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Colombo
Area65,610 km²
(1.6x the Netherlands)
UTC +5:30
LanguageSinhala, Tamil, Malaysian, English
Highest pointPidurutalagala - 2,524 m
The current flag of Sri Lanka was adopted on December 17, 1978. The lion represents the Sinhalese, the 4 leaves of the bodhi tree represent the influence of Buddhism on Sri Lanka, kindness, compassion, joyful appreciation and balance. They also symbolize the four major religions of Sri Lanka: Buddhism, Hindism, Christianity and Islam. The sword represents independence. The handpiece of the sword symbolizes the elements of fire, water, air and earth. The various parts of the lion represent various virtues of Buddhism. The orange stripe symbolizes the Hindu Tamil minority, the green symbolizes the Muslims and the yellow frame the other minorities.
The Ceylon government issued their own banknotes in 1895 to replace the Indian rupee. From 1951 the central bank of Ceylon took over this task. From 1977, banknotes (Sri Lankan rupee) are issued by the central bank of Sri Lanka.
Before the arrival of the Portuguese, Galle was known as Gimhathiththa. It was the largest port in Sri Lanka during the rule of the Dutch in the 18th century. It is the best example of a fortified city in South East Asia. The Dutch fortified the city further from 1649 onward. Galle Fortress is the largest fort in Asia built by colonial occupiers. Modern history started when the Portuguese set foot in 1502. In 1640 they had to surrender to the troops of the V.O.C. The Dutch built the fortress in 1663. The three bastions are called Sun, Moon and Star. After the takeover by the British in 1796, it was used as administrative center of the district.
Sigiriya (the lion's rock) is a free-standing rock of almost 200 meters high. The rock
is the story of Kassapa, king from 477 to 495. He was the son of king Dhatusena
of Anuradhapura. The king pointed out another son, Mogallana, as the successor to the throne.
Kassapa imprisoned the king and killed him later. Mogallana fled to India hoping to gather an
army.
Kassapa did not wait for this. He fled from Anuradhapura and founded a new capital
on the easily defensible rock. In 495 he was defeated by Mogallana, not
on the rock but on the plain in front of it. After that it was used as a monastery until
the 14th century.
Halfway up the rock, on a small plateau, Kassapa had an entrance gate built in the
shape of a lion. The virgins of Sigiriya were originally about 500 frescoes
of which 21 are still left. The rest were destroyed by monks. These paintings are
unique in Sri Lankan art history. It can be extremely busy when
climbing the rock and therefore very time consuming. Best time to visit is lunch time.
Kandy was the last chapter of the era of kingdoms of Sri Lanka. The Sri Dalada Maligawa
(temple of the tooth relic) is one of the most important places in the Buddhist world.
Kandy has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu (1473-1511)
was the first king of the kingdom of Kandy. In 1592, Kandy was the last capital of the last
remaining independent kingdom after the coastal regions were conquered by the Portuguese.
It resisted attacks from the Portuguese and later the Dutch. In 1815, the English finally
conquered it after which it became a protectorate. This ended a 2500-year period of Sri
Lankan kingdoms. The temple of the tooth relic is the most important Buddhist
temple of Sri Lanka. Whoever owned the tooth relic had the right to rule the country.
The relic is kept in seven shrines which fit together. The largest is 1.2 meters high and made
of gilded silver, the others of gold. The Esala Perahera is an annual festival in honor of the
tooth relic. The festival has been around since the tooth relic was brought from Anuradhapura.
The festival lasts for
10 days, working towards the peak. On the last night there are more than a hundred elephants
in the procession, preceded by the Maligawa tusker. The Maligawa tusker is the most important
elephant. Decorated from
head to toe it carries the tooth relic. It is believed that the land is spared from disasters
when the rituals of this festival are executed perfectly. The most famous elephants were
honored. Raja who died in 1988 was set up in a museum near the temple of the tooth relic. The
government declared a day of national mourning. Spectators of the Perahera take place
around noon along the route of the procession that starts after eight o'clock in the evening
and ends around midnight. There are also seats on terraces, balconies and stands, although you
have to pay a large amount for this.
From the 8th century, Muslim merchants established various trading posts in what is
Colombo today. In 1517, the Portuguese built their first fortress here. The Dutch expanded it
and dug channels. Under British rule it developed into the main city of
Sri Lanka in 1815. From the bar-restaurant Harbor room on the fourth floor
of the Grand Oriental hotel you have a beautiful view of the harbor of Colombo. This hotel
was the primary residence for passengers arriving to Colombo by boat. It is located in
the Fort district, the oldest district. The Pettah district is in fact a large bazaar with
numerous shops.
4th cross street in Pettah is full of activity. Trucks are continuously
loaded and unloaded. Nice to watch these activities but watch your step. It's not an area
for just a simple stroll.
The stilt fishermen at Weligama and Ahangama are worth mentioning. These stilts were used by real
fishermen. Today there are is mainly persons who want to make money from tourists who want to take
pictures. They are only on the stilts for decoration.
