This travel and pilgrimage guidebook is meant primarily for Buddhists or those interested in Buddhism who wish to explore Sri Lanka’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the island, the author weaves together archaeological findings, art history and the stories and legends of the Buddhist tradition to bring to life thirty-three places of religious significance.
This book provides both an erudite and intimate look at how Buddhism is lived in Sri Lanka. While India is known as the birthplace of Buddhism, Sri Lanka is its other home; Buddhism extends back over twenty-five hundred years on the island and remains at the center of its spiritual traditions and culture. Throughout the book, author Swarna Wickremeratne incorporates a personal view, sharing stories of herself, her family, friends, and acquaintances as they "lived Buddhism" both during her Sri Lankan girlhood and during more recent times. This personal view makes the traditions come alive as Wickremeratne details Buddhist beliefs, customs, rituals and ceremonies, and folklore. She also provides a fascinating discussion of the Sangha, the institutional monkhood in Sri Lanka, including its history, codes of conduct, and evolution and resilience over time. Wickremeratne explores the recent attempts by many monks to reinvent themselves in a society characterized by secularization, globalization, and a tide of aggressive Christian evangelization.
A comprehensive guidebook to the places in India made sacred by the Buddha’s presence. Beginning with an inspiring account of Buddhist pilgrimage, the author then covers sixteen places in detail. With maps and colour photos, an essential companion for pilgrim and traveler.
The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka is the most comprehensive and user-friendly guide to exploring this fascinating island country. Each chapter includes thoroughly researched travel information, hotel and restaurant listings, and thoughtful background on the environment, politics, culture, music and history, and a practical language guide ensures you can interact with locals. The full-color design combines glorious images to whet your appetite with a practical layout and dozens of accessible and accurate maps to guide you from the urban centers to the jungle, beaches and mountains. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka.
The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka is the definitive travel guide with clear maps and detailed coverage of all the best attractions Sri Lanka has to offer. Get the low-down on one of the worlds most beautiful islands, with in-depth coverage of Sri Lanka's superb beaches, magnificent wildlife, verdant tea plantations and majestic Buddhist remains. The guide includes practical information on getting there and around, plus reviews of the best Sri Lanka hotels, from serene oceanside Ayurveda retreats to atmospheric colonial-era tea estate bungalows, and Sri Lanka restaurants, bars and Sri Lankan shopping for all budgets. You'll find introductory sections on Sri Lanka food, drink, health, cultural customs and outdoor activities as well as specialist Sri Lanka tour operators and colour inserts on tea, Buddhism and the island's highlights with inspirational colour photography throughout . Rely on expert background on everything from the history of the ancient Buddhist kingdoms through to the contemporary political scene in Sri Lanka and traditional Sri Lankan dance. Explore all corners of this fascinating country with the clearest Sri Lanka maps of any guide. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka
The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka is the most comprehensive and user-friendly travellers' guide to this fascinating country. Each chapter of the Rough Guide includes thoroughly researched travel information, hotel and restaurant listings, sections on everything from food and language to media and sport, and thoughtful background on the environment, politics, culture, music and history. The new stunning full-colour design combines glorious images to whet your appetite with a practical layout and dozens of accessible and accurate maps to guide you from the urban centres to the jungle, beaches and mountains. This is the time to discover Sri Lanka - the Rough Guide is your perfect companion. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka. Now available in ePub format.
... "Twenty years of photographs by photographer and anthropologist Martin Gray. Accompanying each photograph is commentary that takes us into the history, mythology and spiritual magnetism of the particular place ..."--Jacket.
“Translated with grace and precision . . . gives us a rare glimpse of how Asian religion and life appeared from the perspective of the Tibetan plateau.” —Janet Gyatso, Harvard University In 1941, philosopher and poet Gendun Chopel sent a manuscript by ship, train, and yak across mountains and deserts to his homeland in Tibet. He would follow it five years later, returning to his native land after twelve years in India and Sri Lanka. But he did not receive the welcome he imagined: he was arrested by the government of the regent of the young Dalai Lama on trumped-up charges of treason. He emerged from prison three years later a broken man and died soon after. Gendun Chopel was a prolific writer, yet he considered that manuscript, to be his life’s work, one to delight his compatriots with tales of an ancient Indian and Tibetan past, Now available for the first time in English, Grains of Gold is a unique compendium of South Asian and Tibetan culture that combines travelogue, drawings, history, and ethnography. Chopel describes the world he discovered in South Asia, from the ruins of the sacred sites of Buddhism to the Sanskrit classics he learned to read in the original. He is also sharply, often humorously critical of the Tibetan love of the fantastic, bursting one myth after another and finding fault with the accounts of earlier Tibetan pilgrims. The work of an extraordinary scholar, Grains of Gold is a compelling work animated by a sense of discovery of both a distant past and a strange present. “The magnum opus of arguably the single most brilliant Tibetan scholar of the twentieth century.” —Lauran Hartley, Columbia University
Discover Sri Lanka with the most incisive and entertaining guidebook on the market. Whether you plan to explore the ancient ruins of Sigiriya, wander amid Ella's verdant tea plantations or explore the cave temples of Dambulla, The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka will show you the ideal places to sleep, eat, drink, shop and visit along the way. - Independent, trusted reviews - written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and insight, to help you get the most out of your visit, with options to suit every budget. - Full-colour chapter maps throughout - to find your way amid Colombo's bustling bazaars or the museums and temples in Kandy without needing to get online. - Stunning images - a rich collection of inspiring colour photography. Things not to miss - Rough Guides' rundown of the best sights and experiences in Sri Lanka. - Itineraries - carefully planned routes to help you organize your trip. - Detailed coverage - this travel guide has in-depth practical advice for every step of the way. Areas covered include: Colombo, Kandy, Ella, Galle, Sigiriya, Mirissa, Arugam Bay, Kataragama, Weligama, Horton Plains, Jaffna, Dambulla. Attractions include: Adam's Peak, Temple of the Tooth, Yala National Park, World's End, Anuradhapura, The Pettah. - Basics - essential pre-departure practical information including getting there, local transport, accommodation, food and drink, health, the media, festivals, outdoor activities, national parks, culture, shopping, travelling with children and more. - Background information - a Contexts chapter devoted to history, Sri Lankan Buddhism, Buddhist art and architecture, wildlife, tea and books, as well as a helpful language section and glossary. About Rough Guides : Escape the everyday with Rough Guides. We are a leading travel publisher known for our "tell it like it is" attitude, up-to-date content and great writing. Since 1982, we've published books covering more than 120 destinations around the globe, with an ever-growing series of ebooks, a range of beautiful, inspirational reference titles, and an award-winning website. We pride ourselves on our accurate, honest and informed travel guides.
