Day 005 of Our Winter: We spent a lot of the day at the house. There always seems to be something happening, especially things to do with eating, cleaning, or chatting. Today was a poya day and thus, a national holiday. Most people have off the observance of each full moon and many Buddhists go to a temple as a form of religious observance and as a family outing. Buddhists make up the majority of people on the island. However, the nation also observes important Christian, Moslem, and Hindu religious dates too. These add up to around 25 to 28 days per year!
Jay and his sisters decided that we could go to visit the Aluthapola Temple. It's near the house here in Minuwangoda but I've only been there once or twice. So we started the process of using the PickMe app to book a rideshare.
As it's a public holiday, the drivers were busy and probably a number decided to spend time with family. So it took us close to 40 minutes before we got a confirmed car to take is the 8 km to the temple parking lot. It was around 5:00 pm when we arrived and the driver said he'd wait for us even though we'd be closer to an hour before we returned to the car.
The religious site has a number of different structures but the most famous is its cave temple, It has been sacred ground for over 2200 years. Photographs of the interior were not allowed but I will report that it was brightly painted with designs and teachings from the Buddha. I recall the reclining Buddha statue in most interior section. Later structures around the temple date from the Dutch era and right on up to the present.
People had been visiting all day, but it was quite crowded at this hour before sunset. The rock can get very hot in the sun but the breeze was very pleasant at the time of day. Hundreds of motorcycles and scooters brought young and old. The car park was full.
I snapped a lot of pictures but have selected only a few for inclusion here. One reclining Buddha was made entirely from one piece of wood and is quite unusual. The large rock in the center of a rather flat coastal area is a significant landmark.
By the time we got home at around 6:30, it was completely dark. The days length here only vary a half hour throughout the year as Sri Lanka is so close to the equator. There is always about twelve hours of daylight. This was a fun little outing today and a chance to really engage in a unique experience.