Kalpitiya is the name of both the peninsula and ist capital (as the name „Jaffna“ refers to a peninsula and a city alike). The name is of Tamil origin. Kalpitiya is situated near Puttalam in Sri Lanka’s North Western Province. The windswept peninsula known for its serene beauty has been developed in a new tourist destination in the recent decades. But government plans to establish a luxury tourist zone near with golf course are on a halt. Kalpitiya, which continues to attract independent travellers in the first place, is actually Sri Lanka’s top location for two kinds of activities, viz. kitesurfing and dolphin watching. Due to ist long beaches and sand dunes, it’s also a good destination for relaxing family holidays. A marine sanctuary harbours bar reefs, mangroves swamps, and salt marshes. Salines can be seen on the way from Puttalam to Kalpitiya.

Marawila is a coastal town in the northeastern part of Sri Lanka’s dryzone. The climate is comparable to that of Kalpitiya peninsula. Marawila is located halfway between Chilaw and Puttalam. It is a beach holiday destination mainly for all-inclusive tourism. Marawila is also known as the main centre of Sri Lanka’s Batik production. This handicraft has a tration in Sri Lanka that is as old as that on the island of Java and was probably developed independently.

The Munneswaram Kovil, also spelt Munneshvaram Koil, is situated close to Halavata, formerly known under its English name Chilaw. This Hindu shrine of Munneswaram is one of the so-called Pancha Ishwarams, five ancient Tamil temples dedicated to Shiva. According to legends, the Munnesvaram Kovil is associated with the famous Indian epic Ramayana. It’s said to be the place where king Rama prayed to Shiva after committing the crime of Brahmahasti, the killing of the Brahmin Ravana, which had been necessary to liberate Rama’s consort Sita from captivity. Actually, the temple village of Munnesvaram has a collection of altogether five temples, the other four dedicated to Kali, Ganesha, Ayyanar and Buddha. The architecture of the Munesvaram Kovil and the other shrines is from the 20th century, the original temple was destroyed twice by Portuguese invaders. The Munneswaram temple festival is one of the longest in Sri Lanka, lasting a full month. It’s attended by Buddhists and Hindus from Sri Lanka and also pilgrims from India. Foreigner guests are rarely seen but welcome.

For those travelling from Negombo to Dambulla or Sigiriya or Anuradhapura via Kurunagala or Yapahuwa, Dambadeniya is definitely worth considering a stop on their way to the more famous sites. Actually, Dambadeniya has two major attraction. The former castle rock can be climbed. It’s a nice vantage point comparable to the Yapahuwa rock. And similar to Yapahuwa, it harboured a royal palace built after the Polonnaruwa and prior to the Kandy period. Traces of brick buildings and post holes once carrying wooden pillars of royal pavillons can still be seen on the plateau atop the steep rock. Three natural pools and an ancient stairway are further attractions of Dambadeniya rock. Not far from the monadnock is the temple, which served as the tooth temple of those Sinhalese kings residing in Dambadeniya in the 13th century. However, the wooden architecture that can be seen today, is mostly from the Kandy period. Most interesting are Kandyan paintings in the upper storey of this edifice. The key is available in the monastery’s small museum which is quite charming, too.

Although Arankale is one of Sri Lanka’s most charming ancient sites in sylvan surroundings, it’s rarely visited due to it’s location off the beaten path. Arankale is a so-called Padhanagara monastery,  that’s a modern name for forest monasteries of a special group of reclusive monks in the late Anuradhapura period. The Buddhist fraternity known for their austere abodes was called Pamsukulikas. This term, literally meaning „rag-robe“, refers to a vow taken by these forest monks to wear only robes made from rags found at cremation sites. Their most famous and largest forest monasteries are Ritigala in near Sigiriya and the Western Monasteries of Anuradhapura. Arankale, however, is comparable in size and definitely one of the most important ruins from that specific sect. As in the case of Ritigala, the monks were attracted to Arankale not only by ist isolation but also by the biodiversity of medicinal plants in the area. Arankale, like Ritigala, had a so-called hospital where these Ayurvedic plants were used for treatments. Further typical elements of Pamsukulika forest monasteries are bathes, urinal stones and meditation plattforms and meditation pathes. One specific attraction of Arankale is a picturesque cave of an even earlier period, it is said to have been abode of Maliyadeva, who according to legend was the last monk in Sri Lanka who attained enlightenment.

