SRI LANKA - MONUMENTS [ THE CAPTAIN DAWSON TOWER ]

The road connecting Colombo and Kandy is the first main road

constructed in Ceylon, construction work began in 1820 under 

the supervision of William Francis Dawson assisted by Major

Skinner, during British rule. Captain Dawson died before the 

completion of the project and the Dawson Tower was erected

in his memory in 1832. at Kadugannawa.

 
Pics : Nelsonlanka

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SRI LANKA - ANCIENT LIGHTNING ARRESTERS [ 4TH CENTURY BC ]

Some of the most ancient lightning conductors can be found 

in Sri Lanka in places like the Kingdom of Anuradhapura 

[ 4th century BC ] that dates back to thousands of years. 

The Sinhalese kings who mastered construction of stupas 

and advanced building structures, installed a metal tip made 

of copper on the highest point of every building to conduct any 

lightning charge. In many parts of the world ancient Buddhist 

monuments have been destroyed by lightning strikes but not in 

Sri Lanka.

Source : Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

SRI LANKA - THE GOLDEN AGE OF LANKA [ THE RUINED CITIES OF CEYLON BY HENRY W. CAVE M.A., F.R.G.S. - 1900 ]

Let us take an imaginary glimpse of the island as it was about 
two centuries after the introduction of Buddhism, and at the 
condition of those provinces where dense forest now enfolds the 
remains of mighty cities. Ceylon was the chief emporium of the 
eastern world. The merchant fleets of India, China, Persia,and 
Arabia entered its ports with silks, carpets,cloth of gold,
sandalwood, horses, chariots, and slaves. 


There they met not only to "barter with one another, but to traffic 
with the Singhalese,whose gems were coveted by the nobles and 
princes of every country. There was no king in India whose wealth 
could compare with that of the ruler of Ceylon, and the precious 
products of his dominions readily commanded ample supplies of 
the luxuries of other nations.The Singhalese had no need thems-
elves to convey their parcels of pearls, sapphires, and rubies to 
distant countries. Such wealth brought their wants to their very 
doors. Wherefore no vessel of their own is visible amongst the 
motley throng that ride at anchor within the harbours so bountifully 
provided by nature A few small dhoneys constructed of planks sewn 
together by threads of coir serve all local requirements, and as yet 
they have no fleet.

Source : Historic Books of Sri Lanka.
http://mahavamsa.org/e-books/

SRI LANKA - HISTORICAL MAP OF CEYLON 1623

   Map of the island Sri Lanka,. “Ceilan insula.”

Beautiful old-colouring, Latin edition, Amsterdam, 1623

[Published in: "Atlas sive Cosmographicae meditiones de Farbrica Mundi..."]
copper engraving

Cartographers
Gerard Mercator (1512-1594) was a Flemish cartographer. He was born in 

Rupelmonde in East Flanders in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation 

to parents from Gangelt in the Duchy of Jülich (modern Germany). Since 1552 he 

lived in Duisburg. He is remembered for the Mercator.Jodocus Hondius 

(* 1563; † 1612) was a Flemish artist, engraver, and cartographer.

Description
This is a very beautiful, old-coloured and heightended in gold copper engraving 

map out of a Latin edition of the “Atlas sive Cosmographicae…” from 

Mercator-Hondius.
This interesting map shows the island Sri Lanka, former also Ceylon.

Early Map of Ceylon, Ceilan c.1623

INS. CEILAN QUAE INCOLIS TENARISIN DICTUR. An early engraved map of the 

the country orientated with east at the top. Embellished with three 

decorative cartouches. Animals on the land area.

Source : Historical Images of  Ceylon [ Sri Lanka ]
             http://lankapura.com/2008/08/map-ceylon-ceilan-1630/

SRI LANKA - HISTORY, MAHAWAMSA [ THE GREAT CHRONICLE ]

Cingalese history is authenticated by the concurrence of every evidence that 
can contribute to verify the annals of any country –“Ceylon” Pearl of the East 
by Harry Williams

The Mahavamsa or Mahawansa Original Version - History of Sri Lanka 

mahawansaya

http://mahavamsa.org/mahavamsa/original-...

Mahavamsa 550 BC to 362 AC (Chapter 1 - 37) - King Vijaya to King Mahasen by 

Mahathera Mahanama - History of Sri Lanka

SRI LANKA - BIDDHISM

• Buddhism (Pali/Sanskrit: बौद्ध धर्म Buddha Dharma) is a religion and philosophy 
• encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on 
• teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha 
• (Pāli/Sanskrit "the awakened one"). The Buddha lived and taught in the 
• northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th centuries 
• BCE.^[2] He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher 
• who shared his insights to help sentient beings end suffering (or dukkha), 
• achieve nirvana, and escape what is seen as a cycle of suffering and rebirth.

