21. Serving Sri Lanka: Culture In Conflict Culture in conflict. Online edition of Daily News Lakehouse newspapers Since the tsunami, whenever I call my mother in Sri Lanka, the one thing she http://servesrilanka.blogspot.com/2005/03/culture-in-conflict.html

@import url("http://www.blogger.com/css/blog_controls.css"); @import url("http://www.blogger.com/dyn-css/authorization.css?blogID=10174147"); @import url(http://www.blogger.com/css/navbar/main.css); @import url(http://www.blogger.com/css/navbar/1.css); Notify Blogger about objectionable content. What does this mean? BlogThis! Serving Sri Lanka This web log is the news and views blog of www.servesrilanka.net. The primary aim is to provide an avenue for the expression and collection of ideas on sustainable, fair, and just, grassroot level development. Some of the topics that the blog will specifically address are: poverty reduction, rural development, educational issues, social empowerment, post-Tsunami relief and reconstruction, livelihood development, environmental conservation and bio-diversity. Search Main Site www.servesrilanka.net Partner Sites GeoLanka/RecoverLanka Diary of a Polit-Eco Tourist Previous Posts World's 'forgotten' crises cry out for attention Putting lives back together in Sri Lanka Aid is slow to reach victims First Report of Tsunami Services Monitoring - PAFFREL ... Nutrition and the Environment Archives Contact Us e-mail: admin@servesrilanka.net

22. Sri Lanka Culture Travel Document Systems; Passport and Visa Services. This is the site for the latest Travel Information and the most complete collection of online Visa http://www.traveldocs.com/lk/culture.htm

Sri Lanka Asia CULTURE Sri Lanka is a land of great cultural diversity. Religion pervades many aspects of life and constitutes a basic element of this diversity. Buddhist and Hindu temples, as well as mosques and churches, with their own colourful rituals, are the most readily visible features of the cultural landscape. Varying degrees of colonial impact, modernizing influences, and wealth and income add other shades to the cultural mosaic. In architecture, sculpture, and painting, Sri Lanka's traditions extend far back into antiquity. The remnants of ancient works restored and preserved at archaeological sites, while reflecting Indian influences, also bear testimony to the inspiration derived from Buddhism. Classical literature, too, presents a blend of stylistic influences from India with Buddhist themes. Since the beginning of the 20th century, with the literati being exposed to European literature, local creative writing has acquired greater diversity in style and has become more secular in content. To Country Main Page To TDS Home Page Travel Document Systems Washington DC Office 925 Fifteenth Street N.W.

23. I Will Retain My More Positive View Of Sri Lanka Having Sri Lankan friends, I forwarded his article to one for his comments. it is not a product of sri lanka culture or the Buddhist religion. http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/feb/article274.html

HOME POLITICS SPORTS LIFE ... Useless-Knowledge.com Articles I Will Retain My More Positive View Of Sri Lanka By Ron Lewis Feb. 21, 2005 I was horrified to read Mr. Ponncchamy’s article, “Cultural View of Sri Lanka.” Not that I am unaware that the sex industry is thriving in Southeast Asia with the resulting influx of tourists seeking to satisfy every perverted desire known to man. Or that many of its victims are only children and that, in fact, sex with children is a major tourist attraction. I was appalled at his allegations of the complicity of these children’s parents and siblings, and that local children felt honored by their abuse at the hands (sic) of Buddhist priests. Having Sri Lankan friends, I forwarded his article to one for his comments. Of course, the fact that it happens to any child is abhorrent to Americans and most Western cultures. I do not mean to excuse its practice as being restricted to the poor by my words. I simply am pointing out that Mr. Ponncchamy seems to be presenting the problem in its worse light.

