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Sri Lanka (Ceylon): flags, capital

The official capital of the island nation of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, and the country's largest city and de facto capital is Colombo. The words "Sri Lanka" are traditionally translated from Sanskrit as "Blessed Land", although the more correct is not "Earth", but "Island". The former name of Sri Lanka was Ceylon.

The modern full official name of the country is the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The official capital of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is a small city in the Colombo agglomeration - the largest city in the country. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte houses the country's parliament, as well as various government departments and the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Colombo, the de facto capital of the country, is also its administrative, political and economic centre.

• Serendib (pre-Singhal era),
• Tambapanni (from the founding of the Sinhalese state to the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505),
• Ceylon (from 1505 to 1815),
• British Ceylon from 1815 to 1948 (actually from 1817, since the Kingdom of Kandy existed before that time),
• Dominion of Ceylon from 02/04/1948 to 1972 (after gaining independence from Britain, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations),
• Republic of Sri Lanka from 1972 to 1978,
• Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka since 1978.

Often you can meet the question of the correct placement of stress in the name of the country "Sri Lanka": L A nka or lank A? However, based on the original name, neither of the two options will be correct. The stress in the word "Lanka" is not put, since in the Sinhalese language there is no stress, but there are only long and short sounds, and in this case only short ones are used.

Flags of Ceylon and Sri Lanka

Throughout history, the colors and motifs of the flags of the island nation have changed many times. The following shows exactly how this has been expressed over the past two centuries.

History of changing the flags of Sri Lanka

The modern state flag of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the result of many years of transformation of its parts and elements since the state gained independence. The symbolism of the latest modern version of the national flag of Sri Lanka is shown below.

• 1815-02/04/1948 British Ceylon

A new flag was created, based on the British flag and placed on a blue background in the upper left corner and the symbolism of the country (in the understanding of the British colonizers) in the form of a satellite in the middle right.

• 02/04/1948-03/02/1951 Dominion of Ceylon

In 1948, after the liberation of the island from colonial dependence on Great Britain, the new republic adopted the flag of the last independent Kingdom of Kandy (1469-1815) as the official flag. It depicts the symbol of the country - the Sinhalese lion with a raised sword in its paw and 4 decorative elements at the corners of the canvas.

• 03/02/1951-05/22/1972 Ceylon

Colored stripes have been added to the flag, occupying 1/7 of the flag's area - the colors of the country's ethno-religious minorities: Muslim Moors and Hindu Tamils.

• 1972 - present Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka

Four stylized leaves of the Bo tree (one of the symbols of Buddhism) were added to the composition at the corners of the flag, replacing the previous ornament.

Flag of the Republic of Sri Lanka: symbols

After the flag of the Kingdom of Kandy was adopted as the basis, the changes and additions indicated above were made to it. Their appearance was associated primarily with the interethnic problems of the Sri Lankan society.

As a result, the interpretation of the symbolism of the national flag of Sri Lanka was used by various political forces earlier and continues to be used now in the interests, mainly aimed at strengthening the urgency of the national issue, and not searching for common ground.

The Sinhalese lion is the national symbol of Sri Lanka.

After Ceylon gained independence from Britain in 1948, the question arose of creating the banner of a new republic. To develop the layout of the flag, a special committee was created, which decided to return to the version of the flag of the last free Sinhalese kingdom, used during the reign of King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha (Sri Vikrama Rajasinha): it depicted a Sinhalese lion on a maroon background.

Despite the fact that lions are not found in Sri Lanka, the choice of a symbol would seem somewhat strange. However, the fact is that the appearance of the Sinhalese lion symbol itself dates back to the time of Prince Vijay, who landed on the island in 543 BC. with a flag with a lion on it. According to legend, the founder of the Sinhalese nation came from India, where lions were found in large numbers in those days. So, having appeared as the flag of Prince Vijay, over time, the Sinhalese lion was fixed as a symbol of royal power. For example, the paws of a lion on the flag of the kingdom of Kandy meant the stability of Sri Lanka, its steadfastness; and equal distances from the paws to the body and from the body to the crown symbolized the equality of the ruler and the law.

