Srilanka - “The Pearl of Indian Ocean”

  (Good day to you)

In Ramayana, Ravana was the King of Lanka also called Lankeshwar. It was believed that Ravana had a palace made of gold and had a Flying Chariot which could carry infinite number of people with it. All of this looked so magical ,Which   made me curious to visit Srilanka and to see if any of this was for real. Srilanka is a beautiful country as it is surrounded with water and is country surrounded with Flora & Fauna.

Ceylon name was given to Sri Lanka by British. After independence to give Ceylon the identity of native individuals, it was named as Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal and southeast of the Arabian Sea. Sri Lanka is known as, Pearl of the Indian Ocean is given to this small island nation probably due to its incredible natural beauty, extraordinary biodiversity as well as its precious gemstones. Besides, the island has a tear drop shape and is off the coast of India, which is easier to see from the map.

Sri Lanka’s tropical climate, sandy beaches and incredible cuisine are just among the many reasons to include this beautiful South Asian country on your travel bucket list. This tiny island nation, otherwise known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, has fast become a popular tourist destination for holidaymakers.Sri Lanka is well known for its rich Buddhist culture as well as other religions. Being a religious country, Sri Lanka has many places with religious and historic significance, which attract tourists from all over the world.

Sri Lanka is densely populated. The majority of its people are poor, live in rural areas, and depend on agriculture for their livelihood. A physical environment of wide-ranging diversity makes Sri Lanka one of the world’s most scenic countries. As the home of several ethnic groups, each with its own cultural heritage, Sri Lanka also has a highly varied cultural landscape. Sri Lanka’s natural vegetation covers about one-third of the total land area. The virgin forests of Sri Lanka are rich in their variety and profusion of flora and fauna.

Buddhism is the largest and is considered as an "Official religion" of Sri Lanka. Hinduism is the second most prevalent religion and predates Buddhism. Islam is the third most prevalent religion in the country Buddhism is practiced by most of the Sri Lankan's population. Most Buddhists are of the Sinhalese ethnic group with minority Tamils. The rich cultural traditions shared by all Sri Lankan cultures is the basis of the country's long life expectancy, advanced health standards and high literacy rate. The languages spoken in Srilanka majorly are Sinhala, Tamil & English.

 

With effect from 1^st January 2012, all Holiday or Business travelers to Sri Lanka must have Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for entering in to Sri Lanka. Please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk for more information.

VISIT VISA:

            A Visit Visa is an entry permit signifying the consent of the Sri Lankan Government for the admission of a foreign national to the country.  The Visa contains details of the period of time and the conditions of the stay.

There are two sub-categories which come under visit visas:-

1. Tourist Visit Visa

         A Tourist Visa is issued to bona-fide tourists who want to enter Sri Lanka for sightseeing, excursions, relaxation, visit relatives or yoga training for a short period of time.

2. Business Purpose Visa

        A Business Purpose Visa is issued to foreign nationals who visit Sri Lanka for business purposes for short period of time. This visa may be issued for single or double journeys.

 

CONDITIONS OF VISA: 

• You should not engage in any form of employment, paid or unpaid, or in any trade or business other than that specified in the visa during the period of your stay in Sri Lanka.
• Your visa must be utilized before the date of expiry noted on the visa.
• Validity of your visa is subject to entry into Sri Lanka during the indicated entry period.
• Applications for the extension of all visas should be made to the Department of Immigration.

            

  COLOMBO

                                                                                                                                                                       The name 'Colombo', first introduced by the Portuguese, is believed to be derived from the classical Sinhala name Kolon thota, meaning "port on the river Kelani". COLOMBO Is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life, colonial buildings and monuments.

KADUWELA

Kaduwela means it was the location of a shrine of the goddess Pattini, linked to a golden sword used in the 'water cutting' ritual. The shrine is called the Purana Rankadu Pattini Maha Devale (ancient great shrine of the golden-sword Pattini). In another possibility Kaduwela simply means the jungle paddy field. Kaduwela is a suburb of Colombo in the Colombo District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is located about 16 km (9.9 mi) from Colombo city centre on the Colombo 

  MAHARAGAMA

Maharagama is a town in Colombo District, Sri Lanka on the High-Level  Road about 10 km from the centre of the commercial capital. It developed rapidly in the 1980s as a dormitory suburb.

