Lanka Sites

It has mentioned in our chronicles, the Mahavamsa and the Chulawamsa, that the flag with the symbol of the lion was invariably used by the monarchy from the reign of King Vijaya, who was the first and foremost Sinhala king of this small, beautiful island. This nation's flag was thus used up to the fall of the Kandyan kingdom, during the reign of King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, on March 02, 1815.

The two Tamil words "Thai" and "Pongal" are important. "Thai" means the month of January. The word "Pongal" means milk rice. This is a harvest festival the Tamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. It is held to honor the Sun, for a bountiful harvest. Families gather to rejoice and share their joy and their harvests with others. The Sun is offered a "Pongal" of rice and milk.The main meal is actually a breakfast meal, similar to rice pudding and called pongal.

"Long time ago in Bethlehem, so the Holy Bible says.... Mary's boy child, Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day" Yes, as all followers of Jesus Christ knows, the Bible tells us the story of His birth which took place more than 2000 years ago, according to the holy scriptures.

A mammoth crowd had gathered at the Bodhi for the ceremony. So vast was the crowd that they were compelled to move towards the Government Agent’s residence on top of the hillock. An angry Government Agent called in the police, who then baton charged the crowd to disperse them. It is said that Cyril de Zoysa watching what was happening resolved then and there, “to chase away the white man (Sudda) from there “.

Bodhgaya is a city in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar.Buddha Gaya is located 7 miles south of Gaya and is one of the well visited Buddhist pilgrimage centers of the Indian subcontinent. It is famous for being the place of Gautama Buddha's attainment of nirvana (Enlightenment).

Buddha Gaya is also home to the ancient temple of Buddha. The Mahabodhi temple has a 150 feet high tower, and it contains a gilded image of Buddha. The original shrine here is believed to have been raised by Emperor Ashoka. The temple has a beautiful stone railing around it. Depcited on the walls of the temple are scenes from Buddha's life. A museum in the vicinity has gold, bronze and stone images of Buddha.

Historically, Bodhimanda (ground around the Bodhi-tree), Uruvela, Sambodhi, Vajrasana and Mahabodhi.The name Bodh Gaya did not come into use until the 18th century. The main monastery of Bodhgaya used to be called the Bodhimanda-vihāra (Pali). Now it is called the Mahabodhi Temple.

For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Reference from Pilgrimage India and TempleNet

Pyramid of Giza
Egypt is a place any one would like to go for a vacation. Tourism is such a great money earner for Egypt. And when somebody travels, one of the most preferred place to visit would be the Cairo and the Giza city. Built as the tomb of fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu.

Kataragama is one of Sri Lanka's 16 principal places of Buddhist pilgrimage, and is also an important shrine for other religions - the Kataragama God predates the Buddha of 2500 years ago, and was originally inherited (in some form) from the indigenous Vedda forest dwellers.

Seventeenth-Century Portuguese Manuscript Map of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). This manuscript map is found in a volume of drawings of cities, ports, and other sites made during the brief Portuguese occupation of Ceylon from 1597 to 1658. The work is thought to have been done around 1650. (Geography and Map Division)

According to Sir James Emerson Tennant Galle was the "Tarshish" referred to in the Bible as the port where ships trading with King Soloman obtained their Elephants, Peacocks and Gemstones.

In a state of "total war", the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Over seventy million people, the majority of whom were civilians, were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.

In the Islamic month of fasting (sawm), participating Muslims do not eat or drink anything from true dawn until sunset. Fasting is meant to teach the person patience, sacrifice and humility. Ramadan is a time to fast for the sake of God, and to offer more prayer than usual.

Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil or Nallur Murugan Kovil (kovil meaning temple in Tamil) is one of the of the most significant Hindu temples in the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka. It stands in the town of Nallur.The Nallur Festival in Jaffna in August is the island's longest festival.

The annual Esala Pageant popularly known as the Esala Perahara, held in the month of Esala (July - August) in Kandy needs no introduction to the Buddhist world. Originating from Indo-Aryan traditions, Esala festivities signify the victories of the mythical Hindu God Indra over the demon Vritra who prevented the burst of rain clouds.

His Grace Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith the Archbishop of Colombo will preside at the Solem Festive Mass on 15th of August 2009 at Madhu Shrine and His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Oswald Gomis will preside at the Solemn Vespers Service on 14th August 2009 together with His Lordship Bishop Rayappu Joseph, the Bishop of Mannar.

The lost continent of Lemuria (Mu) was originally referenced in the works of several 19th century scientists. Observing similarities between the geology and fauna of India and Madagascar, some scientists theorized that there once existed a huge land mass (Lemuria) in the Indian Ocean that spanned the two locales.

In the realm of birds, it is the males alone which sing. Amongst the male birds of most species it is a way of proclaiming to their rivals that they have taken possession of a territory, which in our own language should sound, "Here I am, and here I mean to stay."