Discover-SriLanka: heritage

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 *****

Showing posts with label heritage. Show all posts

28 November, 2010

SRI LANKA - THE KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE

The Knuckles Mountain Range lies in central Sri Lanka, north-east of the

city of Kandy. The range takes its name from a series of recumbent folds and

peaks in the west of the massif which resemble the knuckles of clenched fist

when viewed from certain locations in the Kandy District. Whilst this name

was assigned by early British surveyors, the Sinhalese residents have

traditionally referred to the area as Dumbara Kanduvetiya meaning mist-laden

mountain range (Cooray, 1984). The entire area is characterised by its striking

landscapes often robed in thick layers of cloud but in addition to its aesthetic

value the range is of great scientific interest. It is a climatic microcosm of the

rest of Sri Lanka. The conditions of all the climatic zones in the country are

exhibited in the massif. At higher elevations there is a series of isolated

cloud forests, harbouring a variety of flora and fauna, some of which cannot

be found anywhere else in the world. Although the range constitutes

approximately 0.03% of the island’s total area it is home to a significantly

higher proportion of the country’s biodiversity

Knuckles Range information and conservation website
Project Knuckles research expedition website
Attractions & Trails of Knuckles South - Deanston, Corbett’s
Gap & Traditional Villages

Source : Wilipedia the free encyclopedia

06 November, 2010

SRI LANKA - THE TWIN PONDS OF ANURADHAPURA

Kuttam Pokuna

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History

One of the best specimens of bathing tanks or pools in ancient Sri Lanka is the

pair of pools known as "Kuttam Pokuna" (Twin Ponds/Pools). The said pair of

pools were built by the Sinhalese in the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura.

These are considered one of the significant achievements in the field of

hydrological engineering and outstanding architectural and artistic creations

of the ancient Sinhalese.

Source : Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

18 October, 2010

SRI LANKA - HERITAGE

Sri lanka is renowned for exquisitely hand crafted
artifacts.This silver dagger and case provide
ample testimony and can be traced back
a few centuries

05 October, 2010

SRI LANKA - WORLD HERITAGE SITES - SRI LANKA

Eight sites of Sri Lanka have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage,
namely, the ancient cityof Polonnaruwa (1982), the ancient city of Sigiriiya 1982),
the Golden Temple of Dambulla (1991), theold town of Galle and its fortifications
(1988), the sacred city of Anuradhapura(1982), the sacred city of Kandy (1988),
Sinharaja Forest Reserve (1988) and the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (2010).

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Source : Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia

03 October, 2010

SRI LANKA - SIGIRIYA - THE ROCK FORTRESS

Sigiriya (Lion's rock) is an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos),^[1] which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. The Sigiriya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.^[2]^[3]

Alternative stories have the primary builder of Sigiriya as King Dhatusena, with Kasyapa finishing the work in honour of his father. Still other stories have Kasyapa as a playboy king, with Sigiriya a pleasure palace. Even Kasyapa's eventual fate is mutable. In some versions he is assassinated by poison administered by a concubine. In others he cuts his own throat when isolated in his final battle.^[5] Still further interpretations have the site as the work of a Buddhist community, with no military function at all. This site may have been important in the competition between the Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions in ancient Sri Lanka.

Source : Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia.

14 September, 2010

SRI LANKA - THE TEMPLE DRUMMERS

These photographs were taken at a religous event in Sri Lanka.
These drummers perform only at religeous events and festivals
and the tunes played are centuries old.

Equipment : Sony cybershot DSC - H7