KESBEWA

    Kesbewa is a town in Sri Lanka, situated at south of Colombo. It is one of the relatively more populated suburbs located in the Colombo District of the Western Province. This town has extensive population and rapid industrialization and urbanization in recent years. It is home to Sri Lanka's National Zoological Gardens, which remains one of Asia's largest.

  DEHIWALA

 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is the largest suburb of the City of Colombo and covers an extent of 2109 hectares. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipality area is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city. This town has extensive population and rapid industrialization and urbanization in recent years. It is home to Sri Lanka's National Zoological Gardens, which remains one of Asia's largest.

MORATUWA

Moratuwa is a large suburb of Colombo, on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Moratuwa is surrounded on three sides by water, except in the north of the city, by the Indian Ocean on the west, the Bolgoda Lake on the east and the Moratu River on the south.

NEGOMBO

                        Negombo is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in Western Province, 38 km from Colombo via Colombo - Katunayake Expressway. Negombo is known for its long sandy beaches and centuries old fishing industry. Negombo has a large bilingual (Sinhala/Tamil) population with a clear Roman Catholic majority.

SRI JAYAWARDENEPURA KOTTE

 Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, commonly known as Kotte is the official administrative capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is a satellite city and located within the urban area of Sri Lanka's de facto economic, executive, and judicial capital, Colombo.

KALMUNAI

Kalmunai Is the largest city of Ampara District. It is also the largest city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of the few Muslim-majority municipalities in the country. Kalmunai was the site of the royal farm. The city is bounded on the east by the Indian Ocean on the north by the Periyaneelavanai village and on the south by Karaitivu village which is considered to be a suburb of the city.

KANDY

Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka.  The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and is also the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. Kandy is a Sinhalese majority city; there are sizable communities belonging to other ethnic groups, such as Moors and Tamils. The city remains an important religious centre of the Sinhalese and a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, namely those belonging to the Theravada school.

Gangaramaya Buddhist temple

Temple of the sacred tooth relic

Galle fort

Colombo national museum

Sigiriya the ancient rock fortress

Pidurangala rock

Viharamahadevi park

Jami ul-alfar mosque

Udawalawe national park

arugam bay

Sea turtle farm galle mahamodara

St. Sebastian’s Church

Nallur Kovil

Ella Rock

Royal Palace of Kandy

National Zoological Gardens 

Vesak Poya (7th May ):

Vesak is known as the festival of light, a very appropriate name since almost all the decorations are in the form of illuminations. Young and old alike offer flowers and light oil lamps, with many observing sil all day. Buddhists in Sri Lanka spend the Vesak Poya day engaged in meditation and meritorious deeds, as it is considered appropriate to make a special effort to assist those in need and bring happiness to others during one’s lifetime.  Instead Buddhists endeavor to pay homage to Lord Buddha by decorating Temples, creating beautiful decorations depicting scenes from His life and offering prayers of worship.

Kataragama Perahera Festival (26th - 27th July):

The Perahera festival is an interesting and colorful event. Pilgrims come from all over Sri Lanka to participate, and there are few foreign tourists. A temporary shopping bazaar pops up next to the temple, and people come to bathe and splash in the river. Mahouts can be seen scrubbing down their elephants. Katharagama is very important place to visit any month of the year, but especially in Peraehera. Recommended to visit there and to get a historical, traditional and religious experiences.

Duruthu Perahera (10th - 11th January ):

Marking the beginning of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist Calendar, the Duruthu Perahera is one of the most culturally glorious processions celebrated by devotees annually during the month of January (Duruthu). The main festivities are organized at the historic Kelaniya Rajamaha Viharaya (Temple) annually during the pre-full moon poya day in January to mark the first visit of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka. 

Poson Festival (5th June 2020):

The festival is held in early June, coinciding with the June full moon. Poson full-moon poya day is celebrated the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC, a festival of great historical and religious significance celebrated island-wide by Buddhists The day is celebrated at temples around the island, but the biggest festivals go to Mihintale, where the Buddhist emissary Mahinda converted King Devanampiya in 247 BC, developing Buddhism as the national faith of the Sinhalese.

Nallur Festival (August-September):

          Nallur festival is one of the longest festivals in Sri Lanka which usually runs for about 25 days. Every year the festival starts in August and will ceremonially ends in September. Thousands of devotees will attend various pooja ceremonies followed by a procession. This colorful festival includes many vibrant processions including rhythmic drumming, dancing and acts of self-mortification etc.

