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During the last one million years, when humans are known to have
existed in various parts of India, Sri Lanka was connected to the sub-continent
on numerous occasions. The rise and fall of sea level (due to cold/warm
fluctuations in the global climate) determined the periodicities of these
connections, the last separation having occurred at ca. 7000 BP. There is
secure evidence of settlements in Sri Lanka by 130,000 years ago, probably by
300,000 BP and possibly by 500,000 BP or earlier.
Sri Lanka is one of those places where history seems to fade into the mist of
legend. Is not Adam’s Peak said to be the very place where Adam set foot on
earth, having been sent out of heaven? Isn’t that his footprint squarely on top
of the mountain to prove it? Or is it the Buddha’s footprint on Sri Pada? And
isn’t Adam’s Bridge (the chain of islands linking Sri Lanka to India) the very
series of stepping stones Rama, aided by his faithful ally, the monkey god
Hanuman, stepped across in his mission to rescue Sita from the clutches of the
Rawana,King of Lanka, in the epic Ramayana?
The first entries in the Mahavamsa – or “Great History” – date back to 543BC,
which coincides with the arrival of Prince Vijaya in Sri Lanka. Some 300 years
later, commenced the early Anuradhapura Period, with King Devanampiya Tissa as
the first ruler. It was in this period that a sapling of the sacred Bo Tree,
under which the Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, was brought to Sri Lanka.
The late Anuradhapura Period, which began in the year 459, saw the reign of
King Kasyapa, and the construction of Sigiriya. The Polonnaruwa period,
witnessed the transfer of the capital from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa in 1073.
Famed explorer, Marco Polo, arrived in Sri Lanka in the period between 1254 and
1324, and, in 1505, the Portuguese landed, and occupied the island’s coastal
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The Portuguese Period |
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(1505 - 1658) |
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On November 15, 1505, the Island was first visited by Dom Lourenco
de Almeida, who set up the usual padrao at Colombo: this, a rock carved with
the arms of Portugal, was in the Customs premises until removed td the Gordon
Gardens at the side of Queen's House. The Portuguese made a great impression on
the inhabitants of Colombo and according to the Rajavaliya their report to the
king ran thus"There is in our harbour of Colombo a race of people fair of skin
and comely withal.
They don jackets of iron and hats of iron: they rest not a minute in one place:
they walk here and there; they eat hunks of stone and drink blood, they give
two or three pieces of gold and silver for one fish or one lime; the report
their cannon is louder than thunder when it bursts upon the rock Yugandhara.
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Their cannon balls fly many a gawwa and shatter
fortresses of granite.' The Portuguese envoys were conducted to the court by a
circuitous way by which they took three days to reach Kotte, lying only six
miles from Colombo: this has passed into a proverb in Sinhala, though the
Portuguese were not taken in by the trick. In spite of the intrigues of the
Muhammadans the so called Moors who had most to lose by the arrival of the
foreigners, Dom Lourenco took the king under the protection of Portugal, with a
promise of cinnamon as tribute.
At this time Sri Lanka had three main kingdoms – the Kingdom of Jaffna in the
north, the Kingdom of Kandy in the central highlands and Kotte, the most
powerful, in the south-west. In 1505 the Portuguese, under Lorennco de Almeida
established friendly relations with the king of Kotte and gained, for Portugal,
a monopoly in the spice and cinnamon trade, which soon became of enormous
importance in Europe.
Attempts by Kotte to utilize the strength and protection of the Portuguese only
resulted in Portugal taking over and ruling not only their regions, but the
rest of the island, apart form the central highlands around Kandy. Because the
highlands were remote and inaccessible, the kings of Kandy were always able to
defeat the attempts by the Portuguese to annex them, and on a number of
occasions drove the Portuguese right back down to the coast.
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The Dutch Period |
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(1640 - 1796) |
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In the XVIII century a growing European community (a mixture of
Portuguese, Dutch, Sinhalese and Tamil) had developed in Ceylon. They dressed
European, were adherents to the Dutch Reformed Church and spoke Dutch or
Portuguese.
The Dutch were much more interested in trade and profits than the Portuguese,
who spent a lot of efforts spreading their religion and extending their
physical control.
By the end of the British rule the Dutch Burgher community had lost its
influence and privileges, and many Burghers emigrated to Australia and to
Canada, especially after the declaration of Sinhala as the official language
(1961) of the country by Solomon Bandaranaike.
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In spite of this, the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon is
still in existence in Colombo to this day.
