The Barr-Kum's Sri Lanka Page

Sri Lanka a country about the size of West Virginia or Ireland. Sri Lanka used to be called Serendip by the Arabs and is the scource for the word "serendipity". Serendipituous according to the dictionaries means coming across things in a lucky manner and describes the diverse scenery of Sri Lanka very aptly. The country is the location of the first wildlife sanctuary created during the 3 B.C, the oldest historical tree also planted in 3 B. C. Litreature abounds with the many books and tales of Sri Lanka. Quite a few of Sinbad the Sailor's stories in the Arabian Nights are based on Arab merchants travels. Robert Knox who wrote on his life of captivity in 1681 formed the main scource for Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe (Knox, Robert, 1640?-1720. An historical relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies). Pablo Neruda lived in Colombo in the 1930 and many of the poems in "Residence on Earth" were written in Sri Lanka. Arthur C. Clarke the author of "2001 Space Odessey" is another writer who lives on the island. One of his novels "The Fountains of Paradise" is based in Sri Lanka and also describes the the historical site of Sigirya. Sigiriya the Lion Fortress is a UNESCO world heritage site, and is an early example of landscaped pleasure garden, fresoces and a palace atop a sheer rock, all built during 477-495 AD. (Vann, L. 1987, Archaeolgy 40:4, p. 34-41)

The background of this page is a fresco about 2000 years old from Sigriya

Travel, Tourism and Photographs

Sri Lanka Tourist Board It is well organised and contains summaries of each type of attraction. Click on the links below to see examples. Ancient Cities The ancient cities comprise 3 of the World heritage sites. Anuradhapura :was built and occupied around 500BC-2AD the time of the Greek and Roman Empires. This city contains giant Dagobas (Stupa,Pagoda) that are only rivalled by the two largest pyramids in Egypt. Abayagiri Dagoba is 370 feet high and is as tall as a 25 storied building. (Pyramid of Khufu, 481 ft; Pyramid of Khafre 470 ft; Pyramid of Menkaure 217 ft) Polonaruwa : Polonaruwa was built in the 11th century (The time of norman conquest of England). Near the city is the Giant Parakrama Samudra (Parakrama Ocean), the largest man made lake of its time. West Coast Beaches An Eleventh-Century Pittsburgh in Sri Lanka First millennium AD iron smelting industry high-carbon steel similar to 'Damascus' steel swords. Guides and Travellers Letters Lonely Planet Guides One of the best guides you can find.When I lived in Sri Lanka I used this book when travelling around and found it a better scource of Information than friends and relatives. Letters by Travellers Erik Futurps low budget (~15$/day)	UNESCO World Heritage Sites Sri Lanka is the site of seven world heritage sites (compare with 18 in the US or 16 in China) 1:Sacred City of Anuradhapura 2: Ancient City of Sigiriya 3: Ancient City of Polonnaruwa 4: Golden Temple of Dambulla 5: Sacred City of Kandy 6: Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications 7: Sinharaja Forest Reserve Photographs Pictures Links to Pictures Links to Pictures The definitve Guide
FAQ and Archives FAQ SLNET Archives WWW Virtual Library - Sri Lanka The most comprehensive page on resources on the Web for Sri Lanka.	Business & Commerce Yellow Pages Chamber of Commerce
Buddhism Gateways to Theravada Buddhism The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom The New York Buddhist Vihara Great Lakes Buddhist Vihara Tripitaka Project at Lanka Internet Dhamma Web	History The Myth of the Aryan Invasion of India" by James J. Hughes Buddhist Monks and Politics in Sri Lanka by James J. Hughes Tricycle

Essays and Correspondence

Essays and Correspondence on Sri Lankan history, Ethnicity, Caste and Social Structure.

Sereno A. Barr-Kumarakulasinghe