24. Culture Club, Sri Lanka, Culture Club Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Reservation & Booking Culture Club, Sri Lanka, Culture Club Resort, Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Reservation Booking for Hotel Culture Club, Dambulla, Srilanka. http://www.tourism-srilanka.com/sri-lanka-hotels/culture-club-resort-dambulla.ht

Home About Us Contact Us Query Language Tanslation Deutsch Italiano Tour Programmes Beach Kandy Colombo Tour ... Hotels in Sri Lanka Culture Club Resort, Dambulla **** Location: 160 km from Colombo at the historic town of Dambulla, in close proximity to many cultural and archaeological sights, overlooking a picturesque lake. On walks through the large park or while boating on the lake, you will enjoy the many beauties of nature. Accommodation at Culture Club Resort: 92 air-conditioned luxury chalets with bedroom and sitting area, telephone, radio, veranda, attached large bathroom with bath, shower, w.c. Facilities at Culture Club Resort: Large open lobby with sitting area and bar. Open and air-conditioned restaurants, TV lounge, shopping arcade, conference room with facilities, Ayurveda centre. Large pool with pool bar, deck chairs, tennis court with floodlight, volleyball, jogging track, water polo, cycling, rowing, boating, fishing, bullock cart rides, jungle tracking, bird watching. Regular evening entertainments, barbecues (at the lake), and special theme nights. Request a Quote for Culture Club Resort Sri Lanka Hotels Colombo Hotels Bentota Hotels ... Tourism-Srilanka.com

25. Sri Lanka Travel Guide - Sri Lanka Map, Hotels, Visa Immigration, Flight, Sights Sri Lanka City Guides, Tips and tools for travelling in Sri Lanka, Colombo, Kandy, Negombo, Sri Lanka Events sri lanka culture Sri Lanka Festivals http://www.hoteltravel.com/sri_lanka/guides.htm

Select country Asia - Cambodia - China - Hong Kong - India - Indonesia - Korea - Laos - Macau - Malaysia - Maldives - Myanmar - Philippines - Singapore - Sri Lanka - Taiwan - Thailand - Vietnam Europe - Austria - England - France - Germany - Hungary - Italy - Scotland - Spain South Pacific - Australia - New Zealand Select city Sri Lanka Destinations Top Destination Colombo Dambulla Kandy Negombo ... Nuwara Eliya Sri Lanka Search eg. hilton fitness airport... Anuradhapura Cultural Triangle Bentota Beach ... Beach Countries Cambodia China Hong Kong India ... Vietnam Live Agent document.write(liveagentname); document.write(liveagentname); document.write(liveagentmessage); document.write(liveagentchat); Sri Lanka Travel Guide Sri Lanka, one of the pearls in the Indian Ocean was considered by Marco Polo to be the finest island of its size in all the world, and you'll likely agree after exploring the country's fabled delights. A land of tropical beauty and a thousand breathtaking views it oozes tourist appeal. Verdant tea covered mountains, multi-coloured rice paddies, laid back village lifestyles, coconut fringed beaches, underwater gardens, cascading waterfalls, colourful festivals and magnificent ancient cities; Sri Lanka is a feast for the eyes. Get to know it before you visit via these informative guide pages. Sri Lanka Guide Sri Lanka Information About Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Sports Activities for Children in Sri Lanka ... Sri Lanka Weather City Guides Colombo Travel Kandy Travel Negombo Travel Nuwara Eliya Travel Asia Cambodia Hotels China Hotels Hong Kong Hotels India Hotels ... Vietnam Hotels Europe

26. L. A. Baila -Sri Lankan Radio Sinhala MP3 Songs,music,singers,Bands,news,Lanka Sri Lankan Radio online with music, songs and MP3 downloads from Sri Lanka. Lanka Songs,sri lanka culture,baila, shashi,randunu,lanka music,lanka http://www.labaila.com/

