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Reinforcing 74 years of Australia and Sri Lanka diplomacy By Arundathie Abeysinghe Australia and Sri Lanka have a robust and enduring bilateral relationship of 74 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations in May 1947. The Asia Pacific Nation and South Asian Island have close foreign relations from May 1947 to date. In 1946, the Federal Minister for External Affairs, Commerce and Agriculture recommended to the Australian Parliament that Australia should be represented by a Commissioner in *Ceylon, as there was a likelihood of Ceylon being granted independence after India. Thus, in 1947, Mr. Charles William Frost, a Tasmanian ex-Labor Member of Parliament was posted as Australia’s first Commissioner to Ceylon. Sri Lanka also set up a High Commission in Canberra, Australia and Mr. J.A. Martensz, an appointed Member of the First Parliament of Ceylon assumed duties as the first High Commissioner of Ceylon in Canberra, Australia. With the ...

May 8, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Arundathie Abeysinghe, Ceylon, South Asian Island, The Asia Pacific Nation

Pigeon Island – unique natural marvel By Arundathie Abeysinghe Renowned as a snorkelers’ and divers’ paradise, Pigeon Island National Park with its powdery white sands and magnificent coral gardens is one of the two maritime national parks in Sri Lanka named after the endemic Blue Rock Pigeons (Columba livia also known as rock dove, rock pigeon or common pigeon) which breed there. Visitors can see hundreds of Blue Rock Pigeons which inhabit Pigeon Island National Park nesting as well as breeding amongst the rocks, a mesmerizing sight. The Island has rock pools and paths that run through thickets. But the underwater landscape is its centerpiece. Home to exotic species of fish, magnificent coral reefs and abundant tropical marine species, reef fish including black tip reef sharks as well as turtles, this spectacular island is situated about a kilometer off the shore of *Nilaveli Beach in *Trincomalee. Pigeon Island can ...

May 2, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Blue Rock Pigeons, Nilaveli Beach, Pigeon Island National Park, Trincomalee

Strategic geopolitical relevance of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean Region By Arundathie Abeysinghe Sri Lanka, a small island state in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is strategically located at the crossroads of major shipping routes to South Asia, the Far East as well as the continents of Europe and America. Sri Lanka is also strategically located among the most significant sea lines of communication (SLOC). Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean Region has been geopolitically significant for major powers for centuries. As such, Sri Lanka was colonized by Portuguese, Dutch and the British who used it as a transit hub to trade goods, a port to dock as well as refuel ships which navigated their massive empires. Enclosed on three sides by landmasses and several countries, Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world which has a water area of approximately 73 million square ...

Apr 28, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Africa, Indian Ocean, Indian Ocean Region, Silk Route, Trincomalee

Colombo Dutch Museum – Colonial Era historical monument By Arundathie Abeysinghe Constructed during the Colonial Era in *Ceylon the two storey colonnaded building on Prince Street, *Pettah among the hustle and bustle of Colombo City is a mine of information that showcases Dutch history and culture and had been constructed during the Dutch Colonial Era in Ceylon (1656 – 1796). The Museum building embodies unique architectural features of a Dutch Colonial town house. During the Dutch Colonial Era, they had built Dutch Forts, hospitals, military barracks, churches as well as residences for the governors. Dutch Hospital in Colombo Fort and Dutch Museum are such resplendent structures that are preserved well to date. Originally, the residence of Governor of Ceylon Thomas van Rhee (1656 – 1701), the building had been used for diverse purposes; an orphanage under the supervision of the deacons financed by Dutch East India Company, army ...

Apr 25, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Colombo City, Colombo Dutch Museum, Pettah

Kudumbigala Forest Hermitage – Sri Lanka’s first Buddhist Monastery By Arundathie Abeysinghe Dating back to 246 BC, the era of King Devanampiyatissa (247 BC – 207 BC), Kudumbigala Forest Hermitage is the first Buddhist Monastery built for Buddhist Monks in Sri Lanka and has immense historical value. The Monastery is also known as “Chetiya Pabbatha” and is home to the only cylindrical dagoba (stupa) in Sri Lanka. According to scholars, this is the only dagoba in Sri Lanka that had been built according to Dhammachakka Stupa in Saranath in India. This brick dagoba is the only remaining structure, whereas the other dagobas which had existed in the past have been destroyed over the years. Situated in Panama about an hour’s drive from *Arugam Bay in the southernmost corner of the Eastern Province, sprawled across 6000 acres of a rocky outcrop and in a picturesque setting in Kudumbigala Forest, this ...

