Sunday, August 5, 2012

sigiriya

Sigiriya

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Ancient City of Sigiriya *
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Country	Sri Lanka
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, iv
Reference	202
Region **	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	1982 (6th Session)
Location of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Sigiriya (Lion's rock, Sinhalese - සීගිරිය) is a town with a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Central Province, Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos),^[1] which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. It is one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.
Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric times. It was used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees of the Buddhist Sangha. According to the chronicles as Mahavamsa the entire complex was built by King Kashyapa (477 – 495 CE), and after the king's death, it was used as a Buddhist monastery until 14th century.
The Sigiri inscriptions were deciphered by the archaeologist Senarath Paranavithana in his renowned two-volume work, published by Cambridge, Sigiri Graffiti and also Story of Sigiriya.^[2]

Location and geographical features

Sigiriya is located in the Matale District, Central Province in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.^[3]^[4] It is within the cultural triangle, which includes five of the eight world heritage sites in Sri Lanka.^[5]
The Sigiriya rock is a hardened magma plug from an extinct and long-eroded volcano. It stands high above the surrounding plain, visible for miles in all directions. The rock rests on a steep mound that rises abruptly from the flat plain surrounding it. The rock itself rises approximately 370 m (1,214 ft) above sea level and is sheer on all sides, in many places overhanging the base. It is elliptical in plan and has a flat top that slopes gradually along the long axis of the ellipse.^[6]

History

In 477 CE, prince Kashyapa seized the throne from King Dhatusena, following a coup assisted by Migara, the king’s nephew and army commander. Kashyapa, the king’s son by a non-royal consort, usurped the throne from the rightful heir, Moggallana, who fled to South India. Fearing an attack from Moggallana, Kashyapa moved the capital and his residence from the traditional capital of Anuradhapura to the more secure Sigiriya. During King Kashyapa’s reign (477 to 495), Sigiriya was developed into a complex city and fortress.^{[citation needed]} Most of the elaborate constructions on the rock summit and around it, including defensive structures, palaces, and gardens, date back to this period.
Kashyapa was defeated in 495 by Moggallana, who moved the capital again to Anuradhapura. Sigiriya was then turned back into a Buddhist monastery, which lasted until the 13th or 14th century. After this period, no records are found on Sigiriya until the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was used as an outpost of the Kingdom of Kandy. When the kingdom ended, it was abandoned again.
The Mahavamsa, the ancient historical record of Sri Lanka, describes King Kashyapa as the son of King Dhatusena. Kashyapa murdered his father by walling him up alive and then usurping the throne which rightfully belonged to his brother Mogallana, Dhatusena's son by the true queen. Mogallana fled to India to escape being assassinated by Kashyapa but vowed revenge. In India he raised an army with the intention of returning and retaking the throne of Sri Lanka which he considered to be rightfully his. Knowing the inevitable return of Mogallana, Kashyapa is said to have built his palace on the summit of Sigiriya as a fortress and pleasure palace. Mogallana finally arrived and declared war. During the battle Kashyapa's armies abandoned him and he committed suicide by falling on his sword.
Chronicles and lore say that the battle-elephant on which Kashyapa was mounted changed course to take a strategic advantage, but the army misinterpreted the movement as the King having opted to retreat, prompting the army to abandon the king altogether. It is said that being too proud to surrender he took his dagger from his waistband, cut his throat, raised the dagger proudly, sheathed it, and fell dead.^{[citation needed]} Moggallana returned the capital to Anuradapura, converting Sigiriya into a monastery complex.
Alternative stories have the primary builder of Sigiriya as King Dhatusena, with Kashyapa finishing the work in honour of his father. Still other stories have Kashyapa as a playboy king, with Sigiriya a pleasure palace. Even Kashyapa's eventual fate is uncertain. In some versions he is assassinated by poison administered by a concubine; in others he cuts his own throat when isolated in his final battle.^[7] Still further interpretations have the site as the work of a Buddhist community, with no military function at all. This site may have been important in the competition between the Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions in ancient Sri Lanka.
The earliest evidence of human habitation at Sigiriya was found from the Aligala rock shelter to the east of Sigiriya rock, indicating that the area was occupied nearly five thousand years ago during the Mesolithic Period.
Buddhist monastic settlements were established in the western and northern slopes of the boulder-strewn hills surrounding the Sigiriya rock, during the 3rd century BC. Several rock shelters or caves were created during this period. These shelters were made under large boulders, with carved drip ledges around the cave mouths. Rock inscriptions are carved near the drip ledges on many of the shelters, recording the donation of the shelters to the Buddhist monastic order as residences. These were made within the period between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century CE.

