Don Phillip, Don John and Dona Catherina of Sri Lanka

The Kingdom of Kotte was established by Parakrama Bahu Vl (1473-1480) who was also Emperor of Ceylon. The Kingship devolved on King Dharmapala (1557-1597).

The Kandyan Kingdom was established as an autonomous Kingdom in 1474 by Vickrama Bahu Vl, under King and Emperor of Kotte. Vickrama Bahu broke away and established himself as King of Kandy. Vickrama Bahu gave his daughter in marriage to Kiravilla the brother in Law of the King of Kotte. Kiravilla’s son Karaliedde Bandara was also known as Mahadasin to the throne of Kandy.

The Portuguese first made contact with Ceylon accindentaly when in ISOS Admiral Lorenzo De Almeida landed here by strong monsoonal winds but did not enter into any formal treaty. However, about 5 decades later the Portuguese came here to establish a factory in Colombo in the time of King Dharmapala. With the coming of the Portuguese the King of Kotte, nobles and warriors were converted to the Catholic faith and adoption of Portuguese, titles and names after conversion. Dharmapala was baptised as Don Juan Dharmapala.

Mayadunne and his son, Rajasinghe I of Sitawaka raised a rebellion against the Portuguese. Mahasin, Karaliadde Bandara the father of Kusumasena Devi fled Kandy with his wife and child as well as his nephew Yamasinghe Bandara for safety to Trincomalee as there was an attempt to capture his Kingdom by Sitawaka Rajasinghe. It is said that at Trincomalee he and his wife was affected by smallpox and died. Both Yamasinghe and infant Kusumasena Devi were advised to beseech the aid of Catholic Nuns in Mannar for succour. Yamasinghe was baptised as Don Phillip and Maha (pata) bandige Kusumasena Devi was baptised as Dona Catherina.

Dona Catherina was the sole child survivor of the smallpox epidemic which wiped out her entire family, the family of Karaliyadde Bandara. As an orphan she was brought up by the Nuns of the convent at Mannar.

Sitawaka Rajasinghe I together with his General Wimala Dharmasuriya (Sn) conquers Kandy and appoints his General Wimaladharmasuriya (the father of Konnappubandara) as Governor of Kandy. Subsequently King Rajasinghe I who was a diehard convert to Hinduism had ordered the Governor of Kandy, General Wimaladharmasuriya, to destroy the Buddhist Monks in Kandy. He did not carry out the orders but knew the possible consequences. So he sent his wife and son over to the Portuguese in Mannar and reported himself to Rajasinghe I Sithawaka. He was martyored by Rajasinghe I by stoning him to death for not carrying out his orders. General Wimaladharma Suriya’s son who was known as Konnappu bandara was baptized as Don John of Austria.

Both Don Phillip and Don John were trained in warfare in Goa by the Portuguese while Dona Catherina was named in the niceties of Royal etiquette and court craft.

The Portuguese decide to Conquer Kandy with Don Phillip to be installed as King with Don John as his General, who were both expected to marry Portuguese wives, so that they could have a control over them and were taken to Mannar for the expedition.

The Portuguese advanced an expedition to Kandy to conquer it with Portuguese General Pedro Lopenz and conquered Kandy and Don Phillip was installed as King. After a while he was poisoned by his General Don John of Austria who took over the reigns as King of Kandy (1592) better known as Wimaladharma Suriya l. He used the Portuguese Captives to reconstruct his Fortress in Kandy and his palace. Asgiri Talipot says that Konappu Bandara alias Wimaladharmasuriya (1593 - 1604 AD) was crowned by Rev. Devanagala Ratanalankara Maha Thero and Chief Sanghanayakes of up country. Meantime, he married the daughter of Udammita Brahmana Rala, a very distinguished officer of the Palace of Kotte. (Rajawali P. 160 - Suraweera) His newly married wife passed away as a result of a child birth. Being a full trained soldier he began the liberation struggle against king Rajasinghe I and Portuguese power both.

