N.D.Lakshan

  Black-Necked Stork The Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) which belongs to the family Ciconiidae is the largest species of Stork lea in Sri Lanka. It can grow up to 130-150cm in height and have a wingspan 230cm. It weighs around 4kg on average. Adults have a glossy bluish-black iridescent head, neck, flight feathers and tail. Other distinct colouration that they exhibit is a bright white back and belly, a black bill and bright red legs. Male and female storks are almost identical: the adult female stork has a yellow iris, while the male’s iris is brown. Black-necked storks are very silent and nonsocial animals. They are seen as single birds, pairs or as a family group. They forage in a variety of natural and artificial wetland habitats, frequently using freshwater, natural wetlands. The Black-necked stork is a carnivore and its diet includes water-birds and a range of aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates such as crabs and mollusks.   They prey on the eggs and h...

  Butterflies In Sri Lanka Sri Lanka boasts of an impressive 245 species of butterflies with 23 species being endemic and 76 being listed as threatened nationally, while Ceylon Rose is designated as critically endangered. The majority of butterfly species are found in the foothills and a much smaller number of species are found above 4,000 feet, while 20 species of butterfly are restricted to the low lying dry zone. There are two seasons annually within which the butterfly population peaks in numbers; during the Southwestern (March to April) monsoon and the and the Northeastern monsoon (September to October). This gives rise to the local legend of butterflies making annual pilgrimage to the Adam’s peak to pay their respects to the footprint of lord Buddha. A majority of endemic species are restricted to the wet zone forests. The Ceylon Birdwing is one of the largest endemics of the country and is found in large numbers in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve. The latest revision of lepidop...

  Sri Lankan Leopard Among twenty four subspecies belonging to the Wally Felidae, only Panther models kotiya is present in Sri Lanka. The adoptability of the leopard in inhabiting a variety of different habitats (from rainforest to desert) and its opportunistic hunting behavior, greatly contribute to its successful survival in diverse landscapes. Its ability to run at speeds of 50 km/h, its unique climbing habits even when carrying a heavy carcass, as well as its stealth are positive features for survival. Leopards arc powerful swimmers too. Leopards are agile and stealthy predators and they are able to take large prey using their massive skulls and powerful jaws. They are versatile, opportunistic hunters, and have very broad food preferences. Their diet consists mostly of ungulate and small primates. At least 92 prey species have been recorded as their diet. Leopards am elusive, solitary and largely nocturnal. They are territorial and the extent of their territory depends on t...

  Sri Lanka Cashew Industry Cashew, the evergreen tropical tree has become a cash crop today. But it has never produced easy money for anyone. It’s believed that cashew orchards first originated in Brazil. From the 16th century, Portuguese sailors moved South American plants around the world, introducing their native fruits and nuts to people in Malacca and East Africa. Cashew cultivation entails a lot of risks. The shelling process is laborious and time-consuming. Cashew season in Sri Lanka begins in March and continues through April. The vendors in Bataleeya get their nuts from Wariyapola, Wanathawillu, Wewagama, Giriulla, Kuliyapitiya, Puttalam, Ampara, Mahiyangana, Galgamuwa, Galewela and villages in the Eastern Province. The nuts are consumed as edible snacks and being sold as expensive value-added products ranging from raw, roasted, spiced and fried kernels. The global cashew economy is booming and Sri Lanka has to compete with some of the largest cashew exporters in the wo...

  Sri Lanka Cinnamon Industry Sri Lanka the “Spice Island” is renowned for the spices export for time immemorial. Cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, clove and nutmeg are the major spices which have an export significance to Sri Lanka. Cinnamon ( Cynnamomum Zeylanicum Blume) is one of the oldest and most significant spice grown in Sri Lanka. Cinnamon was a popular spice in ancient Arab world and was used as cosmetic and pharmaceutical ingredient as well. Firstly the Arabs and then Europeans became the traders in cinnamon and this brought Sri Lanka in contact with the other parts of the world. According to history, Cinnamon played a major role in world history, by motivating the Christopher Columbus to discover the new world and Vasco De Gama to South India and Sri Lanka. The traditionally known cinnamon was the peeled cinnamon bark rolled in to the quill form, which facilitate storage and transportation. Cinnamon oil distillation would have probably commenced during the Dutch regime. T...

