The document provides information about several important historical and religious sites in Sri Lanka. It discusses Adam's Peak and describes the different religious traditions' beliefs about the sacred footprint found there. It also describes several Buddhist sites including Ruwanwelisaya stupa, Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree, Samadhi Statue, Abhayagiri Vihar, and Kuttam Pokuna as well as the Hindu site of Gal Vihara and the reservoir of Parakrama Samudra in Polonnaruwa. Finally, it discusses the sacred Sri Dalada Maligawa temple in Kandy that houses the relic of the Buddha's tooth.

1. Presentation By – Shalina Tharuka Kulathunge

2. Tamil Hindus consider it as the
footprint of Lord Shiva. It is also fabled that the
mountain is the legendary mount Trikuta the
capital of Ravana during the Ramayana times
from where he ruled Lanka.
Muslims and Christians in Sri Lanka
ascribe it to where Adam, the first Ancestor,
set foot as he was exiled from the Garden of
Eden. The legends of Adam are connected to
the idea that Sri Lanka was the original Eden,
and in the Muslim tradition that Adam was
30 ft tall.

3. Sri Pada (also Adam's peak;
Sinhalese Samanalakanda - "butterfly
mountain", Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai ), is a
2,243 meters (7,359 ft) tall conical mountain
located in central Sri Lanka. It is well known
for the Sri Pada "sacred footprint", a 1.8
meters (5 ft 11 in) rock formation near the
summit, in Buddhist tradition it is held to be
the footprint of the Buddha, in Hindu
tradition that of Shiva and in Muslim and
Christian tradition that of Adam.

5. The Ruwanmalisaya is a stupa in Sri
Lanka, considered a marvel for its architectural
qualities and sacred to many Buddhists all
over the world.
It was built by King Dutugemunu c.
140 B.C., who became lord of all Sri Lanka
after a war in which the Chola King Elara, was
defeated. It is also known as Mahathupa,
Swarnamali Chaitya, Suvarnamali Mahaceti (in
Pali) and Rathnamali Dagaba.

6. , Anuradhapura was t he cradl e of gl ori ous Si nhal ese
Buddhi st ci vi l i zat i on. The pri de of pl ace i n
Anuradhapura was t aken by t he anci ent st upas and
anci ent reservoi rs. Toweri ng st upas (dagobas) of
st upendous domes, t he marvel s of anci ent ci vi l
engi neeri ng, were bui l t havi ng t aken i nt o t he
account t he ef f ect s of l i ght eni ng on hi gh ri se
const ruct i ons, among numerous ot her engi neeri ng
f act ors. The vast rai nwat er reservoi rs bui l t by
crossi ng ri vers wi t h enormous dams and cont rol l i ng
t he out l et s wi t h "Bi sokot uwa" (Si nhal a: QThe
anci ent ci t y of Anuradhapura i s surrounded by t hree

7. Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a scared figftree in
Anuradaha pura,Sri lanka. It is said to be the
southern branch from the historical Bodhi
tree Sri Maha Bodhi at Bodho gaya in
India.under which Lord Buddha attained
EnlightmentIt was planted in 288 BC, and is
the oldest living human-planted tree in the
world with a known planting date. Today it is
one of the most sacred relics of the Buddhst
in Sri Lanka and respected by Buddhists all
over the world.
In 249 BC, it was planted by King Devanampiya Tissa on a
high terrace about 6.5 m (21.3 ft) above the ground
in the and surrounded by railings.

8. The Samadhi Statue is a statue situated at
Mahamevnāwa Park in Anuradhapura, Sri
Lanka. The Buddha is depicted in the position of
the Dhyana Mudra, the posture of meditation
associated with his first Enlightenment, also
called Nirvana. Whether the Buddha's
Enlightenment was the experience technically
called Samadhi, or some other phenomenon,
may depend upon the philosophical allegiance
of the believer.
In the Dhyana Mudra the Buddha sits
cross - legged with his upturned palms placed
one over the other on his lap. This position is
universally known throughout the Buddhist
world, and this statue is therefore one of the
most typical pieces of Buddhist sculpture.

9. Abhayagiri vihāra is situated in
Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is one of the
most extensive ruins in the world and one
of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage
cities in the nation. Historically it was a
great monastic centre as well as a royal
capital, with magnificent monasteries
rising to many stories, roofed with gilt
bronze or tiles of burnt clay glazed in
brilliant colors.

10. The term "Abhayagiri Vihara" means not
only a complex of monastic buildings, but
also a fraternity of Buddhist monks,
or Sangha, which maintains its own historical
records, traditions and way of life. Founded
in the 2nd century
BC, it had grown into an international
institution by
the 1st century AD, attracting scholars from
all over
the world and encompassing all shades of
Buddhist
philosophy.

11. The Kuttam Pokuna
The faces of the pools were cut granite slabs which
includes the bottom and the sides of the pool. A wall
was also built around the pool which encloses the
compound. Flights of steps are seen on both ends of the
pool decorated with punkalas, or pots of
abundance and scroll design. Embankments were
constructed to
enable monks to bathe using pots or other utensils.
Water to the
pools were transferred through underground ducts
and
filtered before flowing to the pool and in a similar
fashion
the water was emptied. A garden was landscaped
whicheparates
the two ponds which long is 18½ ft. The larger
pool of the
two is 132 ft by 51 ft, while the smaller pool is 91 ft
by 51 ft.