Archaeological remains and features

The Lion Gate and Final Climbing Stretch

In 1831 Major Jonathan Forbes of the 78th Highlanders of the British army, while returning on horseback from a trip to Pollonnuruwa, came across the "bush covered summit of Sigiriya".^[8] Sigiriya came to the attention of antiquarians and, later, archaeologists. Archaeological work at Sigiriya began on a small scale in the 1890s. H.C.P. Bell was the first archaeologist to conduct extensive research on Sigiriya. The Cultural Triangle Project, launched by the Government of Sri Lanka, focused its attention on Sigiriya in 1982. Archaeological work began on the entire city for the first time under this project. There was a sculpted lion's head above the legs and paws flanking the entrance, but the head broke down many years ago.
Sigiriya consists of an ancient castle built by King Kasiappan during the 5th century. The Sigiriya site has the remains of an upper palace sited on the flat top of the rock, a mid-level terrace that includes the Lion Gate and the mirror wall with its frescoes, the lower palace that clings to the slopes below the rock, and the moats, walls, and gardens that extend for some hundreds of metres out from the base of the rock.
The site is both a palace and a fortress. Despite its age, the splendour of the palace still furnishes a stunning insight into the ingenuity and creativity of its builders. The upper palace on the top of the rock includes cisterns cut into the rock that still retain water. The moats and walls that surround the lower palace are still exquisitely beautiful.^[9]

Close up of the Lions Paw

Site plan

Sigiriya is considered one of the most important urban planning sites of the first millennium, and the site plan is considered very elaborate and imaginative. The plan combined concepts of symmetry and asymmetry to intentionally interlock the man-made geometrical and natural forms of the surroundings. On the west side of the rock lies a park for the royals, laid out on a symmetrical plan; the park contains water-retaining structures, including sophisticated surface/subsurface hydraulic systems, some of which are working even today. The south contains a man-made reservoir; these were extensively used from the previous capital of the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Five gates were placed at entrances. The more elaborate western gate is thought to have been reserved for the royals.^[10]^[11]^[12]

Frescoes

John Still in 1907 suggested, "The whole face of the hill appears to have been a gigantic picture gallery... the largest picture in the world perhaps".^[13] The paintings would have covered most of the western face of the rock, covering an area 140 metres long and 40 metres high. There are references in the graffiti to 500 ladies in these paintings. However, many more are lost forever, having been wiped out when the Palace once more became a monastery − so that they would not disturb meditation.^{[citation needed]} Some more frescoes, different from the popular collection, can be seen elsewhere on the rock surface, for example on the surface of the location called the "Cobra Hood Cave".
Although the frescoes are classified as in the Anuradhapura period, the painting style is considered unique;^{[citation needed]} the line and style of application of the paintings differing from Anuradhapura paintings. The lines are painted in a form which enhances the sense of volume of the figures. The paint has been applied in sweeping strokes, using more pressure on one side, giving the effect of a deeper colour tone towards the edge. Other paintings of the Anuradhapura period contain similar approaches to painting, but do not have the sketchy lines of the Sigiriya style, having a distinct artists' boundary line. The true identity of the ladies in these paintings still have not been confirmed. There are various ideas about their identity. Some believe that they are the wives of the king while some think that they are women taking part in religious observances. These pictures have a close resemblance to some of the paintings seen in the ajanta caves in India
The frescoes, depicting beautiful female figures in graceful contour or colour, point to the direction of the Kandy temple, sacred to the Sinhalese.^[14]

The Mirror Wall

The Mirror Wall and spiral stairs leading to the frescoes

Originally this wall was so well polished that the king could see himself whilst he walked alongside it. Made of a kind of porcelain, the wall is now partially covered with verses scribbled by visitors to the rock. Well preserved, the mirror wall has verses dating from the 8th century. People of all types wrote on the wall, on varying subjects such as love, irony, and experiences of all sorts. Further writing on the mirror wall has now been banned.
One such poem in Sinhala is:

"බුදල්මි. සියොවැ ආමි. සිගිරි බැලිමි. බැලු බැලු බොහො දනා ගී ලීලුයෙන් නොලීමි."

The rough translation is: "I am Budal [the writer's name]. (I) Came with all my family to see Sigiriya. Since all the others wrote poems, I did not!" He has left an important record that Sigiriya was visited by people beginning a very long time ago. Its beauty and majestic appearance made people stand in awe of the technology and skills required to build such a place.^{[citation needed]}

The gardens

The Gardens of the Sigiriya city are one of the most important aspects of the site, as it is among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. The gardens are divided into three distinct but linked forms: water gardens, cave and boulder gardens, and terraced gardens.

The water gardens

A pool in the garden complex

The water gardens can be seen in the central section of the western precinct. Three principal gardens are found here. The first garden consists of a plot surrounded by water. It is connected to the main precinct using four causeways, with gateways placed at the head of each causeway. This garden is built according to an ancient garden form known as char bagh, and is one of the oldest surviving models of this form.
The second contains two long, deep pools set on either side of the path. Two shallow, serpentine streams lead to these pools. Fountains made of circular limestone plates are placed here. Underground water conduits supply water to these fountains which are still functional, especially during the rainy season. Two large islands are located on either side of the second water garden. Summer palaces are built on the flattened surfaces of these islands. Two more islands are located farther to the north and the south. These islands are built in a manner similar to the island in the first water garden.

