N.D.Lakshan

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...