The Dutch Reformed Church is now called Presbytery of Ceylon, at present the
membership are 5.000, in the whole island are 24 the congregrations and 18 the
ministry workers. During the last 40 years the Church has lost much of her
leadership and membership due to the mass emigration of the Dutch Burgher
community.
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The British Period |
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(1796 - 1948) |
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In 1592 an English privateer
attacked the Portuguese off the southwestern port of Galle. This action was
England's first recorded contact with Sri Lanka. A decade later, Ralph Fitch,
traveling from India, became the first known English visitor to Sri Lanka. The
English did not record their first in-depth impressions of the island until the
mid-seventeenth century, when Robert Knox, a sailor, was captured when his ship
docked for repairs near Trincomalee. The Kandyans kept him prisoner between
1660 and 1680. After his escape, Knox wrote a popular book entitled An
Historical Relation of the Island of Ceylon in which he described his years
among his "decadent" captors.
By the mid-eighteenth century, it was apparent that the Mughal Empire
(1526-1757) in India faced imminent collapse, and the major European powers
were positioning themselves to fill the power vacuum in the subcontinent. |
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Dutch holdings on Sri Lanka were challenged in time by the British, who had an
interest in the excellent harbor at Trincomalee. The British interest in
procuring an all-weather port was whetted when they almost lost the Indian port
of Madras to the French in 1758. The Dutch refused to grant the British
permission to dock ships at Trincomalee (after The Netherlands's decision to
support the French in the American War of Independence), goading the British
into action. After skirmishing with both the Dutch and French, the British took
Trincomalee in 1796 and proceeded to expel the Dutch from the island.
Coffee was the main crop and the backbone of the colonial economy, but the
occurence of a leaf blight virtually wiped it out in the 1870s and the
plantations quickly switched over to tea or rubber. Today Sri Lanka is the
world’s second largest tea exporter. The British were unable to persuade the
Sinhalese to work cheaply and willingly on the plantations, so they imported
large number of South Indian labourers from South India. Sinhalese peasants in
the hill country lost land to the estates. |
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Between WW I and WW II, political stirrings started to push
Sri Lanka towards eventual independence from Britain – but in
a considerably more peaceful and low-key manner than in India. At the end of WW
II it was evident that independence would come very soon, in the wake of
independence for Sri Lanka’s neighbour. In February 1948 Sri Lanka, or Ceylon
as it was still known, became an independent member of the British
Commonwealth. |
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Dalada Maligawa |
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Sri Dalada Maligawa, which enshrines the Tooth Relic of the Buddha, is the
holiest shrine in the entire Buddhist world and to the people of Sri Lanka.
According to tradition the Tooth Relic was brought to Sri Lanka when King Kirti
Sri Meghavarna (301-328) was ruling in Anuradhapura, by a princess from Kalinga
named Hemamali, securely wrapped in her tresses. |
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Historical Buddhist Shrines & Monesteries - Gal
Viharaya |
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Archaeologists have recorded over 200,000 ruined Buddhist Monasteries and
Temples in Sri Lanka. Of them, over 70.000 were in the North and the East. Two
great events in the early history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka left a deep
impression and still evoke pious enthusiasm among millions of Buddhists. The
transplantation of a branch of the Bodhi tree under which Buddhahood was
attained served as an inspiration to the people who had recently embraced the
religion. The second event was the bringing of the Buddha's tooth relic from
India. |
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Sigiriya |
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Nothing in Sri Lanka captures the imagination more than a 200 meter lump of
granite that rises starkly above the flat central plains. Sigiriya
has it all -- a blood-stained history full of intrigue, astonishing frescos of
bare-breasted maidens painted 15 centuries ago, a wall covered in graffiti that
is more than 1,000 years old and, to top it all, Asia's oldest surviving
landscape garden. |
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Anuradhapura |
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Anuradhapura, a Ceylonese political and religious capital that flourished for
1,300 years, was abandoned after an invasion in 993. Hidden away in thick
jungle for a long time, the splendid site, with its palaces, monasteries and
monuments, is once again accessible. |
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Polonnaruwa |
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The city of Polonnaruwa like any other ancient South Asian city, consisted of a
citadel within which the royal precinct was located, a defense wall system and
moats, monastic and devale complexes which were the ritual centres and a well
laid out market complex. In the periphery of the city were centres of craft
production and beyond them the agricultural hinterland. |
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Golden Temple of Dambulla |
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Dambulla is about 12 miles south west of Sigiriya, on the Matale-Anuradhapura
Road. The largest cave carries some 48 statues of Lord Buddha alone, with
statues of some Hindu gods, (Vishnu and Saman). The statues of the Hindu gods
date back to the 12th century, when Hinduism took root in Sri Lanka and started
