AJAY KAMALAKARAN TRAVELS TO THE SRI LANKAN PILGRIMAGE TOWN OF KATARAGAMA BEFORE HEADING TO SPOT LEOPARDS AT THE YALA NATIONAL PARK.

Sri Lankas majority ethnic Sinhalese may be Buddhist but that doesn't stop many of them from worshipping Hindu gods and goddesses such as Ganesha, Laxmi, Saraswati and Murugan ( or Kataragama as he is called on the island).

The temple of Murugan in Kataragama on the southeastern coast of the island is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka for Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims alike. During the season, the town is packed with busloads of pilgrims praying for everything from good results for children appearing in public exams to jobs overseas.

With the civil war now over, the annual 45- day pilgrimage in August from Jaffna to Kataragama has recommenced. A large group of devotees walk all the way south through the countrys east coast to make it to the temple in time for the Kataragama festival on a full moon night. Pilgrims are allowed to stay in rest houses run by Hindu and Buddhist temples along the coast.

The queues can be long at the Dravidian Hindu temple, but do not compare to those in places like Tirupathi and Guruvayur.

Other differences between Kataragama and the famous South Indian temples are the lack of paid entry tickets or a separate queue for women.

The Kataragama temple also has a Buddhist meditation stupa, which is usually used by pilgrims before they enter the Murugan temple. The Murugan deity is only visible during the poojas that are conducted at 4: 30 am, 10: 30 am and 6: 30 pm.

The town of Kataragama also has two temples dedicated to Murugans two wives, Devayani and Valli. Since Kataragama is close to the Yala National Park, stories of wildlife crossing over to pilgrims'rest houses by the river aren't uncommon.

The town of Tissamaharama ( Tissa) is used as base both by nature lovers and pilgrims, as it is in between Kataragama and the Yala National Park. The Tissa Dagaba, a Buddhist stupa by a large manmade lake ( or tank as they are called on the island) is a nice place to meditate away from the crowds of Kataragama. It is also possible to take a relaxing boat ride on the tank that was constructed as far back as the 3rd century B. C. Several tour operators conduct safaris to the Yala National Park, which besides being famous for its 150- odd bird species, is the home of the panthera pardus kotiya, a subspecies of leopard that is found only in Sri Lanka. Yala has the densest population of leopards in the world but considering that the park has a total area of 126,786 hectares, spotting a beautiful cat may not be easy. We spotted a leopard with a brownish coat, just after sunset. The poor ( and shy) animal must have been startled with the noise that the excited tourists were making when they saw it climbing down a tree.

There is more to the park than leopards... Peacocks, wild fowl, kingfishers, elephants, crocodiles, deer, water monitors and a host of bird species that only a serious birdwatcher would recognise, don the park.

The parks beautiful landscape consists of scrubs, green plains, lagoons and rocky outcrops that lead to the Indian Ocean.

Interestingly enough, the animals in the park moved away from the coast before the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami struck the park.

Tourists staying in 2 guest houses by the coast weren't as lucky.

The best time to undertake a safari is in the early morning. The park opens just

after sunrise and thats when its the easiest to spot some of the migratory birds in the park, such as pintails, white- winged black terns and curlews, as well as local species of hornbills and orioles. Early mornings are also the best time to spot jackals, mongooses, wild buffaloes, boar and monkeys.

Just be ready for a particularly bumpy and rough ride as the off- road path is terribly uneven and the safari jeep drivers, at times, seem like they were Formula 1 aspirants.

But after the morning and evening safaris, theres no greater feeling than camping out in the edge of the park under a star- filled sky and waking up early to see a dawn untouched by industrial pollution.

Facts for the Traveller Visas: An electronic travel authorisation can be obtained online for a 30- day stay ($ 10) in the country. This facility is also available at the Bandaranaike Airport in Colombo, but there is a surcharge.

Flights: The cheapest way to get to Colombo is from Chennai, with the sector being among the most competitive in the world. There are direct overnight buses to Kataragama and to Tissa, from where jeeps can be hired for a safari at Yala. A better option would be to hire a car from Colombo, as you can stop at many of the attractions on the way.

Hotels: Guesthouses at Tissa offer rooms with tariffs starting at around US$ 10. The pilgrim rest houses in Kataragama are usually full during the season and on weekends.

Some resorts in the outskirts of Yala have family houses that accommodate groups of travellers and charge around US $ 100, which includes a charge for cooking meals.

Nearby Places of Interest: The beaches of Tangalle and Kirinda are within striking distance of Tissa. They are great places to relax after an overdose of wildlife or religion.

The author is a travel writer and blogs at http:// ajayinbombay. blogspot. com