The colonial period Rest House Archives

Colonial gems of Ratnapura-BY MAHIL WIJESINGHE The colonial period Rest House on a hillock Source:Sundayobserver Ratnapura, known as Minipura or the City of Gems is my adopted hometown. After the lapse of a year, I am back in Ratnapura to explore the city and get a glimpse of the culture, history and life of the people in the region. Long ago, Sinbad, the sailor, reached the island of Serendib and travelled inland to a town through an archway studded with dazzling emeralds, topaz and sapphires. It was a fabulous city where beautiful women were adorned in the most expensive jewellery, studded with rubies and cat’s eye. It was Minipura or the City of Gems, nestling on the banks of the Kalu Ganga. Sri Lanka’s gems are said to be the best in the world. This is why King Solomon is supposed to have searched the island for jewels that would ...