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Quote - Joseph Pulitzer

"PUT IT BEFORE THEM BRIEFLY SO THEY WILL READ IT, CLEARLY SO THEY WILL APPRECIATE IT, PICTURESQUELY SO THEY WILL REMEMBER IT AND, ABOVE ALL, ACCURATELY SO THEY WILL BE GUIDED BY ITS LIGHT" ***** JOSEPH PULITZER *****
DISCOVER - SRI LANKA: PROLOGUE

IN PRAISE OF MY BEAUTIFUL ISLAND,
INFORMATION, PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO.

THE 13th CENTURY VENETIAN TRAVELER MARCO POLO DESCRIBED THE ISLAND AS 'THE JADE PENDANT IN THE INDIAN OCEAN'. THE ABUNDANCE OF GEMSTONES, SPICES, RAIN FORESTS AND WILDLIFE; THE MAGNIFICENT BEACHES, ANCIENT RUINS AND A WRITTEN HISTORY OF OVER 2500 YEARS MAKE THIS ISLAND A TOURISTS' PARADISE.

THE RUINED CITIES OF ANURADHAPURA AND POLONNARUWA ILLUSTRATE THE GLORY OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOMS. THE GIGANTIC STUPAS AND BUDDHA STATUES ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST MAN MADE STRUCTURES OF THE WORLD. THE MASSIVE RESERVOIRS, BUILT BY ANCIENT KINGS TO IRRIGATE THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LAND, ARE MARVELS OF HYDRO ENGINEERING. THERE ARE EIGHT UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN SRI LANKA

THE ISLAND WAS KNOWN TO THE GREEKS AS 'TAPROBANE' AND TO THE ARABS AS 'SERENDIB'. EARLY MERCHANTS VISITED THE ISLAND IN SEARCH OF GEMSTONES AND SPICES, MAINLY CINNAMON AND PEPPER. COFFEE AND TEA PLANTATIONS WERE STARTED BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL RULERS. CEYLON TEA IS FAMOUS THE WORLD OVER.

TOURISM INDUSTRY IS A MAJOR MONEY SPINNER FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. THE VAST EXPANSE OF BEACHES, RAIN FORESTS AND NATIONAL PARKS WITH HERDS OF WILD ELEPHANTS, THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WITH LITHE WATER FALLS, BRING IN THE TOURISTS. THE ISLAND IS DOTTED WITH HUNDREDS OF HOTELS TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRAVELER. AN ISLAND OF 25,000 SQ; MILES HAS 103 RIVERS AND 25000 RESERVOIRS, MOSTLY MAN MADE. WITH VARYING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS THIS IS TRULY A 'SMALL MIRACLE'.

" THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA IS A SMALL UNIVERSE, IT CONTAINS AS MANY VARIATIONS OF CULTURE, SCENERY AND CLIMATE AS SOME COUNTRIES A DOZEN TIMES ITS SIZE........I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY COUNTRY WHICH SCORES SO HIGHLY IN ALL DEPARTMENTS - WHICH HAVE SO MANY ADVANTAGES AND SO FEW DISADVANTAGES. LOVELY BEACHES, BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES, IMPRESSIVE RUINS, A VIBRANT CULTURE AND CHARMING PEOPLE- NO WONDER SRI LANKA IS A SMALL MIRACLE ".***** Arthur C. Clark *****




Over: 70 Pages, 800 Posts, 1000 Photographs and 900,000 Page views
Showing posts with label sigiriya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sigiriya. Show all posts

08 April, 2012

SRI LANKA - HISTORY [ THE UNSUNG HEROES ]




Over a thousand years before artistists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, and Michaelangelo worked on their classic works of art   - The Last Supper and the Sistine Chapel to mention just two  -  an unknown artist or artists, created a dazzling world of colour and wonder in a pocket of rock in the palace complex of Sigiriya. These paintings which are the earliest surviving examples of Sri Lankan art have delighted the world for over 1500 years. Still retaining their original colour, and shrouded in mystery, these paintings are silent witnesses to the grandeur of Sigiriya's golden age.  What is not widely known is that amazing techniques in painting these frescoes were used  by the artists in King Kasyappa's court. Wet plaster was first applied on the surface to be painted after which the artists began their labour of love. This meant that they had to be 100% accurate because if a mistake was made, it could not be corrected once the plaster had dried.  The painters of the famous Ajantha frescoes in Indian on the other hand painted on hard dry plaster leaving room for any corrections, if mistakes were made !

Sri Lankan had her own "Sistine Chapel" in the rock pocket at Sigiriya before that of the Vatican in Rome. Originally there were 500 frescoes. These beautiful paintings fill one with emotion . The eye is never wearied and the heart never sated. That they were painted by the hand of man is hard to imagine. I almost believe they were painted by the Gods ! Living, lovely breathing women.......How sad that while the artists of the western world are known to us, the artistic geniuses of Sigiriya will forever remain anonymous.....Unsung heroes.





 
Written by : Bernard VanCuylenberg 
                 Melbourne
                 Australia


Pics by : Gerrit, Netty, Hans and Hanneke
             Belgium 



10 July, 2011

SRI LANKA - SIGIRIYA FRESCOS [ 477 CE ]


The paintings on the rock surface at Sigiriya are similar to the Ajantha paintings of India.


Pics by : Gerrit,Netty,Hans and Hanneke [ Belgium ]

Sri Lanka Tour, May 2011

07 July, 2011

SRI LANKA - SIGIRIYA [ THE ROCK FORTRESS, 5th CENTURY BC ]


The entrance to the fortress had been through the mouth of an enormous  sculptured lion in ancient times, of which only the giant front paws could be seen today. Sigiriya is the most outstanding World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka.


Pics by : Gerrit,Netty,Hans and Hanneke [ Belgium ]

Sri Lanka Tour, May 2011


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