Lanka Pictures Page: 2014

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Kandy Palaces and Medamahanuwara

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"There is nothing worthy of remark either in their architecture or decorations." That was the opinion of Major Jonathan Forbes in his Eleven Years in Ceylon (1840). It's not fair, but there's this much truth in it: the Kandyans in 1800 were no longer building to the standards of their ancestors. We look here at some of their later handiwork and then at the last refuge of their last king.

The magulmaduva, or royal council chamber. The portion on the left, with the lower floor, was added by the British in 1875 to accommodate a visit from the Prince of Wales--the columns were taken from another palace building and replaced there by brick. The British eventually restored the original part of the building, too, which was near collapse in the 1920s. In his official diary, Government Agent William Kindersley wrote in March, 1923, that "The Audience Hall remains propped up with jungle posts and is a pathetic sight. Many of the pillars have so rotted at the base that the pillars have sunk from 1 to 3 inches from the beam that they are supposed to support."

New posts and beams.

Here's part of the maligawa or royal palace of the last king. Its relation to the Temple of the Tooth is shown well here, but the picture isn't a fair representation of what the building really looked like, because it's been stripped of the massive veranda that once wrapped it.

The veranda kept the facade in deep shade, but this way you can get a sense of the decorative plaster on the brick building.

Some parts of the palace are still in use by the government, but this part is now part of the national museum, displaying here an elaborate floor lamp that looks like a timber turned on a lathe but is actually of fired clay.

Heavy Kandyan roofs demanded massive columms and beams, once joined with these massive capitals.

Another set of capitals.

Doors in a nearby building.

We've driven east for about an hour to the small town of Medamahanuwara, then walked for 10 minutes to this stone monument. The path is poorly marked, because this isn't a place dear to Kandyan hearts: it's where their last king, fleeing Kandy and seeking refuge, instead surrendered to trackers who turned him over to British captivity. Indeed, were it up to the Kandyans, there would be no monument at all. The stone was instead placed by the government agent in Kandy in 1908, almost a century after Sri Wikrama Rajasinha was captured in 1815. He was taken to exile in India, where he died in 1830.

J. Penry Lewis, who erected the monument, quotes a source as follows: "On the following morning the gratifying intelligence was received at Headquarters that the King had been surrounded on the morning of the preceding day (i.e., on February 18, 1815) by some Kandyans of the Province of Dumbara... at a place... very near to Meydemahanoowera." Lewis also quotes from Henry Marshall's Ceylon, which offers these additional details: "It appears that the few Malabar attendants remaining with the King made some resistance, and wounded one of the assailants under the command of Eheylopola, on which the party fired upon the house. The King then appeared and delivered himself up. His pursuers forthwith bound and plundered him of whatever articles of value he had on his person."

The king is remembered by Kandyans as a tyrant, which helps to explain why he was captured by his own people. Their commander, Eheylapola, had his own motive: revenge. The king had earlier tried to punish him for insurrection. Failing to capture him, the king had instead ordered the execution of Eheylapola's wife and young children. Their courage facing death is legendary in Sri Lanka today, although the king himself, when assailed by the British for such barbarity, insisted that he had acted according to Kandyan law and custom.

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Thursday, December 25, 2014

Jungle Beach in Sri Lanka

The real Jungle Beach however is a small isolated beach close to Galle and Unawatuna in Sri Lanka. We drove here with a tuk-tuk, on a narrow and steep path through the…..yep you got it……. Jungle !

When you spot this sign, you know you have come to the Jungle Beach, or Beech…..

The small bay that is Jungle Beach.

The first part of the beach, when entering the bay, is the most crowded one with sun beds and a small cafe/ restaurant serving some Sri Lankan dishes as well as sandwiches, drinks and snacks. It is however far less crowded and popular than the Unawatuna Beach.

Jungle Beach has a small bar/restaurant serving some food and drinks.

The Jungle Beach restaurant & bar is just above the sun beds, making it very convenient to order food and drinks.

But if you walk just a little further, away from the first bay with all the sun beds, you will soon come to an almost deserted bay with hardly any people.

After a very short walk, we came to a more deserted part of Jungle Beach.

Nice soft golden sand at Jungle Beach.

