LARA_SH писал(а):А можно поподробнее - Ритигалли где находится и чем лучше?
Меня тоже интересует Ритигала. Сведения на форуме скудны. Кто там был, отзовитесь. И вопрос походу - кто-нибудь добирался в Ритигалу самостоятельно, т.е. без заранее арендованной машины с гидом. Очевидно, что самостоятельно,без проводника туда не добраться.
Вот, что пишет по поводу Ритигалы LP
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RITIGALA
Deep inside the Ritigala Strict Nature Reserve,
off the Anuradhapura–Habarana
road, are the partially restored ruins of an
extensive monastic and cave complex. The
ruins lie on a hill, which at 766m isn’t exactly
high, but is nevertheless a striking feature
in the flat, dry landscape surrounding
it. The 24-hectare site is isolated and almost
deserted. The site is included in the Cultural
Triangle round ticket ( p228 ), or individual
tickets cost US$8/4 for an adult/child.
The true meaning of the name Ritigala
remains unclear – gala means rock in Sinhala,
but riti may come from the Pali arittha,
meaning ‘safety’. Thus Ritigala was
probably a place of refuge, including for
kings as long ago as the 4th century BC.
Ritigala also has a place in mythology.
It’s claimed to be the spot from where Hanuman
(the monkey king) leapt to India
to tell Rama that he had discovered where
Sita was being held by the king of Lanka.
Mythology also offers an explanation for
the abundance of healing herbs and plants
found in Ritigala. It’s said that Hanuman,
on his way back to Lanka with healing
Himalayan herbs for Rama’s wounded
brother, dropped some over Ritigala.
Monks found Ritigala’s caves ideal for
a ascetic existence, and more than 70 such
caves have been discovered. Royals proved
generous patrons, especially King Sena I,
who in the 9th century made an endowment
of a monastery to the pamsukulika
(rag robes) monks.
Ritigala was abandoned following the
Chola invasions in the 10th and 11th centuries,
after which it lay deserted and largely
forgotten until it was rediscovered by British
surveyors in the 19th century. It was explored
and mapped by HCP Bell in 1893.
Sights
Ritigala has none of the usual icons: no
bodhi tree, no relic house and no Buddha
images. The only embellishments are on the
urinals at the forest monastery – it’s been
conjectured that by urinating on the fine
stone carving the monks were demonstrating
their contempt for worldly things.
Near the Archaeology Department bungalow
are the remains of a banda pokuna
(tank), which apparently fills with water
during the rainy season. From here it’s a
scramble along a forest path via a donations
hall to a ruined palace and the monastery
hospital, where you can still see the grinding
stones and huge stone baths. A flagstone
path leads upwards; a short detour takes
you to what is often described as a stone
fort – or, more accurately, a lookout.
The next group of ruins of note are the
double-platform structures so characteristic
of forest monasteries. Here you can see
the urinal stones, although they almost certainly
weren’t always in this exact spot. The
two raised stone platforms are supported
by stone retaining walls. The platform oriented
to the east is rectangular, while the
western one is smaller and square; unlike its
counterpart, it may have had a roof of some
sort. Scholars think they were used for meditation,
teaching and ceremony. Someone
from the Archaeology Department bungalow
will accompany you (and will expect a
tip, say Rs 300) but may be reluctant to take
you beyond this point – although the ruins
extend right up to the top – because of wild
animals and dense vegetation.
You’ll need at least 1½ hours to see the
site properly. Staff at the Archaeology Department
bungalow sell tickets to the site
and staff check all tickets, although there’s
no-one present after about 4pm.
Getting There & Away
Ritigala is 14km northwest of Habarana and
42km southeast of Anuradhapura. If you’re
coming from Habarana, the turn-off is near
the 14km post. It’s a further 9km to get
to the Archaeology Department bungalow
(which is 2km past the turn-off at the Wildlife
Department bungalow). You need your
own transport to get here and the road may
be impassable in the wet season (October to
January). As this is a very isolated area, you are advised to go in a group
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