The gardens of Sigiriya, as seen from the summit of the Sigiriya rock

The third garden is situated on a higher level than the other two. It contains a large, octagonal pool with a raised podium on its northeast corner. The large brick and stone wall of the citadel is on the eastern edge of this garden.
The water gardens are built symmetrically on an east-west axis. They are connected with the outer moat on the west and the large artificial lake to the south of the Sigiriya rock. All the pools are also interlinked using an underground conduit network fed by the lake, and connected to the moats. A miniature water garden is located to the west of the first water garden, consisting of several small pools and watercourses. This recently discovered smaller garden appears to have been built after the Kashyapan period, possibly between the 10th and 13th centuries.

The boulder gardens

The boulder gardens consist of several large boulders linked by winding pathways. The gardens extend from the northern slopes to the southern slopes of the hills at the foot of Sigiriya rock. Most of these boulders had a building or pavilion upon them; there are cuttings that were used as footings for brick walls and beams.

The terraced gardens

The terraced gardens are formed from the natural hill at the base of the Sigiriya rock. A series of terraces rises from the pathways of the boulder garden to the staircases on the rock. These have been created by the construction of brick walls, and are located in a roughly concentric plan around the rock. The path through the terraced gardens is formed by a limestone staircase. From this staircase, there is a covered path on the side of the rock, leading to the uppermost terrace where the lion staircase is situated.

Image gallery

Outer Gardens and Moat

View of one of the pools in the garden complex
The Sigiriya Rock seen from the Gardens
View of the moat
View of the moat
View of the moat
Another moat photo

Lion's mouth

The entrance to the tip of the palace was built in the shape of a lion's mouth.

Ruins of the Lion's mouth
Rock shelters at the foot of the Sigiriya rock
A partially man-made shelter with brick walls, using a large boulder as the roof

Mirror Wall and Lion Gate

The complex is surrounded by an extensive set of walls and man-made pools.

Stairway
Towards the Mirror Wall
The terrace below the mirror wall

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View from the side of the Mirror wall

Top of the Rock

Summit ruins
View over the gardens from the summit
Summit ruins

galoya national park

Gal Oya National Park

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Gal Oya National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Gal Oya National Park
Location	Uva and Eastern provinces, Sri Lanka
Nearest city	Ampara
Coordinates	7°13′00″N 81°22′00″ECoordinates: 7°13′00″N 81°22′00″E
Area	25,900 ha
Established	February 12, 1954
Governing body	Department of Wildlife Conservation

Gal Oya National Park in Sri Lanka was established in 1954 and serves as the main catchment area for Senanayake Samudraya, the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka. Senanayake Samudraya was built under the Gal Oya development project by damming the Gal Oya at Inginiyagala in 1950. An important feature of the Gal Oya National Park is its elephant herd that can be seen throughout the year. Three important herbs of the Ayurveda medicine, Triphala: Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellirica and Emblica officinalis are amongst the notable flora of the forest. From 1954 to 1965 the park was administrated by the Gal Oya Development Board until the Department of Wildlife Conservation took over administration. The National Park is situated 314 km from Colombo.^[1]

Associated protected areas

The Gal Oya Development Board established several protected areas to protect the catchment areas of Senanayake Samudraya and several other reservoirs.^[2] This also helped to prevent the soil erosion caused by burning of the Thalawa grassland by the villagers. The protected areas established in 1954 are Gal Oya National Park, Senanayake Samudraya Sanctuary, Gal Oya valley north-east Sanctuary, and Gal Oya valley south-east Sanctuary. Together these four reserves accounts for 63,000 ha of land.^[3] Administration and protection of the four protected areas, reducing human-elephant clashes and enforcing the flora and fauna ordinance are amongst the duties of the department. Rangers are stationed in four sites: Inginiyagala, Mullegama, Nilgala and Baduluwela. Additionally in 1974 the Buddhangala Sanctuary was also designated.^[2] Buddhangala is a monastery with ruins of a stupa and other buildings in the nearby Malwattai area.

Features

The elevation of the park varies from 30 m to about 900 m.^[4] Danigala, Nilgala, and Ulpotha are the mountains of the park.^[2] Rain is received during the North-eastern monsoon with average annual rainfall of 1,700 millimetres (66.93 in).
Crossing the Senanayake Samudraya by boat from Inginiyagala is an alternative method of accessing the National Park. Bird’s Island in the reservoir is an island used by birds for nesting.^[5] Where Gal Oya falls to the reservoir, water flows in a natural tunnel known as Makara Kata (Sinhalese for Dragon's mouth) or simply Makara.^[6] Thousands of pilgrims visit Dighavapi stupa annually which is also situated in the area. The stupa was built in the 2nd century BC on the site where Buddha is supposed to have meditated on his third visit to Sri Lanka. Danigala has a historic importance as it was the home to the Henebadde Veddas.^[2] A rock near the Henebedde cave contains Brahmi inscriptions.^[5]

