With close proximity to Colombo – Kandy mainroad, with just 1 hour ride from the Bandaranaike International Airport, sits the historically and geographically significant city of Attanagalla. This city is often underestimated due to its unpopularity as a tourist destination even though it is home to beautiful hidden cultural and natural hotspots for travelers who seek real, uncommercialized and authentic Sri Lankan experience.
Join a local family for a meal, who loves to share their day with you. Visit a small scale coconut distribution center to see the traditional process of plucking and husking the fruit, smoke-drying Copra, and extracting coconut oil while having hands-on experience of each step in the process.
Learn to make a Sri Lankan snack from coconut and enjoy it with a cup of refreshing ginger tea. Hop on to a bike or tuktuk to explore the beauty of the area which is rich in paddy, pineapple, rubber and coconut plantations and do not forget to dip in a natural pool for a revitalizing bath.
This region is rich in boulder mountains. There are three main temples; Pettagam Kanda, Pilikuththuwa and Maligathenna, built amazingly entangled to boulders, which present great views of the green village. As time allows, we will explore these temples and their caves to learn more about the history of the area and old architectural designs that are not influenced by any invaders from South Asia and Europe.
The most well-known temple in the area is the Attanagalla Raja Maha Viharaya due to its history related to Bodhisattva (a past life of Buddha). Historians mention that the Bodhisattva fulfilled his Dana Paramita (one of the ten perfections to be completed by a Bodhisattva to become a Buddha) in the same place the temple is standing now. Locals believe that he sacrificed his life by giving his head in gratitude for a favor he received from a poor and ordinary countryman.
Another importance of this temple is that it has the only Vatadage (shrine covering a stupa) in Sri Lanka that is still intact, though heavily modified at various times by different rulers due to its historical importance to the life of Lord Buddha. In fact, this temple is the only one of its kind where the visitor can walk into the Vatadage of which the walls still have the remains of old murals which are identified as fresco paintings (method of painting water-based pigments on freshly applied plaster, usually on wall surfaces).
After a full day of roaming, you can enjoy a simple home-made dinner with the local family, listening to more interesting stories, as the day finally comes to an end, leaving you an unforgettable memory in Sri Lanka.