In the middle of the jungle, there is also the huge and glistening Peace Pagoda (to the right). This was a gift of a Japanese Buddhist monk in 2005.

Quiet and peaceful at the other end of Jungle Beach.

Jungle beach is the perfect place to go swimming, with no waves or current.

We really enjoyed our day out at Jungle Beach in Sri Lanka! Such a peaceful and quiet little beach, with great swimming. It is however a rather small beach, and it is a bit of hassle to get there. It is a nice break from the Unawatuna Beach though, if you are staying in this area or in Galle. We did like Mirissa Beach and Tangalla Beach better than Jungle Beach.

Would you like to visit Jungle Beach? Please mail your comment in the my mail box below, ( basuratravels@gmail.com ) thank you! If you like this blog post, or find it useful, please share it on social media!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Hotel Dhammika

Features of Hotel Dhammika, Unawatuna.

Facilities -:
24-hour room service
airport transfer
bicycle rental
car park
coffee shop
family room
room service
smoking area
tours
Sports and Recreation
garden
Internet
free Wi-Fi in all rooms

Hotel Description -:
        The Hotel Dhammika is located off the main village road directly on the beach of beautiful Unawatuna, Sri Lanka. All spacious rooms offer gorgeous panoramic views of the entire bay. The hotel opened in May 2004 and is owned and operated by a German-Singhalese family.

If you prefer smaller, individual properties to large, generic tourist resorts, then Hotel Dhammika will make you feel right at home. Our cozy beach hotel has only six large and well-appointed rooms, each with a spacious private terrace with unobstructed ocean views. Your stay includes a sumptuous breakfast.

Unawatuna is located in the southwestern part of Sri Lanka, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) east of the colonial city of Galle, and boasts one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Because of its calm waters and complete absence of dangerous currents, Unawatuna’s bay is ideal for the entire family. The western part of the bay with its shallow waters is great for bathing and especially safe for less accomplished swimmers while the deeper waters are perfect for enthuasiastic swimmers. Scuba diving, (there are a number of diving schools and PADI certified instructors), snorkeling and outings on glass-bottom boats offer unique insight into an amazing underwater world.

An extensive coral reef protects the bay and provides ideal swimming conditions year-round. Even during the quiet monsoon season you will enjoy your vacation here. There will be some brief and intense but warm tropical showers immediately followed by bright sunshine so that you generally will not have to miss a single gorgeous beach day.

There are many small restaurants along the beach and in town that serve great inexpensive food. If you can take the heat you will love the local cuisine with its delicious curries. Fresh fish, prawns, lobster and crawfish are staples of the local cuisine and are served straight from the ocean and at very accessible prices!

Do not miss tasting all the fresh tropical fruits available here in Unawatuna – ripe mangos, papayas, mangosteen, rambutan, pineapple, water melon, apple bananas and jackfruit freshly picked and bursting with flavor!

Children and extra beds -:
Infant 0-2 year(s)
Stay for free if using existing bedding. Note, if you need a cot there may be an extra charge.
Children 3-6 year(s)
Must use an extra bed
Guests over 6 years old are considered as adults.
Extra beds are dependent on the room you choose, please check the individual room policy for more details.

Deluxe rooms:

Room size: 25 sq.m.
Bed(s): 1 Double Bed
View: Sea View

Descriptions -:
The rooms are decorated with hand-carved tropical wood furniture and have a
king-size bed draped with mosquito netting,
satellite television,
ceiling fan,
telephone.
Four of the rooms have air-conditioning.

Guest satisfaction is our highest priority, and you can be sure that we will not rest until we have fulfilled all of your individual requests.

