Kataragama is a pilgrimage town sacred to buddhist, hindu and indigenous vedda people of sri lanka. There are many books in the market but ncert books stand alone in the market. What made my stay memorable was the generous owner, who was able through his connections to arrange for me to sit at the very front of the festival parade and as a woman traveling alone be a guest of the friendly red cross volunteers who took me. Many go to kataragama kovil to make offerings to lord kataragama. Kataragama impression of dr john davy 1819 kataragama. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Others say that it is even older than that, since the buddhist kirivehera dagoba dates back to the 1st century. The story of kataragama is perhaps worth repeating as i had not seen it detailed in any of the diaries i have read. The coastal line sometimes referred to as the coast line or the southern line is a major railway line in sri lanka, running between colombo fort and beliatta, via galle and matara. Pdf sapphires from thammannawa, kataragama area, sri lanka.
People from south india also come there to worship. Clean, comfortable budget hotel with friendly staff. The area is an extremely holy ground where people dont consume meat and refrain from sin. With free private parking, the property is a 14minute walk from kataragama temple and 22 miles from lunugamvehera national park. Though the khidr mosque at kataragama is not linked to skandas legend in any way, it would be safe to say that this complex still brings together followers of three of the main faiths on the island. These ecstatic priests and priestesses invariably display long locks of matted hair, and they express their devotion to the gods through fire walking, tongue. This kovil is dedicated to lord kataragama whos said to be still alive inside yala block 3 park, in the kebaliththa devalaya. At a summit elevation of 424 m 1,391 ft, it is the 25th tallest mountain in sri lanka. View all attractions near lord kataragama temple on tripadvisor. Kataragama is a holy shrine and a popular pilgrim center for buddhists and hindus. But when they search for the person later, he is never to be found. The 10 best guesthouses in kataragama, sri lanka check out our selection of great guest houses in kataragama. Some of the most popular hotels with a pool in kataragama include grand tamarind lake, lavendish okrin hotel, and mandara rosen.
Available formats pdf please select a format to send. Application click here to download pdf 76 kb instructions for guests to book accommodation in kataragama holiday bungalow. Kataragama stirs into life during the puja times, the poojas are held at 5am, 10. A popular deity who is considered to be very powerful, shrines dedicated to kataragama deviyo are found in many places of the country. Located in kataragama and with kataragama temple reachable within a 15minute walk, livinya holiday resort has an outdoor. Kataragama travel the south, sri lanka lonely planet. The bathrooms had hot water 247 and was clean and spacious as well. Kataragama devale and the story of sri lankas warrior god. The rise of bhakti religiosity in buddhist sri lanka volume 37 issue 3 gananath obeyesekere. There are number of theories as to the origin of the shrine. Loan application click here to download pdf 455 kb application for reservation of accommodation at kataragama holiday bungalow. He appears in various human forms and gives them advice.
According to heinz bechert and paul younger, the mode of veneration and rituals connected with kataragama deviyo is a survival of indigenous vedda mode of veneration that preceded the arrival of buddhist and indoaryan cultural influences from north india in sri lanka in the last centuries bce, although. It was the seat of government of many sinhalese kings during the days of rohana kingdom. Murugan in the form of kataragama is supposed to answer the prayer of sincere devotees in many mystifying ways. Sinhalese buddhist politicians who dominated the countrys legislative, aggressively maneuvered to transform it to a prominent place of buddhist worship. Collective ritual as a way of transcending ethnoreligious divide 49 sri lanka journal of social sciences 40 1 june 2017 were concerned about the safety of the other samis even. There is an old pilgrimage route to kataragama that starts from jaffna and runs down along the east coast, passing through yala. E 400m tall mighty wedihiti kanda was a dream that came true for me and climbing it at 12pm was ever so challenging but the stunning scenery and the climb resembling adams peak was worth the trouble. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license.
Book your tickets online for the top things to do in kataragama, sri lanka on tripadvisor. Matara to kataragama 5 ways to travel via train, bus, taxi. Pdf collective ritual as a way of transcending ethno. I am a photographer and came to attend the kataragama festival. Like adams peak, it attracts sinhalese buddhists as well as hindu tamils. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Kataragama peak is a mountain near kataragama, in the monaragala district of sri lanka. Ncert books download ncert books and solutions pdf. Rich in history, kataragama temple stands on ground that has been considered hallowed for around 2,500 yearssaid to have been consecrated by gautama buddha himself. This page was last edited on 21 december 2018, at 08. Along with adams peak sri pada, kataragama is the most important pilgrimage site in sri lanka.
Kataragama has a network of hotels, guest houses as well as free pilgrim rests. Pdf 10 mb download the following forms to apply for a loan. The holy of holies of sri lanka 1935 1940 esala festival in kataragama. The best time to visit is early morning i think the pooja is at 4.
Fans stacked down with offerings move delicately, shoeless, up the asylum steps. She is one of the trustees of the sivananda tapovanam in trincomalee and also she takes keen interest in the kataragama theivanai amman devastanam. And therein lies the uniqueness of skanda, and of kataragama as a place itself. The cult of skanda kumara in the religious history of south india and ceylon, paper presented at third international conference seminar on tamil. Guest house, cottage, bungalow in kataragama the summer. The kataragama temple complex dedicated to skandakumara is one of the few religious sites in sri lanka that is. What are the best hotels with a pool in kataragama. The ancient kiri vehera buddhist stupa, which is believed to be built by the regional king mahasena in the 6th century bc is also a major attraction in kataragama area. The line has been extended to beliatta on 8 april 2019 and is proposed to be extended to kataragama, via.