Flora and fauna

The vegetation of the forest is of three types: forest, shrub and grassland.^[2] The national park contains a substantial area of Savanna grasslands known as Thalawa in Sinhalese and mountainous grasslands known as Pathana. Thalawa grassland is dominated by rough grass species, Cymbopogon nardus ("Mana") and Imperata cylindrica ("Iluk"). The burnt Thalawa grasslands are known as the Damana grasslands and are used for cattle grazing by villagers. Rare plants of medicinal value such as Pterocarpus marsupium, Careya arborea, and Cassia fistula are also found in the forest. Berrya cordifolia, Longan, Mangifera zeylanica, Diospyros spp., Ziziphus spp. and Mallotus repandus ("Wal Keppetiya") are the common floral species.
32 terrestrial mammals have been recorded in the park.^[7] The Sri Lankan Elephant, Sri Lankan Axis Deer, Muntjac, Water Buffalo, Sri Lankan Sambar Deer, Sri Lanka Leopard, Toque Monkey and Wild Boar are among them.^[2] Included amongst the amphibian species of the park are the Mugger Crocodile and Star Tortoise. More than 150 species of birds have been recorded in Gal Oya.^[5] The Lesser Adjutant, Spot-billed Pelican and Red-faced Malkoha are some of the park's resident birds.^[8] The Indian Cormorant, Oriental Darter, Grey Heron, and Lesser Whistling Duck are among the common water birds of the Senanayake reservoir.^[9] The White-bellied Sea Eagle, and Grey-headed Fish Eagle are the notable raptors of the area.^[9] Gal Oya National Park's butterfly species include the endemic Lesser Albatross.^[4]

Threats and conservation

Illegal logging has cleared 30 acres (120,000 m²) of the forest.^[10] Smuggling of medicinal plants also has been recorded. Inadequate ranger staff has made it difficult to prevent these crimes. The actions of the Department of Wildlife Conservation themselves came under criticism after the department failed to send a veterinary surgeon to attend an injured elephant.^[11] A jungle corridor has been proposed between Gal Oya and Maduru Oya National Parks.^[12]

Fauna of the park

samanala kanda

Mountains of Sri Lanka

Sri Pada (Mountain of Butterflies)

The only mountains in the world where four major religions get together and worship. To the Buddhist, the imprint found on the summit of the mountain is the hallowed footprint of the Lord Buddha hence the Name “SriPada”. To the Hindus, the footprint is that of God Shiva. To the Christians, it is the footprint of St. Thomas, and to the Islam, it’s the foot print of Adam, hence the title “Adam’s peak”. Another name given by Sinhalese is “Samanala Kanda” meaning Butterfly Mountain due to the fleet of butterflies fling around with the start of the season.

It is 2243m in height above the sea level and about 27km (16 miles) from bottom to the top by foot or 14.4km(9 miles) by vehicle and 12km (7 miles) by foot to the top of the pointed peak.

Since the 11th century the mountain has been a place of pilgrims. King Vijayabahu the 1 and King Nissankamalla of Polonnaruwa both recorded their pilgrimage here. Pilgrimage season begins from the full moon Poya day of December and continues until the Wesak festival in May. At other times the mountain is wet and rains make the trail dangeruose. Thosands of people makes the journey every year. Most of them climb in the night. The trail is illuminated by lamps. Pilgrims rests and the refreshment stalls make the climb easier. Those who reach the summit by dawn witness a glorious view of sun rising.

Sri pada pilgrims follow a number of traditions procedures. It’s customary for first time climbers to bathe at the stream call “Seetha Gangula” and to pile white cloth on their heads. At “indikatu pana” (place of the needle). The devotees stop and hang a threaded needle in to a shrub by path’s side, marking a spot where the Buddha is said to have stopped to mend a tear in his road. It is bad form, by the way, to ask how far is it to the top...? Instead just exchange the greetings “karunawai”: “peace”. Some sing folk songs. The huge bell at the summit is strucked by every pilgrim once for each time they visited. Present visit is not counted, as it’s not completed until they return home. Wearing a sweater is a must as it could be very cold at the summit.

Major Skinner, the well known engineer of fame during the British rule over Ceylon (Sri Lanka formerly known as Ceylon), in his celebrated book, “fifty years in Ceylon”(1891) has described how he has seen the marvelous shadow of the summit which can be seen with sun rising when he had camped out there in 1840.

