It's
funny to think that my last update, in which I raved about the miracles
of Sri Lanka, came after just three days here and having only seen the
seaside town of Negombo.
So much has happened since then to re-inforce those feelings and my
excitement about this country that I hardly know where to start. So I
guess I just have to pick up where I left off.I left Negombo on a train bound for North-Central Sri Lanka,
the original heart of Sri Lankan civilization. I quickly found that
traveling alone, be it on the bus or train, would put me face to face
with the country's greatest beauty- its people. For on that train ride,
I met the most amazing people and shared in such unforgettable moments.
First, there was the father and son returning home from Colombo, eager
to have one last night together as a family before the son heads to
Bermuda for 6 months working, who shared their excitement and
nervousness with my by asking curious questions and sharing their
advice for my travels. Then there was the group of 16-18 year old
girls, returning home from school in white dresses and plaid ties, who
surrounded me, laughing and kidding each other as they nervously asked
questions and practiced their English. Next was the local hospital's
Nurse Officer who, though twice my age, appeared as giddy as the
schoolchildren as he questioned me about America
and thanked me repeatedly for indulging his curiosities. And finally
the 26-year-old schoolteacher who presented me with a 'small gift' of 2
pens after several hours talking and thanked me with the most sincere
expression, saying "I will never forget you" as my train pulled away
from his stop. During that 6-hour ride, we had passed through a
stunning landscape of palm-covered countryside, lily-pad ponds, and
past ornate Buddhist temples set atop picturesque hilltops; and I had
discovered that the beauty of Sri Lanka would not only be found it its
natural splendors, but in the wonderful pride and generosity of its
people.I woke in Anaradhapura as the first rays of the sun
touched the town, eager to explore an area from which Sinhalese kings
has ruled the country for over 1000 years. Of the Sri Lankan capitals,
Anaradhapura was the oldest, most extensive, and also the most
important. It became capital in 380 BC, but it was between 247-207 BC
under Devanampiya Tissa that it rose to great importance becoming a
glamorous and glittering city, only to fall from a South Indian
invasion- a fate that was to befall the city repeatedly for more than
1000 years. Under the reign of Dutugemunu (161-137 BC) a vast building
program was set in motion that included some of the most impressive
monuments in Anaradhapura today.The ancient city of Anaradhapura
is rather spread out so I rented a bike and pedaled past people on
their way to work and school. Crossing the bridgeinto the ancient city
I got my first taste of the splendors that awaited me, glimpsing two
massive domes rising high above the treeline, my first two stops of the
day. Jetavanarama Dagoba is a massive brick dome which originally stood
over 100m high. At the time of building, it was the third tallest
monument in the world, behind the Pyramids. An early British guidebook
calculated there were enough bricks to build a 3m high wall from London to Edinburgh
which was easy to believe when viewing the massive dome with its large
square platform on top and fractured cylindrical spire at its highest
point. I biked through the ruins of Jetavanarama Monastery which housed
over 3000 monks and then climbed to the stone-paved terrace, my head
falling back to take in the entire view. With only the company of
barking dogs, I looked up at the 73m high stupa (a Buddhist monument
composed of a solid hemisphere containing relics of the Buddah, usually
dome-shaped with a spire on top) and tried to comprehend the
construction of such a magnificent structure which began sometime
between 272-303 AD.Through an area of sparse woodlands, I biked
to Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba and entered down a walkway past six tall stone
pillars and countless monkeys to an entranceway guarded by a wall
(frieze) of hundreds of stone elephants standing shoulder to shoulder,
their head, trunks and tusks protruding from the wall all the way
around. Said to be King Dutugemunu's finest construction, Ruvanvelisaya
incurred much damage from Indian invaders which lowered its height to
55m, considerably less than original, and effected the form of its
earlier 'bubble' shape. Similar to Jetavana with an outer wall (though
the frieze of elephants was a stunning feature), four entranceways and
a large pavilion built around a giant stupa, Ruvanvelisaya is entirely
white with altars on each side containing ornate Buddha statues. The
land around the dagoba is a pleasant, green park dotted with patches of
ruins, remains of ponds and pools, and collections of columns and
pillars, all picturesquely leaning in different directions.From
there I followed a stone walkway flanked by many vacant vendor booths
(as it was still very early) to Thuparama Dagoba. Built originally in a
'heap of rice' shape by Devanampiya Tissa in the 3rd Century BC,
Thuparama is the oldest dagoba in Sri Lanka
and probably the oldest visible stupa in the world. The most unique
feature are the slender, capital-topped pillars of its vatadage, a
circular relic house with small central dagoba at its center flanked by
Buddah images and encircles by columns. Impressions on the dagoba
pediments indicate the pillars originally numbered 176, of which 41
still stand.A beautiful woodlands path carried me to Lankarama Temple,
built in similar style to Thuparama, bell-shaped with a spire, though
time had worn away the exterior white paint and left it with streaks