Nestled in the edge of the yala national park and a few minutes drive from kataragama temple. Kataragama sri lanka buddhisthindufestivalhotelimage. Research concerning murugan or skanda kumara, the deity of kataragama and his cult in sinhala, sanskrit and tamil sources including images of. The site ranks among the few revered by a multitude of religions, including buddhists, hindus, moors, and veddas. According to heinz bechert and paul younger, the mode of veneration and rituals connected with kataragama deviyo is a survival of indigenous vedda mode of veneration that preceded the arrival of buddhist and indoaryan cultural influences from north india in sri lanka in the last centuries bce. The february 2012 discovery of highquality blue sapphires at thammannawa near kataragama in southeastern sri lanka has intensified gem mining and exploration in the surrounding area and all over. The great pilgrimage center of southeastern sri lanka, kataragama, has become in recent years the spiritual home of a new class of hindubuddhist religious devotees. Kataragama can certainly be traced back to the 3rd century bc, when it was the capital of the warrior class of the kshatriyas. Legend has it that king dutugemunu built it in honour of god kataragama in the 2nd century bc.
Sinhalese buddhists believe him also as a divine patron of the buddha sasana in sri lanka. Book your tickets online for kataragama temple, kataragama. Skandakumaras place of worship is held dear by many sri lankans who consider the kataragama complex and its temples holy and make annual pilgrimages there. Kataragama temple simple english wikipedia, the free.
Lakdasun trip reports archive kataragama 20 summarized. The town has the ruhunu maha kataragama devalaya, a shrine dedicated to skandamurukan also known as kataragamadevio. The evening pooja is the main event of the day pilgrims visit the temple with offerings, others smash a coconut wishing ill will on their enemies, while a priest chants prayers within the shrine. The role of kataragama in sri lankas polyethnic social system is examined by comparing the role of the kataragama pilgrimage in the religious lives of. Ideal guest house and cottage for visitors to kataragama and yala. View all hotels near sella kataragama temple on tripadvisor. Operated by sri lanka railways, the line includes some of the busiest rail services in the country. The holiday home has 3 bedrooms, a flatscreen tv, an equipped kitchen, a washing machine and 1 bathroom with a bidet. The february 2012 discovery of highquality blue sapphires at thammannawa near kataragama in southeastern sri lanka has intensified gem mining and exploration in. Kataragama mumbles with development at the period of pujas offerings or supplications. Its temples, festival, and pilgrimages 1873 kataragama festivals colonial ticket system 1911 the story of kataragama 1922 the worship of muruka or skanda, the kataragama god 1924 the kataragama god shrines and legends 1931 kataragama. Tamil hindus of sri lanka and south india refer to the place as katirkamam and it has a famous hindu shrine dedicated to lord katirkaman. But perhaps the most unique feature of kataragama, and what makes it really stand out is its relative unassumingness. Becherts insightful argument the cult of skanda kumara in the religious history of south india and ceylon, paper presented at third international conference seminar on tamil studies, paris, 1970, it may well be that the cult at kataragama represents a phase of the skanda cult prior to its hinduization.
Its not long after following six during the evening, not long now to the night puja. Look at kataragama, uva, sri lanka from different perspectives. The history of kataragama goes back to pre christian era and both buddhist and hindu literature have identified this place in various ways. In fact kataragama is one of the 16 principal places of buddhist pilgrimage. Kataragama museum kataragama, sri lanka attractions.
In july and august the kataragama festival brings in many pilgrims and its very hard to find a place to sleep. Explore kataragama holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. Historically, kataragama has always maintained a low profile. There are 5 ways to get from matara to kataragama by bus, train, taxi, car or plane. The 10 best hotels near kataragama temple in kataragama, sri. From inside comes the sharp strong of breaking coconuts as admirers begin their commitments. We took 2 rooms in dilan rest a week ago to visit the kataragama religious sites. The story of kataragama from the 1922 diary of the government agent, uva province, mr. As told to methough there are probably different versions, it is as follows. Does kataragama help to quell mistrust and to create a bond of common identity between hindus and buddhists. At dusk you can see the lights from the shrine on the mountain from the precincts of the kataragama shrine. According to chronicles some of the people who accompanied vijaya from india in 543 bc established a village called kajaragama which is thought to be current kataragama.
The kataragama temple complex dedicated to skandakumara is one of the few religious sites in sri lanka that is venerated by the majority sinhala. The history of kataragama abounds with innumerable episodes of this nature. This most holy of towns is a compelling mix of pomp and procession, piety and religious extravagance. The 10 best hotel deals in kataragama updated apr 2020. The role of kataragama in sri lankas polyethnic social system is examined by comparing the role of the kataragama pilgrimage in the religious lives of hindu and buddhist villagers. Kataragama is a pilgrimage town sacred to buddhist, hindu, muslim and indigenous vedda people of sri lanka. The move on kataragama began shortly after sri lankas independence in 1948, even before mr. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. The sand and the air are cool and there is much less crowd. The bo tree behind the kataragama temple is one of the eight saplings of the sri maha bodhiya in anuradapura. While this may strike some as a rationalization fir the nearabsence of kataragama from history books, it should also be borne in mind that, in principle, the hero or godking of kataragama is one who achieves his aim through subterfuge, disguise, and stratagem. Kataragama temple, 2500 years of history astro awani. I have great pleasure in introducing this book on kataragama or katirkaman god by mrs. The town has a venerable history dating back to the last centuries bce.
We recommend booking kataragama temple tours ahead of time to secure your spot. This archaeological museum inside the complex has a collection of hindu and buddhist religious items, as well as huge fibreglass replicas of statues from around sri lanka. Find and book deals on the best guest houses in kataragama, sri lanka. The 10 best things to do in kataragama updated 2020 must. This page was last edited on 25 february 2019, at 16.