Room Price per Night - USD 50.00

Area recommended for:
    Beaches
    culture
    sightseeing

Distance to airport:
    Koggala Airport - Domestic (10.2 Km)

Top attractions in the area:
    Jungle Beach (1.2 Km)
    Koggala (7.2 Km)
    Galle (5.5 Km)


Address -:
Yaddehimulla Road, Unawatuna, Sri Lanka

Details - :
My mail is - basuratravels@gmail.com
T:P :- +94 0776 714 227

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Kandy Colonist Life

Bungalow and club, hotel, bank, church--the usual attributes of colonial life. Here's a recollection of Kandy in the days of coffee: "In 1864 Kandy was a very busy place. It was the centre of the coffee enterprise, and during the coffee season, as it was when I reached Kandy, carts kept coming in from all direction with coffee.... Everywhere in Kandy there was the hustle and bustle of business. Everyone had something to do, and there were no idlers." (E. Beven, "Reminisences of Kandy, 1864-1918," in volume 3 of P.M. Bingham, History of the Public Works Department, Ceylon, 1798-1896

The view here is from the south side of the kiri muhuda, or "milky sea." It was here that Herbert Wace, Government Agent, built the city park.

It was here, too, that the British built bungalows. Most have been enlarged past recognition. Here's one in fairly pristine shape.

Here, too, at least for a time, was the Kandy Club, now the Hotel Suisse.

The British were very fond of recreational walks and rides, and they built bridal paths in what had been the Udavattekale, the "land above the palace," which in the days of the Kandyan kingdom had been a royal forest forbidden to commoners.

The sign points the way to Lady Horton's drive, one of several walks that still carry the names of governor's wives.

Because Kandy was the commercial center for a very substantial plantation economy, its downtown was highly developed even in the colonial period. The Temple of the Tooth can be seen in the left distance; in front of it is the green area the British called the Esplanade. Then the hotels and stores and banks begin. The bit of white plaster under a tiled pyramid in the lower center is still the main police station; even closer to the camera, at the lower right margin, you can see the top of a Hindu temple gopuram.

Walk along the esplanade and you'll pass this coffee planters' memorial.

Apparently the planters hoped for some royal attention to their problems. They didn't get it; the prince didn't show.

Also on the esplanade was a statue of Governor Henry George Ward (1797-1860), governor of Ceylon from 1855 to 1860; it's been relocated to the museum grounds and in the process has lost its plaque, which included this excerpt from Ward's speeches: "In semi-civilized countries it is with material improvements that all other improvement begins. My conscience tells me that to the best of my judgment and abilities I have tried to do my duty by you, and it is my hope that you will think of me hereafter as a man whose whole heart was in his work." Previously the editor of the Weekly Chronicle, Ward had been a journalist in London before being appointed ambassador successively to the Ionian Islands, Mexico, and Spain. In Ceylon during the years of the Indian Mutiny, he worked to restore ancient irrigation tanks. He also established telegraph lines and the Galle Face promenade in Colombo. He was promoted from Ceylon to become governor of Madras but died there of cholera almost at once. The statue was erected in 1868.

The stripped-bare monument to Henry Byrde (1837-1907). With a military background, serving in the Crimea and later as Commandant of the Ceylon Light Infantry, Byrde went into business in Kandy and in 1873 was appointed the secretary of the municipal council, as well as superintendent of works. He served in those capacities until his death. "He was a good amateur actor, had a great knowledge of trees and tree-planting, and was a walking dictionary of information about Kandy, of which he was the oldest European resident...." Survey of Sri Lanka maps incorrectly identify this as the Gyrde memorial.

Across the street, a Great War memorial.

The city's classic hotel, the Queen's Hotel--still in business.

The Queen's Hotel from another angle, showing the entrance to what was the Mercantile Bank of India, where planters heading back to their estates could withdraw funds to meet their payrolls.

Also in the hotel, a well-preserved bar.

A more modest hotel facing the esplanade.

Here's the view from its upper veranda.

Still another hotel, although in this case the "royal" might refer to the kings of Kandy

In business for more than a century, Cargills was a diversified corporation, and retailing was just a small part of its business. The company now runs a chain of Food City supermarkets, including this one.

The Bank of Ceylon.

The local branch of the Church of England. It sits on land taken from the Temple of the Tooth--an action not yet forgiven, let alone forgotten.

Inside, a plaque to a visiting agent. The phrase "truest of friends" may well be accurate, but visiting agents were inspectors sent by absentee plantation owners to check up on their properties, not a vocation likely to win friends.

Another plaque, this one to the founder of Wace Park, who died in the saddle

The Church of Scotland, seem from a spot in the churchyard that hides the busy street on which the church sits. The church was built by and for coffee planters.

The Methodist church.

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