  Sri Lanka Tropical Agriculture Industry Sri Lanka being a tropical island with sun shining throughout the year, agriculture is the most important sector of the Sri Lankan economy. Even though its contribution to the gross domestic product declined substantially during the past few decades, it is the most important source of employment for the majority of the Sri Lankan workforce. Rice is the main crop and farming rice is the most important economic activity for the majority of the people living in rural areas. It is mostly cultivated in the North Central area of Sri Lanka. During the last 5 decades the rice sector grew rapidly and output more than tripled, reaching the highest ever output of 2.9 million metric tons in 1999. Increases in the area under cultivation, and improved productivity due to the modernization of agriculture are the main reasons for an increase in production. The rehabilitation of Sri Lanka’s extensive ancient irrigation network and massive new investment i...

  Sri Lanka Palmyra Tree Based Industry Sri Lanka’s inherited craftsmanship, cultural diversity and rich natural resources provides the base for a wide range of giftware products that satisfy the quality conscious and discerning buyers. Giftware from Sri Lanka is now a combination of traditional skills and modern technology. Final artistic touches are given by the deft fingers of the expertly skilled hands to ensure the uniqueness and the exclusivity of the product. Cultural diversity has enriched the talents of local craftsmen, with traditional skills running in the families passed down through generations. Historical records reveal how art and crafts flourished under the royal patronage and the craftsmen were held in high esteem. The talented artisans turn out innovative products to their own designs and are ready to make products according to the designs given by buyers at internationally competitive prices. Modern trends are taken into account in producing items of beauty w...

Sri Lanka Cane Furniture Industry Cane (Calamus ovoideus) in Sinhala Wewal is a thriving industry that is fast grabbing attention in the fashion as well as the design industry. Moreover, its environment friendly nature is another fascinating feature that encourages the use of cane products. In Sri Lanka when it comes to Cane, Wewaldeniya is the name that comes the mind of many as Wewaldeniya is small town that specifically sells Cane products, ranging from baskets to chairs. A tad of a fact not too well known to visitors is that the cane or Wewal that is signature to the town’s name of Wewaldeniya is not actually native to the township itself. Wewal is brought in from as far as Monaragala, where the wewal palm (calamusrotang), grows bountifully. Another detail that is usually left out is that the cane products that lavishly spill over onto the road travelling towards Kandy are being sold in the town of Radawadunna, which lies just before Wewaldeniya. The shops were earringed with ...

Sri Lanka Mask Industry At a time when the people worshipped trees and animals, masks were an indispensable part of Sri Lankan rituals and ceremonies. Now centuries later they are more of an interesting oddity. However, the traditional mask industry is still a thriving business that continues to fascinate both locals and tourists alike. With their colourful facades, odd shapes and intriguing histories, traditional Sri Lankan masks are commonly found adorning the walls of local houses. They also make excellent souvenirs. All masks have grotesque features that make them all the more interesting. Most masks feature gaping, misshapen mouths; sinister, bulging eyes; and bright, vivid colours. The local masks can be divided into several categories depending on their uses. Some masks are used during ancestor worship, certain spiritual rituals and healing ceremonies. There are masks that are related to hunting, fertility and even exorcism. The exorcism masks are used during funerals and a ...

  Sri Lanka's Handloom Textile Industry Sri Lanka’s Handloom Textile Industry is centuries old. The industry has helped showcase the undying creativity of generations of Sri Lankans taking them to the international arena. A range of designs and colours, individual and innovative designs, craftsmanship, colour combination and patterns are handed down from generation to generation. The Handloom Textile Industry is a highly labour intensive export-oriented rural based industry in Sri Lanka. The industry produces predominantly cotton and silk products, utilizing cotton and silk yarn. Generally, with low capital costs and running expenses, handloom is a household or cottage industry, where skilled hands create value added products. Another feature is that the industry has the flexibility to supply both in small quantities and in larger quantities as well as styles to fit individual tastes and requirements of different buyers from various cultures. Handloom textile industry in srilank...

  Kitul Tree Based Industry “Kithul”(Caryota urens), is an indigenous monoecious plant, naturally grown in the wild.  Regarded as a money-spinner for the rural masses over 10000 villagers in 14 villagers are now engaged the Kitul based products as Kithul based products have become a lucrative industry. Kithul products have a high demand due to its uniqueness in taste, aroma and traditional claims on the health benefits. However, due to the scarcity in production coupled with this high demand these products are a highly priced commodity.  Many families in rural Sri Lanka still rely solely on the Kithul palm for their livelihood through the income obtained by the sale of Kithul treacle and jaggery. A monthly income of about Rs.10, 000 (100US$) is possible from a successfully tapped tree. The Kithul industry therefore, being a cottage industry takes care of many of the rural poor, contributing to the Sri Lankan rural economy to some extent.   The villagers who were kn...

