Yapahuwa Ancient Kingdom from Habarana (Private Day Tour)

Yapahuwa Ancient Kingdom from Habarana (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.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Yapahuwa Rock Fortress, Yapahuwa Sri Lanka

You will be picked up from your hotel in Habarana at 7:00 am. You can bring a packed breakfast to eat along the way; as it will take up till 9:00 am to reach your first destination, Yapahuwa.

The giant rock of Yapahuwa has a history dating back to the 13th century; when King Buvenekabahu (1273-1284 AD) made it the seat of his capital. He noted its defensive abilities and created a stone fortress on the rock; which withstands the sands of time to this day. You will be able to explore the ancient stone ruins and the place where the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha was ensconced during the Yapahuwa era. You will be leaving for Sasseruwa at 11:00 am.

At 12:00 pm you will get to Sasseruwa, where the Ras Vehera Statue is. This lesser known statue is almost as tall as the Aukana Buddha at 36 m tall, though it remains incomplete. However, the style of the statue is completely different from the Aukana Buddha. Little is known about who created it and why it was abandoned halfway; though archaeologists have confirmed that it is at least seven centuries old. You will be able to see remains of the image house that the statue originally stood within, and view the ruins of the monastic complex and cave temples around the statue. You will finish your tour of the statue by 12:45 pm and will be retiring for lunch at one of the nearby restaurants. After an enjoyable meal you will restart your tour at approximately 3:00 pm.

You will get to your final destination, the Aukana Buddha Statue, by 3:40 pm. This statue gets its fame from the perfection used during sculpting it from the rock. The Aukana Buddha statue is the largest standing Buddha statue in Sri Lanka at 46m of height; and is believed to be from the 6th century AD, while there are some who say it may also be from the 13th century AD. While you’re there, you will be able to visit the Aukana Greta Royal Temple and view the ancient rock inscriptions on its premises. At 4:30 pm you will be completing your tour of the Aukana Buddha Statue and will be returning to your hotel.

The entire tour will end once you get dropped off back in Habarana by 6:00 pm.

Duration: 2 hours

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: Aukana Rajamaha Viharaya, Kalawewa-Avukana Rd, 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