Apr 23, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Arundathie Abeysinghe, Chetiya Pabbatha, cylindrical dagoba, Dhammachakka Stupa, Kudumbigala Forest Hermitage, Upasaka Maithree

Ran Ayuda Mandapaya – majesty and grandeur of Kandyan Kingdom By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated within the premises of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Kandy, Ran Ayuda Mandapaya (Golden Armoury) also known as Ran Avuda Mandapaya is believed to be the place where the crowns and swords of the Kandyan Kings had been designed, moulded and bejeweled during the Kandyan Kingdom. The building is an epitome of Kandyan architecture, Sri Lanka’s glorious history, culture and civilization. Ran Ayuda Mandapaya had been constructed in 1592 during the reign of King Wimaladharmasuirya I (1590 – 1604). It had been renovated by King Senarath (1604 to 1635), King Rajasingha II (1629 -1687) and King Wimaladharmasuirya II (1687–1707). This building had been one of the first buildings that had been adjoined with the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) Complex. Due to foreign invasions the building had been damaged ...

Apr 18, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Dalada Maligawa, Golden Armoury, Kandyan Kingdom, Ran Ayuda Mandapaya

Wolvendaal Church – significant Dutch Era building in Colombo City By Arundathie Abeysinghe Constructed in Doric Style (classical Greek or Roman order of Architecture), in the form of a *Greek cross with approximately 1.5 meter thick walls built with clay ironstone, Wolvendaal Church (Wolvendaalse Kerk) is located in *Pettah, Colombo. The Church has seating capacity for approximately 1000 people. At present, the Church is known as the Christian Dutch Reformed Church. During the period the Church was built, the area beyond the Colombo City had been a wilderness and there had been *jackals roaming in the area. The Dutch had mistaken the jackals for wolves and the area had been known as Wolf’s Dale (meaning dale of wolves) and named the area as ‘Wolvendaal’ (dale of wolves in Dutch). Dating back to the Dutch Colonial Era, Wolvendaal Church is the most significant Dutch Building and one of the oldest ...

Apr 15, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Ceylon, Colombo, Constructed in Doric Style, Wolvendaal Church

Kuragala – pre-historic archaeological site in the Intermediate Zone By Arundathie Abeysinghe Dating back to the 2nd century BC, Kuragala is a pre-historic archaeological site with ruins of an ancient Buddhist Cave Temple Complex. Located on the *Balangoda – Kaltota Road approximately 24 kilometers from Balangoda town, Kuragala is derived from “hollow rock” in Sinhala. According to historians, during the Anuradhapura Kingdom, Kuragla was known as ‘Thanduleika pabbatha’ and ‘Daththa shaila pabbatha’. Later, it had been known as “Kuharagala” from which the present Kuragala has derived. According to archaeologists, Kuragala is the oldest archaeological site in the *Intermediate Zone. According to archaeological evidences, Kuragala had been inhabited by humans dating to pre-historic period. During the excavations carried out by archaeologists, they have found fossilized bone fragments, remains of a human skeleton dating more than 8000 years and stone stools. There is also evidence that humans who lived in Kuragala ...

Apr 9, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Arundathie Abeysinghe, Balangoda, Balangoda man, Kuragala - pre-historic archaeological site

Keerimalai Springs – shrouded in myth and legend By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated adjoining the famous Keerimalai Naguleswaram Kovil (a shrine dedicated to Hindu God Shiva, considered as the destroyer of evil) in the northern coast of *Jaffna, this picturesque ancient stepped pool with bright aquamarine water set against the nearby Indian Ocean is a pool which according to locals has healing properties. At present, the site of Keerimalai Springs is a famous tourist attraction. According to locals, the *Kovil situated in close proximity to springs is an ancient Hindu Temple Complex as it has been mentioned in many Indian religious treatises such as Dakshina Kailasa Puranam and Skanda Puranam and the Kovil had been a pilgrimage center for South Indian Hindus. The pilgrims had bathed in the spring prior to visiting the Kovil. Keerimalai means ‘mongoose hill’ in vernacular Tamil. Situated towards west of *Palaly in Jaffna, Keerimalai Springs, ...

Apr 4, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Hindu God Shiva, Jaffna, Keerimalai, Kovil, Palaly, Pandyans

Gregory Lake – spectacular tourist attraction in ‘Little England’ By Arundathie Abeysinghe Surrounded by spectacular vistas, breathtaking misty mountains and serene blue skies, Gregory Lake also known as Lake Gregory is a well-known tourist attraction as well as a location for recreational activities and water sports that has been in existence in *Nuwara Eliya from the British Colonial Era to date. Gregory Lake is the most prominent, scenic attraction and historical landmark in Nuwara Eliya town visited by local as well as foreign tourists. The Lake and its surroundings are crowded during April, the tourist season in Nuwara Eliya, although, some people, especially locals visit the area during the off season too. During the British Colonial Era, the Lake had been created with the objective of providing electricity to Nuwara Eliya town. To date, electricity to Nuwara Eliya town is generated from the water of the Lake. Yet, from ...

Apr 3, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Central Province, Little England, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Pidurutalagala