Athugala, also known as elephant rock, is a majestic rock in Sri Lanka that overlooks the town of Kurunegala. It is located around 1km away from the city of Kurunegala and is a popular tourist destination. The elephant-shaped rock was given the name “Athugala” because of its appearance. Apart from the Kurunegala Clock Tower and the lake, this is the most famous feature in Kurunegala town, despite the fact that it is surrounded by multiple rocks. Athagala is the tallest and largest rock in the vicinity of Kurunegala, rising to a height of 325 meters. It is also the largest among the other neighboring rocks, which are as follows.
- Ibba-gala or Tortoise Rock
- Ada-gala or Eel Rock
- Elu-gala or Goat Rock
- Kuruminiya-gala or Beetle Rock
- Wandura-gala or Monkey Rock
According to local legend, the city had suffered from a devastating drought that had resulted in a severe lack of water a long time ago. Animals had become a menace to the city as a result of their consumption of a big amount of water, which made the situation worse for the residents. Then a witch intervened in order to alleviate the situation by converting some of the animals into the stone sculptures that were previously stated in the story.
In recognition of this Athugala Rock, the city of Kurunegala was given the name of Kurunegala. “Kurune” refers to a tusker or an elephant with protruding teeth, while “gala” refers to a rock in Sinhala language. Kurunegala is sometimes referred to as “Hasthishaila Pura,” which translates as “The City of the Elephant Rock” in Sanskrit and means “City of the Elephant Rock.” Furthermore, the term “Athugal Pura” is used to describe the city of Kurunegala in some ancient writings, and it is derived from the Sanskrit word “Athugal”.
Athugala, also known as elephant rock, is a majestic rock in Sri Lanka that overlooks the city of Kurunegala. It is located around 1km away from the city and rises to a height of 325 meters. The rock was given the name Athugala because of its appearance. According to local legend, the city had suffered from a devastating drought that had resulted in a severe lack of water. Animals had become a menace to the city as a result of their consumption of a big amount of water, which made the situation worse for the residents.
There are two options for getting to the top of the rock: either walking up the steps in the rock or taking a car up to the top.
One of the most impressive features of the rock is a gigantic white-colored Buddha Statue that rises 90 feet into the sky. To the distance, the big black bare rock offers an ideal setting for the white Buddha statue, which appears to be an elephant carrying a “Karanduwa” on its back, similar to the scene in “Perehara.”
When looking back in time, there has been a dearth of construction during the Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, and Kurunegala periods, in contrast to the flurry of activity during the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods, which coincided with the religious boom. In order to protect and fortify their kingdoms against intruders, the kings of the time had to devote their attention to meeting the cultural and agricultural demands of their subjects. The construction of this Buddha Statue began in 2001 with the goal of enhancing the worth of the Kurunegala Kingdome. Later on, the work on the statue was completed in 2007.
When viewed from Kurunegala city, the night view of the Buddha statue is a breathtaking and breath-taking sight, as just the Buddha statue can be seen in the dark surroundings, just as if it were a statue floating in the sky. The view toward the city from the top of the rock is equally spectacular, and it would be much more spectacular to witness the sun setting over the city from the top of the rock in the evening. It will also provide an opportunity to observe monkeys and their behavior both on top of the rock and while traveling to the rock.
One of the most impressive features of the rock is a gigantic white-colored Buddha Statue that rises 90 feet into the sky. The construction of this Buddha Statue began in 2001 with the goal of enhancing the worth of the Kurunegala Kingdome, and was completed in 2007.
Image Credits: en.wikipedia.org
WHERE TO STAY
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