Hi my fellow travellers,

What's up Hivers? I hope everything are OK for you right now. Greetings from Sri Lanka. I have a strong interest in traveling around the country because of the unforgettable experiences I want to get, the new knowledge and understanding I get and the beautiful landscapes I get to see. There are really many beautiful places near us. A person with a true desire will find time to travel no matter how busy they are. I plan my trips on a holiday like this. So, on the evening of Sunday 1st January, I went to Senigama Sri Devol Maha Devalaya, a historical shrine in the southern city, with the intention of giving freedom to me and my family. Seenigama is located between Ambalangoda town close to Hikkaduwa town.

A very precious carving can be seen at the entrance to Senigama temple. Previously, I mentioned about the entrance of Dewandara temple in a content I presented. Some devotees believe that Dewandara Temple is a place where Lord Vishnu took refuge, and Senigama Temple is a place where Lord Sri Devol took refuge. Therefore, the entrances show similar characteristics. It can be seen from above that the main place is reserved for the Sun and the Moon. But instead of the dragon's mouth, here are the mouths of elephants. Small stalls are set up on both sides of the entrance to sell flowers, incense sticks, oil etc.

Since the Senigama Sri Devol Temple is a Buddhist shrine, separate places have been set up for the religious masters Buddha as well as other offerings. Shoes must be removed upon entry and handed over to the guard. They give the shoes to us safely when we leave. When you first enter the temple, you can see a Buddha statue. Dagaba of golden color can also be seen there. We walked to the other side of the Buddha offering flowers.

There was a chamber with glass on one side to light clay lamps using oil. The lantern is fully glazed on one side to protect the flame. The devotees came and lit the lamps. Also, a small pot with Buddhist carvings was placed to hold the sticks. Due to the smoke of incense, the entire temple area was filled with fragrance.

We also bought flowers from a booth outside the temple grounds to worship the Buddha. I was carrying the lilies that I had bought in my hand to offer to Buddha and Bodhi.

The temple grounds were very clean and the surroundings were arranged to suit the environment. Pots with ornamental plants are placed everywhere. Generally, the entrance to the Bodhi tree in any temple is covered with sea sand. It remained unchanged in Senigama shrine ground. The grounds were also beautiful with green foliage.

Looking at the Bo tree, it is obvious that it is an old one. The branches of the tree spread in all directions. A golden fence has also been constructed for the protection of the Bo tree. Below it, eighty-eight Buddhist booths with Buddhist carvings are built around the tree.

An image of the goddess who presided over this coastline was erected in the open area. As the sea is exposed to sun and rain, this statue is also built to be exposed to all. Devotees also worship this idol by placing flowers.

The temple of Lord Sri Devol is built on an island like place. Boats are available to reach this place at certain times. Boats are not provided as the sea waves are dangerous to the temple during the high season. However, electricity has been provided to it. The traditional temple building features of Sri Lanka can be seen from afar.

Although the beach looks beautiful these days, the Seenigama open beach is a dangerous area. Therefore no person uses this area for swimming or playing. My daughter has a strong interest in surfing, so she often requested to come with her. You can tell by her smile that she was very happy because we allowed her to have fun in a safe place.

After giving my wife the opportunity to take photos, my daughter and I came to Seenigama protected sea area and walked and stepped on the sea waves. She was jumping up and down and having a lot of fun.

After having fun with beach rallies for about 15 minutes, we returned to the temple grounds with the intention of visiting other more valuable places.

The gold-plated beam was carved with lion images and other traditional Buddhist carvings. Beautiful architectural features can also be seen in this temple.

A very beautiful color is applied on the walls and roof and you can see the high temple in terms of architecture, full of various carvings. A beautifully maintained garden can also be seen on the side of the temple building.

Ornamental plants and flowers are planted and watered regularly so they grow and add a charming shape. The presence of cement blocks on the ground makes walking more comfortable. In this Seenigama Sri Devol temple, several booths with Buddha statues can be seen.

Buddha was married to Goddess Yasodhara before attaining enlightenment. Shortly after Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment, Goddess Yasodhara also entered the Buddha's order and became a monk. That goddess Yasodhara became arahant after meditation. A statue of the Arahat Devi has been erected recently.

There was a chamber with an image of Buddha, who was a religious teacher, right next to it. The same architectural features have been used to construct these two cottages. A small staircase has been created for entry. Two pots are placed on both sides to reflect the symbol of prosperity.

From the past, in the construction of temples in Sri Lanka, symbols, logos, etc. unique to Buddhism have been seen. These are the kind of amazing products.

Beyond the beautiful little garden and towards the sea side were some small buildings like the shrines of some of the Hindu deities. I also observed how some devotees were offering prayers from them.

From this angle you can clearly see the beautiful shape and cleanliness of the garden. The work of maintaining the ornamental flower plants so well is done by the workers appointed by the temple donor council. We must appreciate the value they add to the environment. Meanwhile, lotus plants have been grown in a concrete pot made of cement. In the future you can see their beautiful lotus flowers.

A building with a different architectural style caught my attention. Made of strong wood, the blue colored shapes of the door are attractive. A half-naked male sculpture was also placed next to it.

In fact, this was the building with the most attractive features seen in Senigama Dewol Temple. The shapes of the arched bubbles on the upper wall, the shapes of the walls are very interesting.

When entering a temple building, one can see a sign with Buddhist carvings called "Sadakada Pahana". Also in this content you can see two photos with that mark above. It is a unique feature of Buddhist architecture.

*The library of the temple was also in that magnificent building. In addition to that, there was also a small Buddha Mandir with a Buddha statue inside. After worshiping it too, we came out. The mansion with the Omniscient Relics was on the first and second floors. They are not allowed to be photographed so you cannot show them.

Few moments later we leaved from this historical temple. Actually we all got good mental freedom and experience to our lives. If you want to come and visit this place, you can use coastal bus route or railway.

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