Yapahuwa Ancient Kingdom from Dambulla (Private Day Tour)

Yapahuwa Ancient Kingdom from Dambulla (Private Day Tour)

This memorable tour takes you to see some of the historic highlights of Sri Lanka. See the ancient rock fortress from the kingdom of Yapahuwa. View the remote but beautiful ruins of Sasseruwa with its giant unfinished standing buddha statue. Visit the famous perfectly sculpted Aukana Buddha Statue. Get to know more about historical Sri Lanka with this tour. SKU: LK60061600

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Yapahuwa Rock Fortress, Yapahuwa Sri Lanka

A royal residence in 13th century Yapahuwa was able to preserve some interesting remains. While many traces of other ancient defenses are still seen, an ornamental stairway remains as the main piece.

Located in Kurunegala, belonging to the North Western Province of Sri Lanka, the Yapahuwa ancient fortress rises to a height of 90 m above the surrounding plains. Built by King Buwanekabahu the First, as the capital of Sri Lanka in 1301, today, the Royal residence, the Temple of Tooth Relic, the battle defenses are in ruins.

The ruined walls of Yapahuwa form a rough semicircle. The ends join the foot of the high steepsided rocky granite outcrop. The outer fortification, an earthen rampart which extends to about a mile is about 20 feet in height. Over the rampart are the ruins of a brick wall that was erected to protect the interiors. Around the rampart was a moat. Access to the fortress was by means of the three gates that were connected to three causeways. Within this rampart was an inner fortification: a stone wall, 12 feet in height and about 500 yards long with a moat outside it and with two gates.

The homes of the ordinary people would have been between the outer and inner walls while the king’s palace, administrative buildings and of course the Temple of the Tooth was within the inner wall.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Reswehera (Sesseruwa) Rajamaha Viharaya | රැස්වෙහෙර (සැස්සේරුව) රජ මහා විහාරය, Kurunegala, Sri Lanka

This statue of the Buddha has two names; one is Rasvehera and the other is Sasseruwa. It is called Rasvehera because on the day the Sacred Bo Tree was brought from Anuradhapura and planted at this premises the rays of Lord Buddha illuminated around the place. Rasvehera statue bears similar profiles to the Aukana Buddha statue. But there is a world of difference between the structures of these two Buddha statues. The Aukana Buddha statue is taller and stands 46 feet in height. while Sasseruwa is 36 feet in height. This Rasvehera statue is carved into a rectangular frame in the rock boulder without the head decoration; The Siraspatha but portrays dots for the hair. Aukana statue stands on an exquisite lotus symbol and the Rasvehera statue stands on a plain rectangular stone pedestal. The symbolic Mudras (gestures) depicted here differ from each other. In comparing all visual purposes, from the sculptured features on the Rasvehera Buddha statue it comes into view that it had been an unfinished state of sculpturing for reasons known only to this great unknown sculptor.



Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Avukana Buddha Statue | අවුකන බුද්ධ ප්‍රතිමාව, Avukana, Sri Lanka

Aukana Buddha Statue in Asisa Mudra or the “posture of blessing” is carved out of a rock boulder. The statue is carved in the round connected to the back to the rock boulder. The delicate and skillful carving of the Buddha’s robe humanizes and chastely reveals the underlying form of his body, while the face’s impassive expression projects an aura of spiritual supremacy.

It is said that the degree of alignment of the statue is such that raindrop on the nose would drop straight down to small depression carved between the toes. Aukana Buddha Statue is a masterpiece of a colossal Buddha Statue by an unknown sculptor: the serene expression of the statue, the gracefully carved robe with neat pleats brings in delicateness that could hardly be moulded into a rock. The impassive expression of the face reflects the supreme spirituality.

Duration: 45 minutes