Sri Lanka: Polonnaruwa

The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated Chola invaders in 1070 to reunite the country once more under a local leader. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site.

On this postcard you can see The Gal Vihara, rock temple of the Buddha situated in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. It was fashioned in the 12th century by Parakramabahu I. The central feature of the temple is four rock relief statues 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, a 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 the most visited monument at Polonnaruwa.

Stamps on postcard:
The 50th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, issued on 05.01.2017.
Lankathilaka Temple (from set United Nations Day of Vesak), issued on 12.05.2017.


Thank you Wolfgang!

Sri Lanka: Bogawantalawa - The Golden Valley of Tea

Bogawantalawa is a small town in the Central province of Sri Lanka. It is situated at 1514 m elevation above sea level and about 150 km east of Colombo, famous for its Tea estates. Bogawantalawa producing the finest Ceylon Tea since 1869.

Stamps on postcard:
Personalized Definitive Stamp - Punkalasa, issued on 13.09.2017.
The 100th Anniversary of the World & Sri Lanka Cub Scouts, issued on 13.05.2016.


Thank you Wolfgang and Ravindra!

Sri Lanka: Kandy, Dalada Perahera

My first postcard from Sri Lanka, and it's awesome!

Kandy Dalada Perahera –The Festival of Lord Buddha’s Tooth Relic. This historical procession is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, which is housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. A unique symbol of Sri Lanka, the procession consists of many traditional local dances such as fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandyan dances and various other cultural dances, in addition to the elephants who are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional diya-kepeema ritual, a water cutting ceremony which is held at the Mahaweli River at Getambe, Kandy.

Stamps:

World Post Day, released on 2014-10-09
World Children's Day , released on 2014-10-01
Vesak Festival 2014, released on 2014-05-12

Thank You very much Kusumanjalee!