Sri Lanka

General

Sri Lanka "Serendipity" – the discovery of beauty by coincidence or accident – is a term coined from "Serendip", the name bequeathed by seafaring Greeks to the Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka. Two thousand years later, Sri Lanka still offers serendipity to the traveller – a rare combination of unexpected pleasures. Strikingly beautiful landscapes, unspoilt golden beaches, an abundance of marine and terrestrial wildlife combined with historic temples, gigantic monuments, and a unique culture and exquisite pageantry to make Sri Lanka a matchless tourist destination in the Orient. The pleasure of touring Sri Lanka is heightened because one does not have to travel great distances to experience the island's many attractions. A five-hour journey by road will take the visitor from sunny beaches to the salubrious hills, or from a tropical wildlife park to the cool climes of Adam's Peak. The serendipitous beauty of Sri Lanka is enhanced and enriched by the warm hospitality of its people. From time immemorial, the sincere smiles and warm charm of Sri Lankans have welcomed visitors from all corners of the globe. Sri Lanka portrays what the Orient gave to the world at the turn of the Christian era – the concept of society; the birth of all the major religions; the origin of commercial and political ties; and the refinement of arts from architecture to music. While envoys of ancient Sri Lankan kings visited Rome, Persia, China, and Egypt, visitors to Sri Lanka included Fa Hsien, the pilgrim, Marco Polo, the traveller, Ibn Battuta, the seafarer, and Robert Knox, the chronicler. They left fascinating descriptions of the island. Eighty different names, from Taprobana to Seylan and Dharmadvipa, confirm the waves of visitors that Sri Lanka attracted during its history. The European maritime powers – the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British – who traversed the Indian Ocean from the 15th century on left indomitable marks on the island. After five centuries of colonial domination, Sri Lanka became independent in 1948 and a republic in 1972. The country has an interesting ethnic mixture, comprising 74% Sinhalese, 12.6% Tamil, 5.5% Indian Tamil, 7.1% Moor and 0.3% Malay (Muslims), 0.3% Burgher (of European origin), and 0.3% others. All four major religions are represented with 69% Buddhists, 15.5% Hindus, 7.5% Christians, and 7.9% Muslims. History and legend, monuments and memorials, temples and processions, myth and folklore, fable and parable, philosophy and religion, statecraft and the art of war, and morals and the romance of modern Sri Lanka reveal the story of a new nation at crossroads – the death of an old civilization and a new culture struggling to be born.