Sri Lanka Tours & Holidays

Geography of Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan island is a part of Indian Plate, a major tectonic plate which was earlier attached to Indo- Australian Plate. Located in Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal Sri Lanka exists between the latitudes 5 degree and 10 degree, longitudes 79 degree and 82 degree. It is separated from Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait. The surface of Sri Lankan Island is mostly consisted as flat to rolling coastal plains with mountains situated only at south-central part. The highest point of Sri Lanka is Pidurutalagala that is about 2,524 meters high above sea level.

Among the 103 rivers in country, the longest river is Mahaweli River, 335 kilometers long. These rivers pass through many waterfalls and one of them is Bambarakanda falls that is about 863 feet high. Sri Lanka's coastline is 1,585 km long that creates an extended Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending 200 nautical miles has developed into highly productive marine ecosystems consisted of shallow beds of coastal and estuarine sea grasses. Sri Lanka has 45 estuaries and 40 lagoons.

People & Lifestyle

Though much smaller in size as compared to its neighbour, India, Sri Lanka has a diverse topography and landscape (other than snow blanketed peaks). A major portion of the population is formed by the Sinhalese (around 74%) who occupy southern, western and central region. Other than the Sinhalese, the other groups include the Tamils (further subdivided into Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils), Moors (again divided into Sri Lankan, Indian and Malay) and Burghers. Contrary to popular perception, the people of Sri Lanka are educated (a staggering 92% literacy rate as per 2003 estimate) and they prefer nuclear families. Caste system is widely prevalent in the lives of people especially in marriages where same caste match is stressed upon. Husband and wife have well defined roles to play in the social system with wife being responsible for looking after the household chores and husband for earning a living for the family. A vast portion of the people depend upon agriculture for their subsistence (especially in rural areas), though other occupations are also fast gaining prominence (especially in urban areas). The urban people are adopting western culture Buddhism in Sri Lanka much faster than their rural brethrens. Many women in the urban areas are also opting for a career.

The culture of the country has developed over the years and is a rich blend of all the influences that the country and its people have been exposed to so far. However, the most visible impact on the Sri Lankan culture has been from Buddhism. People mainly follow the Buddhism with numerous Buddhist stupas spread throughout the country and several festivals being celebrated on important events in and around Buddha's life. The festivals of the country are also a reflection of the great culture of this small country. Particularly famous is the Kandy Esala Perahera celebrated in the month of July or August. This festival is a spectacular ten days event culminating in a procession taken out in respect of the sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha. Another festival that strengthens the impact of Buddhism in the country is Duruthu Perahera held in January. The festival is a celebration of Lord Buddha's visit to the country.

The dance forms of Sri Lanka has been heavily influenced by Indian dances though much Food Sri Lanka emphasis is laid on symbolism to convey the message in dance. Modern dance form often combines the traditional dance with the western dance style to produce a magical effect. Similarly music of the country has also been influenced by both traditional and western music. The cuisine of the country speaks much about the culture of the people. Spices are frequently used to enhance the taste of the food.

A tourist on a visit to this country will come across a variety that is typical of the Indian subcontinent region. The people and their lifestyle are distinctly different from one region to other; however the basic culture remains throughout the country. Sri Lanka is, in brief, a place that will be best understood when experienced.

History of Sri Lanka

There is a written text to Sri Lankan history in form of Mahawansha that is about 3,550 years old. Another mention of Sir Lanka is in several ancient mythological texts and one of them is Ramayana where the island is referred as Lanka where King Ravana kept Lord Rama’s wife goddess Sita in captivation after her abduction. However, the first instances of civilization have been traced back to arrival of Sinhalese in Sri Lanka in the 6th century BC probably from northern India. The country came under the influence of Buddhism as earliest as mid 3rd century BC and led to the establishment of civilization as Anuradhapura and Polonaruwa. Some other notable and important kingdoms of Sri Lanka are Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Gampola, Kandy and Jaffna Kingdoms. The Modern Phase of Sri Lankan History begins with its occupation by Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island handed over to British in 1796 and became its colony in 1802. It became free from British dominion in 1948 and the name changed from Ceylon to Sri Lanka in 1972.

Culture of Sri Lanka

With regional diversity culture wise and many ethnic groups living in the country, the culture of Sri Lanka has developed into an admixture of traditional as well as conventional values. Under the influence of Buddhism since 3 century BC the culture of Sri Lanka is immensely influenced by heritage of Theravada Buddhism inherited from India. The Buddhist influence is seen clearly at Sri Lankan’s southern and central region whereas the northern part is far more influenced by South Indian Cultural influences. The colonial subjugation of Sri Lanka by Portuguese, Dutch and British has also left their impression on Sri Lanka.

The history of colonial occupation has also left a mark on Sri Lanka's identity, with Portuguese, Dutch, and British elements having intermingled with various traditional facets of Sri Lankan culture. The culture of Sri Lanka is highly blended towards aestheticism and artistic cult and rituals. The Sri Lankan culture is internationally acclaimed for variety in cuisines, holistic medicine system, and religious iconography as Buddhist flag. Other important attraction from Sri Lanka is its tea tradition, cinnamon, gemstones and immensely active tourism sector.

Fairs & Festivals of Sri Lanka

A country with a good number of ethnic groups and religions living together, Sri Lanka celebrates festivals under its multicultural ethnic identity. The Buddhist and Sri Lankan New Year are celebrated there in the month of April. A very opulent Buddhist festival Esala is celebrated with dance and richly decorated elephants in the month of August. Christmas is celebrated with much fun and fair every year. Popular Tamil festivals here are Thai Pongal, Maha Shivaratri, Muslims celebrates Hajj & Ramadan.

Dining

Sri Lanka and South Indian food has many similarities as many restaurants in Sri Lanka tell their food to be Indian. The staple food of Sri Lanka is Rice and Curry. Other dishes include pittu, Kiribath, Wholemeal Roti, String hoppers, Wattalapam a pudding, kottu and hoppers. There a good number of variations in food is found as Burgher community preserving their culture through traditional dishes such as Lamprais (rice cooked in stock and baked in a banana leaf), Breudher (Dutch Holiday Biscuit), and Bolo Fiado (Portuguese-style layer cake).

There are many upscale restaurants in the mega cities of Sri Lanka. These establishments are found largely in western Colombo (along Galle Road), though more are located around Colombo and other major cities. Fast-food outlets like KFC, Pizza Hut, etc. can be found in major cities.

Shopping

Among the shopping items in Sri Lanka as a souvenir you can opt from a good range of Handicrafts made from reed, cane, cotton, paper, leather, wood, clay, metal, and gemstones. The prepared items made from above mentioned raw materials generally happens to be batiks, toys, curios and jewellery and many more.