News Update ((( Daily Life ))) News Events Organizations ... Check for Sri Lankan Community Events! [UserName: mylabaila, Password: labaila] OLD BROWSER ALERT! Click to see What's Playing Now! Become a Preferred Member to listen to channel 2 Sri Lankan Tea Tea was first grown in Ceylon in 1824 at the Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya with a few plants brought from China. More plants were introduced from Assam in 1839. In 1867 a Scottish planter James Taylor planted tea seedlings on eight acres of forest land which had already been cleared for coffee planting. Taylor's foresight was remarkable because two years later a blight wiped out the country's coffee crop. The island's planters turned to tea and had 400 hectares flourishing by 1875. In 1965, Ceylon displaced India as the world's biggest tea exporter making tea one of the biggest foreign exchange earners for the country. The best Ceylon teas are known as High Grown, from plantations at heights above 1200m where the climate has a crucial effect on quality. Teas from Nuwara-Eliya, Dimbulla and Dickoya show their best quality in January and February after the North-East monsoons, when dry weather and cold nights predominate.

27. Sri Lanka Travel Directory On The Internet Offers insight into its culture, tourism information, seasonal events and ecotourism. http://www.triptosrilanka.com/

Home Explore Sri Lanka Plan a Trip Book a Trip General Tourist information About Sri Lanka Our Heritage Culture Seasonal Events Ancient Places Ayurvedic ... Handicrafts Beauty of Nature Beaches Wild Life Birds Waterfalls ... Picture Gallery Vacation in Sri Lanka would mean that you'll get to see beaches of Sri Lanka, wild life in Sri Lanka and much more like bird watching out of one cheaper trip. We can help you to plan your trip to Sri Lanka in a way you could experience the beauty of Sri Lanka. Since we have access to the necessary resources like travel agents in Sri Lanka, hotels in Sri Lanka, we could provide services which you met your requirement. Like if you want to try eco tourism or experience a unique south Asian culture you should visit Sri Lanka and we'll help you. History of this country spans over a period of 2000 years, which is livid with many a colorful incident of regency and their doings. Times of wars, events of religious significance, coups and trysts with foreign elements color the odyssey of checkered history of "Serendib" as this island was known then. Many monuments pertaining to Buddhism & Hinduism, monuments built for aesthetic, medicinal purposes and for no other reason but to showoff the mightiness of the rulers were erected during the time of kingdoms like Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Yapahuwa, and Kandy etc.

28. France Sri Lanka Cultural Exchanges - Suriyakantha Supports diffusion of French culture in sri lanka, as well as development of research on sri lankan culture, and promotion of cultural exchanges with France. http://www.chez.com/suriyakantha

LAST UPDATED 24.09.2005 This site is best viewed via Internet Explorer 5 or 6 in 800 x 600 resolution VERSION FRANCAISE CONTACT US The bilingual site devoted to the cultural life in Sri Lanka and in France France - Sri Lanka Cultural Exchanges Le site bilingue consacré à la vie culturelle au Sri Lanka et en France VERSION FRANCAISE CONTACT US TOPICALITY Sri Lanka / France CULTURE Books Cinema Dance Exhibition ... Travellers DOSSIERS Fascination of the body Paul Cézanne Lumière de Gauguin Globalization ... Saint-Exupéry SOCIETY Abortion AIDS Death Penalty Mental Health GALLERY Frantisek Kupka Miniatures of Kangra Raphael ARCHIVES INDEX Ando, Tadao Badinter, Robert Beurdeley, Cécile Boecklin, Arnold ... CONTACT US Travel The Age of Kali Travels and Encounters in India by William Dalrymple Paperback 356 pages (June 21, 1999) Publisher: Flamingo ISBN: 0006547753 Books Edouard Boubat EDOUARD BOUBAT The magic of everyday life Bernard Boubat and Geneviève Anhoury. Editions de la Martinière (France, Paris, 2004) Thames and Hudson (United Kingdom) Abrahms (United States) Contrasto (Italy) Knesebeck Verlag (Germany).

