srilanka2

Sri Lanka : a journey with the monsoon ramya reddy

All photographs and design Š ramya reddy.

December 2010

Not very far from us in India, but Sri Lanka gave me the feeling of being in some place faraway, lush and mystical. Throw in the sun, sand, culinary adventures and warm cheery locals and you have a journey that can feed the soul.

Despite the healing scars from the long drawn political turmoil, to a yearning traveler, getting to know Sri Lanka can be a truly intimate and fufilling experience.

Sri Lanka’s compactness magnifies the island’s natural blessings. Just as you are absorbing an awe inspiring sight, the next happens in a quick succession and so on. Mountains, jungles and sea exist like the branches of a great old tree hiding between them the extraordinary relics and secrets of lost civilizations. And when the rains of the tropics descend, the glory of this mix is so pronounced that it is easy to lose yourself in Srilanka’s earthy pleasures.

The map that follows illustrates the route and the places that we (yours truly & my husband R.) covered in the two weeks we spent around the island. . . starting out in the Puttalam district (mid northern province) we journeyed over to Anuradhapura & Polonaruwa to indulge my love of history and finally drove south to Galle; all the way up through the Kandian highlands, mountains of Nuwara Eliya, meeting with plains at the abundant paddy fields, forests, villages and pristine coastlines of the southern provinces.

My Sri Lanka moodboard.

* places circled in red indictate our main stops and the red lines roughly illustrate the route.

the gorgeous mudhouse Arriving into Anamaduwa from Colombo was especially relieving

the tired nerves.We were to stay at the exquisite and earthy Mud-

after a tiring day, perplexingly slow moving traffic and countless en-

house, the brainchild of our super gracious host Kumar and his

counters with suicidal dogs (dogs on roads is not new to us being

partner Tom. Kumar had sent one of his people to lead us to the

from India, but the local dogs in SL take this to a whole new dimen-

lovingly nurtured, rightly hidden gem.Tall prairie like grasses parted

sion ! ) The rocky landscapes flanked by several irrigation tanks and

to reveal a mud road gently lit by oil lamps.Where the road ended,

water bodies were gleaming in the moonlight and already soothing

Kumar and his staff were waiting to extend us a warm welcome.

We were given a quick introduction to the place, a beautiful

reconnect with the basics, and do it well. All that you really need

mud cottage, the very romantic private dining area, day lounge

for a meaningful travel experience, and serious rest and relaxation

by the lake, the open bath - all these, felt so comforting as we

is amply provided for - abundant fresh air, smells of the earth, bird-

took in the warmth of the oil lamps and smells of th earth.; all

song, cozy huts kept cool by tatched roofs and mud walls, locally

these comprised of our spacious, utterly private sanctuary for

sourced and deliciously prepared food, plenty of trails and climbs

the next few days. The premise of The Mudhouse is simple -

for exercise and history steeped ancient sites to explore.

View from the Paramakanda cave temple near The Mudhouse.

It’s quite something how quickly the mind opens up to anything

Mudhouse sits, flanked by a beautiful lake. One could see how

so pure. Staying away from the grasp of technology was hardly

much love and thought had gone into making the place so special

difficult with the abundant serenity more than making up for the

- no detail spared to make the rustic stay the most authentic of

lack of wires, screaming phones and all other madness and geek-

its kind. Everything required to make the place had been locally

ery. There is a real sense of luxury in this freedom, and a much

sourced and sustained. The staff, every one of them a local, play

needed depth in the solitude which happens only when the basics

an integral part and bring an added richness to the experience.

align. Kumar gave us a tour of his sixty acre property, where the

The history trail that I had mapped out was waiting to be explored. Led by a local, who was among Kumar’s staff at the Mudhouse, we bicycled to the nearby Paramakanda Temple and cave monastery, that dates back to 89-77 BC. The Temple complex contains number of caves and rocks with several intricate ancient inscriptions on the walls and ceilings, mostly depicting scenes from the Jatakas, which are among the earliest of Buddhist literature and concern the previous lives of Buddha.

The young monk who showed us around. Paramakanda cave temple.

The temple keys.

Reclining Buddha, Paramakanda Cave temple.

