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A street in central Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital. Though largely a creation of the British during their colonial rule of Ceylon, the city does have some traditional character. |
The Courts of Justice, built during the British colonial era and situated on a small lake next to the sea. |
The Jami ul Alfar Mosque, built in the 19C. |
Inside the Jami ul Alfar Mosque. Although the majority of Sri Lnkans are either Buddhist (the Singhalese) or Hindu (the Tamils), there also are large minorities of Muslims and Christians. |
A market street in the Pettah section of Colombo. |
The Cathedral of Santa Lucia, completed in 1910. This is the largest Catholic church in the country. |
Buddha statue in a Colombo park. Despite having a Buddhist majority, a brutal sectarian war between Buddhists and Hinuds has claimed upwards of 50,000 lives in Sri Lanka since 1983. |
Sunset from my hotel. These views and the pristine beaches have kept the tourists coming in spite fo the ethnic conflict. |
The Galle Face Hotel, a built 1894 and redolent of a bygone era. |
Typical countryside on the drive to Kandy in the hilly interior of the island. |
Elephants cross a stream in the Pinnewala Elephant Orphange near Kandy, established to care for abandoned and orphaned elephants. |
View of Kandy, the country's second ;largest city, located 115km indland from Colombo. It is an important symbol of Singhalese identity and home of a Buddha tooth relic. |
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| Two views (above) of the Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa), built 1687-1707 but dating mostly from the 19C when it was restored. It houses a relic of the Buddha's tooth, reportedly brought to Sri Lanka in the 4C AD. | |
One of many Buddha shrines inside the Temple of the Tooth. |
The Temple of Natha, a subsidiary temple inside the Temple of the Tooth complex. The white structure is a stupa, used to house relics of the Buddha or famous monks. |
View of Kandy Lake, which is immediately adjacent to the Temple of the Tooth and a focal pont for the town. |
A young man shows off his elephant in front of the Temple of the Tooth. |
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| Two scenes (above) in the town of Kandy, which is a surprisingly pleasant and quiet place despite its moderate size (over 100,000 population). | |
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Palms growing at the Peradeniya Botanic Gardens (left) on the outskirts of Kandy, formerly a royal pleasure garden expanded by the British. Known locally for its orchids, which thrive in the damp mountain air. |
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Map courtesy of Mapquest.
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