Sri Lanka is a tropical island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of India. Sri Lanka - Name. In 1972, the official name of the nation that governs the island was changed to the Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka (ශ්‍රී ලංකා in Sinhala / இலங்கை in Tamil). In 1978 this was changed to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Prior to 1972, Sri Lanka was known by a variety of names. Sri Lanka ("resplendent land" in Sanskri ...

Including:

Sri Lanka - Name Sri Lanka - History Sri Lanka - Politics Sri Lanka - Provinces Sri Lanka - Geography Sri Lanka - Ecology Sri Lanka - Economy Sri Lanka - Demographics Sri Lanka - Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka - Culture of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka - Miscellaneous Facts about Sri Lanka

Read more here: » Sri Lanka: Encyclopedia - Sri Lanka

See also:

Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka - Name, Sri Lanka - History, Sri Lanka - Politics, Sri Lanka - Provinces, Sri Lanka - Geography, Sri Lanka - Ecology, Sri Lanka - Economy, Sri Lanka - Demographics, Sri Lanka - Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka - Culture of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka - Miscellaneous Facts about Sri Lanka

Read more here: » Sri Lanka: Encyclopedia II - Sri Lanka - Name

Sri Lanka consists of 8 provinces: Central North Central North Eastern North Western Sabaragamuwa Southern Uva Western ...

See also:

Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka - Name, Sri Lanka - History, Sri Lanka - Prehistory, Sri Lanka - Ancient History, Sri Lanka - Colonial Rule, Sri Lanka - Independence, Sri Lanka - Sinhala-Tamil conflict, Sri Lanka - JVP rebellion, Sri Lanka - Guerrilla war, Sri Lanka - Second JVP rebellion, Sri Lanka - Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, Sri Lanka - Muslim exodus, Sri Lanka - Ceasefire and talks, Sri Lanka - Tsunami, Sri Lanka - Politics, Sri Lanka - Provinces, Sri Lanka - Geography, Sri Lanka - Ecology, Sri Lanka - Economy, Sri Lanka - Demographics, Sri Lanka - Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka - Culture of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka - Miscellaneous facts about Sri Lanka

Read more here: » Sri Lanka: Encyclopedia II - Sri Lanka - Provinces

Vesak (from the name of the second month in the Hindu calendar) is the most holy time in the Buddhist calendar. The word Vesak itself is the Sinhalese language word for the Pali word "Visakha". Vesak is also known as Visakah Puja or Buddha Purnima in India, Visakha Bucha in Thailand, Waisak in Indonesia and Vesak (Wesak) in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The equivalent festival in Laos is called Vixakha Bouxa.Vesak is a public holiday in many Asian countries like S ...

Read more here: » Vesak

Idol worship, caste and ascetic austerity had no place in Nanak's religion. He believed in one God, Ek Omkar ; singing His praises was the best way of devotion. He advocated listening to kirtan or hymn singing and set his compositions to music in suitable ragas or melodies.

Nanak was 27 when he went out to spread the Name of God expounding the message of 'true path'. With Mardana as companion, he travelled throughout the country, going as far as Tibet in the north and Sri Lanka in the south. He even visited Mecca. Wherever he went, his hymn-singing drew large crowds. Mardana would faithfully reproduce notes on the rabab as Nanak sang his way to the hearts of the listeners.

(See also: Nanak, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Nanak: Nanak's Musical Path to Ananda  

Lanka (Sanskrit/Hindi लंका lankā, means "island") is the name given in Hinduism to the island fortress capital of the evil king Ravana in the epic Ramayana. Lanka is also mentioned frequently in other Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas and Hindi poems written by Tulsidas. In the present day, it is now referred to as Sri Lanka. Lanka - Reference. Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0500510881) by Anna L. Dallapiccola ...