“I used to see the most wonderful effects when camping out. On one occasion, my sojourn on Adam’s peak lasted for a fortnight on the top of the cone, where I waited for clear weather, which I did not get. To admit of my completing of my observations. One morning as the sun was rising, the shadow of the mountain was thrown across the whole land and sea and to the horizon, and for a few minutes the apex was doubled, and so clearly marked that the little shed over the impression of Buddha’s foot was perfectly distinct in the shadow. Another most curios effect was when the mist has lain deep in the valley bellow, between the great peak range of Rakwana, it was an exact representation of the sea: the clouds rolling against the base of the mountain resembling the surf beating against the cliffs which seemed to project in to the sea, the point of the hills peeping through the mist, appeared like beautiful islands.”

colombo harbour

Early history

Medieval history

Among the users of the port, China, India and Persia were among the first people to use the harbour. In 1505 the Portuguese first discovered the Port of Colombo when first arriving to the island. In an effort to protect the coast from invaders the King of Kotte at the time, Parakamabahu VIII made a treaty with the Portuguese giving them the right to trade cinnamon from the island, and receiving full authority of the coastline. The Portuguese established a trading post in the port but they soon expelled the Muslims and began building a fort in 1517.^[3]
In order of protecting their interests in coastal India the Portuguese Knew that controlling the island was vital, and so took advantage of royal rivalries between the Kingdoms. However when the King of Sitawaka, Mayadunne, inveded the Kotte Kingdom and forced the Portuguese into retreat they retreated into the Port of Colombo, besieging the city many times. When the Kotte kingdom fell to the Kingdom of Sitawaka, the Portuguese were able to control the entire coast, making the Port of Colombo their capital. That area of the city is still called “Fort”.^[3]
In 1638 the Dutch empire signed a treaty with Rajasinghe II of Kandy for monopoly over the island's trade goods and in turn promising help in the Kandyan King's war effort with the Portuguese. In 1656 the Portuguese were eventually defeated through a terrible siege which ended with only 93 Portuguese survivors leaving the fort. The area captured by the Dutch was given back to the Sinhalese king, however continued to control the area and the rich cinnamon lands. Until 1796, The Port of Colombo was also the capital of the Dutch Maritime Provinces controlled by the Dutch East India Company.^[3]

British Ceylon and Independence

The Port of Colombo fell to the British in 1796, when they first arrived on the island. However it remained a Kandyan Kingdom military outpost until it was surrendered in 1815. The Port was made the capital of the new British crown colony called Ceylon. The British decided to build houses and civilian buildings rather than making it into a military center, giving birth to the modern Port of Colombo.^[3]
In 1865, the Municipal Council was created by the British in the Port of Colombo in an effort to teach the local population self-governance. The Colombo Municipal Council was practically the Legislative Council of Ceylon, meeting for the first time in 1866. In 1912, the Port was converted into a sheltered harbor, and the Colombo Port Commission was established in 1913. Much of the city was planned during the British occupation of the Port of Colombo.^[3]
The Port saw dramatic changes when the country gained its independence in 1948. The Queen Elizabeth Quay was opened in 1954, while 16 alongside berths, transit sheds and warehouses were completed. In 1958 The Port Corporation was founded. Sri Lanka's economy began to improve, even though it had influences of Portuguese, Dutch and British cultures while its own had been repressed.^[3]

1980 to 2000

The Sri Lanka Ports Authority was created in 1980. The harbour underwent a major transformation to handle containerized cargo in early 1980s, with two being built by the end of the 1980s and three more in the early 1990s. Due to this, and its strategic location amidst trade routes, the port became more attractive to main line shipping than any other port in the region.^[5] After the introduction of private sector operators, it consolidated its position as a major regional hub port for transshipment cargo in late 1990s.^[6] The main channel of the port was deepened to 15 meters, while it also reached the one million mark for annual handling of container TEUs in 1996. In 1997 the Oil Berth was opened and container traffic made it to the 1.5 million TEUs mark. 1998 saw the opening of a new container terminal while 1999 saw a new container yard begin operation. The Oluvil Lighthouse was commissioned, and the Oluvil Maritime Training Center opened also in 1999. The South Asia Gateway Terminal began operations, and a new 50 thousand DWT berth was constructed.^[3]

2000 to Present

A third berth at Galle Regional Port was started in 2000, while the Peliyagoda Container Freight Station was opened. The second phase of the North Pier development started, and the port opened a one-stop documentation center opened its doors. In 2002, the multi-purpose Ashraff Quay was inaugurated, while the new Customer Service Center for LCL and breakbulk cargoes was opened in the same year. 2003 saw the Unity Container Terminal and the SLPA Maritime Museum open. In 2004 the Port handled 2.2 million TEUs of containerized cargo, which increased to 2.45 million TEUs in 2005.^[3] At present, the port handles 15% of transshipment cargo in South Asia.^[7] However, in early 2009, the container throughput of Nhava Sheva Harbour surpassed that of Colombo.