I have often been and still am in the countries of South Asia, though most often for work, but I come to the most interesting places again, already for the sake of relaxation. In order to get impressions not on the run, but with sense and arrangement. This time, I visited Sri Lanka or, as it is also called, the island of Ceylon.

How to get to Ceylon

I bought tickets that cost about 20,000 rubles from Moscow. A few hours of flight - and I'm in place. The airport on the island is located in the city of Bandaranaike. From here you need to get to Colombo, which is thirty-five kilometers away. Transportation in Sri Lanka is developed quite well, so you can safely choose a bus, a suburban train, and a taxi.

I decided not to risk the bus routes, so I took a taxi, which cost only 300 rupees. Still, while in Moscow, I booked a room in one of the hotels located on the Negombo beach.

The trip took no more than twenty minutes, but this is not surprising, the distance is small. I really liked the guest house, and from its windows you can clearly see the sea and even have your own piece of the beach. It is very comfortable. By the way, there are not many tourists here, so no one interfered with my peace. The price of the house was quite affordable - about 3000 rubles per day.

A bit about the history of Ceylon

The capital of the island is Sri Jayawardanapura, although there is also an unofficial one - this is Colombo, recognized by the world community. For many years the island was attacked by various conquerors. There were Arabs, and the Portuguese, and the Dutch, and even the British.

Due to the fact that the leadership changed with enviable constancy in Ceylon, the architectural styles here are mixed to measure unmeasured. At the moment, a lot of modern skyscrapers and houses have been built here.

Climate

You can relax on the island all year round, thanks to the subequatorial climate. The average air temperature is kept at around 26 degrees. Ceylon is always warm, but very humid. True, tsunamis occur here in the summer, so it will be safer to rest in the winter. By the way, it doesn't rain here during the winter months.

Transport

Transport links are well developed here. It is equally comfortable to get to any point of the island by bus, taxi, and even by rail.

True, the fastest is the movement on the Tuk-tuk. These are such funny things, vaguely reminiscent of a three-wheeled motorcycle. Behind the driver is a passenger box. The drivers of these cars drive their vehicles so professionally that they are able to bypass almost any traffic jam or traffic jam.

National food of Sri Lanka

Local food is very different from all European dishes. The fact is that spices and seasonings predominate here. The locals' favorite is curry. By the way, they eat very little meat on the island, preferring vegetables and fruits.

Local chefs perfectly prepare sea delicacies, so it is better to choose fish and seafood.

I can give advice right away. In no case, do not try to eat in roadside cafes or shops. Very high chance of food poisoning. I didn’t go to just one cafe, I went around a dozen establishments. And she came to a disappointing conclusion.

But, in addition to local restaurants, there are also European ones. So there are plenty to choose from.

Attractions of Ceylon

There are a lot of religious sites on the island. One of the most important is Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara.

True, it was completed not so long ago - in the first half of the twentieth century, but the first mention of it dates back to the third century BC. I was especially impressed by the colorful frescoes on the walls. This temple is a true example of Sinhalese architecture.

The temple of Sri Ponnambala Vaneswaram is curious in that every year a harvest festival is held on its territory. Its walls are made of light gray granite. Surprisingly, there is no riot of colors here, as is usually the case in local temples.

I also visited the Dutch Museum. There are many exhibits dedicated to the times of the Dutch rule over Sri Lanka. There are also coins, and weapons, and household items. Previously, this building housed an institute and a post office. Entrance costs 500 rupees. Honestly, not a particularly interesting place. The museum is like a museum. I saw exhibitions and much more interesting than this one.

You can go to the Yami Ul Alfar Mosque for free, which is attractive with its red and white colors.

I didn't go inside, I just took a few photos.

