Sri Lanka | The most beautiful flowers

Buddhism is the predominant religion in Sri Lanka, practiced by approximately 70% of the population. 🍅 🍉As one of the major strongholds of Theravada Buddhism, it has been prevalent in Sri Lanka for over 2,000 years. Buddhist-related buildings, statues, and activities can be seen everywhere across the country.🍓🍓 On every Poya Day (the full moon day of each month), local Buddhist devotees have the tradition of visiting temples. 🍢 🌻They dress in white, hold fresh flowers, wash their hands, go barefoot, and engage in worship, prostration, offerings, and prayers... to express their reverence and remembrance of the Buddha. My chartered driver is a devout Buddhist. When he sees monks on the road, he kneels down to pay homage, and when driving past temples or Buddha statues, he takes off his hat in respect.💐 🌼Under his guidance, I visited several Buddhist sacred sites and was even fortunate enough to be introduced to the monks in the temples, listening to them give teachings one-on-one.🙉 👉👈 I feel extremely honored and grateful. 🌿 Sacred City of Anuradhapura😍 Anuradhapura, an ancient capital and Buddhist sacred site of Sri Lanka, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the north-central part of the country.🦚 🌴The ancient city is scattered with ruins of palaces and temples, shaded by lush trees, where various wild animals and birds thrive. One of its most famous landmarks is a white stupa that houses what is said to be the largest collection of Buddha’s relics in the world. 💓 The original structure of the stupa was destroyed, and the one seen today was rebuilt over a hundred years ago.🙈 Not far from the stupa stands a Bodhi tree, transplanted from the very tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. After over 2,000 years, it is now lush and thriving.👊 This is a major Buddhist pilgrimage center, with devotees from all directions coming to pay homage daily. ⚡ 😜Dressed in white, they remove their shoes, wash their feet, place the most beautiful blooms from their flower offerings in front of Buddha statues, then pray and kneel. 🌽 Near the entrance, there are designated areas for lighting lamps and burning incense, and even special automatic spray devices to keep the offered flowers fresh.🌻🌻 🍐🎼Circling the stupa, there is a Buddha statue at intervals, and the entire stupa is surrounded by flowers, with occasional special religious ceremonies taking place.🦋 Tips: ✅ It’s best to wear slippers, as you’ll need to remove your shoes when entering temples, stupas, etc. 🐟 🐬Avoid wearing revealing clothing such as tank tops, strapless tops, shorts, or short skirts. Disposable socks can be worn to make barefoot walking more comfortable and clean. ✅ The entrance fee for the ancient city is 25 USD (8,225 LKR), valid for the day. Be sure to keep your ticket safe, as there will be occasional checks.🕊️🕊️ 🌿 Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy This is a well-known tourist attraction, so I won’t elaborate much. 🐾 🍁It’s worth mentioning that the day I visited happened to be the first day of the New Year. The door where the Tooth Relic is kept, which is usually closed, was open, and I was lucky enough to catch a quick glimpse amid the crowded throng.🍐 Interestingly, four elephants also came that day, lined up in front of the temple to pay homage.🍖🍖 #SriLankaTourism#SriLankaIndependentTravel#SriLanka