Discover-SriLanka

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 *****

24 February, 2012

SRI LANKA - LEOPARD [ WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK

Declared a sanctuary in 1905 and upgraded to a National Park in 1938, Wilpattu has a dense population of leopards.

Pics : courtesy, Ashan [ Little Adventures ]

22 February, 2012

SRI LANKA - FLOWERS [ ROSES ]

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H7

20 February, 2012

SRI LANKA - DOLPHINS OF KALPITIYA

Located in the North Eastern part of the Island, Kalpitiya lagoon is the ideal place for dolphin and whale watching.

Pics : Courtesy, Ashan Seneviratne

Little Adventures

18 February, 2012

SRI LANKA - WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK

This National Park is the largest park in Sri Lanka, the extent is over 131,500 hectares and there are over sixty lakes scattered throughout the park. Wilpattu is renowned for its high density leopard population. The sloth bear too can be spotted frequently.

Pics : Courtesy, Ashan Senevirathne

Little Adventures

15 February, 2012

SRI - LANKA DANCERS

Dancers of the Channa - Upuli dance troupe performing in concerts world wide.

Pics : Courtesy, Channa Wijewardene

13 February, 2012

SRI LANKA - KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE

The Knuckles mountain range, situated in the Central highlands of Sri Lanka, has its unique biodiversity. This area has the climatic conditions of all the climatic zones of this country, some mountain tops are covered by cloud forests and the landscapes are breathtaking. It's no wonder my beautiful Island is called, Paradise !

Pics : Courtesy Mohan

Nikon : D 7000

12 February, 2012

SRI LANKA - PALMS [ TALIPOT PALM ]

The Talipot palm reaches heights of about 30 to 40 meters and the diameter of the trunk is about 2 to 3 meters, the large beautiful flower [ 3 meters across ] adorns the tree for a few months till the tree dies after flowering.