Rajasinghe I attacks Kandy but is routed by Wimaladharma Suriya 1 (Don John of Austria). Rajasinghe returned to Seethawaka and died. Jayaweera Banda the Treasurer of Rajasinghe I declares himself King of Seethawaka. Jayaweera Banda conspires with the Portuguese to conquer Kandy, with the hidden intention of marrying Dona Catherina and to become undisputed Emperor. Later Dona Catherina left Mannar with the Portuguese General Pedro to be installed as Empress of Ceylon in Kandy. The pole of the Palanquin in which Dona Catherina is carried breaks. This was considered as a bad omen by Donna Catherina, but General Pedro Lopes with her was not superstitutious and they decided to proceed to Kandy on the Expedition. The joint forces of the Portuguese and Jayaweera Banda took over Kandy which was tactfully deserted by Wimaladharma Suriya and installed Dona Catherina as Empress.

There were strained feelings between General Pedro Lopes and Jayaweera Banda. Pedro Lopes refused to give into the intentions of Jayaweera Banda to marry Dona Catherina. Wimaladharmasuriya I adopted Guerrilla Tactics and attacked Kandy, with the support of disgruntled Jayaweera who was promised by Don John to give him the lower Kingdom. Consequently, The Portuguese were routed and Dona Catherina was captured. Later, Wimala Dharma Suriya married Dona Catherina and became the undisputed Emperor of Ceylon with Empress Dona Catherina as his Queen. Jayaweera Banda was murdered by the Portuguese.

Dona Catherina begets by King Wimala Dharma Suriya I three children, namely a son Mahaasstane (the legal heir to the throne), two daughters Sunya Mahadasin and Cathan Adsain and lives in the old Palace in the premises of the present Kataragama Devale where the Palace Complex was within inner Fortress as indicated in the old Portuguese Maps. The well known Perahera of the four devales of Kataragama, Vishnu, Natha and Pattini was established at that time.

Demise of Wimala Dharma Suriya I lead to Dona Catherina taking over as regent to her son Maha Astenne who is heir to the Kingdom.

Later, Senerath, step brother of Wimaladharmasuriya, married Dona Catherina and begets three sons namely Prince Wijepala, Prince Kumarasinghe and Mahadasin. On 23rd August 1612 Heraditory Imperial Prince Mahastanne died suddenly. Dona Catherina suspected Senarath of Murdering him. Cremation Scene of Mahastenne at Mahiyawa (it is said the ashes of Mahastenne was brought by Dona Catherina to Welimantotta (in Kegalle) where the urn was kept within the Palace, which the Archaeology Dept. had found in the excavation of the Palace.) During this time she was also carrying another child by Senarath, However during her visits to Kandy she is reputed to have stayed in the Guest House in the Centre of the Present Kandy Lake (in the days of Senarath it was a paddy field).

Dona Catherina left the palace of Kandy after her second husband King Senarat poisoned her eldest son prince Maha Asthana - the heir to throne, in order to the pave the way to install his own son. She built this palace at Welimanathota, where she lived with her children after abandoning King Senarat. While at Welimantota she fell deliriously ill and summoned Prince of Migonne (Marcellus de Boschhouwer) and the Prince of Ouver (Kuruwitarala) and gave special custody of all her children and died, while incanting Catholic Prayers on 20th July 1613 at the age of 35.

Donna Catherina was buried on 21st July 1613 with all honors due to an Empress with Roman Catholic rites at her Palace Premises at Welimantota. It is believed that she was buried dressed in her Royal Regellia including a Pearl Rosary round her hands and the Bible beside. The Moseleum was built by the Prince of Ouva (Kuruwitarala) entombing herein a masolieum and a oil lamp was lit perpetually in her memory till recently.

King Senarath fell sick and summons the Council to decide on the Succession. Prince of Migonne (Marcellus de Boschhouwer) and the Prince of Ouva (Kuruwitarala) appoints Regents of Cumarasinghe Heriditory Prince during his minority with full authority to govern the relm and chosen for so great a task. In case of his death other princes to follow according to custom. King Senarath died in 1632 and left the Empire between his three sons. Ouva to Vijayapala his eldest, Matale to Kumarasinghe and Kandy to Mahastane the youngest. When Vijapala died Mahastane later became King under the imperial name of Rajasinghe II (Rasin Deiyo).

Dragon Fruit - a.k.a.Pithaya, Strawberry Pear

Round, often red colored fruit with prominent scales. The thin rind encloses the large mass of sweetly flavored white or red pulp and small black seeds. Some varieties are pinkish or yellow.