“Nirvana is where there is no birth, no extinction. It is seeing categories constructed by the mind, for it

The Lankavata

g into a state of suchness, absolutely transcending all the is the Buddha’s inner consciousness�

ara Sutra

health and happiness

daybed by the lake

sweet Rohan who made sure we were most comfortable

fresh coconut pancakes

healthy start to each day

rohan fills mud pots with gorgeous water lilies from the lake

milk rice served with fish curry

how we stayed off the beaten track

kumar, our lovely, super gracious host

A short drive 45 minutes, south east of Anamaduwa, is the ancient Sinhalese capital of Yapahuwa.

Within the fortress lies the spectacular ornamental stone stairway which climbs with a Mayan like steepness to the (then)palace. At the end of the stairway is the impressive Lion terrace, a doorway that once led into what waas the Temple of the Tooth.

The surrounding rocks and the foliage make this magnificient cluster of ruins absolutely mythical.

The trails of the myths and mysteries from history’s pages almost always turn into enitcing winding roads of time travel that I can’t get enough of. So I just let the roads lead . . .

Stone stairway & Lion terrace, Yapahuwa Rock Fortress, Yapahuwa.

Remains of the main temple, Arankele forest monastery.

Next up on our history trail was the mysterious 6th century for-

Hidden away by the expansive ancient forests and wild creepers,

est monastery of Arankele that roughly lies midway between Ana-

Arankele forest monastery was actually created to shelter the

maduwa and Anuradhapura. Completely off the beaten track, it

Buddhist monks who spent their time in meditation. The scat-

seemed a great prospect to explore. Finding the site would have

tered remains of the meditation sites, the monks’ apartments

been a real task if not for the precise hand drawn map (see mood-

and stone pillars shrouded by the thick green cover make for an

board on page 3) made for us by Kumar, our host at the Mudhouse.

otherworldly experience .

Forest pathway, Arankele forest monastery ( L, R)

Habarana, the centrally located town at the heart of the cultural triangle, was our base while we explored this region over the next few days.

On the itinerary were the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the epic Buddha statues of Aukana and Sasseruwa. Despite the proximity, we chose these over the famed Sigiriya rock and Dambulla caves. We had only four days and much to see and absorb. The rains kept coming, only to keep us close to paradise. The photograph to the left is one illustrates that beautifully.

We started by driving about 40km NW of Habarana to Aukana, the village where the perfectly preserved 12 m high ancient Buddha statue is located. Carved out of a single rock the east facing statue stands majestic and was especially beautiful in the morning rays. The next statue was located in the village of Sasseruwa, not very far from Aukana, but took a seriously fun 4x4 drive to get to. And the drive was the best part of this journey. Picture perfect landscapes flanked by abundant water bodies, paddy fields and evergreen patches; happy smiling people, the quiet pace, bright little kids - everything so reassuringly peaceful. The village is just as picturesque. Sasseruwa’s Buddha statue, believed to be an original copy of the Aukana statue, is hidden away on a stunning rocky hillside which houses an ancient monastery complex full of caves and mysterious looking stupas which drew me in more than the statue itself.

One spectacular Dawn, Habarana.

The feet of the Aukana Buddha, Aukana.

Stupas inside the Sasseruwa monastic complex, Sasseruwa.

Young monks in the vicinity(R)

The most picturesque, peaceful Sasseruwa Village.

Of the many friends we made along the way.

Scattered ruins, Anuradhapura (L, R)

The splendour of Anuradhapura lies in the sheer vastness of the area scattered with ruins. A colossal ancient city of magnificient proportions, Anuradhapura was Srilanka’s capital from 4th century BC to the beginning of 11th century AD, a great monastic city of the ancient world and truly at the heart of the island’s spiritual power.

Walking among these great old ruins, wet and gleaming from monsoon showers.... and I was back at indulging my love of escaping into the mystique of ancient worlds, while romancing the sweet, sensual rain that kisses the tropics...

Remains of a temple complex, Anuradhapura.

Jetavana Dagoba, part of the Jetavana monastery complex and was one of the largest structures of the ancient world. Anuradhapura.(R)

Blue water lilies, the island’s national flower, wait to adorn the temple shrines.

Detail outside Shiva Devale, Polonnaruwa.

We followed the monsoon to Polonnaruwa, another glorious city built

by Parakramabahu, the great Sri Lankan king. It was the second Sinhalese capital following the massive destruction of Anuradhapura by the Hindu King Rajaraja Chola in 993 AD. Though not of sprawling nature like Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa has its own distinct allure.

Contained beautifully in a smaller area with many of it’s ruins, still intact, Polonnaruwa is able to tell us a richly illustrated story of a great city’s past. The several Shiva temples interspersed with and built over the Buddhist ones speak of the turmoil prevalent even at the time.

