Badulla City
Badulla: Scenic town in Sri Lanka's hill country, surrounded by lush tea plantations and offering picturesque landscapes, waterfalls, and cultural sites.
Estupa de Mahiyangana Vihara
Según el Mahávamsa, Sivuhelaya (Sri Lanka) fue habitada por los Sivu-Helayos. Los Yakkhas (clan) vivían en Mahiyangana en ese momento. Se dice que el Buda tuvo una discusión sobre el Dhamma con ellos. Un líder Yakkha llamado Saman (que ahora se considera una deidad) alcanzó el Sotapanna (la primera etapa de liberación) después de escuchar el discurso del Buda y le pidió un objeto que pudieran adorar en su ausencia. El Buda le dio un puñado de reliquias de su cabeza, que luego fueron colocadas por Saman en una pequeña estupa de 10 pies (3,0 m) de altura. Esta fue la primera estupa construida en Sri Lanka durante la vida del Buda. Después del parinirvana del Buda, un Arhant llamado Sarabhu trajo el hueso del hombro izquierdo del Buda, que había sido recuperado de la pira funeraria. Esta reliquia también fue guardada y la estupa se amplió a una altura de 18 pies (5,5 m). Desde entonces, varios reyes renovaron y ampliaron esta estupa. El rey Dutugamunu la elevó a una altura de 120 pies. Gobernantes como Voharikatissa, Sena II, Vijayabahu I y Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe han mantenido el templo. En 1942, se formó una sociedad para la renovación del templo bajo el Rt Hon. D. S. Senanayake, el primer Primer Ministro de Sri Lanka. Los trabajos de reconstrucción comenzaron en 1953 y terminaron en 1980 con la finalización de un nuevo pináculo para la estupa.
Special places in Badulla
-
Muthiyangana Raja Maha ViharaMuthiyanganaya Raja Maha Viharaya lies in the centre of the city of Badulla. The History of this temple goes back to the time of Buddha but this area around Badulla goes way back in to the time of 19th -18th century BCE.
-
Dowa Raja Maha ViharayaDowa Raja Maha Viharaya (Dowa Cape Temple) lies few kilometres away from the Bandarawela town on the Bandarawela – Badulla Road. This temple is thought to be done by King Walagamba in the in first century BC.
-
Bogoda Wooden BridgeThe Bogoda Wooden Bridge was built in the 16th century during the Dambadeniya era. This is said to be the oldest surviving wooden bridge in Sri Lanka. The bridge is situated at 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of Badulla.
-
Dunhinda FallsDunhinda Falls is situated about 5 km away from Badulla town. It is 63 meters high and is considered to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Sri Lanka. The falls gets its name dew to the smoky dew drops spray.
Badulla District
Badulla is the capital of Uva Province in Sri Lanka. Badulla is located on the southeast of Kandy, almost encircled by the Badulu Oya , about 680 meters (2200 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by tea plantations. The town is overshadowed by the Namunukula range of mountains. Badulla is about 230km away from Colombo towards the eastern slopes of central hills of Sri Lanka.
Badulla and surroundings are highly recommended for eco-tourists as Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles mountains are few hours away.
Uva Province
The Uva Province is Sri Lanka's second least populated province, with 1,187,335 people, created in 1896. It consists of two districts called Badulla and Moneragala The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is bordered by Eastern, Southern and Central provinces. Its major tourist attractions are Dunhinda Falls, Diyaluma Falls, Rawana Falls, the Yala National Park (lying partly in the Southern and Eastern Provinces) and Gal Oya National Park (lying partly in the Eastern Province). The Gal Oya hills and the Central Mountains are the main uplands, while the Mahaweli and Menik rivers and the huge Senanayake Samudraya and Maduru Oya Reservoirs are the major waterways in Uva province.