influencing the arts. The history of the caves themselves dates back to the 2nd
or 1st century B.C., when King Valagam Bahu who was escaping the invading army
that drove him out of Anuradhapura, took refuge in these caves. |
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Kataragama |
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Sri Lankan Hindus believe that their tender Lord Murugan left India long ago to
come and settle in Kathir-kamam (the place of light and love-passion) where his
vilaiyaatal (divine play) continue even to this day. According to Islamic
esoteric tradition. Kataragama or Khadiragama is the very place that prophet
Moses journeyed to in quest of higher teachings from the undying Servant of
Allah, al Khadir, the legendary 'Green Man'. And, as Buddhists know, the
Tathagatas themselves have come to Kataragama with the object of delivering
discourses on Dhamma. |
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Sri Pada - [Adam’s Peak] |
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Sri Pada or Adam's peak as it was known to the early West was in the limelight
from times before the recorded history of the Island. By the time Macedon's
illustrious son, Alexander the Great, Greek warrior king and empire builder is
believed to have visited Sri pada (circa. 324 B.C.), the peak was already held
in veneration. |
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Galle |
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According to Sir James Emerson Tennant Galle was the "Tarshish" referred to in
the Bible as the port where ships trading with King Soloman obtained their
Elephants, Peacocks and Gemstones. Most certainly the place where the Galle
Fort now stands as well as other areas in Galle like Unawatuna, Magalle,
Kaluwella and even the China Gardens (which held a colony of Chinese traders
several years ago) were all areas with historic connections which go back long
before the Portuguese Era. |
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Mihintale |
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Eight miles east of Anuradhapura, close to the Anuradhapura - Trincomalee Road
is situated the "Missaka Pabbata" which is 1000 feet in height and is one of
the peaks of a mountainous range. Though this was called Cetiyagiri or Sagiri,
it was popularly known as Mihintale - the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. |
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Ritigala |
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Legend also has it that when Lakshman, Rama’s brother, was wounded, Hanuman was
sent to the Himalayas to bring a particular medicinal herb for his cure. But on
his way it is believed that Hanuman had forgotten the king of plant. He then
got hold of a range of herbs with a fragment of soil from the Himalayas and
brought it to Sri Lanka. Ritigala is one such fragment brought by Hanuman,
according to legend. |
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Kelaniya Temple |
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This temple, consecrated during the third and final visit of Lord Buddha to Sri
Lanka, eight years after gaining enlightenment, is situated 7 miles from
Colombo in Gampaha District on the banks of the Kelaniya River. Its history
goes back nearly 2,563 years. |
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The origin of Sri Lankan dances goes back to immemorial times of
aboriginal tribes and "yakkas" (devils). According to a Sinhalese legend,
Kandyan dances originate, 2500 years ago, from a magic ritual that broke the
spell on a bewitched king.
Our historical record, the ‘Mahavamsa’, tells us that the Aryan Prince Vijaya
heard music on the day he landed on the shores of Lanka.According to Pali
scriptures the ‘Yakkas’ (one of the tribes inhabiting the Island at the time)
were fond of songs and dances.It may be that some of the devil dances that have
remained with us to the present day owe their origin to the ‘Yakka’ dances.
There were numerous forms of folk drama some of which were confined to certain
areas in the country. For example, Kolam, which is a very popular form of folk
drama in the coastal areas is unknown in the hill country. |
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Sokari, on the other hand is a type of folk drama,
which is limited to the up country. The Nadagama is a form of folk opera, which
has been popular in the villages along the western coast from Chilaw right down
to Tangalle in the deep south. These have been generally performed throughout
the night. |
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Kandy is synonymous with arts and crafts of Sri Lanka than
anywhere else in the country. It is probably because the Kandy is where all
elite who patronised these crafts survived during 300 years of war with the
Europeans.
Kandy is probably the best place to buy most of the handicrafts produced in Sri
Lanka because there are number of shops catering to the tourists. Tourists
could watch local crafts coming into life at the At the Kandyan Art
Association.
The main attraction is the intricate wooden carvings of this 14th century
shrine dedicated to God Kataragama. |
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There is also a Buddhist temple on location. Almost the entire structures of
some wooden buildings are decorated with dancers, musicians, wrestlers,
legendary beasts and birds. Nearby are the ruins of an ancient rest house with
similar pillars carved in stone. |
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Anuradhapura |
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205 km from Colombo is Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's first capital founded about
the 4th century BC. According to the Mahavansa, the Sinhala Buddhist chronicle,
the city was a model of planning. Precincts were set aside for huntsmen and
scavengers and even heretics and foreigners. There were hostels and hospitals,
separate cemeteries for high and low castes. A water supply was assured by the
construction of reservoirs.