12. Polonnaruwa is a town and
valuble kindom in sri lankan
History. It's the main town of
Polonnaruwa District in the
North Central Province, Sri
Lanka. Kaduruwela area is the
Polonnaruwa New Town and the
other part of Polonnaruwa,
remains as the royal ancient city
of polonnaru kingdom.
The second most ancient of Sri
Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa
was first declared the capital
city by King Vijayabahu I, who

13. The Gal Vihara , also known as Gal Viharaya, is a rock
temple of the
Buddha situated in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in
north-central
Sri Lanka. It was constructed in the 12th century by
Parakramabahu I.
The central feature of the shrine are four images of the
Buddha, which
have been carved into the face of a large granite rock.
The images consist of a large seated figure, another, smaller
seated figure Inside an artificial cavern, and standing
figure and a reclining figure.
These are considered to be some of the best examples of
ancient Sinhalese
sculpting and carving arts, and have made the Gal Vihara
one of the
most visited monuments in Polonnaruwa

14. Surface area 22,600,000 m2
Average depth 5 m (Mean)
Max. depth 12.7 m
Surface elevation 58.5 m
Parakrama Samudra (or Parakrama's sea or
the Sea of King Parakrama) is a shallow
reservoir, consisting of three separate
reservoirs connected by narrow channels in
Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.
parakkrama samudrya is the main water
resorse in Sri Lanka. it is most useful to Sri
Lankan agricultural and Sri Lankan economy.
every year number of visitors visit this tank for

15. The Polonnaruwa Vatadage is an ancient structure
dating back to the Polonnaruwa period of Sri
Lanka. It is believed to have been built during the
reign of Parakramabahu I to hold the tooth relic
of the Buddha, or during the reign of Nissanka
Malla to hold the alms bowl used by theBuddha.
Both These venerated relics would have given the
structure a great significance and importance athe
“ time. Located within the ancient city of
Polonnaruwa, it is the best preserved example of a
vatadage in the country, and has been described athe
"ultimate development" of this type of architecture.

16. The Polonnaruwa Vatadage is located in a
quadrangular area known as the Dalada
Maluva in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.
The Dalada Maluva contains some of the
oldest
and most sacred monuments of the city.[ The
Polonnaruwa Vatadage, which occupies most
of
the south western area of it, is a prominent
structure among them.
It is the best preserved example of a Vatadage
in the country, and is somewhat similar in
design to those belonging to the Anuradhapura
period, especially Thuparamaya and
Lankaramaya.

17. Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple
of the Sacred
Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in
the city of
Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the
royal
palace complex which houses the relic
of the
tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times,
the relic
has played an important role in local
politics
becauseit is believed that whoever
holds the relic
holds the governance of the country.

18. Sri Lanka Kandy, the Historic and Romantic hill
capital of Sri Lanka Kandy is situated 115 kilometers
inland from Colombo. Sri Lanka Kandy The road to
Kandy is enchanting and exciting revealing the full glory-
of the tropics. Sri Lanka Kandy Everything is in the most
effulgent luxuriance, Sri Lanka Kandy throbbing with
silver and green.
Kingdom of Kandy was an important
independent monarchy of the island of Lanka, located in
the central and easter Sri Lanka Kandy city established
in the 15th century was the last royal Sri Lanka Kandy
capital where 2500 years of royal rule ended. Sri Lanka
Kandy This bustling market town is Sri Lanka Kandy rich
in cultural diversity has plenty of iteneries to offer to the
tourists n portion of the island. It was founded in late 15th
century and endured until the early 19th century.

21. In AD477, prince Kashyapa seized the throne
from King Dhatusena, following a coup
assisted by Migara, the king’s nephew and
army commander. Kashyapa, the king’s son
by a non-royal consort, usurped the throne
from the rightful heir, Moggallana, who fled to
South India.
Fearing an attack from Moggallana, Kashyapa
moved the capital and his residence from the
traditional capital of Anuradhapura to the
more secure Sigiriya. During King Kashyapa’s
reign (477 to 495), Sigiriya was developed
into a complex city and fortress] Most of the
elaborate constructions on the rock summit
and around it, including defensive structures,
"

22. Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park
and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of
international significance and has been
designated a Biosphere Reserve and World
Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri Lanka
lowland rain forests ecoregion, was saved from
the worst of commercial logging by its
inaccessibility, and was designated a World
Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World
Heritage Site in 1988. The reserve's name
translates as Kingdom of the Lion.

23. The reserve is only 21 km (13 mi) from east to
west, and a maximum
of 7 km (4.3 mi) from north to south, but it is
a treasure trove of endemic species, including
trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles,
birds and mammals.
Because of the dense vegetation, wildlife is
not as easily seen
as at dry-zone national parks such as Yala.
There are about
3 elephants and the 15 or so leopards are
rarely seen. The
most common larger mammal is the endemic
Purple-faced
Langur.

24. Thank you,
………………Shali
na