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Historical and Honorable Places in Sri Lanka

Historical and Honorable Places in Sri Lanka 

Hindu Temples

• Temple of Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam
• Sri Muthumariamman Temple
• Sri Munneswaram Devasthanam
• Kathiresan Temple
• Natha Devalaya
• Sri Muthumariamman Kovil
• Shri Ponnambalawaneswaram Kovil

Buddhist Temples 

• Angurukaramulla Temple (Bodhirajaramaya)
• Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery
• Asgiriya Raja Maha Viharaya 
• Gangaramaya Temple
• Gangaramaya Temple
• Thuparamaya Dagaba
• Siri Dhammakiththikarama Purana Viharaya
• Sri Sunandharama Old Temple
• Sri Maha Bodiya
• Temple of Tooth Relic

Mosques

• Red Mosque

Church

• Thewatta Basilica 
• St. Antony’s Church 
• St. Sebastian's Church
• St. Mary's Church 
• St. Lucia's Cathedral
• Madu Church
• Thalawila Church

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National Parks in Sri Lanka

National Parks in Sri Lanka

There are approximately 21 National Parks in Sri Lanka where tourists to Sri Lanka can spend an adventure holiday spotting wild animals to their heart’s content (including bird watching), while safari camping. This small island has much to offer the animal enthusiast, as much as India, Malaysia and the great Africa put together! Less costly, more laid back and less commercialized, Sri Lanka has been described as ‘one of Asia’s top wildlife destinations’.

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Ports in Sri Lanka

Ports in Sri Lanka

• Port of Colombo 
• Port of Hambantota
• Port of Trincomalee
• Port of Galle
• Port of Point Pedro
• Kankasanthurei Harbour
• Oluvil Port 

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Best Trekking Trails in Sri Lanka

Best Trekking Trails in Sri Lanka 

Sri Lanka's diversity of terrain provide the opportunity for amazing treks and hikes, especially in the Central Highlands. Trekking and hiking through the paddy fields, tea plantations, spice gardens, waterfalls, streams, dense forests, hills and mountains of the tropical island of Sri Lanka brings about a unique experience that cannot be obtained any other way.

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Traditional Dances in Sri Lanka

Traditional Dances in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a rich heritage of traditional dance that is said to date back to the 4th century BC. The three main styles of classical dance are Kandyan dance, low country dance and Sabaragamuwa dance. Besides these classical styles, the country also have a variety of folk dances based on traditional beliefs and festivities. The costumes worn by the performers are often spectacular, such as the elaborate ornaments worn by Kandyan dancers and the striking masks used in devil dance. All forms of dancing in Sri Lanka combine graceful and vigorous movements, performed to the rhythm of drum beats. However, the gestures used in the dances differs, as do the costumes and the shape and size of the drums.

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Religions in Sri Lanka

Religions in Sri Lanka

Religion plays a very important role in the day-to-day life of Sri Lankan's. Although the island is predominantly Buddhist, other religions such as Hinduism, Islam and Christianity also have a marked presence here.  The country is an important pilgrimage destination for Buddhists from around the world, as it is said that the Buddha visited the island three times between 528 and 520 BC. Animism, albeit with a Buddhist or Hindu influence, is still practiced among the Veddahs, the original inhabitants of the island. Sri Lanka has many sacred sites of significance to the island’s various religious groups, including Kataragama, which is a holy site for Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims.

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Museums in Sri Lanka

Museums in Sri Lanka offer a rich insight in to the history and evolution of Sri Lanka as one of the most distinctive countries in the world. As in any other place in the world, one gets to know all about the past of a country through the exhibits housed in the museums. In a way museums are place to get enlightened about a country’s heritage. Speaking of heritage, Sri Lanka undoubtedly has several areas of tourist attractions.

The museums in the country are dedicated to different themes, or rather the exhibits displayed make us delve deeper in to the relation of sea and the country or the life and times of a past prime minister or the significance of the archaeological findings. All the museums in Sri Lanka are for the common man, the curious tourist or the serious student of that particular discipline.

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Ayurveda in Sri Lanka

Ayurveda in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s traditional form of medicine, Ayurveda uses plants, herbs and oils in its treatments. Translated as the “science of life”, it works on the premise that the body is ruled by three doshas (humours): vata (air), pitta (bile or fire) and kapha (phlegm or earth). In medical terms, these refer to the nervous, digestive and immune systems respectively. Toxins, poor diet, bad digestion, lack of sleep and excess stress cause an imbalance of the doshas and lead to poor health. Ayurvedic treatments aim to balance the doshas and, thus, restore health. Ayurveda physicians prescribe customized treatment plans that include a special diet, while Ayurvedic centers in mid and top-range hotels offer practices aimed at relaxation, such as massages and skin treatments.

Panchabhutas, according to Hindu philosophy, are the five basic elements that make up the universe and all individuals. These are prithvi (earth), jal (water), teja (fire), vayu (air) an akash (ether).

