"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 *****
A misty dawn in Polonnaruwa in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka, listen to the wake up calls of many a bird.
Video by: Nelsonlanka Sony DSC H7
07 March, 2014
The Minneriya National Park is home to a herd of over 300 wild elephants, roaming in the lush greenery and cool waterways of this nature reserve. This gathering of gentle giants, young and old, was filmed close to the Minneriya tank.
The Victorian cast iron " Boy and Swan " fountain [early 19th century] at the Royal Palace Park [Wace Park] in Kandy, Sri Lanka is a copy of the " Boy and Swan " fountain made by Coalbrookdale [Shropshire]. Research has revealed that only five copies of it have been found in the world.
Pics by : Nelsonlanka Historical information, by courtesy : Sergio Orozco [ Costa Rica ]
The Island of Sri Lanka, which has an area of 65,610 sq/km, is blessed with 103 rivers, flowing to the coastline from the central hills. 53 waterfalls are created as a result of these rivers flowing through high elevation regions.
The Bambarakanda Falls is the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka, formed by the KudaOya, it has a height of 863 feet [ 263 m ] and adorns the mountains of Kalupahana in the Badulla District.
White sandy beaches, breathtaking sunsets, the much loved isolation, phenomenons of nature, only at Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka - the resplendent Island in the Indian Ocean !
Religious education is offered at every temple on Sundays and students attend classes in traditional attire. Education in Sri Lanka is free, from Grade one to University level and all school children are provided with text books and school uniforms, free of charge, by the State. Photographed at the Mahiyangana temple.
Dusk at Dutch Bay Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka, 6th October, 2012. Sand dune adventure by Little Adventures, untouched photographs show the splendor of the sky over this part of the Island.
The much talked about 18 bends, and the road between Kandy and Mahiyangana was reconstructed at a cost of 5000 million rupees and opened to the public a few months back. Now drivers do not have to reverse the vehicles to manoeuvre the sharp bends. This newly re-engineered highway now boasts safety and environmental features, now it's a stunning journey from Kandy to Mahiyangana.
Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage City, picture shows school children and teachers among devotees at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of The Buddha.