Our first exposure to Buddhism was during our time in China - a quick side trip in Shanghai found us in the Jade Buddha temple.

In Sri Lanka, there are several famed temples that we had the opportunity to visit and with a guide this time, learn a bit more about Buddhism.


The first stop was the Dalada Maligawa. This is probably the most famous in Sri Lanka due to it's precious relics, some of Buddha's teeth. When Buddha was cremated, 4 of his teeth were taken from his ashes. Legend says these teeth were sent separately to different temples, and one of them found their way over time around 1600 AD to what is more commonly known as the Temple of the Tooth. The tooth theme carries throughout the temple, with large tusks adorning various rooms within. There is also a special shrine just for the case that hold the teeth (you can't actually see the teeth themselves), although this shrine is only opened up at specific times throughout the day, and only removed from the temple once a year. We went during one of the shrine opening times: Pro - you can see the shrine, con - you're joining the rest of the throngs to see the shrine.

 After you queue and are ushered by the shrine, there are a few other rooms to wander around within the temple. One includes Buddha statues from all over the world, another closes shortly after the shrine with golden Buddhas, and the stone wall surrounding the building itself. At night, with the incense lit up in offering, lotus leafs and candles, it's magical (albeit crowded).

 The next day, we had a different experience at the Dambulla Cave Temple. These caves have been in use for more than 22 consecutive centuries, eventually developing into their current form around the 12th century.

Upon approaching the site of the caves, you see a giant gold Buddha on top of a building. Ignore this and proceed - while it's certainly a site, it's not what you're looking for. Follow the stairs up to the true attraction. It's a nice, somewhat steep walk, with monkeys darting across your path, hoping to steal your lotuses for an afternoon snack. Finally, you find yourselves at the entrance where you deposit your shoes before entering the grounds.

As you walk in barefoot, the heat of the sun made the concrete almost uncomfortable to walk on, but then, you find yourselves in the cool respite of the caves. The caves hold 157 different Buddha statues in 5 different caves, but the biggest draw are the paintings which fill all the temples. The caves aren't the ideal places for paintings with lots of moisture and natural elements, despite being sheltered by buildings that have been built around them, but they take care to re-paint them and keep up the tradition.

While we were in Sri Lanka for a short time and only got to catch the biggest highlights of the country, there are temples and ancient ruins to be found all over the country. Next time, there will be even more to explore!

Nearly every country has their touristic icon - Big Ben & Parliament for UK, Aya Sofia for Turkey, Eiffel Tower for France.

For Sri Lanka, the icon is Sigiriya Rock. While I wasn't sure what all we would do while we were there, I knew that this place had to be on the list.

Besides it's unique look - a rock jutting out above the trees surrounded by a beautiful green plain - it has a unique history. Both of these probably contributed to it's addition to the UNESCO World Heritage list.  It's history is actually both short and long at the same time. Long, as it dates back to 477 AD when it was established as a palace for Kassapa I; short, as it's time as a palace spanned only 18 years before Kassapa was killed by his brother who wanted to take over the throne.

Called Lion Mountain, this was one of two of Kassapa's palaces - one at the top of the rock, and one at the bottom for winter & summer palaces. The palace was supposed to be impenetrable and protect Kassapa from his brother and other enemies, although that didn't quite seem to work.

We set out one day to climb to the top of the fortress for beautiful views of the surrounding landscape, as well as see the iconic terraced lawns on top. Even though it was the winter, it was warm so it is smart to get an early start to avoid the hottest time of the day, and the crowds.

 The first main attraction on the way up are the caves which hold the rock paintings of The Maidens of the Clouds. These paintings are now covered to protect the paint from fading although there has already been some damage, but you can still clearly see the reason for the name. You climb narrow, twisting staircases (originally from the London underground and obviously not part of the original landscape) to reach these paintings and the terrace built into the side of the rock.

 Next, the climb continues to the Lion's entrance. The rock has three entrances - the elephant, the cobra and the lion. The elephant and cobra are natural rocks named after their closest animal resemblances, but the lion entrance was man-made. It used to be entered through a lion's mouth, but now all that remains are the lions feet flocking either side of the entrance.

Above the Lion's Feet

From here, it's a short climb until you reach the top. This is where the king dwelled; his throne carved out of rock overlooking the pools and terraces.  It may seem like a rudimentary 5th century rock palace, yet when you look closer, you see lots of little things that show how sophisticated this palace was for its time. Waterways to both transport water and help cool the rock during the hot of summer, fountains that use the pressure of the water flowing down the rock to create a spray. While it's mainly ruins after over 1,500 years, you can still see traces of what used to be and of course, the view is still fantastic.

Take a moment, catch your breath, then reverse (or perhaps follow your guides directions and take a jumping photo up top).

Overall, it's my favourite thing we did in Sri Lanka, but it isn't for everyone. It's a tough climb, and while you don't have to be in shape, there aren't lots of places to stop and rest. It's usually one stairway up, and same back down so be prepared to keep on moving!