Sri Bala Selva Vinayagar Murti is a temple dedicated to the famous Hindu gods Shiva and Ganesha. By the way, the most beloved Hindu god is Ganesha with the head of an elephant. It is believed that he is the god of all the best in the world. And that it was he who did all the wonders of the world.

Ceylon Island. tea plantations

It was the tea plantations that glorified the island of Ceylon for many years. Probably many people remember the same tea in a yellow pack, with an elephant painted on it. This tea was brought just from this island. The quality of the tea is excellent. In Ceylon, they conduct excellent excursions to tea plantations.

Here you can see how tea grows and how it is harvested. There is also a factory for sorting and packing tea leaves. Also on the territory there is a restaurant where you can taste all varieties of tea grown on the island. There are so many of these species that I could not try them all, I was afraid to burst))). Here you can also buy fragrant tea as a souvenir for your relatives. I scored ten packs, probably out of greed.

seafood market

It is better to come here very early, preferably at 6 am. Just at this time, the fishermen return with a fresh catch. There is absolutely everything that your darling will want: crabs, lobsters, shrimp, lobsters and much more. The fish is also prepared here.

Breathtaking smells come from everywhere. By the way, women cook here and adequate conditions have been created for cooking. I was not afraid to eat. The prawns and mussels were just amazing. And the prices are much lower than in city restaurants.

beach holiday

The cleanest and most well-groomed beaches of the coast are located along Lewis Place. It is here that expensive hotels are located that monitor the cleanliness of the territory. There is also a large number of restaurants and cafes for tourists. There are even a couple of shopping malls. So, being on the island, be sure to take a walk along this street.

There is also Negombo beach on the island, but it’s better not to meddle here. He's kind of unkempt and uncomfortable. Although there are tourists who rest here as savages. Although the beach is not particularly clean, the water is crystal clear.

What to do in Ceylon

For tourists, there are many entertainments, though related to water. The most popular is diving. Diving can be done in Hikkaduwa Bay or Trincomalee Bay. Equipment is rented for a nominal fee.

Most of all I liked swimming with sea turtles.

To do this, you need to go to the South Coast, as there are most of them. They must have been fed by the locals. If the turtles are not nearby, then you can rent a boat and go away from the coast. Guides know almost all the places where their flocks can be found.

Hikkaduwa Beach offers surfing. It is here that huge waves arise, the height of which reaches four meters. On the beach itself there are themed clubs for surfers. Personally, I don't like to stand on the board, or rather I can't. And constantly falling and catching the board makes me very nervous.

Shopping in Ceylon

Many tourists who come to Ceylon prefer to buy pearls and precious stones such as rubies, sapphires and topazes. The extraction of these jewels is well established here. Even tourists are allowed to take part in the mining. True for a fee. True, you need to buy pebbles only in large stores, so you can protect yourself from fakes.

Conclusion

I was on the island for only 5 days, but I had enough time to enjoy the local beauties and attractions. I think that I will visit the island of Ceylon again not very soon. It is beautiful and interesting, but personally I prefer places where the infrastructure is more developed.

Mira, it is worth starting with the search for India. This state is located in Asia, the peninsula where it is located has the shape of an isosceles triangle, one of the vertices of which points strictly to the south. Sri Lanka is located in close proximity to India at a distance of about 100 km to the southeast. It is easy to find, it is the only large island in the Indian Ocean. On a large scale, you can see that there is a shoal between Sri Lanka and the Hindustan peninsula - until the 15th century, these two geographical objects were connected, but after a series of earthquakes, the isthmus was destroyed and went under water. The name of the state is formed from two words in Hindi: "shri" - glorious and "" - land. However, the older generation of the island is known as Ceylon - that's how it was until 1972.

The sandbar in the Strait of Polk, which used to connect Hindustan with the island of Sri Lanka, is called Adam's Bridge.

State of Sri Lanka

Interestingly, the tea grown on the island is still called Ceylon tea, the name "Sri Lankan" has not taken root.

How to get to Sri Lanka