Description: A vining, terrestrial or epiphytic cactus, with fleshy stems reaching from a few inches up to 20ft long (in mature plants). The plant may grow out of, and over the ground or climb onto trees using aerial roots. Flowers are ornate and beautiful, and many related species are propagated as ornamentals. They bloom only at night, and usually last just one night where pollination is necessary to set fruit. In full production, pitahaya plants can have up to 4-6 fruiting cycles per year.

Hardiness: Will tolerate temperatures to 104F, and short periods of frost, but prolonged cold will damage or kill the plant.

Growing Environment: Dragon Fruit grows best in dry, tropical or subtropical climates where annual rainfall ranges from 20-50" per year. In wet, tropical zones, plants may grow well but sometimes have problems setting fruit reliably. The plants aren't usually too picky as to soil type, but because of their epiphytic nature, it is recommended to grow them in soil that is supplemented with high amounts of organic material. The plant has been grown successfully in sandy soils. Shade is sometimes provided in hot climates.

Propagation: By seed, or by stem cuttings.

Uses: The fruit is popular eaten chilled, out of hand. It is also used to flavor drinks and pastries. Unopened flowerbuds are cooked and eaten as vegetables.

Native Range: The exact origin is unknown, but is likely from Southern Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica. It is cultivated around the world in tropical regions.

Lahugala Kitulana National Park

The Lahugala Park was initially declared a sanctuary on 1 st July 1966 and then upgraded to a national park on 1 st October 1980. Although this is one of the smallest national parks in the country, this is a popular location for elephant enthusiasts and bird watchers.

There are 3 tanks within the park. They are, Lahugala (243ha), Kitulana and Sengamuwa. The water from these tanks flow in to the Heda Oya. These tanks are largely silted up and support an abundance of Beru grass, which is a delicacy for elephants. These lakes also support a large variety of birds, local as well as migratory.

Being in the dry zone, the land is generally flat with occasional boulder formations. In addition to the elephants, the park is home to the endemic toque macaque, common languor, sloth bear, jackal, rusty spotted cat, fishing cat, leopard, wild bear, Indian muntjac, spotted deer, sambar, pangolin and black naped hare. The tanks and the surround area has become nestling places for wetland birds like pelican, purple heron, painted stork, lesser adjutant stork, white bellied sea eagle, grey headed fishing eagle, common kingfisher, stork billed kingfisher and white breasted kingfisher. Endemic comb duck, rare red-faced malkoha and Sri Lankan Spur fowl too can be seen the park.

There is no accommodation in the park it self, but Pothuvil and Monaragala can be used as the base when visiting the park.

On the nor then edge of the park is the Magul Maha Viharaya, an ancient temple built by king Devanmpiyathissa in the second century BC. This is said to be the location the king married princess Vihara Maha Devi. The foundations of the “Magul maduwa” where the wedding ceremony took place can still be seen in the vihara premises. The entire Vihara complex had covered an extent of around 10,000 acres where ruins of a palace, moonstone, monastery, bo-maluwa, stupas, ponds etc. are found scattered all over. The moonstone here is said to be unique in the country as this is the only location where elephants are carved with their mahouts in the moonstone.

Location

Lahugala National park lies in the basin of the Heda Oya, 16km inland from the coastal town of Pottuvil in the Monaragala District. The Pottuvil-Monaragala trunk road runs through the south-eastern sector of the park. It is 2 km off the main Monaragala – Pottuvil road some 5 km from Pottuvil.

SRI LANKA PRACTICALITIES

Climate

Sri Lanka enjoys a tropical climate. There are no seasonal variations. The bi-annual monsoon rains provide the only seasons. Colombo and the South West experience rain from April to May and September to October. The East coast gets its share of rainfall from November to January. Being closer to the equator, the temperature is high throughout the year. The average temperature in Colombo is 27 degrees centigrade (80 degrees Fahrenheit). This is accompanied by high levels of humidity. However, in the different parts of the island, the temperature and the climate vary according to the terrain. The higher you go, the cooler it gets. In the mountainous regions of Nuwara Eliya, the temperature averages 16 degrees centigrade (61 degrees Fahrenheit).

