"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 *****
The Mahiyangana temple is believed to be the site of The Buddha's first visit to the country. The Sthupa stands at a height of 120 feet and a decorative gateway adorns the entrance to the temple.
Nuwara Eliya, founded by Sir Samuel White Baker in 1846, lies 6128 feet above sea level, has a cool salubrious climate and is also called Little England. Planters of the British colonial era started tea plantations in the area, the mist covered mountains and the scenic beauty of Nuwara Eliya has made it a popular holiday retreat.
In a recent survey Kandy was selected as, the most visited city by tourists, in the Island. The cool climate of this Hill country location and the many historical sites and the beauty of the setting of this ancient Capital may have contributed immensely to achieve this distinction.
Pics show hand crafted wooden elephants in a window of a souvenir shop in the city.
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.
Sri Lanka was named as the number one country in the world to visit next year. With the long-running civil war now over and visitor numbers increasing, Sri Lanka is emerging as one of the world's best-value destinations, Lonely Planet said. The country is becoming easier to reach due to cheap fares from regional hub Bangkok. Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/travel/worlds-hottest-destinations-for-2013-contain-aussie-surprise-20121018-27tdl.html#ixzz2A53NbtWi
The tusker named Raja participated in religious processions, of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy, for a period of about fifty years. This elephant was donated to the Temple by a Kandyan dignitary in 1937 and after his death in 1988, the clever hands of the taxidermist turned the elephant to an exhibit admired by visitors to the Temple.