29. Travel Sri Lanka Information on geography, culture, history and major attractions. http://ecosrilanka.xasia.lk/travelsrilanka/intro/

30. WWW Virtual Library Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan Society & Culture : Customs, Rituals sri lanka Society culture Customs, Rituals Traditions. sri lanka PEOPLE. sri lankan Music, Theatre and Dancing z_p22kandy1.jpg (16590 bytes) http://www.lankalibrary.com/rit.html

WWW Virtual Library Sri Lanka Home Forum Tsunami Ethnic Conflict ... People Sri Lankan Music, Theatre and Dancing Classical Dances of Sri Lanka ( The origin of Sri Lankan dances goes back to immemorial times of aboriginal tribes and "yakkas" (devils). According to a Sinhalese legend, Kandyan dances originate, 2500 years ago, from a magic ritual that broke the spell on a bewitched king.) Dance and music of the Sinhalese ( Our historical record, the ‘Mahavamsa’, tells us that the Aryan Prince Vijaya heard music on the day he landed on the shores of Lanka.According to Pali scriptures the ‘Yakkas’ (one of the tribes inhabiting the Island at the time) were fond of songs and dances.It may be that some of the devil dances that have remained with us to the present day owe their origin to the ‘Yakka’ dances.) Drums of Sri Lanka ( Sri Lanka has been having many types of drums in use from ancient times, and reference to these are found in some of the classical literature e.g. Pujawaliya, Thupawansaya, Dalada Siritha etc. Although there had been about 33 types of drums, today we find only about ten and the rest are confined only to names.) Devil Dance Masks of Sri Lanka ( The yakun natima, or devil dance ritual of Sri Lanka, is nothing if not full of drama. Not just a charade or interval designed to entertain, the yakun natima is a carefully crafted ritual with a history reaching far back into Sri Lanka's pre-Buddhist past. )

31. Sri Lanka Food Recipes And Culture sri lanka food recipes and culture. sri lanka sri lankan falg (10295 bytes). Current Time, Date and Temperature in sri lanka http://asiarecipe.com/srilanka.html

Sri Lanka Current Time, Date and Temperature in Sri Lanka Main Dishes Vegetarian Sauces Desserts ... Vietnam All proceeds from donations, book, and banner sales go to support education for children in Northern Thailand FAQ You can also donate to help us to continue to provide our services Thanks for your support. Clicking on these ads helps provide funds and scholarships to poor students at Pongyang Elementary School in Chiang Mai, Thailand The children there thank you for your support. And so does AsiaRecipe.com... We know banners can be annoying at times, but we hope you will appreciate the good your support does, and cut us some slack. Thanks for your patience.

32. Welcome Matara City Matara is a city situated in Southern sri lanka.This site gives information on the history,culture and facilities for tourists. http://www.mataracity.com/

a lot of business activities with many reputed companies from Colombo having their branches in the city. The bus terminal facing the sea beach provides a lot of facilities for the passengers who come in and out of the city with state as well as private transport. [More] INFORMATION FOR TOURISTS Traveling from Colombo to Matara can be made either by train or air conditioned buses. While there are only a limited number of trains, buses are available every half and hour. Both the journeys take about four hours. Matara is the last railway station where the railway lines end in the South. [More] NETLK

33. Sri Lanka Asian Culture And Links To Food Information, Culture, Ingredients And Asian sri lankan cultural information with links to cooking equipment and techniques and herbs from asia. http://asiarecipe.com/sriculture.html

Sri Lanka Current time in Sri Lanka Sri Lankan Culture The tragedy of Sri Lanka stems from its ethnic intolerance and militant readings of religious philosophy. The Sinhalese are predominantly Buddhist, the Tamils mainly Hindus, and there are sizeable Muslim and Christian Burgher (descendants of Dutch colonists) minorities. The Sinhalese speak Sinhalese, the Tamils and most Muslims speak Tamil and the Burghers often speak English. The Muslims are scattered all over the island and are thought to be descendants of early Arab or Indian traders. They have largely steered clear of the civil conflict, though there have been clashes between Muslims and Tamils in the east. The Tamils in the hill country are recent low caste arrivals brought in by the British to work on the plantations. They share little in common with the Tamils of the north who have been in Sri Lanka for over 1000 years. The hill country Tamils have generally managed to avoid being drawn into the current ethnic conflict. Sri Lanka's classical architecture, sculpture and painting is predominantly Buddhist. Stupas sprinkle the countryside, and there are several extravagantly large Buddhas sculptures, notably at Aukana and Buduruvagala. Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa have the most impressive archaelogical legacy, but Kandy is the most thriving cultural centre today. Colonial remnants include Dutch forts, canal and churches and British residences, clubs and courthouses. Galle is the finest colonial city on the island.