History

The chronicled history of Sri Lanka dates back to over 2,500 years. It had established trade and cultural links with many ancient civilizations. Throughout history, it has been known by different names. To the Greeks it was Taprobane, to the Arabs it was Serendib, to the Portuguese it was Ceilao, to the Dutch it was Zeylan, and to the British it was Ceylon. Sri Lanka was the ancient name meaning "The Resplendent Isle".

People

The population number approximately 19 million. This multi-ethnic population comprises:

• Sinhalese - 72%
• Tamils - 19%
• Muslims - 8%
• Burghers (descendants of Dutch and Portuguese) - 1%

Religion

The four major religions are:

• Buddhism - followed by 69% of the population
• Hinduism - followed by 13% of the population
• Islam - followed by 8% of the population
• Christianity - followed by 7% of the population

Languages

The most commonly-spoken languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala, Tamil and English.

Currency

The Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs.) is divided into 100 cents. The coins and notes fall into the following denominations:

Coins: 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents, 1 Rupee, 2 Rupees, 5 Rupees, 10 Rupees

Notes: 10 Rupees, 20 Rupees, 50 Rupees, 100 Rupees, 500 Rupees, 1,000 Rupees, 2,000 Rupees

* Please note that 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents and 10 cents coins are barely in circulation today.

Food

The staple diet in Sri Lanka is rice. It is eaten with curry and a variety of chutneys, pickles and sambals. The rice may be boiled and served with curries or it may be cooked with spices and in coconut milk, as 'yellow' rice. It is also baked in meat stock as a Biriyani. Meats, seafood and vegetables are cooked as a curry with a base of coconut milk.

Other special food includes:

Kiribath - Kiribath means 'milk rice' and is a traditional dish for festive or special occasions.
Hoppers - Hoppers (egg and plain) are made of a batter containing coconut milk and palm toddy left overnight to ferment. It is then fried in a bowl shaped metal pan which forms its shape. Simply breaking an egg into the centre of the plain hopper makes an egg hopper.
String Hoppers - String Hoppers are vermicelli made of rice flour and steamed over a low fire.
Pittu - Pittu is prepared with rice flour and shredded coconut and steamed inside a bamboo. It is eaten with a hot sambal and pol hodi (coconut gravy).
Lamprais - Lamprais is a dish of Dutch origin. The rice is boiled in meat stock and then the vegetables and meat are added then slowly baked wrapped in a banana leaf.

Desserts
The wide array of Sri Lankan sweets betrays the sweet tooth of the Sri Lankan.

Buffalo Curd and Treacle - Buffalo Curd and Treacle (kithul pani which is made from the kithul palm).
Juggery - Juggery is a hard, brown coloured sweet made out of kitul treacle.
Kalu Dodol - Kalu Dodol is made out of coconut milk, juggery and cashew nuts.
Kavum, Kokis and Athiraha - Kavum, Kokis and Athiraha are traditional Sinhala sweetmeats.
Watalappan - Watalappan is made out of boiled coconut milk and juggery laced with cashew nuts and raisins.
Rasakevili - Rasakevili are the sweetmeats eaten during the festive seasons.
Thalaguli - Thalaguli are sesame balls.
Halape - Halape are a mixture of coconut and juggery.
Aluwa - Aluwa is a fudge-like sweet.
Puhul Dosi - Puhul Dosi (pumpkin preserves).
Panivalalu - Panivalalu are 'honey bangles'.
Bibikkan - Bibikkan is a traditional Sinhala cake made from juggery, coconut, cashews and dried fruit.

Fruits
Tropical fruits are plentiful in Sri Lanka. There are various varieties of mangoes, bananas, papaya, pineapples, avocados, guava, melons, passion fruit and pomegranate.

Some of the special fruits are:

Rambutan - Rambutan is related to the lychee. It is coated with a soft red hairy skin, which is easily peeled to rach the sweet flesh of the fruit.
Mangosteen - Mangosteen is a dark purple fruit with luscious translucent segments within. Its flavour may be described as a combination between strawberries and grapes. They are seasonal and are available from July to September.
Durian - Although the skin of the fruit has a strong, sometimes unpleasant aroma, the fruit is rich, soft, and yellow custard-like on the inside. This is believed to be an aphrodisiac.
Wood Apple - Wood Apple is a hard wooden-shelled fruit. This can be made into a tasty drink or a rich pudding with coconut milk.
Jackfruit - Jackfruit is very large fruit and may be eaten fresh as a fruit or cooked as a curry. Within the coarse, green skin, there are hundreds of succulent orange/yellow segments.
Babyjack - Babyjack is a watermelon-sized fruit which is eaten cooked as a curry.

