Travel

Thalpitiya Daladawatte Maha Viharaya

76th annual perahera on August 22:

Ganga ILLEPERUMA

Thalpitiya Daladawatte Maha Viharaya is an ancient and a famous temple in Kalutara District, Wadduwa which maintains very good links between monks and dayakas. This temple is famous not only in Wadduwa but also the whole the island because it has a very close connection with the Sacred Tooth Relic.

According to legend, Hemamali hid the relic in her hair ornament and the royal couple disguised themselves as Brahmins in order to avoid discovery. They set sail from Tamralipti, a port at the mouth of the river Ganges, and landed in Sri Lanka at the port of Lankapattana.

It is said that Sri Lanka was chosen as the new home for the tooth relic because the Buddha had declared that Buddhism would be safe in Sri Lanka for 2,500 years.

At the time of Dantha's and Hemamali's arrival on the island, King Kirti Sri Megavanna or Kithsirimevan ruled Sri Lanka. The King was overjoyed when he heard the news and warmly welcomed the royal couple and received the Sacred Tooth Relic with great veneration.

He built a beautiful palace within the Royal Palace Complex itself and enshrined the Relic in it. Thereafter, he ordered that an annual perahera be held in honour of the Sacred Relic

In the sixteenth century in Kotte kingdom, during invasions by the Portuguese, the Sacred Tooth Relic was protected by Hiripitiya Nilame. While he was taking the Secret Tooth Relic from Kotte to Sabaragamuwa Delgama temple, it is said in folklore that he kept it for a two days at Wadduwa Thalpitiya Daladawatte temple.

In this era, the Secret Tooth Relic faced a lot of threats from the Portuguese.

So the Nilame wanted to hide the Tooth Relic in this secret place at Wadduwa. This was a good strategy to hide the real route from the Portuguese. Because of this reason, later, a temple named Daladawatte Maha Viharaya was built there.

Venerable Thalwatte Indrajothi Thero	Venerable Thalpitiye Chandrarathana Thero	Venerable Thalpitiye Dhammaratana Thero	Venerable Dambagalle Seelaratana Thero

At the beginning the chief incumbent of this temple was Venarable Anupe Sonuththa Thera. After him, the Venerable Alauwe Sri Revata Thera and his student monks had been the chief incumbents there.

This temple which began on a small scale, is today a magnificent temple drawing a large crowd of Buddhists.

During this time Venerable Alauwe Sri Revata Thera and Venerable Panagoda Dammaratana Thera had started more temples, related to this temple such as Kalapugama Sri Sumangalaramaya, Mestiye Sri Sunethraramaya, Maha Wadduwa Gangaramaya, Moronthuduwe Purana Viharaya (Sathbudu Viharaya), Mahawatte Sudarshanaramaya (Wajiraramaya), Panagoda Sudarshanaramaya and Thalpitiye Mudalindaramaya.

Today this famous temple has 1 500 dayakas, because of the guidance of the chief priest. The honour of beginning the Dalada Perahera, as it is done today, falls on King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe. Similarly Daladadawatte temple also has been conducting Dalada perahera for seventy seven years. Because of this perahera this temple has become famous among Sri Lankans and foriegners.

Ancient records say, that other than this perahera, they have been many activities conducted by the temple specially on Poya days.

Sri Rewatha Dhamma School is a special service conducted by this temple.

There are 1,100 students study in this school and many time, they have participated in an won all island competitions too. The temple maintains many kind of organisations such as Youth Buddhist Society, Hemamala Women Society, Elder Citizen Society and Sri Rewatha Dhamma School's Development Society.

This famous Daladawatte perahera was stated in 1933 and on this August 22 they will be held their 76th annual perahera.

Their records say past years also they held successful perahera because of the very good links between laymen and Buddhist priests in this temple. "Because of the guidance of venerable Thalpitiye Chandarathana Thero, Venerable Thalpitiye Dhammaratana Thero and Venerable Dambagalle Seelaratana Thero laymen who live in this area can be organised a colourful perahera at this time also" said Venerable Thalwatte Indrajothi Thero, the chief priest of Thalpitiya Daladawatte Maha Viharaya.

An unforgettable 30 minutes in Singapore Flyer

Chinthana WASALA

Singapore is the ideal land for tourism in South-east Asia- as they boast, and is one of the youngest tourist attractions in the world. In fact tourism and Singapore are two words those have a strong bond, which statistics have proved over the years.

With the fact that almost all the tourist attractions in Singapore were newly formed, unlike in Sri Lanka, Singapore is still a place where people from all over the world prefer to hang out.

Among their favourite destinations, there is one unique piece of work which anyone would notice when looking across the City skyline. Above most of the high risers, a large round shaped structure catches the eyes of all, a thing exactly in similar shape to the London Eye. It is the world's tallest observation wheel which is probably Singapore's best tourist attraction, the Singapore Flyer.

The modified version of a Ferris wheel, the giant observation wheel which rotates along with 28 capsules each is capable of easily accommodating 28 persons. Situated in the Marina Bay area, near the Raffles City, the Flyer is very easy to locate.

