Ras Vehera or Sessuruwa has one of the largest standing buddha statues in the country. heaved out of a single granite boulder is a twin of a similar statue at Aukana. It is thought that the 2 statues were done by the teacher and the pupil contesting with one another. When the Aukana one was completed the completion of the one at Ras Wehera was stopped. Hence the statue is incomplete of the finer details. While the access to the statue is easy, the climb to the top of the rock is moderately difficult. There is no clear path to the the top, hence it is advisable to do so with a person from the village. The path way is through numerous caves which were inhabited by monks in the past. One particular cave called the “Hulan Gohawawe” or the Windy Cave, which always has a wind blowing through it.
The Yapahuwa Rock Fortress was one of the places where the Sacred Tooth Relic was kept during times of invasion from South India. The steep stair way leading to the fortress is to prevent any storming of the place by enemies. The architecture and intricacies of the the sculpture is awesome. Beyond the fortress, its possible to climb to the top of the rock. If one can make it up the steep stairs, then the rest of the climb is also possible. At the top is a remains of a chaitya and small rock pools.
Urban Gypsy Sri Lanka 