  Brass Industry In Sri Lanka More than any other metal, brass adds a shine to a Sri Lankan home. Every Sri Lankan family owns a collection of traditional brassware, often a treasured heirloom passed down from generations. Central to the collection is the ornamental brass lamp,used to inaugurate almost every special function and ceremony. No Sri Lankan home is complete without one. Sri Lankans believe that lighting an oil lamp brings luck, and what better lamp to light than one made of ornate gleaming golden brass. Sri Lanka’s brassware industry, now very much a part of the country’s culture and national crafts, is widely believed to be a colonial Dutch import, although it is also possible that it arrived from the Indian subcontinent or was brought by the Arab traders who first visited the island. A thriving brass industry has existed across India from ancient times, while brassware was said to have been produced in the Middle East as far back as the fourth Century BC. Neverthe...

  UNESCO World Heritages In Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is one of the most fascinating places in the Asia to visit. Even though Sri Lanka is small island nation of 65,000 square KM, Sri Lanka is blessed with seductive beaches, boutique hotels galore and impossibly scenic, wildlife and great historical monuments together with 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites. List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka  1.    Sacred City of Anuradhapura  2.    Ancient City of Polonnaruwa  3.    Sacred City of Kandy  4.    Ancient City of Sigiriya  5.    Cave Temple of Dambulla  6.    Central Highlands of Sri Lanka  7.    Sinharaja Rain Forest  8.    Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications (Galle Dutch Fort)   

  Alawala Caves Or Alawala Pothgul Lena Who is Pre-Historic Man ?  Pre-historic man is a man who hunted and gathered to provide food for his family during the stone.  Alawala Pre Historic Cave  Balangoda man is an example for prehistoric man who lived in Sri Lanka. Excavations conducted at Alawala pre-historic caves or Pothgul Lena revealed that prehistoric man had inhabited this cave which is located within the Alawala Raja Maha Viharaya (Buddhist Temple) in Attanagalla of Gampaha District, Sri Lanka.  Carbon dating pronounced that the cave inhabitants may have lived there for more than 14,000 years before present (BP). Evidence of Alawala displays similarity to findings from Bulathsinghala Fahien Cave (dated 38,000 BP), Kuruwita Batadombalena (dated 38,000 BP) and of Kitulgala Beli Lena dated 31,000. The excavations were conducted by the Postgraduate institute of Archaeology with the participation of students of many of the Universities in Sri Lanka. Thi...

  Elephant Orphanage Pinnawala Sri Lanka Elephant Orphanage Pinnawala Sr Lanka is located close to Kegalle town, halfway between the Colombo & Kandy. Elephant Orphanage Pinnawala is the only Elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka which was established in 1975 started with 5 orphaned elephants and the current population is 93 of both sexes / all age groups. Prime purpose of the Pinnawala Elephant orphanage is to provide refuge for the elephants which are injured / orphaned & abandoned in the wild. This orphanage is operating as a breeding ground too since 1980. Most of the new arrivals are babies and after a few days of quarantine, they are released into the herd who welcome them happily. Orphanage covers an area of 23 acre land in the middle of the county & managed by the Department of National Zoological Gardens. This is the largest captive herd of elephants in the world belonging to the Elephas maximus maximus. Sri Lankan Elephant – Scientific name – Elephas maximus maxim...

  Waterfalls In Sri Lanka May it be an elegantly cascading beauty that requires a few hours of hiking to reach, or a gushing mass of impatient waterfall you randomly encounter by the roadside, Sri Lanka has it all covered. Having the highest waterfall density in the world with a recorded 382 waterfalls spread throughout the country, Sri Lanka is the place to be to see all kinds of waterfalls. Fed by two half-yearly monsoons, rivers rush down the rocky precipices and form spectacular waterfalls. Only some of these picturesque waterfalls can be viewed with ease as the others are located inside thick forests and around tea plantations. he waterfalls in Sri Lanka are well distributed and are not confined to the hill country. Colombo District has four waterfalls; two of which are just four meterseach, with the others being 10m and 15m. Kurunegala District has just one of six meters andGampaha and Hambantota districts have two each. The largest number of waterfalls are in the Ratna...