Including:

Lanka - Reference

Read more here: » Lanka: Encyclopedia - Lanka

.lk is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Sri Lanka. Foreign companies who don’t have a local presence can only reserve their Top Level and corresponding Open Second Level Domains. (either through LK Domain Registry or Agents). In order to register and use a name they must have a contact address in Sri Lanka (which may be obtained through an agent or law firm). Other related archivesInternet, Sri Lanka, ccTLD, country code, top-level domain

Read more here: » .lk: Encyclopedia - .lk

Anuradhapura is an ancient capital of Sri Lanka, famous for its monuments and architecture. It is situated in the North-central province of Sri Lanka. The very first kingdom in Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura was made the country's capital by King Pandukabhaya (reigned c. 437 BC - 367 BC, although some sources also state 337 BC-305 BC). The word "Anuradhapura" is derived from Anuradha, which is the name of one of king vijaya's chief ministers, whose special charge was this city, and " ...

Read more here: » Anuradhapura: Encyclopedia - Anuradhapura

Burgher is the name of a Eurasian people and, less commonly, a Creole language based on Portuguese. In Sri Lanka the term is used to identify people of this community. English is the mother tongue of the Burghers of Sri Lanka. See Portuguese Creole. For the most part, the Burgher people of Sri Lanka are the Eurasian descendents of Portuguese, Dutch and British colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries. Burghers were legally defined by law in 1883, by the then Chief Justice of Ceylon, Sir Richard Ottley, given before the Commission which was appointed in connection with ...

Including:

Burgher people - History Burgher people - Culture Burgher people - Famous Burghers

Read more here: » Burgher people: Encyclopedia - Burgher people

Maldivian culture is derived from a number of sources among them, its proximity to Sri Lanka and South India, its conversion to Islam in the 12th century , and its location as a crossroads in the central Indian ocean. Most Maldivians are of Sri Lankan and Southern Indian origin, although there are elements of Arabian, African, and Indonesian origin as well. Maldivian culture shares many aspects with Sri Lanka and Kerala, namely a strong matriarchal tradition. A unique feature of Maldivian society is a very high divorce rate by either South Asian or Islamic standards, which demonstrates the high ...

Read more here: » Culture of the Maldives: Encyclopedia - Culture of the Maldives

From the Hindu epic Ramayana, Indrajit (also called Meghanaada) was the son of Raavana, King of Lanka (now Sri Lanka), and Mandodari, daughter of Mayasura. He was married to Sulochana (Prameela), hailing from the nagas. Indrajit was named Meghnad at birth because when he cried for the first time, thunder and lightning struck, signifying the birth of a great warrior. The name 'Indrajit' ('Indra' is the mythical king of gods. 'Jit' means conqurer) was granted to him by Lord Brahma when he conquered Ind ...

Read more here: » Indrajit: Encyclopedia - Indrajit

The Amarapura Nikaya is a Sri Lankan monastic fraternity (a lineage of ordained monks) founded in 1800. It is named after the city of Amarapura, Myanmar (then Burma), the former capital of the Burmese kingdom. Amarapura Nikaya monks are followers of the Theravada tradition. Amarapura Nikaya - History. The general practice of the major monastic nikayas in Sri Lanka in the 18th Century was to ordain only members of the highest caste. The establishment in Kandy, which because of its origin in Thailand ( ...

Including:

Amarapura Nikaya - History Amarapura Nikaya - Significance

Read more here: » Amarapura Nikaya: Encyclopedia - Amarapura Nikaya

Adam's Peak, also known as Sri Pada, is a 2,243 metre (7,360 feet) tall conical mountain in central Sri Lanka. Adam's Peak - Geography. The mountain is located in the south of the Central Highlands, in Ratnapura district of Sabaragamuwa Province. It lies about 20km due northeast of the main district town of Ratnapura. Both the district name of Ratnapura, and an old name for the mountain, Ratnagiri, refer to the jewel mining industry of the region (ratna is Sanskrit for jewel). Th ...

Including:

Adam's Peak - Geography Adam's Peak - Names Adam's Peak - The Sacred Mountain
Adam's Peak - Legends
Adam's Peak - Other information Adam's Peak - External link

Read more here: » Adam's Peak: Encyclopedia - Adam's Peak

Aframomum Amomum Elettaria The name cardamom (sometimes written cardamon) is used for species within three genera of the Ginger family (Zingiberaceae), namely Elettaria, Amomum and Aframomum. Cardamom was first used c.700 CE, in south India; it was first imported into Europe c.1200 CE. Cardomom is native to the tropical rainforests of south India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Sumatra; it is now also grown in Nepal, Thailand and Central America. Cardamom is also wide ...