Halavata is the name of a town in Sri Lanka’s Northwestern Province, which is located 45 km to the north of Negombo. Besides Negombo and Puttalam, Halavata is the most important traditional fishing harbour at Sri Lanka’s west coast. Halavata is the Sinhala name of Chilaw, which is the colonial English name derived from the traditional Tamil name Cilapam. The term Halavata has become more common recently. Chilaw is mainly Sinhalese. There is a large Roman-Catholic community in this area. Chilaw is a bishop’s see. The main attraction of Halavata however is Hindu, the Munneshvaram temple in the suburb of the same name is one of the four most-venerated Shiva temples on the island. It’s surrounded by smaller Tamil temples dedicated to other Hindu deities. The annual temple feast of Munneshvaram attracts devotees of other religious communities, too. The beaches of Halavata are not yet crowded with tourists. 

Situated 35 km southwest of Anuradhaupura and 41 km north of Yapahuwa, the archaeological site of Hatthikuchchi (fromerly named Rayangana after the nearby village) is one of the most scenic complexes of ruins from the mid Anuradhapura period. Early Brahmin inscriptions indicate, that the natural rock shelters in Hatthikuchchi had been inhabited by monks since the earliest times of Buddhism in ther island. Rivalling Atthanagala in Kegala District, Hatthikuchchi is now believed to be the location of the most famous royal self-sacrifice of Sri Lanka, namely the self-decapitation of King Sirisangabo who offered his own head to a peasant to help him receive a ransom offered by the usurper Gothabhaya. Although King Sirisangabo ruled the Anuradhapura Kingdom for only two years in the 3rd century AD and didn’t built any significant monuments nor fought any heroic battles, he is one of the most beloved kings among Sinhalese, because he represents the virtues of the Buddhist king, in a way corresponding to Jataka tales from the Buddhist Holy Scriptures, the Tipitaka.

Today’s visitors often fall in love with the small heritage site of Hatthikuchchi, as the ruins are picturesquely situated in between groups of rocks. Various kinds of ancient structures can be studied in Hatthikuchchi such as bathing pond, chapter house, image houses, rock shelters fomerly serving as monks‘ cells, Ayurvedic hospital, a rare example of a rectangular Chetiyagara (stupa house), a Bodhigara, and meditation platforms of forest monks. A quite spectacular site at the edge of the archaeological site is a logan standing upright.

To learn much more about the attractions of Hatthikuchchi and the story of King Sirisanghabo, please click here...

About 25 km northwest of Kurunegala, on the way to Yapahuwa and Anuradhapura, is the village of Padeniya. Close to the main junction is a the temple called Padeniya Rajamaha Viharaya, which is one of the few lowland temples in the Kandyan style. The main image house has a unique frieze of lion sculptures and 28 wooden pillars, which carry some of the best carvings in the Kandyan style you can find outside the highlands. In Kurunegala District, only Panavitiya has more elaborate wood carvings than Padeniya. Furthermore, there is a clay building serving as a library.

The Ridi Vihara or Reedi Viharaya near Ridigama in Kurunegala District is actually one of the most rewarding heritage destinations in Sri Lanka, because it has caves with Kandy paintings that are second in in size and quality only to Dambulla and it has one of the few Polonnaruwa-period stone temples that are in a sound condition till the present day. „Ridi Vihara“ is a Sinhalese term meaning „Silver Temple“. The name refers to a famous episode from the the reign of Dutthagamani of Anuradhapura, who is the Sinhalese national hero who built the first giant stupa of the world. The caves of Ridi Vihara are believed to be the place where an silver ore was discovered just in time to provide enough silver to pay for the completion of the Ruwanweliseya stupa and to be used for ist basement. According to the chronicles, the cave of Ridi Vihara was donated to the Buddhist Sangha out of gratitude for the silver miraculously found here. Ridi Vihara those days was the abode of Arahants, enlightened beings.

Find more about the Ridi Vihara in Ridigama here...

Panduvasnuwara, situated halfway between Chilaw and Kurunegala, is the most important archaeological site of Sri Lanka’s Northwestern Province. What can be seen today, are remnants of the former capital of Parakramabahu  the Great. Panduvasnuvara was his residence when he reigned only Dakkhinadesa, the western part of the island, before attaining power in Polonnowaruwa and reuniting the entire nation. In a way, Panduvasnuwara was the blueprint for his building program in the island’s medieval capital. In contrast to Polonnaruwa, there are only foundation walls and some small stupas left in Panduvasnuwara. The three main complexes are the former royal palace and a monastic compound and one large circular structure which is unique in Sri Lanka and the function of which is not yet clear. Legend has it that this was the site where Princess Chittha, daughter of King Panduvasudeva and mother of later King Pandukabhaya was held in captivity to prevent her from finding a spouse and getting pregnant, after an oracle had prophesized that her son would gain the throne by killing her brothers. A small museum with findings such as Byzantine coins is at the entrance of the archaeological site. Panduvasnuwara is not a must-see but worth visiting in case you are planning overnight stays in the area of Kurunegala or Chilaw or Anamaduwa.