• Contents  [hide] 1 Life of the Buddha 2 Buddhist concepts 2.1 Life and the world 2.1.1 Karma 2.1.2 Rebirth 2.1.3 Saṃsāra 2.2 Suffering's causes and solution 2.2.1 The Four Noble Truths 2.2.2 The Noble Eightfold Path 2.2.3 The Middle Way 2.3 Nature of existence 2.3.1 Three Marks of Existence 2.3.2 Dependent arising 2.3.3 Emptiness 2.4 Liberation 2.4.1 Nirvana 2.4.2 Buddhas 2.4.2.1 Theravada 2.4.2.2 Mahayana 2.4.2.3 Buddha eras 2.4.3 Bodhisattvas 3 Practice 3.1 Devotion 3.1.1 Yoga 3.1.2 Refuge in the Three Jewels 3.2 Buddhist ethics 3.3 Monastic life 3.4 Meditation 3.4.1 Samādhi (meditative cultivation): samatha meditation 3.4.1.1 In Theravāda 3.4.2 Prajñā (Wisdom): vipassana meditation 3.4.3 Zen 3.4.4 Vajrayana and Tantra 4 History 4.1 Philosophical roots 4.2 Indian Buddhism 4.2.1 Pre-sectarian Buddhism 4.2.2 Early Buddhist schools 4.2.3 Early Mahayana Buddhism 4.2.4 Late Mahayana Buddhism 4.2.5 Vajrayana (Esoteric Buddhism) 4.3 The early development of Buddhism 4.4 Buddhism today 5 Demographics 6 Schools and traditions 6.1 Timeline 6.2 Theravada school 6.3 Mahayana traditions 6.4 Vajrayana traditions 7 Buddhist texts 7.1 Pāli Tipitaka 7.2 Mahayana sutras 8 Comparative studies 8.1 List of Buddhism related topics in comparative studies 9 See also 10 References 11 Bibliography 11.1 Online 12 External links

• 
  
• • 
  • Source : Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia 
    
    

SRI LANKA - ESALA PERAHERA [ PAGEANT PAR EXCELLENCE ]

Esala Perahera (the festival of the tooth) is the grand festival of Esala held 

in Sri Lanka. It is very grand with elegant costumes. Happening in July or August 

in Kandy, it has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist festival 

consisting of dances and nicely decorated elephants. There are fire-dances, 

whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances. The elephants 

are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional 

'diya-kepeema'.

Contents  [hide] 1 History 1.1 Modern Perahera 2 The Procession 2.1 The Kumbal Perahera 2.2 The Randoli Perahera 2.3 Diya Kepeema and the Day Perahera 3 Organization of the Perahera 4 See also 5 External links

Source : Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia

SRI LANKA - BRITISH ERA

During the Napoleonic Wars the United Kingdom, fearing that French control 

of the Netherlands might deliver Sri Lanka to the French, occupied the coastal 

areas of the island (which they called Ceylon) with little difficulty in 1796. In 

1802 by the Treaty of Amiens the Dutch part of the island was formally ceded 

to Britain, and became a crown colony. In 1803 the British invaded the Kingdom 

of Kandy in the 1st Kandyan War, but were bloodily repulsed. In 1815 Kandy 

was occupied in the 2nd Kandyan War, finally ending Sri Lankan independence.

Following the bloody suppression of the Uva Rebellion, the Kandyan peasantry 

were stripped of their lands by the Wastelands Ordinance, a modern enclosure 

movement and reduced to penury. The British found that the uplands of Sri 

Lanka were very suited to coffee, tea and rubber cultivation, and by the mid 

19th century Ceylon tea had become a staple of the British market, bringing 

great wealth to a small class of white tea planters. To work the estates, the 

planters imported large numbers of Tamil workers as indentured labourers 

from south India, who soon made up 10% of the island's population. These 

workers had to work in slave-like conditions and to live in line rooms, not 

very different from cattle sheds.

The British colonialists favoured the semi-European Burghers, certain high-

caste Sinhalese and the Tamils who were mainly concentrated to the north 

of the country, exacerbating divisions and enmities which have survived ever 

since. Nevertheless, the British also introduced democratic elements to Sri 

Lanka for the first time in its history. The Burghers were given some degree of 

self-government as early as 1833. It was not until 1909 that constitutional 

development began with a partly-elected assembly, and not until 1920 that 

elected members outnumbered official appointees. Universal suffrage was 

introduced in 1931, over the protests of the Sinhalese, Tamil and Burgher 

elite who objected to the common people being allowed to vote [1],

Source : Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia