliya we left the city at 8 in the morning. Our first destination is the Rama-Sita-Hanuman temple near the city. In fact, the temple is situated very close to the entrance of Hakgala Botanical Gardens. The botanical garden is very famous for its flowers. At 6000 feet it is perhaps the highest set botanical garden in the world. In the garden we enjoyed the company of 100 years old Californian cypress, Japanese Cedars, Himalayan Pines and the quinquennial English oak.    image credit The temple is managed by Chinmaya Mission, Sri Lanka. The temple is of the traditional Tamil architecture. It has got the idols of Rama, Sita and Laxmana. An interesting place is the nearby stream. It has got some holes in the rock. It is attributed to the foot mark of the legendary Hanuman.    The Hakgala peak. In local folklore, it is believed that the Palace of Ravana is situated in the high of this peak.  ...

Nuwara Eliya is the prime hill station in Sri Lanka. It is situated the hilly central region of the country. Its about 6000 ft. above the sea level. The name ‘Nuwara Eliya’ translates as the ‘city on the plane’ or the ‘city of light’.    The area was discovered in 1819 by a British Surgeon Dr. John Davy. (Ring any bell! yes probably you’re right. He is the brother of Sir Humphrey Davy, the inventor of the ‘Safety Lamp’. He was greatly attracted by the picturesque atmosphere and the English like climate of the region. Where most of the Sri Lanka is hot and humid, It is one of the place having temperate climate. However, the city was founded by Samuel Baker. Samuel Baker is also known for the discovery of ‘Lake Albert’ and for the ‘exploration of the Nile’.   1. A Scottish Lodge. We stayed there in the night. A suitable place to be a haunted bungalow     2. Gregory’s Lake: Nowadays there is provision of luxury eco-friendly house boat boardi...

University of Peradeniya is situated in a unbelievably beautiful place near Kandy. Kandy was the ancient capital of Sinhala. The high esteemed  Tooth Relic Monastery   and the palace of King is situated in Kandy. But I was mostly attracted to the beauty and greenery of this university. The university reminds me of the ancient ‘gurukul’ of Aryan period when pupils stay at their mentor’s house and learnt their trade within the nature. I have captured some pictures of the University Campus. But I must tell you I could not capture the true beauty. I am unaware of the academic excellence of the institute. But I decided that I should come here for a short course at least.   Note: After returning home, I have searched for the academic profile of the University and found out that it is the second ranked university in Sri Lanka after University of Colombo. I wish I could study there.   Tags : Travel, Sri Lanka, Photography, Nature, Building ...

Sri Lanka is known for its spices. I decided to visit some spices garden during my stay there. I had informed our guide Mr. Sunil Gamage to ensure that visiting spices garden should be in our sightseeing list. He managed a visit to Pinnawela Spices garden on our way to Kandy.   Spices are elements of history. They were one of the chief trades during the period of conquering. In many empires cinnamon and cloves are honoured as currency. Countries like Sri Lanka and Indonesia are long regarded as fertile land for growing spices. Mainly Arab traders controlled this eastern spices trade until the 15th century. Then Europeans reached the shores of Asia, took control of the trade of spices from the Arab’s hands. They changed the socio cultural scenario of Asia for good.   Some pictures of the Pinnawela Spices Garden:      1.   Cardamom   2 .   Peeper      3.  Cocoa    Spices are mainly g...

During my visit to Sri Lanka I took a two day journey through the hilly central part of the Sri Lanka. The journey begins at Colombo at 6 in the morning and moved slowly through the breath-taking sceneries of hilly Sinhala. I have captured quite a few snaps   1.  Kalu Ganga River:     It is also called the Kelani River in English. In Singhalese language, ‘Ganga’ means River whereas ‘Oya’ means small river or stream. It is the largest river near Colombo and one of the largest in the country. How beautiful the river is in the dimness of the dawn.   2 .   An Unnamed fall near the Adam’s peak    We stopped for a cup of tea near the famed Adam’s peak. From the observatory railings I clicked this awesome picture of the waterfall.  3 .   The MahaOya River   On the way back from NuwaraEllya we came across this small mountain river. Both the sides of the river is habited with dense forests. It was so lovely. Mor...