Day 7: Hambantota (Kataragama)
|
|
A leisurely morning followed by
an afternoon excursion to the Kataragama temple.
An evening sail away from Hambantota.
|
|
|
| |
Saturday 22nd February 2025
|
|
|
After a peaceful night
in port, despite our slight worry it might be noisy, we
awoke to another beautiful, if rather hot, day. The night
before, we had decided to skip the 7:00 a.m. departure for
the morning excursion to Yala
National Park. The early start was part of the reason,
but mostly we had read that Yala was quite similar to Bundala
National Park, which we had enjoyed yesterday. It was also
a long drive there and back. Later, after hearing from others
who had gone and said they preferred Bundala, we felt our
decision was well justified. |
|
|
| |
By
contrast, we slept in, lingered over a leisurely breakfast,
and savoured the quiet atmosphere on board. The Captain
had taken the opportunity to involve most of the crew in
routine safety drills, which we watched with interest. On
this occasion, they were practicing lowering the lifeboats.
We’d taken part in the standard lifeboat drills at
the start of every cruise, standing on deck in our life
jackets, awaiting further instructions from the crew, but
this was the first time we had actually seen a lifeboat
being lowered, slowly and carefully, onto the water. |
|
|
|
| |
We were also fascinated
by the activities going on around the port. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Following the return
of those who went on the morning excursion, we enjoyed our
lunch in a shady spot on the lido deck. |
|
|
| |
At 2:00pm, the call
came to disembark for the afternoon excursion to Kataragama,
following the route indicated on the map. Our journey took
a bit longer than the one hour and three minutes suggested
on the map because we stopped en-route for a comfort break
at a very nice looking hotel at Grand Tamarind Lake. |
|
|
| |
Arriving in Kataragama,
we left the coach. The rest of the tour would be on foot.
This walkway led us towards the pedestrian bridge that would
lead us to the Kataragama temple complex. |
|
|
| |
The bridge crosses Menik
Ganga (Ganga roughly translated as "River of Gems"). |
|
|
| |
It is believed that
God Kataragama lived in the jungles near the river. From
the bridge, we could see devotees bathing before entering
the pilgrimage site. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Traditionally, people
offer fruit to the Kataragama God. Our guide asked this
man to show us his offering. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Kataragama temple is
a temple complex dedicated to Buddhist guardian deity Kataragama
deviyo and Hindu War God Murugan. It is one of the few religious
sites in Sri Lanka that is venerated by Buddhists, Hindus,
Muslims and the Vedda people. For most of the past millennia,
it was a jungle shrine and very difficult to access; today
it is accessible by an all-weather road. The shrines and
the nearby Kiri Vehera are managed by Buddhists, the shrines
dedicated to Devasena and Shiva are managed by Hindus and
the mosque by Muslims. |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
The entrance to Ruhunu
Maha Kataragama temple. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Kataragama
Devalaya - a temple for all faiths. We entered from
the front and exited on the right-hand side of this building. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
We paused close to where
food was being served to hear more from our guide. |
|
|
|
| |
Free food is given to
all visitors. Some people from our group took some and said
it was "alright". |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Leaving this part of
the complex through these elegant gates, we began the longish
walk from Ruhunu Maha Kataragama to Kiri Vehera Temple. |
|
|
|
| |
This map shows the
complete walking route we took (in red), from the time we
got off the coach until we got back on the coach (walking
from the bottom to the top). |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
The sights we saw along
the walk were interesting and varied and our guide paused
frequently to give us information. |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
As we approached the
end of the main part of the walk, we could see the impressive
sight of the Kiri
Vehera stupa, said to date back to the 3rd century BC. |
|
|
| |
There were a lot of
monkeys around. Not too surprising considering people carrying
fruit offerings! |
|
Neil, wearing one of
several outfits that he had brought along specially for
this trip. |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
| |
We had really enjoyed
our afternoon. The drive back to the ship was uneventful
and soon after we embarked, we sailed. We had a relatively
short distance to cover overnight (54 nautical miles) to
get to Galle, our next port of call. |
|
| |
|
|
