Sri Lanka — The Pearl of the Indian Ocean. Part 1.

Article from Dimi.

Sri Lanka is a small island in the Indian Ocean, about 30 kilometres south of India. Today it has around 22 million people, 65,000 square kilometres in size but its history goes back more than 125,000 years. Although small, Sri Lanka became one of the richest and most important islands in the ancient world. Traders from Rome, Arabia, Persia, India and China travelled there to
buy spices, gemstones, pearls and elephants.-Was part of the famous Silk Route.

The first people arrived at least 125,000 years ago. Archaeologists have found ancient human
bones and stone tools in caves across the island. Many historians believe that the Vedda people, Sri Lanka’s indigenous community, are descendants of these early inhabitants.

According to the ancient chronicle Mahavamsa, the story of the Sinhalese people began in India. A princess named Suppadevi was captured by a lion and gave birth to Sinhabahu and
Sinhasivali. Sinhabahu later became a king and built the city of Sinhapura. His son, Prince Vijaya, was sent away from India with about 700 followers. The Mahavamsa says they arrived
in Sri Lanka in 543 BC. There Vijaya met Kuveni, who was sitting beneath a tree spinning thread.

She later helped him establish the first Sinhalese kingdom. Although historians cannot prove this story, it has shaped Sri Lankan culture for over 2,500 years. The lion from this legend still appears on the national flag.

Sri Lanka became rich because of its position in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Ships travelling between East and West stopped there to trade. The Greeks called the island
Taprobane, Ptolomy who drew the 1st Map of the world named it so in the 1st century. while Arab traders knew it as Serendib, the name that later gave English the word “serendipity.” According to the Islamic teachings , they believe that SL was the place where ‘’The Garden of Edan was’’

The island became famous for its true cinnamon, (All other cinnamon you buy is fake…lol) precious gemstones, pearls, elephants and ivory. The town of Ratnapura, meaning “City of Gems,” is still one of the world’s best-known gem-producing areas. Although it cannot be proved that Cleopatra wore Sri Lankan gemstones, Egyptian and Roman traders regularly bought gems from the island.

(Something close to my home in the present day) A remarkable modern discovery (2023) also shows Sri Lanka’s importance. A 700-year-old gold ring found in Slovakia contains a purple
sapphire from Sri Lanka. The gemstone travelled more than 7,000 kilometres across medieval trade routes.

Sri Lanka was also known for its large wooden trading ships called Yathra Dhoni. Some were about 30 metres long and carried around 75 tonnes of cargo. They transported cinnamon, timber, elephants and gemstones across the Indian Ocean. Instead of iron nails, builders stitched the wooden planks together with strong coconut-fibre rope. Between India and Sri Lanka lies Rama Setu, also called Adam’s Bridge, a chain of sandbanks about 50 kilometres long. ( A bride built around 5000 years ago, over the ocean) According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, Lord Rama’s army built the bridge to rescue Sita from King Ravana. Present day Scientists believe it is not a natural geological formation.

In 247 BC, Emperor Ashoka sent his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka to introduce Buddhism. King Devanampiya Tissa accepted the new religion. A year later, Ashoka’s daughter Sanghamitta
brought a branch of the sacred Bodhi Tree. It was planted at Anuradhapura in 288 BC and is believed to be the oldest historically documented tree in the world, still cared for after more than 2,300 years.

Anuradhapura became the capital in the 4th century BC and remained so for over 1,300 years. It was one of Asia’s greatest cities, with temples, monasteries, palaces and huge reservoirs.
Ancient Sri Lankans built thousands of artificial lakes and canals, many of which still provide water today. King Parakramabahu I later said, “Let not even a drop of rainwater flow into the sea without benefiting mankind.” His greatest reservoir, the Parakrama Samudra, covers about 22 square kilometres.

Sri Lanka also became famous for medicine. Around 850 AD, a hospital was built at Mihintale, making it one of the oldest known purpose-built hospitals in the world. Archaeologists
discovered medicine rooms, medicinal baths and stone surgical instruments.

One of the island’s greatest monuments is Jetavanaramaya, built during the 3rd century AD. It originally stood about 122 metres (400 feet) high and was the 2nd tallest structure in the ancient
world ,The pyramids of Egypt being the tallest. Built with more than 90 million bricks, it is still the tallest and largest brick monument ever constructed.

After Anuradhapura, the capital moved to Polonnaruwa, which reached its golden age under King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century. Another famous landmark is Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak), rising 2,243 metres above sea level. Its footprint-shaped mark is sacred to four religions. Buddhists believe it belongs to the Buddha, Hindus to Lord Shiva, Muslims to Adam, and some
Christians to Adam or Saint Thomas.

Many famous travellers visited Sri Lanka. Faxian arrived around 410 AD, Marco Polo visited in 1292 AD and called it “the finest island of its size in all the world,” while Ibn Battuta climbed Sri Pada in 1344 AD.

Another famous monument is Sigiriya, also known as the Lion Rock. Around 477 AD, King Kashyapa I built his royal palace on top of this 200-metre-high rock. Visitors climbed through the mouth of a giant stone lion to reach the summit. Today, only the huge lion’s paws remain. Sigiriya is famous for its beautiful frescoes, the Mirror Wall and its advanced gardens, which are
among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world.

Nearby are the Dambulla Cave Temples, the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The caves have been used as a place of worship for more than 2,000 years. Inside are over 150 statues of the Buddha and beautiful wall paintings covering about 2,100 square metres. Both Sigiriya and Dambulla are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are among Sri
Lanka’s most popular attractions.

Pearls and the Story of Sinbad

Sri Lanka was also famous for its beautiful pearls. Most came from the Gulf of Mannar, between Sri Lanka and India. For over 2,000 years, divers collected pearls from the sea, often diving 10 to 20 metres without modern equipment. These pearls were sold to kings, queens and wealthy merchants around the world.

The island’s riches even appeared in the famous stories of Sinbad the Sailor from One Thousand and One Nights. Although the stories are works of fiction, many historians believe that Sinbad’s journeys were inspired by real Arab merchants who sailed across the Indian Ocean and visited places such as Sri Lanka. The stories describe an island rich in pearls, gemstones and precious treasures, showing how famous Sri Lanka had become throughout the medieval world.

TBC- Part 2. Si Lanka during Colonial rule…..

It’s an article full of facts, figures, legend….
Guys I would like to send you about 10 photos of the places. Is it possible to attach or once the article is published I could add them as comments, what do you think?