Anuradhapura was to continue for six hundred years as the national capital. But
internecine struggles for the royal succession grew, and it became more and
more vulnerable to the pressures of South Indian political expansion. The city
was finally abandoned and the capital withdrawn to more secluded areas. |
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Polonnaruva |
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From the time of its arrival in Sri Lanka in the 4th century until the end of
the 10th century when the capital Anuradhapura was shifted to Polonnaruva, only
a few instances are recorded in the chronicle Mahavamsa.
Yet, Fa-Hsien, the Chinese traveller monk,who lived in the Abhayagiri monastery
in the 5th century has left behind many details about the worship and rituals
connected with the Tooth Relic. According to him, the procession instituted by
king Kirti Sri Meghavanna in the 4th century, was continued in a grandeur
scale. The sacred Tooth Relic was taken in procession from the Tooth Relic
shrine to the Abhayagiri Vihara where the Relic was exhibited for three months
with elaborate ritual worship. |
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Dambulla |
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Of all the cave temples in Sri Lanka, the five caves that form the Raja Maha
Vihara at the village of Dambulla, by far is the most impressive.
Dambulla is about 12 miles south west of Sigiriya, on the Matale-Anuradhapura
Road. The largest cave carries some 48 statues of Lord Buddha alone, with
statues of some Hindu gods, (Vishnu and Saman).
The statues of the Hindu gods date back to the 12th century, when Hinduism took
root in Sri Lanka and started influencing the arts. The history of the caves
themselves dates back to the 2nd or 1st century B.C., when King Valagam Bahu
who was escaping the invading army that drove him out of Anuradhapura, took
refuge in these caves. |
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Sinharaja Forest Reserve |
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Sinharaja is a tropical lowland rain forest in Sri Lanka. Its name means "lion
king" in the Sinhala language. |
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Kandy |
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Temple of the Sacred Tooth of Buddha. |
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Galle |
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The port town of Galle in the southwest of Sri Lanka has a splendid natural
harbour. The port was in use in pre-Christian times, but gained in importance
after the 12th century. By the 14th century it was arguably the most important
port in the country, and it retained this preeminence until 1873 when an
artificial harbour was built in Colombo.
The great Chinese admiral Zheng He commemorated his visit by leaving a
trilingual inscription in 1411; the three languages were Chinese, Tamil, and
Arabic, implying a cosmopolitan trading community. The Portuguese arrived in
1505, and later built a small fort; but it was after Galle was captured by the
Dutch in 1640 that the city rose to its greatest prosperity. The Dutch rebuilt
the town and strengthened the fortifications. |
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National Museum |
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National Museum
Sir Marcus Mawatha
P.O.Box 854
Colombo 7
Sri Lanka |
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The Colombo National Museum is the oldest and most prestigious
museum in Sri Lanka, and has been open to the public since 1877. Visitors in
1999 numbered 287.510 (including 145.868 schoolchildren, 15.026 teachers, and
8695 tourists).
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The National Museum of Natural History
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The National Museum, Kandy
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The National Museum, Rathnapura
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The National Museum, Galle
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Dutch Period Museum, Colombo
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Folk Museum, Anuradhapura
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Walisinghe Harischandra Memorial Museum, Katana
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Koggala Folk Musuem
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Archaeological Museum
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Monument To Rajah (Former Maligawa Tusker)
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Jayawardane Cultural Centre
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The museum is part of the Department of National
Museums, which includes six school science museums and eight other national
museums: |
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Ayurveda is a system of medicine that has developed in India from
4500 B.C. and introduced to Sri Lanka in 2500 B.C.. This system of medicine was
originated by Ancient Irshi (wise men) and views diseases as a state of
imbalance of air, bile and phlegm.
Siddha system of medicine originated in South India and depends largely on
minerals for the treatment of diseases against the accent given to herbs in
Ayurvedic system The Unani system of medicine originated in Greece and was
developed by Arabian scientists. This was introduced to Sri Lanka through the
Arabian traders. These systems of medicine served the needs of the people
before the advent of western powers from 15th century until the country gained
independence in 1948 |
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“Ayurveda” is not only a form of
medication – it is a total way of life know to generations of Sri Lankan for
over 3000 years. It is a gentle method of treating the root causes of illness
in both mind and body.
The health conscious today are searching for effective alternatives to the
spiraling costs and side effects that at times result from the use of modern
medicine.
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