Expansion project

In 2008, the port commenced a large-scale expansion project at a cost of US$1.2 billion, which is expected dramatically increase the port's capacity and capabilities.^[7] The project, which is headed by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and built by the Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company, is expected to be completed by 11 April 2012.
The expansion project will consist of four new terminals that are 1200m in length and can accommodate 3 berths each, alongside a depth of 18 m (59 ft) (which can be deepened to 23 m (75 ft)).^[7] The channel width of the harbour is to be 560m and depth of 20m, with harbour basin depth of 18m and a 600m turning circle.^[7] Once completed, it will increase the annual container handling capacity from 4 million TEUs to approximately 12 million TEUs. It will also be able to accommodate larger container vessels, carrying around 12,000 TEUs.^[7]
The first terminal was awarded to the China Merchants Holdings (International) - Aitken Spence consortium on 16 September 2010.^[8] The new terminal is planned to be operational by First Quarter 2013.^[9]

A panoramic view of the early construction stages of the expansion project.

Port facilities

The Colombo Port currently has three container terminals: Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT - operated by John Keells Holdings) and Unity Container Terminal (UCT). These terminals operate round the clock for faster turn around time than any other operator in the region.^{[citation needed]} Other port facilities include:

04 Feeder Berths
07 Container Berths
14 Quay Cranes
12 Super-Post Panamax Cranes
01 Twin_lift Super-Post Panamax Crane^[6]
04 Wall-mounted Gantries
78 Rubber-tyred Gantries^[6]
285 Terminal tractors and trailers^[6]

Additional facilities include the Bandaranaike Quay (BQ) and Prince Vijaya Quay (PVQ) with four rail mounted quay cranes, and 6,245 m² (67,221 sq ft) of bonded warehouses.^[10]

