Sri Lanka
'Ayubowan'
which means 'May You Live Long' is the customary
greeting
of the
Sri Lankan's. Palms of the two hands held close
together against the chest is a greeting that denotes welcome, goodbye,
respect, devotion or loyalty to suit the occasion.
It was
Tambapanni to Emperor Asoka of India, Taprobane
to the Greeks and Romans, Serendib to the Arab
seafarers, Hsi-lan-ch?ih to the Chinese,
Ceilao to the Portuguese, Ceylaan to the
Dutch, Ceylan to the French and Ceylon to
the British.
Now it is Sri Lanka - the Resplendent Island.
The "Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World", and the best preserved
city centre in Asia from the first millennium. Macro- and
micro-hydraulics including a manmade lake with a 8 mile (12 km) dam
and a series of moats, as well as water control and retaining systems
display one of the ancient world's most sophisticated hydraulic
technologies. These miniature water gardens were created 5 centuries
before those at Angkor in Cambodia or Mughal gardens in India The
spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya is an impregnable fortress, a
monastic retreat, and a rock art gallery Sri Lanka is blessed with over
one hundred waterfalls. The tallest is the Bambarakande Falls which cascades down 263
meters
like liquid light. Due to the geological formation
of Sri Lanka, the central highlands are surrounded
by peneplains, plateaus and valleys. Rainfall sends
a large volume of water hurtling down the
precipitous edges of the highland mass.Beautiful waterfalls cascading
down the mountain slopes enhance
The Magnitude of bio diversity
found in Sri Lanka is not in line with it's physical
proportions. United nations has acknowledged this
fact by ranking Sri Lanka, as the 10th highest in
bio diversification present per square area. Through
out this tropical island,
An important part of ecological
systems prevalent in Sri Lanka would be the animal
species. Animal life is profuse and includes the
ubiquitous elephant, as well as leopards, deer,
monkeys, sloth bears, wild boar, cobras, crocodiles,
and turtles.
The island is an important seasonal
Some Sri Lanka
Pictures. Links
Sri Lanka, the navigational hub of
the Orient in the ancient world, is an island in the
Indian Ocean located between 5?55? and 9?55? N latitude
and 79?42? and 81?52? E longitude close to the southern
tip of the Indian sub-continent. From north to south it
has a maximum length of 447 km and at its widest point
it measures 219 km. with a total land area of 65,610
sq. km. The Island enjoys pleasant tropical
climate relatively hot in the plains and cooler in the
central highlands. The majority is Sinhalese (74%) who
speak an Indo-Aryan language called Sinhala. Other
major ethnic groups are Tamils and Muslims. The
Sinhalese are predominantly Buddhist, the Tamils mainly
Hindu, and there are sizeable Muslim and Christian
Burgher (descendants of Dutch colonists) minorities.
The Muslims are scattered all over the island and are
thought to be descendants of early Arab or Indian
traders.
Sinhalese dancing is similar to Indian dance but relies on acrobatics,
nimbleness and symbolism to unfold its narratives. Kandy is a good
place to see 'up-country dancing', but Colombo or
Ambalangoda are the places to witness the ritualistic
exorcism of 'devil dancing'. Folk theatre combines
dance, masked drama, drumming and exorcism rituals to
vividly recreate Sri Lankan folklore.
Woodcarving, weaving, pottery and
metalwork are all highly developed crafts, and Sri
Lanka is especially renowned for its gems. Ambalangoda
is the best place to see Sri Lankan masks; Ratnapura is
the centre of Sri Lanka's gem trade. Rice and curry -
often fiery hot - dominate meal times and usually
include small side dishes of vegetables, meat and fish. Indian curries such as vegetarian
thali, delicately flavored biriyani and
kool, a boiled, fried and dried-in-the-sun
vegetable combo, are also available. Hoppers are a
unique Sri Lankan snack, similar to a pancake, served
with egg or honey and yoghurt. Coastal towns have
excellent fish and most travelers are happy to live on
the delicious local tuna. There's plenty of tropical
fruits to choose from, the tea is terrific and the beer
acceptable.
Sigiriya, an ancient fortress in the north (5th century A.D.).
the beauty of the hill country. The geographical
formation of the Island with the central highland
sloping down to the coastal plains has resulted in
several rivers and streams starting from the central
region flowing down the hilly slopes in a radial
pattern, creating
beautiful waterfalls in several places in the hill
country.
Sri Lanka is surrounded by golden
beaches. Exotic fish and marine plants are
found on the reef close to the south coast.
(spell glass bottom boat rides). Swimming, diving and sunbathing are
favorite activities of foreign visitors. Nude Sunbathing or Naturism
is not allowed. But the smallest of bikini is Ok
geographical facade
changes dramatically, from the Grass Lands to
tropical rain forests, and from sandy beaches dotted
with mangroves to monsoon dependant greenery.
home to migrating birds, including flamingoes, who flock to
the lagoons, wetlands and bird sanctuaries for
respite from the northern winter. The best time
to
see birds is between January and April. A major attraction for a nature lover would be
the national parks of Sri Lanka