Including:

Cardamom - Types of cardomom and their distribution Cardamom - Various uses of cardomom
Cardamom - Uses in traditional medicine
Cardamom - True Cardamom

Read more here: » Cardamom: Encyclopedia - Cardamom

Velupillai Prabhakaran (sometimes spelled Velupillai Pirapaharan) (born November 26, 1954; Valvettithurai, Sri Lanka) is the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), an independence movement and a rebel militia fighting for Tamil self-rule in North-East Sri Lanka. LTTE is banned as a terrorist organization in several countries including USA, Britain, India, Australia and Malaysia. In 1972, at the age of 18, he founded an organization named Tamil New Tigers (TNT). In 1975, after becoming heavily invol ...

Including:

Velupillai Prabhakaran - Cult of personality Velupillai Prabhakaran - Philosophy and Ideology of Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran - Caste Velupillai Prabhakaran - Women Rights Velupillai Prabhakaran - Religion Velupillai Prabhakaran - Tamil Nationalism Velupillai Prabhakaran - Militarism Violence and Terrorism Velupillai Prabhakaran - Economic System Velupillai Prabhakaran - Environment Velupillai Prabhakaran - Innovation Improvisation Technology Education Velupillai Prabhakaran - Globalization
Velupillai Prabhakaran - Quotes by Prabhakaran

Read more here: » Velupillai Prabhakaran: Encyclopedia - Velupillai Prabhakaran

Vesak (from the name of the second month in the Hindu calendar) is the most holy time in the Buddhist calendar. The word Vesak itself is the Sinhalese language word for the Pali word "Visakha". Vesak is also known as Visakah Puja or Buddha Purnima in India, Visakha Bucha in Thailand, Waisak in Indonesia and Vesak (Wesak) in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The equivalent festival in Laos is called Vixakha Bouxa.Vesak is a public holiday in many Asian countries like S ...

Read more here: » Vesak: Encyclopedia - Vesak

The Rupee (₨ or Rs.) is the common name for the currencies used in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mauritius, and the Seychelles; in Indonesia the unit of currency is known as the rupiah and in the Maldives the rufiyah. The Pakistani rupee and the Indian rupee are subdivided into one hundred paise or pice (singular paisa). The origin of the word "rupee" is found in the Sanskrit word rūp or rūpā, which means "silver" in many Indo-Aryan languages such as Urdu. The derivative word Rūpaya was us ...

Including:

Rupee - Rupees Rupee - Fictional Rupees

Read more here: » Rupee: Encyclopedia - Rupee

Ruby is a red gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide) in which the color is caused mainly by chromium. Its name originates from ruber, Latin for red. Natural rubies are exceptionally rare, though artificial ones (sometimes called created ruby) can be manufactured which are comparatively inexpensive. Rubies are mined in Africa, Asia, Australia and Greenland. They are most often found in Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand, though they have also been found in Montana and South Carolina. Sometimes s ...

Read more here: » Ruby: Encyclopedia - Ruby

The Upas tree (Antiaris toxicaria), an evergreen plant in the mulberry family, grows prediminantly in Southeast Asia, mainly India and Sri Lanka. It is known to produce a poisonous latex, known in Java as "Upas", from the Javanese word for "poison". The name of the upas tree has become famous from the mendacious account (professedly by one Foersch, who was a surgeon at Samarang in 1773) published in the London Magazine, December 1783, and popularized by Erasmus Darwin in Loves of the Plants (Botanic Gard ...

Read more here: » Upas tree: Encyclopedia - Upas tree

The Bandicoot Rat, Bandicota bengalensis, is a giant rat of southern Asia, not related to the true bandicoots. It is considered a pest in the cereal crops and gardens of India and Sri Lanka, and emits piglike grunts when attacking. The name bandicoot is derived from the Telugu language word "Pandhikukka" which translates loosely to "pig-dog". Like the better known rats in the genus Rattus, Bandicoot Rats are members of the family Muridae. The fur is dark or (rarely) pale brown dorsally, occasionally blackish, and light to dark grey ventrally. The head-body length is around 250 mm, and the unifo ...

Read more here: » Bandicoot rat: Encyclopedia - Bandicoot rat