References

ananda maitreya tero




	Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya A Personal Tribute by VEN. DR. BHIKKHU BODHI The Venerable BalangodaAnandaMaitreya is one of the great prersonalities of Theravada Budhism in the twentieth century, and it is testimony to his vast store of past metrits that his life span stretches clear across this century from its beginning almost to its end. In the course of his exemplary life, this outstanding Elder of the Sangha has held some of the most prestigious academic and ecclesiastical titles in the country, yet he hasalways remained at hearta simple monk whose greatest joy is quit study and meditation at his village temple near to town of Balangoda. For me it is a psersonalhonour to be able to name the Venerable AnandaMaitreya as my own ordination teacher, as the one who brough me into the Sangha and guided my first steps in the life of a bhikkhu. The background story to my meeting with the Venerable goes back to the year 1971. At that time I was living at a Vietnamese Buddhist meditation centure in Los Angeles. I had been ordained as a novice –monk in the Vitenamese Mahayana Order and was lecturing in world religions at a local university. By a stroke of good fortune, VenPiyadassiMahathera of Vajirarama came to Los Angeles and gave a series of lectures at our centure. Iserved as Ven. PIyadassi's host during his stay with us, and when he departed he suggested to me thtsome day I should come come to Sri Lanka. where he could arrange for me to stay at a Buddhism monastery. The next year I decided that I wanted to go to Asia to take ordination as a Therevadabhikkhu. I wrote to Ven. Piyadassi to remind him of his invitation. and he wrote back giving me the name of a senior prelate who he said, had previously given ordination to Westerners. The name was that of Ven, BalangodaAnanda Maitreya. I wrote to the Mahanayaka There, telling him about my backgroung and about my desire to come to Sri Lanka to ordain as a bhikkhu and to study Pali and Dhamma. The Venerable promptely replied, extending me a welcome and assuring me that he would oversee my ordination and instruction in the Dhamma. It was at the end of October 1972 that, at last, I arrived in Sri Lanka, and a week later I made the trip to Balangoda. Along the way I felt somewhat nervous about going to meet an Elder of such high standing in the Sangha, but at our first meeting my fears were immediately set to rest. At this first meeting I was deeply impressed by the MahanayakaThera's simplicity of manner , his great kindness, and his natural humility – qualities which existed alongside an inexhaustible wealth of learning and a masterly knowlege of the Dhamma. For the next three years (1972 -75) I lived with the Mahanayaka There at his temple in Udumulla, a two-mile walk from Balangoda. He proviided me with a simple but comfortable kuti on the hillside, a short distance below his own kuti. During this happy period I received regualar instruction from the Venerable in Pali, Suttanta, and abhidamma. The guidance he gaveme so generously at that time has continued to benefit me right up to the present. In this early stage of my monk's life, I faced considerable confusion trying to find the proper key to understand the Dhamma correctly. Western interpreters of Buddhism often invent their own versions of the Buddha's teaching, and without a reliable guide it is easy to get lost in the wild jungles of speculation and personal opinion. During this period the Venerable MahanayakaThera always reminded me of the importance of relying on the orthodox Theravada tradition in order to understand the Dhamma correctly. He implanted in my mind a profound respect for the Atthakathas and Tikas and this attitude inspried me to study the Suttas along fruit years later, when I translated four major PaliSuttas along with their commentaries. My meeting with the Mahanayaka There in those days were not all devoted to religious instruction. The Venerable had a rich store of experience and was a prolific thinker and writer. Thus often we would put the books aside and he would elaborate on his theories ranging from the origins of Christianity to the scientific basis for extra-sensory perception. I also discoveredone of the secretsto the Venerable's health and vigour : long walk from his temple to the Balangodaprivena, with another three-mile walk back to the temple after a short break at the pirivena. I my self fifty years his junior, but I had to hasten to keep with him along theses walks! In recent years I have not had frequent personal contact with the Venerable. He has spent long periods abroad, and when he is in Sri Lanka he resides in Balanoda. While I have been in Kandy, looking after the late Venerable NyanaponikaMahathera and supervising the publications programme of the Buddhist Publication Society. But from the newspapers and reports from friends, I often hear of the success of the Venerable'sDhamma-duta missions overseas. I have been gladdened to know that he has made such an important contribution to the cause of Theravada Buddhism all over the world, especially as one of the "Sangha fathers" to the Western BhikkuSangha based at the Amaravati and Chithurst monasteries in England. It gives me great pleasure to felicitate the Venerable AnandaMaitreya on reaching his 100th birthday. Such a high age surely proves the truth of the Dhamma.I hope that by the blessings of the Holy Triple Gem, the Venerable will enjoy good health right up to the very end of his life, andthat he will continue to extend his wisdom and vask knowledge to all who seek the true Dhamma, whether in Sri Lanka or abroad. The Venerable Ananda MaitreyaMahaNayakaThera by NEMSIRI MUTUKUMARA The Venerable Agga maha Pandita Balangoda MaitreyaMaha Nayaka There completes one hundred years on August 24, this year (1996) Born in the rural setting of the village of Kirindigala inBalangoda in the Sabaragamuwa Province, in 1896, his parents,NarangodaaraccigeMetiasAppuhamy and BentaraAraccigeHeenMenike named him PunchiMahattaya. His full name was NarangodaAraccigePunciMahattaya, According to the birth certificate his name was William. When the baby was fifteen days old, he lost his mother unfortunately. The infant's father's brother – his Lokutatta, DinggirihamyMudalali and LokuAMmaYasohamy had no children. Father grieved incessantly over the sudden demise of his beloved wife after the birth of the soon , placed the infant in his beloved wife after the birth of the son, placed infant in his brother's care and left the village. Recounting an anecdote he has heard in later lefe, the MahaNayaka There recalls, how his childless Lokuamma had once approached his mother during pregnancy and whispered in a melancholy tone to her sister-in-law. Nangiye mage Karmeta, mataya kiyala darvek nehene. Ehinda. umbalala bennainnapatiya mata diyan hada ganna. "Sister.unfortunately for me, I haven't child of my own. Therefore, give me your small one when he's born, so that I may adopt him as my own. My mother has told her. "Mama akke, ape gelangatiyenaBodhiyata mal puja karanava, Prarthana vakut karanawa mata putek upadinna kiyala. Upadina daruva pute kwnot, matalokuasavaktiyenavaputamahanakaranna. Itinakka mage patumaisthakaranavanam, putekupannothdennamko." My Dear sister, you know, I offer flowers to the Bodhitree standing near our house, give alms to the bhikkhu coming on alma round and make an aspiration for the baby to be born a son. If the child happens to be a son, I have a great desire to