Sri Lanka > The temple of Kataragama

Today I can sleep in, but I’m still woken by the alarm. It’s already past eight. I walk to the restaurant for breakfast. The weather is beautiful and warm. I just have to get used to it. I sit outside at a table. Immediately, one of the crows grabs a piece of my toast. I’ll probably have to get used to that too. At half past nine, I go to Kataragama to visit the temple of the same name. A Puja ceremony takes place here at ten thirty. Kataragama is a true pilgrimage site, as it is one of the three places in Sri Lanka where Buddha himself is said to have visited. As I arrive, I see numerous fruit stalls. Pilgrims offer trays of fruit to Buddha, each tray containing at least seven different fruits. I follow the pilgrims to the main temple. Everyone is dressed in white. With my red T-shirt, I stand out sharply. Along a wide path, I reach the main temple. I hand over my shoes at a counter and enter the courtyard.

Sri Lanka - A Puja ceremony is held in Kataragama Temple

Here, I see even more pilgrims dressed in white. It is remarkable that there are hardly any tourists. As I look at the sandy square in front of the temples, I count exactly six tourists. They are dwarfed by the hundreds of pilgrims. At precisely ten thirty, the door of the Maha Devale temple opens. Everyone crowds toward the entrance. I join in and shuffle into the small temple. It’s packed. I have no choice but to be pushed along with the crowd, eventually exiting at the side. From this main temple, a wide sandy path stretches for several hundred meters to the Kiri Vehera stupa. As I walk over the sand, I notice that I’m not used to walking barefoot. The small stones in the sand feel sharp. I also try to stay in the shade of the trees. It is oppressively hot. At the large white stupa, there is no shade left. I walk around the stupa. The stones are scorching hot. I can’t stay in one spot for long. My feet burn. Quickly, I seek shade again under the trees as I walk back to the parking lot. Back at the hotel, I prepare for a dip in the pool. I am handed a towel, a mat is laid on a sunbed, and a cola is served. Just as I lie down, it starts raining. I retreat to a table under the roof at the restaurant. The waiter wants to know where I’m from, how much my phone cost, and what I think of Sri Lanka. The rain continues. I decide to have lunch first. After lunch, I swim a few laps in the rain. Later, as I’m in my room preparing for the afternoon safari, the phone rings. It’s Ajbriy. He says the weather is too bad to spot animals. All the animals hide when it rains. He advises doing the safari tomorrow morning. If I leave at five o’clock, I can do the game drive before driving to Galle. Although I’m a bit disappointed that the safari can’t take place, I agree with him that a game drive in the rain would be difficult. The forecast for tonight is wet. Hopefully, it will be dry by tomorrow morning. I retreat to my room with a book. Outside, heavy showers pass by from time to time. It’s a good thing I didn’t do the game drive this afternoon. In the evening, it’s still raining. I walk along the main road with an umbrella. I pass the restaurant from yesterday. A little further on, there’s a nice restaurant by a hotel. There aren’t many guests. I order Kantan, a kind of spinach with chicken. Although the owner finds it strange, I order fries with it instead of rice. It tastes delicious.