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 *****

01 June, 2012

SRI LANKA - PAINTINGS [ BY CHANNA ]

Channa was a gifted artist from his childhood days, he proved his ability at the age of three, reproducing pictures from news papers using crayons.

Pics courtesy : Channa Gorokgahagoda

31 May, 2012

SRI LANKA - PERFORMING ARTS

The Channa - Upuli Performing Arts Foundation dance troupe brought fame to Sri Lanka by being placed first in The Carnival of Cultures, held in Berlin on the 27th of May, 2012. There were 99 dance troupes competing from round the world.

Pics by courtesy : Channa

29 May, 2012

SRI LANKA - WILD FLOWERS

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H7

24 May, 2012

SRI LANKA - WILD LIFE [ WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK ]

Pics : Courtesy, Ashan Seneviratne

Little Adventures

18 May, 2012

SRI LANKA - SNORKELING [ KALPITIYA ]

Snorkeling in the crystal clear blue waters of Kalpitiya, above the coral beds,

is an exhilarating experience, it is a recreational activity to observe underwater life with little equipment. In the pictures, Ashan with some kids at Kalpitiya.

Pics by : Ashan

Little Adventures

14 May, 2012

SRI LANKA - BUTTERFLIES

There are over 240 species of butterflies in Sri Lanka out of which 23 are endemic.

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H7

12 May, 2012

SRI LANKA - PHOTOGRAPHY [ CLOSEUPS ]

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC h7

09 May, 2012

SRI LANKA - BAR REEF CORAL REEF

The Bar Reef coral reef of Kalpitiya is home to over 250 species of fish and 150 species of coral and the marine sanctuary is 300 sq.km. in extent. This ecosystem is one of the pristine coral reef systems of the North Western coast of Sri Lanka