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This travel and pilgrimage guidebook is meant primarily for Buddhists or those interested in Buddhism who wish to explore Sri Lanka’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the island, the author weaves together archaeological findings, art history and the stories and legends of the Buddhist tradition to bring to life thirty-three places of religious significance.
The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka is the definitive travel guide with clear maps and detailed coverage of all the best attractions Sri Lanka has to offer. Get the low-down on one of the worlds most beautiful islands, with in-depth coverage of Sri Lanka's superb beaches, magnificent wildlife, verdant tea plantations and majestic Buddhist remains. The guide includes practical information on getting there and around, plus reviews of the best Sri Lanka hotels, from serene oceanside Ayurveda retreats to atmospheric colonial-era tea estate bungalows, and Sri Lanka restaurants, bars and Sri Lankan shopping for all budgets. You'll find introductory sections on Sri Lanka food, drink, health, cultural customs and outdoor activities as well as specialist Sri Lanka tour operators and colour inserts on tea, Buddhism and the island's highlights with inspirational colour photography throughout . Rely on expert background on everything from the history of the ancient Buddhist kingdoms through to the contemporary political scene in Sri Lanka and traditional Sri Lankan dance. Explore all corners of this fascinating country with the clearest Sri Lanka maps of any guide. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka
No one sees the world quite like John Gimlette. As The New York Times once noted, “he writes with enormous wit, indignation, and a heightened sense of the absurd.” Writing for both the adventurer and the armchair traveler, he has an eye for unusually telling detail, a sense of wonder, and compelling curiosity for the inside story. This time, he travels to Sri Lanka, a country only now emerging from twenty-six years of civil war. Delving deep into the nation’s story, Gimlette provides us with an astonishing, multifaceted portrait of the island today. His travels reveal the country as never before. Beginning in the exuberant capital, Colombo (“a hint of anarchy everywhere”), he ventures out in all directions: to the dry zones where the island’s 5,800 wild elephants congregate around ancient reservoirs; through cinnamon country with its Portuguese forts; to the “Bible Belt” of Buddhism—the tsunami-ravaged southeast coast; then up into the great green highlands (“the garden in the sky”) and Kandy, the country’s eccentric, aristocratic Shangri-la. Along the way, a wild and often desperate history takes shape, a tale of great colonies (Arab, Portuguese, British, and Dutch) and of the cultural divisions that still divide this society. Before long, we’re in Jaffna and the Vanni, crucibles of the recent conflict. These areas—the hottest, driest, and least hospitable—have been utterly devastated by war and are only now struggling to their feet. But this is also a story of friendship and remarkable encounters. In the course of his journey, Gimlette meets farmers, war heroes, ancient tribesmen, world-class cricketers, terrorists, a former president, old planters, survivors of great massacres—and perhaps some of their perpetrators. That’s to say nothing of the island’s beguiling fauna: elephants, crocodiles, snakes, storks, and the greatest concentration of leopards on Earth. Here is a land of extravagant beauty and profound devastation, of ingenuity and catastrophe, possessed of both a volatile past and an uncertain future—a place capable of being at once heavenly and hellish—all brought to vibrant, fascinating life here on the page.
India is a country epic in proportion and personality. Whether you want to join thousands of pilgrims lighting candles at the holy Ganges, catch the Taj Mahal bathed in a golden glow at sunrise or sip a feni cocktail on Goa's golden beaches, your DK Eyewitness travel guide makes sure you experience all that India has to offer. India's vast landscape is as diverse as it is awe-inspiring. Modern skyscrapers and centuries-old mosques push up against each in the cities, while tigers slink through the lush jungles separating the heights of the Himalayas from the sandy shores of the Keralan coast. Our newly updated guide brings India to life, transporting you there like no other travel guide does with expert-led insights and advice, detailed information on all the must-see sights, inspiring photography and our trademark illustrations. You'll discover: - our pick of India's must-sees, top experiences and hidden gems - the best spots to eat, drink, shop and stay - detailed maps and walks which make navigating the country easy - easy-to-follow itineraries - expert advice: get ready, get around and stay safe - color-coded chapters to every part of India, from Delhi to Mumbai, Kolkata to Kerala Only visiting the Golden Triangle? Try our DK Eyewitness Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.
In the fifth century Kasyapa I acquires his throne by murdering his father, who he plasters up alive into a wall. Unable to redeem himself with his people for this crime he abandons his capital and flees deep into the inhospitable forests of central Sri Lanka. There, in an area dominated by a massive black column of rock, he builds himself a new capital. At the center of his new city is the royal citadel, a terrestrial paradise of colorful gardens, pavilions and ponds. The once dark and foreboding rock he transforms to appear like a huge dazzling white cloud. Around its girth, like a giant colorful cummerbund, he paints an exquisite tapestry depicting celestial nymphs. Then on an escarpment half way up this sheer rock he then builds a colossal gatehouse in the form of a fearsome sphinx-like lion giving his lair it name, Sigiriya-Lion Mountain. There on its summit, hidden from view, he lives in splendid isolation tormented by fear and guilt. His city thrives for less than fourteen year. Then as quickly as it appears it disappears, abandoned, and quickly forgotten; relegated to an obscure footnote in history. This is the story of Kashyapa and his masterpiece-Sigiriya as it has never been told before.
Complemented by easy-to use, reliable maps, helpful recommendations, authoritative background information, and up-to-date coverage of things to see and do, these popular travel guides cover in detail countries, regions, and cities around the world for travelers of every budget, along with extensive itineraries, maps with cross-referencing to the text, "Top 10" and "Top 5" lists, and other practical features.