One structure that held me in awe was the monument of Lankatilaka Vihara, once an important Buddhist temple. Never before had I experienced such magnificence and power when walking into a place. The walls were so rich with age and so alive that I was sure I could hear whispers of prayers. The monumental Buddha statue, though a head short, seemed to be breathing deeply and in eternal meditation.

and yes... the rains played their part ! they stayed close and said all they had to.

Young monks leaving the site of the Parakramabahu monolith. Polonnaruwa (L)

Buddha figurine left behind a monastery wall. Polonnaruwa.

The spectacular Lankatilaka Vihara, Polonnaruwa. (L & R)

“Within this moment, the only moment that exists, the past, present and future are contained.� ~ Buddha

Vatadage, the beautifully executed circular structure and one of the oldest in Polonnaruwa.

Buddha detail, Vatadage. Polonnaruwa. (R)

Sleeping Buddha detail at Gal Vihara, the rock cut temple at Polonnaruwa.

The seated Buddha, Gal Vihara, Polonnaruwa. (L)

Inscription detail, Vatadage, Polonnaruwa.

A living proof of the eras gone by. Polonnaruwa.

The stunning Ella Gap

From the relics to the sea: a road trip through the heart of Serendip Anuradhapura

HABARANA

14 hours. 500 somethingKM. Stunning landscapes.

Mountains. Ocean. Rainforest.

Sleepy villages. Busy towns.

Local food. Island’s pace.

Shining people.

Frenzy. Fatigue. Peace & Love.

kandy

ELLA A drive such as this could only Nuwara Eliya lead to Galle . . . the little melting pot of a coastal town. Wellawaya Quaint, charming and cozy.

Home to the beautifully preserved 16th century Dutch fort.

And gorgeous 5 days to soak it all up in the

Sun. Rain. Quiet & Happiness

GALLE Matara

Hambantota

Galle : a photo essay

Entrance to the National maritime museum, Galle fort.

Richly aging walls, Galle fort.

Galle fort’s main entrance.

Monk during morning prayer rounds, Shri Sudarmalaya Buddhist Temple (located inside the fort)

Beautiful art on display at the quaint gallery and store, Barefoot.

One of the many interwined lives of trees and buildings inside the fort. (L)

“ Using the mind to look for reality is delusion. Not using the mind to lookfor reality is awareness. Freeing yourself from words is liberation.� ~

Bodhidharma (5th-6th century)

Detail outside Shiva Devale, Polonnaruwa.

We stayed at the gorgeous Fortprinters, once a Dutch printing press (detail above) converted into a sprawling, tastefully decorated boutique villa in the heart of fort Galle. The place has an incredible little restuarant that dishes up fine food, and the fabulous chef and staff were always happy to have us for company in the kitchen (L)

A view of the town that nestles peacefully inside the fort.

Beautiful onlookers who made my morning (R)

“All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.�

Buddha

Galle fort at dawn.

Useful Links : www.themudhouse.lk www.roughguides.com/website/shop/products/Sri-Lanka.aspx www.lankapura.com www.lonelyplanet.com/sri-lanka www.sawdays.co.uk www.mysrilankaholidays.com www.thefortprinters.com

whc.unesco.org/en/list/200

(Anuradhapura)

whc.unesco.org/en/list/201

(Polonnaruwa)

whc.unesco.org/en/list/451

(Galle)

Paramakanda Cave temple www.boutiquerilanka.com www.reddottours.com Maps

When in Sri Lanka, let the roads lead

About the artist Ramya likes to think of image making as an intimate process that not only captures a moment in time, but also but also explores how the mind envisions it and interacts with other senses to make it so distinctly different to each one of us. The layers underlying a composition fascinate her most about photographing and she is always looking for fresh possibilities and ways of expressing these intangible layers that give an image a life of its own.

Nature is her primary inspiration, and through her work she hopes to be able to communicate that, and more importantly how necessary it is for us to reconnect with our world and the environment in simple, heartfelt ways.

After studying photography at the Light & Life Academy(Ooty), Ramya took classes at the Santa Fe workshops to explore the direction she wanted to pursue.

www.ramyareddy.com

Her main focus spans across fine art images, photo art, travel stories and lifestyle oriented work. She has had the opportunity to collaborate, exhibit and publish her work within the country and internationally.

Currently based out of Bangalore, she divides her time between artistic pursuits and commissioned projects.

www.ramyareddy.com Š ramyareddy 2010