34. Tea And Sri Lanka An indepth exploration of the history and culture surrounding tea in Britain and sri lanka (Ceylon). http://www.panix.com/~kendra/tea/index.html

Tea The content on this site comes from my college thesis, written as a part of a BA in Cultural Anthropology at Vassar College written in 1994. The thesis, A Different Cup of Tea: The Culture of Tea in Britain and Sri Lanka is about the culture surrounding tea, and the different meanings affixed to the commodity by different cultures. I've excerpted the parts of this work that I think will be of interest to a larger audience. This is neither intended to be a complete history of tea or of Sri Lanka. Chinese Beginnings Tea Comes to England Afternoon Tea in Britain Tea and the Working Class ... Home

35. Art Sri Lanka Foundation Virtual Gallery for sri Lankan art and culture. Presents online exhibitions, contemporary paintings and artists. Depicts, art history, Buddhist art, antiquarian maps, prints and masks. http://www.artsrilanka.org

36. Sri Lanka FAQ - Monthly Posting To Soc.culture.sri-lanka Archivename sri-lanka-faq Soc-culture-sri-lanka-archive-name I will try to post an updated copy of this on soc.culture.sri-lanka newsgroup on or http://www.faqs.org/faqs/sri-lanka-faq/

Usenet FAQs Search Web FAQs Documents ... RFC Index Sri Lanka FAQ - Monthly posting to soc.culture.sri-lanka There are reader questions on this topic! Help others by sharing your knowledge dharma@eng.umd.edu soc.culture.sri-lanka dharma@src.umd.edu ... rec.sport.cricket , rec.sport.cricket.scores, misc.news.southasia , alt. visa.us, alt.buddha.short.fat.guy alt.flame saw@cs.purdue.edu gihan@cse.mrt.ac.lk ... ftp://ftp.uu.net/ (location not certain) Also available in paperback - ISBN: 0-13-010778-6 c) "EFF's Guide to the Internet" by Electronic Frontier Foundation This guide is available free of charge from the EFF at i ftp://ftp.eff.org ii gopher://gopher.eff.org iii http://www.eff.org bandu@acsu.buffalo.edu ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com http://www.city.net/countries/sri_lanka/ Maintained by City Net. (Info - http://www.city.net/cnx/about_cnx.html saman@wildhog.stanford.edu seneviratne@cf.ac.uk http://www.freenet.mb.ca/community/iphome/s/slam/index.html ... soc.culture.tamil and soc.culture.indian.info tg@chmsr.gatech.edu tamil-palladam-request@isye.gatech.edu ftp://mac.archive.umich.edu/mac/system.extensions/font/type1/palladam2.1.sit.hqx umich archive has a few mirror sites. (for the two previous fonts) ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/computing/systems/mac/

37. Tamil Nadu, India, Eelam, Sri Lanka Politics, Language, Business, AIADMK, LTTE, Articles relating to current events, political analysis and culture of Tamil people in India, sri lanka and around the world. http://www.geocities.com/tamiltribune/