KOTTU:

It resembles fried rice, except instead of rice, it's made with a type of roti known as godamba roti (a flat, crispy bread) ,vegetables, oil, spices and egg/chicken .

The roti is normally fried at the beginning of the day, piled into stacks and served as it's ordered. When you place an order, the kottu chef will fry and chop the roti with a selection of ingredients you choose. It is the equivalent of a cheeseburger in America and Pad Thai in Thailand. Fast, tasty, cheap and greasy! Each chef had their own flavor twist.

PARIPPU:

 Parippu, or dal curry, is the most common curry in all of Sri Lankan cuisine, a staple in any restaurant or household. Masoor dal (split red lentils) are first rinsed and boiled until soft.

In a separate pan, a number of fresh ingredients, such as onions, tomatoes and fresh green chilies, are sautéed and mixed with tempered spices like cumin seeds, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

All the ingredients are combined and usually thickened with a splash of fresh coconut milk to give the dal a rich flavor and creamy texture.

APPAM:

The batter is made from a slightly fermented of rice flour, coconut milk, sometimes coconut water and a hint of sugar.

A ladle of batter is fried in a small wok and swirled around to even it out. Appam can be sweet or savory, but one of the local favorites is Egg Appam.

POLOS (JACK-FRUIT CURRY):

The traditional polos is prepared with the young unripe jack fruit. The fruit is sliced into bite-sized chunks and boiled until soft. It’s then cooked with onions, garlic, ginger and spices like mustard seeds, turmeric, chili powder, roasted curry powder, pandan leaves and curry leaf sprigs. The final step is to add coconut milk and simmer to reduce most of the liquid, leaving all the beautiful flavors within the cubes of jackfruit. The spices get easily absorbed by the fruit and hence the whole dish is filled with beautiful flavorful spices.

HELAPA:

       

   Helapa is a traditional Sri Lankan sweet treat. It's prepared with a combination of kurakkan flour, rice flour, treacle, cardamom, and grated coconut. The ingredients are cooked together and mixed until they develop a doughy consistency. The mixture is then flattened on kanda leaves, which are folded and steamed until the dough firms up. Before serving, the leaves just need to be unwrapped and helapa 

 SAGO PUDDING:

    You have to soak sago in some warm water for about three to four hours. Take a large pan and caramelize the sugar over medium heat until you find that it turns light brown. Now very gently, add half a cup of water. When the water starts boiling, you have to add the soaked sago. Make sure you add the water in which the seeds were soaked. Let the sago boil and after that lower the heat. Allow it to simmer gradually.

 Keep stirring for about ten to fifteen so that the pudding becomes thick. Now add a quarter cup of ghee, saffron, rose water, and cardamom. Mix everything well. Finally garnish with chopped almonds.

 

CEYLON TEA:

        Ceylon name was given to Sri Lanka by British. This Tea has always been famous. It is an easy Sri Lanka Souvenir to pick for those who do not appreciate some fine tea. You can visit the tea gardens in central Sri Lanka, visit the tea factories and choose your tea flavor.

 WOODEN MASKS

       Wood carving is a widely practiced skill in Sri Lanka. In fact, when you see the assembly hall at Kandy Tooth Relic Temple, you would see finely carved pillar tops. Wood carved masks are quintessential Sri Lanka Souvenirs. You can find the colorful wooden masks to put at home – each with a meaning. The Red one protects and yellow one brings wealth and the Blue one helps in the career.

  ELEPHANT CARVINGS:

The elephant is the most popular decorative item in Sri Lanka. So they obviously find their way into Sri Lankan Souvenir shops. Elephants in Gem Stones / Elephants in Elephant Bone / Wood Carved Elephants / Elephant Fridge Magnets.

 DUMBARA MATS & CANE BOXES:

Dumbara mats a unique Sri Lankan handicraft in the form of a wall hanging mainly produced in a village call Henawala in the dumbara valley of Kandy. Hence the name given and woven by a class of people call Kinnara. They extract fiber of a plant somewhat similar to Jute and weave it in a primitive horizontal loom.

 

        When you read the whole Information about Srilanka. I am for sure you will also fall in love with Srilanka. As there are Beautiful Temple's, neat Beaches,  many ancient Archeological sites, the Cute Gigantic Asiatic Elephants and all of the Best the refreshing Ceylon Tea for a relaxing Day. Its a complete package for family and couples. 

                                                                           (Good Bye)