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As the month of July approaches, Sri Lanka prepares to express devotion for their chief ‘war god’ who resides in a jungle-shrine in the semi-arid jungles in the southern plain of the island. This is one of the major Esala peraheras held in Sri Lanka. The Kataragama Esala perahera is the perfect example of the … Continue reading God of War, Venerated at Kataragama. →
The month of September sets the Sabaragamuwa region in a festive mood. The air is filled with color, traditional music and dance and religious harmony. It is the time of the devala perahera that is held in honor of Sumana Saman devi or Maha Sumana, the patron god of the Sumana kuta or the Sripada … Continue reading Saman devi and perahera rituals dedicated to him →
Part 11 The cultural and religious processions associated with devalas and temples in Sri Lanka are called as ‘Perahera’ in local languages. They are held in honor of the relevant god or spirit. Devotees believe that such processions will make the spirits happy and will fulfill their wishes on time. In Sanskrit it is ‘Pari-gruha’ … Continue reading Origins of Local Deities; A historical study on devalas and peraheras of Sri Lanka →
Part 1 Devala perahera are among one of the most significant and colorful cultural pageants held in Sri Lanka. Their origins can be traced back to the pre-Buddhist times of the island. The fear humans had towards nature and its enormous powers compelled them to personalize various characteristics of nature and create deities for each … Continue reading Origins of Local Deities; A historical study on devalas and peraheras of Sri Lanka →
As everything else in the world, ‘waste’ too has a history of its own. What is ‘waste’? Waste is a direct result or outcome of human activities. Waste comes as solid, liquid, domestic, industrial and commercial form. The National Environmental Act 1993 defines waste as, ‘any matter prescribed to be waste and any matter whether … Continue reading Waste Management Then How urban waste was managed in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Era →
A stupa to commemorate a warrior king Dakknia stupa or Dakunu dagaba is located in Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura, the longest surviving capital of the Sinhalese is one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. Location – Dakkina stupa is one of the earliest Buddhist stupas, located in the southern part … Continue reading DAKKINA STUPA, ANURADHAPURA →
The author’s first book released by Godage International Publishers, titled “Origin and Evolution of the Domestic Dog” discusses the long time process of the domestication of the Domestic Dog. The Domestic Dog, Scientifically called as the Canis lupus familiaris, is one of the oldest animals to be domesticated. There are arguments between scholars about the oldest animal … Continue reading A STUDY ON THE “ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE DOMESTIC DOG”. →
ලක්දිව මුල්ම ජනාවස පිහිටුවනු ලබන්නේ සිංහලයන්ය. සිංහලයන්ගේ ආදිතමයන්ගේ පිය සටහන් සොයා යන ගමනේදී අපට පිටිවහලක් වන විවධ මුලාශ්‍රයන් අතරින් පුරා විද්‍යා මුලාශ්‍ර ප්‍රධාන තැනක් ගනී. මෙම ලිපියෙන් පිළිගත හැකි ප්‍රධාන පුරා විද්‍යාත්මක සාධක කිහිපයක් ගැන පමණක් සාකච්ඡා කෙරේ. දැනට ලැබෙන පුරා විද්‍යාත්මක සාධක අනුව අදින් වසර එක් ලක්ෂ විසිපන්දාහක් තරම් ඈතකට මෙරට ජනාවාසකරණ ඉතිහාසය දිව යන්නේය. … Continue reading ආදීම සිංහලයන්ගේ පිය සටහන් සොයා… →
The Sinhalese are the first to inhabit and civilize the fertile lands of Lanka. Archaeological evidence comes in great aid when researching the earliest history of Sri Lanka and this article will present some of the significant archaeological findings to recognize the earliest footsteps of the Sinhalese. The history of the oldest known human settlement … Continue reading Trails of a Vanishing Nation; The Sinhalese →
By Chryshane Mendis and Prasad Fonseka Deshamanya Vidya Jyothi Dr. Roland Silva was one of the foremost experts in the conservation of historical monuments and sites and one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent archaeologists. He was the former Commissioner of Archaeology (1983-1990) and the pioneer Founder Director General of the Central Cultural Fund that implemented […]