Buddhist Temple Tour 15 Days – 14 Nights

DAY 01
Meet & assist on arrival. Transfer to hotel in Colombo for Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 02
After breakfast leave for Kelaniya, visit Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, one of the three places, Lord Buddha visited. in the 3rd century bc, a king built a city around the existing dagoba. Murals Adorn the inner walls of the temple, where a large recumbent image of the Buddha lies. Evening visit to Gangarama Temple. Dinner & overnight in Colombo.

DAY 03
After early breakfast leave for Yapahuwa, en-route visit Ridigama Vihare, a temple worthwhile for its art treasures, including an ivory paneled door frame & Padeniya Temple, which is special due to its 28 carved wooden pillars & doorway. It also has a library housed in an ancient clay building. Yapahuwa fortress is a massive 100m rock & was the seat of king Bhuvanekabahu 1 (1272 – 84). Its main feature is the stone ornamental stairway with carvings. The temple of the tooth, a cave temple is finely preserved. proceed to Anuradhapura, Dinner & overnight in hotel.

DAY 04
After breakfast full day city tour of Anuradhapura, visit the oldest documented tree in the world (bo tree), the brazen palace, once a nine storied monastery with a bronze roof, the Thuparama, Jetawanarama, Abeygiriya, Samadi buddha statue, Isurumuni rock temple,Ruwanveliseya etc.. later visit Mihintale, known as the cradle of Buddhism, in year 247bc, Buddhism was introduced here by Arahatmahinda to King Devanampiyatissa. a granite staircase of 1840 leads to the summit of the rock, among the ruins are – Ambastaladagaba, in which the relics of Mahinda are enshrined, two inscribed stone tablets carry engravings of rules in respect of the administration of the monastery. Mahaseyadagaba enshrines a hair relic of Lord Buddha. evening return to the hotel for dinner & overnight stay.

DAY 05
After breakfast leave for Dambulla, en-route visit Aukana Buddha statue, hewn out of the living rock, 12m tall & considered the best piece of sculpture in Asia & 1500 years old. proceed to Dambulla rock temple, originally built by King Valagambahu in the 1st-century bc, houses the biggest collection of Buddha statues in one place. some of the statues are rock-cut, a 14m recumbent Buddha is housed in one cave. some of the Buddhist frescoes are over 2000 yrs. old. proceed to Sigiriya, dinner & overnight at hotel.

DAY 06
after breakfast leave for Polonnaruwa, the medieval capital in the 11th-century Ad. the city tour includes a visit to Medirigiriyawatadage built on a rock in the 7thcen.ad. visit gal vihara complex, the finest rock-cut Buddha statues are found here. also visit Lankatileke temple, Thivanka image house, Watadage complex &kirivehera. back at the hotel for dinner & overnight stay.

DAY 07
after breakfast, leave for Kandy, en-route visit Aluvihare rock monastery is one of the most important cultural sites on the island. for it was here in the 1stcen.bc, that the Buddhist doctrines comprising the Tripitakaya along with the commentaries were first transcribed by 500 scholarly monks & the doctrines were written in Pali language on ola leaves. proceed to Kandy.check in at hotel for dinner & overnight stay.

DAY 08
after breakfast, visit bodimaluvihare, 100 years old, with 24 benedictions drawn on the walls. after breakfast, visit bodimaluvihare, 100 years old, with 24 benedictions drawn on the walls.degaldoruwa, a cave temple with interesting paintings and Buddha statues, & also of interest are embekke, gadaladeniya & lankatilekevihare. evening with an escort explore the temple of the tooth, the most venerated place for the Buddhists all over the world. evening dinner & overnight stay at hotel.

DAY 09
after breakfast, leave for bandarawela via nuwaraeliya. evening at leisure. dinner & overnight stay at hotel.

DAY 10
after breakfast leave for badulla, visit muthiyamgana temple, over two thousand years, originally built by king devanampiyatissa. proceed to bogoda, visit bogoda temple, there is an unusual wooden bridge, the roof clad with flat tiles of the kandyan period. also visit dowa cave temple, 3rd cen bc, a 8m high bas-releif standing Buddha is carved on the rock, also the strip stories on the interior walls & the rock shelter dedicated to the cobra. back @ hotel @ bandarawela for dinner & overnight stay.

DAY 11
after breakfast leave for wellawaya, visit maligawila ruins with a crystalline limestone Buddha statue, 40 feet lies fallen & the stone bath, pond, the remains of the image house is of interest. also visit buduruwagala, the group of statues, finest example of mahayana sculpture in the island is over 1000 yrs old. a 51 foot tall Buddha image stands dominant flanked by 40 foot statues of bodhisatvas. proceed to kataragama, check in at hotel for dinner & overnight stay.

DAY 12
after breakfast, explore the ancient kingdom of tissamaharama. (150 bc), visit the great monastery of king tissa & the magul maha vihara. evening at visit the shrine dedicated to god skanda, dinner & overnight stay at hotel.

DAY 13
after breakfast leave for kalutara, visit mulkirigala rock temple, less than 150 years ago the key was discovered to mahavamsa & culavamsa chronicles which recorded the story of this island from 543 bc to modern times. also visit the wewrukannala vihare, to discover the largest buddha statue in the island. at dondra, the temple celebrates the annual perahara & a highly venerated place for the Buddhists. also visit totagamu raja maha viharaya at telwatte, dates back to the 3rd cen.bc. it was a great seat of learning in the 15th century equivalent to a university headed by a Buddhist prelate of high interlect with knowledge of six oriental languages. also interesting are the beautifula traditional paintings. check in at hotel at kalutara for dinner & overnight stay.

DAY 14
after breakfast @ leisure. afternoon leave for Colombo, dinner & overnight stay in Colombo.

DAY 15
after breakfast at leisure. transfer to airport to connect departure flight.