TISSAMAHARAMA (YALA)
Tissamaharama is a town in the Southern Province of Hambantota District, Sri Lanka. Today, the city serves primarily as a starting point for visits to Yala National Park and Kataragama. It used as early as the 3rd century B.C to be the capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom of Ruhuna. Only few structures can still be seen today from that era.
ATTRACTIONS IN TISSAMAHARAMA
YALA NATIONAL PARK
Yala National Park, bordering the Indian Ocean, is Sri Lanka’s most visited and second biggest national park. The park is made up of five blocks, two of which are now accessible to the public and adjacent parks. The blocks have individual names for the adjacent region such as Ruhuna National Park (Block 1), and Kumana National Park or’ Yala East.’ It is located in the country’s southeastern area and is located in the southern province and province of Uva.
BUNDALA NATIONAL PARK
Bundala National Park is a wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka that is of international importance. Bundala harbors 197 bird species, the highlight being the larger flamingo that migrates in big flocks. In 1969, Bundala was designated a wildlife sanctuary and on 4 January 1993 was reassigned to a national park.
TISSA LAKE
The lake, an artificial reservoir, is believed to have been built by either Mahanaga of Ruhuna or his successor Yatala Tissa of Ruhuna in the 3rd century BC to irrigate paddy lands and supply water to Tissamaharama’s thriving town. In 1871, the lake was restored. The southern coast embankment (or bund) promotes the Tissa-Kataragama highway (B464), which is lined by ancient Indian rain trees planted by the British to provide shade.
TISSAMAHARAMA TEMPLE
The Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara in Tissamaharama, Southern Province of Sri Lanka, is an ancient Buddhist temple. After Arhant Mahinda Thera’s arrival in the country, it was one of the four main Buddhist monasteries developed in Sri Lanka. The site of the Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara was consecrated by Lord Buddha himself, who spent some time there meditating with 500 arhats during his third trip to the island.
KATARAGAMA TEMPLE
Kataragama is a sacred pilgrimage city for the Sri Lankan people of the Buddhist, Hindu and indigenous Vedda People. There are also people from South India going to worship there. The town has the Kataragama temple, also known as Kataragama deviyo, a shrine devoted to Skanda Kumara. Kataragama is situated in the province of Uva, Sri Lanka’s Monaragala District.
SELLA KATARAGAMA TEMPLE
Sella Kataragama is a tiny city on the banks of Menik Ganga about 4 kilometers north-west of Kataragama, weaved in the legends of the Kataragama deity (Skanda Kumaraya) just as much as Kataragama itself.
Skanda is also known as Murugan, Arumugam, Kandasami (Skanda Swami), Subrahmanya, and so on, according to Hindu beliefs. Many legends describe the birth of this deity and according to Hindu legends, after a fight with his wife Thevani, God Skanda went to Sri Lanka and landed in the southern portion of the island.