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| Sri Lanka is an island of many names - all magically evocative of a tropical land of exotic spices, cool misty highlands, sun-soaked beaches, age-old temples and lost cities. To the ancient Greeks it was Taprobane;to the Arabs, Serendib; to later European conquerors, Ceilao, Zeylan or Ceylon; and in the Sinhala tongue of most of its own people, Sri Lanka - 'Lanka the Blessed'. |
A teardrop-shaped island just off the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, less than 50km (31 miles) away at its closest, Sri Lanka has links with the cultures of India that stretch back beyond history, but it would be a mistake to think of it as an India in miniature.
For the visitor, much of its enduring appeal stems from a near-unique combination of tropical sunshine and superb beaches with a fascinating and colourful culture epitomized by the mighty relics of ancient, vanished empires. All of this is concentrated within one tiny pack- age, just 435km (270 miles) long and 225km (140 miles) at its widest, making it easy to experience much of the best of Sri Lanka within a relatively short time.
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It's quite possible to pack into a two-week holiday a tour of the fascinating heritage sites of Anuradhapura, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa (the so-called 'Cultural Triangle'), a visit to the primal jungles of the Ruhuna National Park, two to three days of scuba diving on the south coast, and still have plenty of time left for lazy days on the beach, visiting botanical gardens, shopping for various arts and crafts, and sampling Sri Lanka's lip- smacking, spicy cuisine.
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Religion is something that dominates Sri Lanka. Not just because of the recent ethnic conflict but also architecturally. Everywhere are reminders of the ethnix mix. Huge Buddhist monuments, but also the many churches are a reminder of Portuguese control in the 15th century. Negombo just north of Colombo is known as 'little Rome' because it has so many - including St. Mary's
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Sri Lanaka is one of the few countries that have a written record of its history dating over 1500 years. Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism is said to have visited the country during his lifetime even leaving an imprint of his foot on Adam’s Peak, a 7300- foot mountain in the central highlands. The first entries in the Mahavansaya – or “Great History” – date back to 543 BC, which coincides with the arrival of Prince Vijaya to Sri Lanaka. Some 300 years later commenced the Early Anuradhapura Period, with King Devanampiya Tissa, the first ruler. It was on this period that the slip of the Bo tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, was brought to Sri Lanaka. The late Anuradhapura Period which began in the year 459, saw the reign of King Kasyapa, and construction Sigiriya. The Pollonnaruwa period, which commenced in 1073, witnessed the transfer of the capital from Anuradhapura to Pollonnaruwa. Famed explorer, Marco Polo, arrived in Sri Lanaka in the period between 1254 and 1324. |
In 1505 the Portuguese captured the costal belt under it until the Dutch ousted them in 1658. the Dutch were displaced by the British in 1796. the British captured the Kandyan Kingdom in the central Hills and bought the entire country under there rule in 1815 and unified the administration in 1833.A Legislative Council was established in the same year to administer the country. The Governor presided at the Legislative Council meeting and the key officials of the Government were appointed members. Unofficial members representing the different communities were also appointed. But they no power.
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| Climate |
Low Lands – tropical, average 27C
Central Hills – cooler, with temperatures dropping to 14C. The south-west monsoon brings rain to the western, southern and central regions from May to July, while the north-eastern monsoon is from December t0 January. Sri Lanka climate is ideal for holiday-makers throughout the year. |
| Tourist Places In Srilanka |
| Colombo |
Colombo, the island's largest city, is noisy, frenetic - and just a little crazy. 'No problem' might be the national motto; it's certainly the one phrase everyone knows and can say. While the city holds less obvious interest than many other parts of the island, it's still a colourful enough place and worth a visit to see what makes Sri Lanka tick.
Colombo is a relatively easy city to find your way around. To the north is the Fort district, the country's business centre, which has department stores, book shops, airline offices and is the site of the Central Bank, The World Trade Centre twin towers. There are also ample sights such as the clock tower, a former lighthouse, the president's residence (known by incorrigible traditionalists as Queen's House), and a cluster of colonial buildings which lend the district an aura of bygone Empire.
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| Ruhuna |
Ruhuna (Yala) National Park is at the south eastern corner of the Island, 288 km. from Colombo. It is the second largest national Park of the country with an area of 97,878 hectares. A wide range of wild animals including elephants, leopard, bear, sambur, spotted deer and a variety of birds including the jungle fowl and the peacock roam freely in this jungle. The park enjoys a short recess in the month of October every year when it is closed to visitors. Visitors are therefore advised to check with the Travel Information Centre of the Ceylon Tourist Board at 80, Galle Road, Colombo 3 (opposite Hotel Lanka Oberoi) or with the Department of Wildlife.
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| Udawattakele |
A forest reserve in Kandy is the home for a large number of bird species. Among them are the bulbul, barbet, flycatcher, babbler, woodpeckers and kingfishers. Flora Nearly 4,000 species of plants constitute the rich and diverse flora of Sri Lanka of which around 1,000 species are endemic. This wide range of plant species is spread through the wet and dry zones of the country. Sri Lanka’s endemic flora is protected within a tropical rain forest reserve called Sinharaja. There are three botanical gardens in Sri Lanka at Peradeniya, Hakgala and Gampaha displaying a large collection of tropical and sub tropical plant species. Sri Lanka’s orchids are world renowned. About 166 recorded species of orchids are found in the Island of which about 66 are endemic.
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| Negombo |
The major beach resort in the West Coast is Negombo. The wide sandy beaches and the safe sea attract thousands of visitors to Negombo, a traditional fishing town. Several hotels ranging from luxury hotels to small motels, guest houses and restaurants have come up along the coastal stretch called Lewis Place. The fish market is worth visiting where busy trading of a variety of fish including prawns, crabs and seer takes place wide in the mornings when the fishing crafts return to the shore with their catch. The most popular fishing craft is the outrigger canoe called oruwa dug out from a huge log and is seen in large numbers in the Negombo lagoon.
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| Kelaniya Temple |
This temple, consecrated during the third and final visit of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka, eight years after gaining enlightenment, is situated 7 miles from Colombo in Gampaha District on the banks of the Kelaniya River. Its history goes back nearly 2,563 years. The Mahawansa records that the original Dagoba at Kelaniya enshrined a gem-studded throne on which the Buddha sat and preached. The temple is also famous for its image of the reclining Buddha and paintings which depict important events in the life of the Buddha, in the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, also incidents from the Jataka tales. lt is the venue of the annual Duruthu Perahera held in the month of January.
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