Mihintale - The birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. 

Historically recorded as the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Mihintale is believed to be the meeting place of the Buddhist monk Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka of India, and King Devanampiyatissa in the 3rd century BC.

This meeting was the beginning of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, which quickly became a core part of Sinhalese culture.

 GET LOST IN AN OLD CITY NUWARA ELIYA

The City of Light” was the favorite hill station of the British, a scenic town 2500m above sea level surrounded by misty mountain ranges, pine forests and tea cultivations. Nuwara Eliya has a much cooler climate, which is in stark contrast to the tropical climate experienced in other parts of the island.

National Anthem  of Sri Lanka

After independence was granted to Sri Lanka in 1948, the need for a national anthem arose. As a result of a contest, Ananda Samarkone’s contribution, written in Sinhalese, was chosen as the new anthem. The Tamil lyrics have the same meaning as the Sinhalese lyrics. It was first performed on the fourth anniversary of 

 Belilena cave

Belilena is a very large cave, in which the 12,000-year-old skeletal remains of the prehistoric ‘Balangoda man’ (Homesepiens Balangodensis) have been found.The Homo sapiens balangodensis or the Balangoda Man refers to hominins from Sri Lanka’s late Quaternary period.

 

Learn about the basics of Buddhist meditation. Meditation is a means of transforming the mind. Buddhist meditation practices are techniques that encourage and develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and a calm seeing of the true nature of things.

 The National Tree in Sri Lanka - 

The Ironwood (Na Tree)

The Ironwood (Na Tree), botanically known as ”Mesua Nagassarium” was declared the National Tree on 26th February 1986.

One of Sri Lanka’s holy places where Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims visit on religious pilgrimage - Kataragama

The National Flag of Sri Lanka 

The National Flag of Sri Lanka represents the country and her heritage as a rallying device that integrates the minorities with the majority race.

Sri Lanka National Flag is an improvisation of the civil standard of the last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Wickrama Rajasingha. The civil standard had a passant royal lion with a sword in its right fore paw at the center and a bo-leaf on each of the four corners on a plain border.

When Sri Lanka gained her independence from Great Britain on February 04, 1948, it was the lion flag of the last king of Sri Lanka was hoisted once again. The first Prime Minister of independent Sri Lanka, D.S.Senanayake, appointed a committee to advise the government on the design of a new national flag. The design approved by the committee in February 1950 retained the symbol of the lion with the sword and the bo-leaves from the civil standard of the last king of Sri Lanka, with the inclusion of two verticle stripes green and orange in color. the significance of each symbol of the national flag is as follows:

Sri Lanka

Within a mere area of 65,610 kilometers lie 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 1,330 kilometers of coastline - much of it pristine beach - 15 national parks showcasing an abundance of wildlife, nearly 500,000 acres of lush tea estates, 250 acres of botanical gardens, 350 waterfalls, 25,000 water bodies, to a culture that extends back to over 2,500 years.

National Flower of Sri Lanka

Nil Manel / blue water lily

In February 1986 blue water lily was chosen as the National flower of Sri Lanka. It`s a symbol of purity and truth.

 National Bird of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl – Very colorful ground bird, endemic to Sri Lanka is the national bird of Sri Lanka. Distributed commonly in Sri Lanka’s jungle and dense scrub through out. Roosts high in trees at nights. Flies up to tree branches when threatened. Nests in hidden, scraped place on the ground or on a pile of vegetation just off the ground. Sinharaja is a very good site to watch Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl.

Sri Lanka's spectacular scenic beauty is rivaled by the wonders of her underwater world.

Sri Lanka is endowed with so many beautiful beaches. the unspoilt white sand beaches lined with swaying palm trees, the great surf & sand dunes. To glimpse the country's thriving coral reefs and their myriad multi-hued inhabitants, perfect resorts include Beruwela, Bentota, Mount Lavinia, Negombo and Hikkaduwa. Meanwhile exploring coral reefs; the beautiful under water flora in Sri Lanka Unawatuna in Galle claims to be among the top 15 beaches in the world.

The unspoilt children of the nature                                  

Sri Lanka's indigenous Wanniya-laeto (People of the Forest), also known as the Veddha, Archaeological evidence suggests their Neolithic ancestors inhabited this island 10,000 years ago or more.

Historically, for the past twenty-five centuries or more Sri Lanka's indigenous community has been buffeted by successive waves of immigration and colonization that began with the arrival of the Sinhalese from North India in the 5th century BC.

Consequently, the Wanniyalaeto have repeatedly been forced to choose between two alternative survival strategies: either to be assimilated into other cultures or to retreat ever further into a shrinking forest habitat.

Probably the Biggest Procession in Asia

- KANDY ASALA PERAHARA

Kandy Perahara or Procession is held to honor the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha enshrined in the Temple of Toosh Relic, and also as a blessing to the gods to give sufficient rain to the farmers for their next crops. This ritual is performed by carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha through the city streets. It starts on the full moon Piya Day in late July or early August and is held over 10 days in the hill country of Kandy. The procession is the most colorful and grand festival in south Asia. It has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka held every year. It is a Buddhist festival. 

The History of Sri Lanka ______________

Sri Lanka has a long history that goes back to the dawn of time. The history of the Sinhala people began with the arrival of an Indian prince named Vijaya. On the island of Lanka, Vijaya discovered that it was already inhabited, by a people called Yaksha. He took as his wife the queen of the Yakshas. Later, Vijaya took another wife, a Pandyan princess from South India, and They were regarded as the earliest settlers of Lanka.

Buddhism was introduced to Lanka in the 3rd century BC. It came about when a Buddhist missionary, Bhikkhu Mahinda, who is the brother of the Buddhist Emperor Asoka of India, arrived in Lanka, and succeeded in converting the Sinhalese King Devanampiyatissa at Mihintale.

Sri Lanka New Year
01 Apr 2010 - 30 Apr 2010

Sinhalese and Tamil cultures celebrate their New Year in April with elephant races, coconut games and other fun activities like pillow fights. It’s a great time to visit the northern regions, when peace pervades this otherwise tense part of Sri Lanka. 

Sinhalese New Year or Aluth Avurudhu rituals begin with observance of Nonagathe. At this time, people consider it to be inauspicious to engage in any activity. They go to temples and perform religious rites to receive the blessings of the priests. Women in villages congregate to play rabana (drums) to announce the time to start performing New Year rituals. 

Go where you want- See what you want

Sri Lanka is so much more than it’s famous sites, There is something for everyone to explore within few hours.

Nationals from 80 countries who visit Sri Lanka for tourist purposes are exempt from visa requirements and automatically receive a free 30-day visa on arrival. Those from these countries who visit for purposes other than tourism should obtain prior visas from a Sri Lankan Consular Office. For nationals of other countries there is a varying fee for the 30-day visa.

SRI LANKA  -  A home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world.

The land area of 25,483 mi² (65,610 km²) is home for all this and much more; at longitudes N79-82° and latitudes E5-10° in the heart of Indian ocean, 32 km away from the Indian sub-continent lies this magical Island of ancient "Ceylon", modern "Sri Lanka", has a long history dating back to hundred years before the birth of Christ.