Fish and Seafood
Being an island surrounded by the ocean, there is naturally a huge selection of seafood.

These include:

Prawns, Tuna, Crabs, Mullet, Shrimp, Shark, Lobster, Skipjack, Large Tiger Prawns, Amberjack, Squid, Seer.

There is also a large variety of freshwater fish.

Sigiriya Frescoes

The King was known to have 500 concubines, of which he had frescoes painted. These frescoes have survived thousands of years and are still in amazing condition, mainly due to the natural pigments used by the artists..

The paintings would have covered most of the western face of the rock, covering an area 140 meters long and 40 meters high. There are references in the Graffiti to 500 ladies in these paintings.

About Rithika's Hideout (RHO) @ Sigiriya

RITHIKA'S HIDEOUT aka RHO @ Sigiriya, is a beautiful Eco friendly boutique style small luxury hotel situated in a middle of a remote village called "Galahitiyawa" within the Sigiriya Sanctuary in Sigiriya, North Central Province of Sri Lanka, overlooking Lion Rock (Sigiriya), Pidurangala and bordering to a small lake called "Egodawewa". There are few families living in this village and most of the villagers here are farmers.

This "Eco-friendly" hideout will be in operation very soon (by mid 2013) and for sure, this will definitely be a lovely hideout place for people who like to live with more nature and bit of wild life, not forgetting to preserve and blend with our own Sri Lankan culture and traditions too.

This will have a Restaurant, Pub, Infinity Pool, Spa, Beautiful Luxury Individual Eco Dwellings fully equipped with Air conditioning / Fans, Telephone with Local / IDD facility, Email, Internet access / WiFi, Mini bar, Tea & Coffee making facility, Large scenic Private balcony / Terrace, TV, DVD, Music, Hot & Cold Water, Mini Bar etc,

Also this will have a naturally cool restaurant with a spectacular view for all day dining which serves Eastern/Western, Sri Lankan cuisine and Indigenous food, well stocked bar for light bites and drinks while enjoying the cool breeze from the lake, BBQ & Camping area, Laundry, Live entertainment, Horse ridings, Jeep safaris, Night safaris, Excursions, Boat rides, Games, Ayurvedha and Meditation facilities.

Hope you would like it and to come and relax in a beautiful environment like this in near future. This will be a Eco friendly totally Green concept luxury boutique style property.
As said, this is a truly amazing place going to be.

For Reservations / Inquiries;

Mano de Silva or Renuka de Silva
Managing Partners
"Rithika's Hideout"
Galahitiyawa,
Sigiriya.
Sri Lanka (NC)

Round the Clock: 00 94 (0) 773 508 609 or 00 94 (0) 773 029 000
E-mail : manodesilva@gmail.com / amathima@gmail.com / rithikashideout@gmail.com
URL : http://rithikashideout.blogspot.com/

Minneriya National Park

Distance from Colombo: 182km
Entrance: along the Habarana Polonnaruwa road
Access to the the park: by 4WD. 4 hour trip from Habarana
Size of the park: 8890 ha elephant corridor which joins up with Kaudulla & Wasgomuwa national parks
Main feature of the park: King Mahasena's magnificent Minneriya man made lake (3rd century) covering an area of 3000 ha
The terrain of the park: dry tropical forest to wetlands, grasslands
Best time to visit: June to September (dry season in the dry zone) when the mammals and birds roam around the tank
Main draw: herds of elephants up to 150. We can also see elephants on the Habarana road
Mammals: leopards, fishing cats, sambar deer, the endangered rusty spotted cat, sloth bear
Birds: cormorants, grey herons, spot-billed pelicans, painted storks, Sri Lankan hanging parrot & crimson-fronted barbet (160 species)

Transmigration of elephants of Minneriya National Park : Kaudulla National Park (Close to Polonnaruwa) & Wasgomuwa National Park (Close to Polonnaruwa)

The Photos of the Wild Elephants were taken by me during my visit at the Minneriya National Park.