Anuradhapura was founded about 380 BC by Sinhalese. Today it is an important place of pilgrimage,
especially during festivals on the full moon days (Poya). There are 12 or 13 days of full moon
every year. For Buddhists an important day. Therefore it is very busy at places of pilgrimage.
One of the main attractions is the Sri maha bodhi tree. This is said to be a shoot of the tree
under which Buddha reached enlightenment in India. The shoot was planted in 288 BC, making it
the oldest human-planted tree in the world. Dutugamunu had the Ruwanweliseya stupa built in 140 BC. 100 million bricks have been used
The 103 meter high stupa has a circumference of 290 meters. The dome symbolizes heaven.
When you're lucky, you can witness the wrapping of a flag or cloth around the entire base of the
stupa in preparation for Poya day.
Buddhists, accompanied by musicians, walk to the stupa with a unfurled approx. 300 meter long
flag. The flag is held by everyone. With the help of the monks, it is then stretched around the
base. Blue, yellow, red, white and orange represent the colors of Buddha's aura when he attained
enlightenment.
King Mahasena, who reigned from 273 to 301, started to build the Jetavanarama stupa. It was
completed by his son Maghavanna I. It has a foundation of 8 meters thick and is 122 meters high
with a diameter of 113 meters it is the largest structure after the pyramids.
About 13 km east of Anuradhapura is a 300 meter high rock, Missaka Pabbata,
which is part of the mihintale (plateau of Mahinda) complex. Three stairs with a total of 1843
steps lead from the base to the top of the rock. The stairs were built by King Bhathika
Abhaya who reigned from 22 BC to 7 AD. The buses stop where the third stage starts.
Here you find the tables of Mihintale, two flat stones with the inscriptions (Sangha) for the
rules of the monks. Behind the refectory (Dana Salawa) of the monks are two rock-cut trays in
which rice was stored. After the third stage you reach the Ambasthala (mango tree) stupa that
marks the place where King Devanampiya Tissa met the Indian prince Mahinda (son of Emperor
Ashoka) who converted him to Buddhism. Behind this stupa is the larger Mahaseya stupa, built
by king Mahadathika Mahanaga who reigned from 7 to 19. From the plateau with the Ambasthala
stupa you climb to a viewpoint (about 10 minutes). This is very steep and busy. Some steps
are no longer visible.
In 1619 the Portuguese conquered the Jaffna peninsula and in 1629 it became the administrative
center. The Portuguese built a fortress. In 1658, the troops of the VOC conquered the city after
a 3-month siege. The Dutch expanded the fortress. In 1796, the British took over from the Dutch.
The Nallur Kandaswamy temple is dedicated to Murugan, son of Shiva. It is the most beautiful
Hindu temple in the country. The original temple was destroyed by the Portuguese.
The current structure dates from the early 19th century. There are six ceremonies a day and men
are only allowed without shirt. Every year the Nallur Thiruvila festival takes place in and
around the temple. This festival lasts 25 days and ends on poya day (full moon) in August.
The festival starts with the introduction of the flag, Kodiyetram. Every day
another deity is worshipped. We witness day one.
The Dambulla Cave Temple has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. The rock in which
the temple is built is 160 meters high. There are five caves with statues and frescoes about
Gautama Buddha and his life. There are 153 images of Buddha, 3 images of kings and 4 images of
gods. The frescoes together cover 2100 square meters. The largest cave is 52 meters long and
23 meters wide. The complex dates from the 1st century BC and was built by King Valagambahu I
of Anuradhapura. After Tamils conquered his empire, he hid here for 14 years before he could
regain the throne. In gratitude he had the caves converted into a temple complex. In the 17th
and 18th centuries, the complex was expanded by the kings from Kandy who were responsible for
many of the frescoes.
Polonnaruwa was the 2nd largest capital of Sri Lanka after Anuradhapura. However, this empire
only existed for a short time from the 11th to the 13th centuries. The monasteries and palaces
were protected by a 6 km long wall. From 993 to 1073 it was an Tamil army base who came from
the Chola empire in India. They were defeated by the Sinhalese king Vijayabahu I
who considered Polonnaruwa capital. After his death, a civil war broke out that lasted 40 years.
In 1161 Parakramabahu I captured the city ??and he ruled the whole island. He is considered the
last great king of the country. In 1293 Polonnaruwa was
attacked again after which it was abandoned. The Dalada Maluwa 'terrace of
the tooth relic' also called Quandrangle once contained the tooth relic that is now in Kandy.
The most striking building on the terrace is the Vatadage, a round building with beautiful
images where in the middle probably the dental relic was preserved. Many consider this building
to be the most ornate in Sri Lanka. Further north the 16 meter high brick walls of the Lankatilaka
are located. Inside the walls is a huge buddha statue without a head. Gal Vihara is one
of the most beautiful monuments in Sri Lanka. Four Buddha statues carved in a rock wall. The 14
meter long reclining Buddha is very beautiful and has inspired artists for centuries.