About Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's popular slogan goes as "A Land like no Other". This small island nation will amaze you with its vibrant diversity. You are most likely to find a little bit of everything and yet you will never know what you might encounter next.

The ancient Greek mariners called the island “Taprobane”. The seafarers of old Arabia called her “Serendib”, a word that has since evolved in to serendipity. Adventurers called it the “Pearl of the Orient” but the romantics’ best described the island as “The Teardrop of India”. If the face of the great India had ever shed a tear of joy, one which froze in mid-air as it fell, that teardrop undoubtedly have become the island of Sri Lanka.

Here is a nation where the full gamut of history can be surveyed in a single day’s journey. Immaculate blue oceans, Warm sandy beaches lined with coconut trees, Breath taking waterfalls, Magnificent hills cloaked in white misty mornings, Bountiful winding rivers feeding lush fertile land, Virgin tropical rainforests, Primeval jungles teamed with wildlife untamed and wondrous, Unique ecosystems, Wondrous ruins testifying to a great civilization of ages past, Ancient grand palaces, rock fortresses & sacred temples bestowed by the Royal elites, Flamboyant culture with fine arts, dazzling festivals & ritualistic processions decorated with melodious drummers, rhythmic Kandyan dancers and colorfully adorned Tuskers.

Most of all, the ones who visit this small miracle will have a lingering remembrance of its people of 20 million, borne of diverse ethnicities, religious beliefs & faiths, both delightful and hospitable.

Sri Lanka, the “Resplendent Land” offers you an experience of a lifetime.

History and Culture

Weather

Facts

Sri Lanka Festivals

History

The history of Sri Lanka goes back to the pre-historic times with a recorded history of over 2000 years. Recent excavations show that even during the Neolithic Age in Sri Lanka, there were food-gatherers and rice cultivators. Very little is known of this period and documented history began with the arrival of the settlers from North India. They introduced the use of agriculture through a rudimentary system of irrigation. They also introduced the art of government. Of the ancient settlements, Anuradhapura grew into a powerful kingdom under the rule of Pandukabhaya. According to traditional history, he is accepted as the founder of Anuradhapura.

During the region of King Devanampiya Tissa, a descendant of Pandukabhaya, Buddhism was introduced in 247 B.C. by Arahat Mahinda, the son of Emperor Asoka of India. This is an important event in Sri Lankan history as it made the country predominantly Buddhist influencing its way of life and culture. In the mid 2nd century B.C. a large part of North Sri Lanka came under the rule of an invader from South India. From the beginning of the Christian era and up to the end of the 4th century A.D. Sri Lanka was governed by an unbroken dynasty called Lambakarna, which paid great attention to the development of irrigation. A great king of this dynasty was King Mahasen (3rd century A.D.) who started the construction of large 'tanks' (reservoirs) which in turn fed smaller reservoirs. Another great 'tank' builder was Dhatusena, who was put to death by his son Kasyapa, who made Sigiriya a royal city with his fortress capital on the summit of the rock.

As a result of invasions from South India the Kingdom of Anuradhapura fell by the end of the 10th century A.D. Vijayabahu I - repulsed the invaders and established his capital at Polonnaruwa in the 11th century A.D. Other great kings of Polonnaruwa were Parakrama Bahu the Great and Nissanka Malla, both of whom adorned the city with numerous buildings of architectural beauty.

Invasions continued intermittently and the capital was moved constantly until the Portugese arrived in 1505, when the chief city was esetablished in Kotte, in the western lowlands. The Portugese came to trade in spices, but stayed to rule until 1658 in the coastal regions, as did the Dutch thereafter. Dutch rule lasted from 1658 to 1796, in which year they were displaced by the British. During this period the highland kingdom, with its capital Kandy, retained its independence despite repeated assaults by foreign powers who ruled the rest of the country. In 1815 the Kingdom of Kandy was ceded to the British who thus established their rule over the whole island. Modern communications, western medical services, education in English, as well as the plantation industry (first coffee, then tea, rubber and coconut) developed during British rule. By a process of peaceful constitutional evolution, Sri Lanka won back her independence in 1948 and is now a sovereign republic, with membership in the United Nations Organization (in 1955), the Commonwealth and various other international and regional organizations.

People and Culture

Sri Lanka has a great cultural diversity, and this is reflected in the ancient archaeological sites, art, temples, kowil, mosques and churches. Varying degrees of colonial impact, modern influences, wealth and income add other shades to this cultural mosaic. The people are kind, hospitable and very inviting.

Language & Religion

The population number approximately 20 million. This multi-ethnic population comprises

Sinhalese - 72%

Muslims - 8%

Burghers (descendants of Dutch and Portuguese) - 1%

Languages

The most commonly-spoken languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala, Tamil and English.