The Singapore Flyer gives the best experience to its 'Flyers'. The entrance, ticketing and boarding are similar to that of boarding into an aircraft. The staff assures a pleasant flight as they call it while making the riders feel like they are really flying which they are successful in doing. For 29 Singapore dollars it gives a half an hour ride, the time which takes the wheel to complete a round.

The visitors must enter the cabin while it is on the move and there is no risk in doing so. Assistance is available at any time and the slow moving cabin with see-thro' walls offer 360 degree view of the horizon. Inside, the pre recorded speeches heard through the intercom, describe the view. It is indeed a thrilling experience to have a 360 degree view in mid air under a comfortable, air conditioned atmosphere. Being the tallest of all observation wheels in the world, the 165m structure stands more than 42 storeyes high. One could boast about being on top of the wheel which beats similar kind of tall wheels, Star of Nanchang and by 5 meters and the London Eye by over 30 meters.

At the peak, the views of the city centre and beyond to about 45km, including some parts of Indonesia as well as Malaysia, easily thrills anyone on board.

The Wheel's grand opening was held on March 1, 2008 after three years of construction and an expenditure of over 240 million Singapore Dollars. It is said that the wheel attracted over 2.5 million visitors within the first year alone, and it is no wonder when considered about the experience you get in one flight at the SF.

The Marina Bay area, the busy roads, the skyscrapers and the beautiful landscaping within the limited spaces in the beautiful but busy city, are all visible when you are in the air, flying like a bird.

In the distance, you can have a great view of one of the world's busiest harbours, the Singapore Habour and thousands of ships and boats closing in on the bay.

The Flyer is only a small part of Singapore's plans for the Marina Bay area with a Casio-resort, a Formula One circuit and many others worth billions of dollars still under construction, all visible during the uninterrupted flight.

It is the tallest of it's kind for now indeed but the Beijing Great Wheel and the Great Berlin Wheel which are still under construction, are said to be taller than the Singapore Flyer. But anyone could boast of their ride at the Singapore Flyer as the best of all.

Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel

Providing an uninterrupted view of the Indian Ocean :

Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel which is a member of the small luxury hotels of the world is ideally situated in Galle, overlooking the blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

Inspired by the Dutch influence in Sri Lanka, the hotel exudes a touch of history and a splendid unmatched view of the sea.

A tranquil, solitary retreat nestled on a hill overlooking the Indian Ocean, Jetwing Lighthouse is a masterpiece of space and light designed by world renowned architect, Geoffrey Bawa.

The Lighthouse Hotel and Spa is not just a holiday destination, but is a sensual experience that relaxes, heals and gives you a whole new outlook on life.

Each bedroom is tastefully appointed with colour coordinated fabrics, wooden floors and furniture together with contemporary facilities. The spa is situated in the separate area, because of this location it has more privacy to the guests in this hotel. It features a comfortable lounge to relax in, a cold plunge pool, a jacuzzi, steam bath and special treatment rooms with a choice of air conditioned environments for treatment. The hotel's poolside sun deck affords guests an uninterrupted view of the ocean with its ever changing panorama.

Located on a rocky headland, this elegant hotel conveys an immediate sense of Galle's history.

The Portuguese landing at Galle is re-enacted in brass and bronze on the impressive main staircase and an ambitious batik of ancient coats of arms fills the ceilings.

Light House hotel is one of Geoffrey Bawa's earliest and most famous works of architecture. A most distinctive feature at the hotel entrance is a sculptured metal balustrade enclosing a spiral staircase which sweeps to the roof top. It depicts a tale of the Dutch invaders, featuring the Sinhala king playing his flute and life- size horsemen in battle.

Lighthouse Hotel has 60 Deluxe rooms and three Suites with interiors a blend of Moroccan, Chinese and Dutch design. Interiors are luxurious and spacious, in understated boutique style. All have private balconies that hug the coastline and opens out over the garden or ocean.

This hotel has two fresh-water swimming pools, children's pool and sun deck. Sports facilities include a tennis court, squash court, table tennis, fully-equipped gymnasium and indoor games can be enjoyed as well. GI

"A Culinary Expedition" at Taj Samudra

Since the earliest voyages of Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus and other remarkable travelers, indulging in the variant cuisines of the places they visited is deeply etched in the books of history. From the shores of the leisurely Caribbean Islands to the mysteries of Japan's mountains ... from the rich cultural heritage of Mexico to the serenity of the Mediterranean landscapes ... from the alluring beauty of palms and the warmth of people of the Tropical Islands to the calm of the Middle Eastern deserts we invite you to join us on a culinary expedition of these great lands. For each day of the week commencing 1st August, Latitude at the Taj Samudra puts together a range of menus from seven diverse culinary lands.

The line-up will be: Mexican Monday, Italian Tuesday, Japanese Wednesday, Mediterranean Thursday, Tropical Islands - Seafood Specials Friday, Caribbean Saturday, Middle Eastern Sunday.