Located close to many culturally and environmentally significant, The Monarch Yala is an idea “base camp” to exploring Yala, Tissamaharama and Yoda Kandiya areas. Following are some of the many locations that you will not want to miss.
Yala National Park
Yala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. The park consists of five blocks, two of which are now open to the public, and also adjoining parks. The blocks have individual names such as, Ruhuna National Park (block 1) and Kumana National Park or ‘Yala East’ for the adjoining area.
It is situated in the southeast region of the country, and lies in Southern Province and Uva Province. The park covers 979 square kilometres (378 sq mi) and is located about 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Colombo. Yala was designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1900, and, along with Wilpattu was one of the first two national parks in Sri Lanka, having been designated in 1938. The park is best known for its variety of wild animals. It is important for the conservation of Sri Lankan elephants, Sri Lankan leopards and aquatic birds. [source]
The Great Stupa of Tissamaharama
The Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara is a Buddhist temple in Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka. It was built in the 2nd century BC by King Kavan Tissa of Ruhuna (Southern Sri Lanka). The site was consecrated by Lord Buddha himself, who spent some time in meditation there with 500 arhats (individuals who have reached enlightenment).
The Tissamaharama Dagoba which is situated in the premises of Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara is one of the largest stupas in Sri Lanka. A stupa is a Buddhist dome-shaped religious monument found largely on the Indian subcontinent and also called a dagoba in Sri Lanka. [source]
Kirivehera
Kiri Vehera is an ancient stupa built by King Mahasena[1] and situated in Kataragama, Sri Lanka.
It is 95 ft. in height with a circumference of 280 ft. This structure probably dates back to the sixth century BC. [source]
Kataragama & Sella Kataragama
Kataragamam temple in Kataragama, Sri Lanka, is a Hindu and Buddhist temple complex dedicated to Skanda-Murukan also known as Kataragama deviyo. It is one of the few religious sites in Sri Lanka that is venerated by the majority Sinhala Buddhists, Hindu minority Sri Lankan Tamil people, Sri Lankan Moors and the Vedda people.[3] It is a collection of modest shrines, of which the one dedicated to Skanda-Murukan, also known as Kataragama deviyo, is the most important. For most of the past millennia, it was a jungle shrine very difficult to access; today it is accessible by an all-weather road. Almost all the shrines— and the nearby Kiri Vehera— are managed by Buddhists, apart from shrines dedicated to Teyvāṉai and Shiva and the Muslim mosque.
There is a related shrine called Sella Katirkamam dedicated to the God Ganesha nearby, who is known as Lord Murugan’s elder brother.
[source]
Kirinda
Kirinda is a coastal village in southern Sri Lanka. The Buddhist temple in Kirinda attracts many devotees throughout the year.