and spots of grey and black. There
I met a sweet and gentle man, a former policeman of 77 years who now
dedicates his life to the study of Buddhism. He had a welcoming smile
and friendly personality, talking to meet about the need for meditation
in life. "Worry will just make more worries," he told me. "But
meditation will set you free."Next was the massive Abhayagiri
Dagoba which is undergoing a major re-construction project, surrounded
by an equally impressive structure of bamboo scaffolding and ladders
that made it look like the pin-covered face of HellRaiser. It was built
in the 1st or 2nd Century BC and was the centerpiece of a monastery
that housed 5000 monks. The dagoba was re-built several times to reach
its peak height of 75m and the number of red bricks surrounding the
massive stupa was testament to its impressive size.As the heat
of the morning fell upon dusty dirt roads, I ventured into a vast
woodlands area containing many ruins and ancient sites in the cool
shade of the many trees that formed a canopy over the area. This area,
comprised mostly of rubbish dumps and occupied by the lowest castes,
was on the fringes of the ancient city was settled in the 8th Century
BC by a new order of tapovana monks. The monasteries and residential
complexes were simple but grand structures of which little remains but
moss-covered stone walls, free-standing pillars, a few small stupas,
stone walkways, entranceways, and steps, empty baths and former
pavilions. One of two Samadhi Buddah statues is located here, along
with a monks' refectory and a long trough that followers filled with
cooked rice for the monks. A highlight of the area was the Elephant
Pond, a huge man-made pond with stones stacked so as to create sides
and steps down into the water. This was the primary water source for
monks at the Abhayagiri monasteries, and the danasala (alms hall) was
where food preparation took place for the 4000 monks. I meandered
around the peaceful woodlands setting listening to the chirping of
birds, sqwaking of monkeys and observing an iguana so large I jumped
onto a stone wall in fear.Leaving Abhayagiri Dagoba, I met
Kumar, one of many memorable people that day. Coming from his village
on the jungle's edge, he stopped his motorcycle to talk for a while.
"Where is your fiance?" he asked first. We talked for quite some time
and he wanted badly for me to visit his home, yet I still had more
exploring to do. After saying goodbye, he came up behind me on his
cycle again and asked me to take a photo of him. "I am so happy to have
met you" he spoke while pulling away, a hint of sadness in his voice as
he departed.I followed the road to Kuttam Pokuma, or the Twin
Ponds, the finest bathing tanks in Anaradhapura. Likely used by monks
from the Abhayagiri Monastery, the swimming pool-like ponds were now
overrun with monkeys. Water entered the 40m long northern pond through
the mouth of a makara (mythical multi-species beast) and then flowed
into the smaller 28m pond through an underground pipe, one of many
feats of ancient engineering on display at Anaradhapura. Close to the
makara is a five-headed cobra figure, along with a water filter system
at the Northwest end of the pools.On my way to the Sacred Bodhi
tree, I pedaled next to a nice man of 55 years who spoke English and
German and worked as a guide. He liked to study U.S. history, he told me, and his favorite figure was George Washington. Together we talked for quite some time, mostly at the Archaeological Museum
where he translated for the sweet lady behind the ticket counter. We
discussed many issues, the woman asking many questions about customs,
dress and distances in America. He emphasized "no sex before marriage" in Sri Lanka and you could see the concern on both of their faces as we talked about divorce in America
and they asked what happens to the children. Such subjects are
difficult to explain in a country that places such high value on the
family unit and often make me appreciate the wonderful family that I
have been blessed with.My final stop of the day in Anaradhapura
was the Sacred Bodhi Tree. A long walk down a sealed path brought me to
one of the most sacred spots in Sri Lanka.
This huge tree, set on a large platform and protected by a railing
festooned with prayer flags, is said to have grown from a cutting of
the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment, and has a
connection to the very basis of Sinhalese religion and serves as a
reminder of the force that inspired creation of all buildings at
Anaradhapura. This tree is the oldest historically authenticated tree
in the world and has been tended to by an uninterrupted succession of
guardians for over 2000 years. I removed my shoes, bought an offering
of flowers, and joined the many worshippers who surrounded the tree- a
perfect ending to a day of exploration, both pyshically and
spiritually, in Anaradhapura.After an afternoon nap, I hopped
in a rickshaw and made the journey to Mihintale, a mountain of enormous
significance to the Sinhalese because it is where Buddhism originated
in Sri Lanka.
I climbed the 1840 stone steps to watch the sunset from Mahaseya Dagoba
where I had an obstructed view of the countryside and the towering
stupas at Anaradhapura. It was a beautiful sight, the surrounding
mountains and countryside bathed in dim light, so I continued up a a
flight of steep steps cut into stone for a view from the monks's
refectory. Then as the last bit of light faded I climbed another
staircase to the large white meditating Buddah that dominates the hill,
pausing to ring the bell and make my wish. As I descended the steps, I
smiled to myself and wondered, "What else could I possibly wish for in
this life?"