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World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka (UNESCO sites)

World Heritage sites (UNESO sites) Sri Lanka, known as "the teardrop of India", is a small but very beautiful island with a rich and ancient history and culture. It is full of the most amazing places to visit and in recognition of the wondrous beauty of these sites, eight of the best have been declared UNESCO World Heritage sites. 

Eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka 

The sacred city of Anuradhapura – (1982)
The medieval capital of Polonnaruwa – (1982)
The Sigiriya rock fortress – (1982)
The royal city of Kandy – (1988)
The Dutch fortifications at Galle – (1988)
The Sinha raja forest reserve – (1988)
The cave temples of Dambulla – (1991)
Central Highlands of Sri Lanka – (2010)

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Sri Lanka Through the Year

There always seems to be some festivity or celebration taking place in Sri Lanka at any given time. With Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians making up the country’s population, most events are religious in nature. Many of the Buddhists and Hindu festivities feature elaborate processions with dancers, drummers and even elephants, and attract pilgrims from around the island. Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim festivals follow the lunar calendar and their dates vary from year to year. All full moon or poya days in Sri Lanka are public holidays and are associated with an event in the life of the Buddha or the history of Buddhism. On poya days, Buddhists visit nearby temples with offerings, and places of entertainment are often closed. In addition to religious events, several other holidays such as National Day, celebrating Sri Lanka’s independence, are also observed.

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The World Famous Ceylon Tea in Sri Lanka

The World Famous Ceylon Tea in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the largest exports of tea in the world. Th country produces a wide range of varieties, including grades of the traditional black tea, flavoured teas, organic teas and green tea. The first tea plants, brought from china, were grown in Peradeniya Botanical Gardens in 1824, but it wasn’t until 1867 that the first commercial tea plantation was established near Kandy. Before the cultivation of tea began on the island, coffee was the principal plantation crop. However, when the coffee trees were decimated by disease in the 1870s, tea became a profitable alternative. Today, the tea industry is of great importance to Sri Lanka’s economy. The country’s tea estates attract visitors from around the world and offer tours of tea factories, stays in plantation bungalows and picturesque views of rows of tea bushes.

Tea plantation

About 4 percent of Sri Lanka’s land area is covered with tea plantations. These are mainly found in the Hill Country, which offers the ideal terrain and climate for the plants to flourish. Tea bushes are carefully manicured and kept at waist height for ease of plucking. Tea cutting are kept in a nursery for about a year before being planted in the fields. 

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Sri Lankan Cuisines and Tasty Sri Lankan Foods

Sri Lankan Cuisines and Tasty Sri Lankan Foods

Sri Lanka boasts a unique culinary heritage of a fusion of traditional dishes with recipes and cooking techniques brought to the island by traders and colonialists. Sri Lankan cuisine has been shaped by many historical, cultural and other factors. Sri Lankan food is unique for their Culture. Many Sinhala food items are derived from Chena cultivation. Sri Lankan cuisine plays a vital role in the islanders’ life from the most auspicious Sinhala/ Hindu New Year to normal day-to-day practices. They make milk rice and special sweets with coconut milk, floor and Honey at cultural festivals. It is recognized as one of the sixty- four types of art, “Siu Seta kalawa”. The curries come in many verities of colours and flavours blended in Sri Lankan Hot Spices has a great ayurvedic value when used in curries. “Lunu dehi” (lime pickle) and jaadi (Pikled fish) are food items made from methods of preserving since they could dry them in sun during rainless days. Staple diet of Sri Lanka is ‘Rice and curry’ the word ‘curry’ convering a multitude of dishes which are made according to different methods of cooking from Soups, meat, Sea food, Lentils, Vegetables, Sambols, Mallums, Phies to Achcharus.

Main Dishes

Rice and Curry

There’s nothing more common to eat as Sri Lankan food than a nutritious plate of rice and curry. You normally get a plate of rice piled with a few of the daily vegetable curries and a choice of fish curry as well. The central feature of Sri Lankan cuisine is boiled or steamed rice, served with a curry of fish, chicken or mutton, along with other curries made with vegetables, lentils, or fruits. Dishes are accompanied by pickled fruits or vegetables, chutneys, and sambols. Coconut sambol is especially common, a paste of ground coconut mixed with chili peppers, dried Maldive fish, and lime juice. Rice is the staple food of the Sri Lankans. Almost every household in Sri Lanka takes rice and curry as its main meal. Meat, fish and vegetables are prepared as curries. Sliced onions, green chilies, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and saffron are used to add flavours. A basic rice and curry requires one fish (or beef or chicken) curry, two different vegetables, one portion of fried crispy stuff like ‘papadam’, a ‘mallum’ of chopped leaves and coconut, and a gravy or ‘hodda’ of spiced and cooked with coconut milk.

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