admit him to the order of the Sangha. So if you can fulfil this wish of mine, I'll let you have him. Under the benign and loving care of the Lokutatta and Lokuamma, the infant son was brought up as their own charge without giving even a hint that they were adopted parents. At thd proper time, PunchiMahattaya was sent to Kumara Vidyalaya, Balangoda. When he completed his primary and secondary education at this school a yearning arose in him to enter the Order of BhikkhuSangha. By that time, the LokuTatta's family grew with two sons and two daughters of their own. Lokutatta desired to offer one his sons to the Sasana. He refused permission to me to become a bhikkhu. I became furious at his attitude and told him, if I am not allowed to be a bhikkhu, I will leave the home without informing anybody. Then only, he consented and that too with great reluctance.reluctance. As a teenger of just fifteen years, PunchiMahattaya was ordained a Samaner by the Venerable AbhidhammikaDenihena Sinhala NayakaThera, VIharadhipati Sri NadaramaViharaya, Udumulla, Bulatgama on March 3, 1911. He was given thhe ecclesiastical name SaranaGavesi, but later he came to be known as AnandaMaitreya. Since he hailed from Balangoda his full name became bhikkhuBalangodaAnandaMaitreya. Within nine short years, young BhikkhuAnandaMaitreyalearnt the dhamma, vinaya, the doctrine and discipline from his guru, the Nayaka There Silananda who was himself an embodiment of discipline, and an erudite Aghidhamma scholar. BhikkhuAnandaMaitreya was promising pupils. His skill of learning was unsurpassable his memory was admirable. Besides all departments of the Tipitaka teaching both the text and the commentary, he acquired a high proficiency in Sanskrit. Pali and Sinhala equally well. Satisfied with the pupils accomplishments in oriental language the teacher advised him to join the Ananda College, Colombo for further studies, particularly in English. Bhikkhu student AnandaMaitreya was above average. He was admitted to a higher form at Ananda by Principal Patrick de Silva Kularatne, one of Sri Lanka's finest educationists of modern times. After passing the London Matriculation Examination with distinction, student BhikkhuAnandaMaitreya was invited to join the staff as a teacher. Ananda, at that time moulded the character of all children who came under her wings with admirable qualities of partriotism. Stalwarts of men, geniuses of leaders, patriotic policiticans, legal luminaries, showed their charges the urgent need of the country. They imparted an education to produce leaders to fulfil that need. Most of those students who later shone in those fields which they chose to serve the motherland passed through Venerable AnandaMaitreya – who taught them, Buddha DHamma, Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit. Among his bright stars, the Techer-monk counts unforgettable names of N.M. Perera. D.E.Hetiarachchi, Nanda Deva Wijesekera, RanapalaBodinagoda, I.M.R.A. Iriyagolle, AnandaTissa de Alwis, Robert Gunawadana, E.W. Adikaram and M.M.Thowfeeq who also learnt Sinhala and Buddha Dhamma. Ananda'sPali and Buddhism teachers he was, he imparted the Buddha's teaching to Hindus and Muslims, as a moral and ethical way of life which should not only be learnt and studied but adhered to as a way of life practised daily for their social and economic advancement. When Ananda was full to the brim, another school had to be opened to accommodate the overflowing children seeking admission to Ananda. The new institution was Nalanda and College, just across the road in Maradana. Ven. Ananda Maitreya who taught there too, briefly gave Nalanda its motto – "Apadana Sobhini Panna" Wisdom illumines character. After his teaching career at Ananda and Nalanda he returned home to Balangoda to establish a Privena. Barnes Ratwatte pioneered the idea to set up an educational institutation in Balangoda to serve the growing needs of the people and produce educated and erudite bhikkus for sasana service at home. That advice gave birth to the opening of Sri Dhammananda Privena in Balangoda under the guidance of his teacher with him as the Parivenadhipati, the Principal. His managnificent role at the Privena is legendary. Sri Dhammanda Pirivenadhipati, Pirivena became a beacon in Sabaragamuwa. When the Buddhist, particularly the Sinhala Budhists were continued to be denied their rightful position they had enjoyed for over two thousand years, the Buddhist leaders took up the issue with the D.S. Senanayake government. Having failed to obtain due redress, the Buddhist leadership rallied round the All-Ceylon Buddhist Congress under the guidance of the Maha Sangha appointed a Buddhist Commission of Inquiry in 1954. At the time the Buddhist Congress ws led by Dr. Gunapala Malalasekar Maha Nayaka Ananda Maitreya was one of the Bhikkhus who formedn the Commmission. The Commission went round the country and met people of all walks of life ; societies and institution. Within one and half years the report was written. But the prevailing circumstances made the report to be printed in a place outside of Colombo. Maha Nayaka Ananda Maitreya took up the challenge and took the manuscript to Balangoda where the Buddhist Commission Report comprising over four hundred pages was printed in time to release to the people on February , 4, 1956 at a public meeting held at Ananda College, Colombo. In 1959, the two leading Pirivenas – the Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara were conferred University status by the S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike government. Leading scholoars and linguists of India and Lanka, among them highly renowned bhikkus were brought into the service of the two University. Vidyodaya University was looking for a professor in Mahanayana Buddha Dhamma. Naturally, the choice was Venerable Ananda Maitreya who came from Balangoda to Gandovita. Besides his knowledge of the dhamma. vinaya, the sasana history contemporary he was proficient in Sinhala, Pali Sanskrit, Hindhi and Bengali, Latin, Greek, German and English. At the Vidyodaya University, he succeeded the Venerable Palannorue VImaladhamma Nayake There as the Dean of the Faculty of Buddhism, when the latter became the Vice Chancellor. Later, Venerable Ananda Maitreya was appointed the Vice Chancellor by Education Minister I.M.A. Iriyagolle. But the position failed to attract him nor was he impressed by the title. He was more a scholar and teacher than University administrator. Hance administrative matters found no place in his life. His reluctance to continue as Vice Chancellor made him send his resignation recommending the Venerable Dr. Walpola Rahula who was then teaching at sorbonne University in France. The Maha Nayaka There left the University to serve a greater cause, free and freely. He devoted his and time for the progress of the sasana, spreading the Buddha word wherever he goes. He prefers pada-yatra, Buddha prescibed his discipled for the Greater benefit of gods and men "bahujana hitaya, bahujana sukkaya, atthaya hitaya, devamanussanam." All over the world people revere him in high esteem and devotion as one who preaches what he practices and practices what he preaches. On his first dhammaduta carika in the West, he swept the British off their feet with his lucid, simple, frank exposition of the Noble Truth and the true meaning of spiriual life. The Maha Nayaka Thera was in his sixties at that time. That was the begnning of his world dhamma tourswhich he carried out eve at the ripe age of 99.