Monthly magazine: articles on Tamil Nadu, India, Sri Lanka and Tamil Eelam with emphasis on current event articles, politics, political analysis, Tamil language, history and culture. Special articles on Sri Lankan Sinhala-Tamil conflict, LTTE and war, and Dravidian parties (AIADMK, etc.) and anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu. September 2005 Editor: Inia Pandian Vol. 15: No. 9 Index to Archived Articles Save this ENTRY PAGE as a bookmark (or favorite list ) so that you can visit it every month http://www.geocities.com/tamiltribune/ Click below to read the latest issue. September 2005 issue August 2005 issue Tamil Related Books (mostly in English) THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST tamiltribune at asia.com Please replace at by 2005 by TAMIL TRIBUNE. A FEW SAMPLE ARTICLES FROM OUR ARCHIVE: http://www.geocities.com/tamiltribune/04/0101.html http://www.geocities.com/tamiltribune/04/0202.html http://www.geocities.com/tamiltribune/04/0203.html http://www.geocities.com/tamiltribune/04/0301.html ... http://www.geocities.com/tamiltribune/04/0501.html

38. A Virtual Travel To Sri Lanka - Ilankai - Sri Lanka Tourism Official web sites of sri lanka, the capital of sri lanka, art, culture, history, cities, airlines, embassies, tourist boards and newspapers. http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/sri_lanka.htm

Advertise here One World - Nations Online the countries of the world Home Continents Asia Sri Lanka _Sri Lanka Destination Sri Lanka, this page is about many aspects of the "resplendent (is)land." Here you will find comprehensive information about Sri Lanka in its diversity: geography, economy, science, people, culture, environment, government and history. You will have access to newspapers from Sri Lanka and you will find extensive travel and tourism information for Sri Lanka. Official Sites Map News Culture ... Additional Links Sri Lanka Country Profile Flag of Sri Lanka Background: Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1802. As Ceylon it became independent in 1948; its name was changed in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues to fester. (Source: CIA - The World Factbook) related countries: Netherlands India Portugal United Kingdom Official Name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka short form: Sri Lanka in Tamil: Ilankai former: Serendib, Ceylon

39. Sinhalese A ethnographic report on the dominant ethnic group of sri lanka (Ceylon). http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture.7869

Society-SINHALESE The Sinhalese are the dominant ethnic group of Sri Lanka (Ceylon). As of 1974, the 9.7 million Sinhalese constituted 72 percent of the population. The next largest group, the Hindu Tamil, accounted for 21 percent (Golenpaul 1974: 262). The Sinhalese occupy most of the island, except for the northern quarter and the eastern coast, which are predominantly Tamil (Yalman 1971: 12-13; Nyrop et al. 1971: 93). In the large towns, the populations mix, but in the smaller communities, separation is maintained. Sinhalese is the official language of Sri Lanka, a factor which became a cause of political strife following independence in 1948. It is part of the Indic Sub-branch of the Indo-Iranian Branch of Indo-European. The Sinhalese divide themselves into two groups, the "Up Country people" or Kandyan and the "Low Country people." The Kandyan inhabit the highlands of the south-central region and constitute 38 percent of the Sinhalese and 25.8 percent of the national population (as of 1971). The Kandyan are the more conservative of the two groups and are descendants of the Kandyan Kingdom, which held out against foreign domination for over 300 years until they came under British rule in 1815. Culturally, religiously, and economically, they are closer to traditional Sinhalese ways (Nyrop et al. 1971: 80). The Low Country people, who primarily occupy the southern and western coastal regions, account for 62 percent of the Sinhalese and 42.8 percent of the national population (Yalman 1971: 14; Nyrop et al. 1971: 79). The Low Country people were subject to foreign rule since 1505, starting with the arrival of the Portuguese, and followed by the Dutch in 1656 and the British in 1796, until Sri Lanka's independence in 1948. They served as middlemen for the trade with the interior, in which the Europeans were so interested, and they have adopted much of European culture. Until recently, the Kandyan's attitude of aristocratic superiority toward the Low Country Sinhalese precluded marriage between them. But with the increase in wealth and sophistication of the latter, due to European and other outside contact, these barriers have broken down. The ecology of Sri Lanka is dominated by the semi-annual monsoons dividing the island into two ecological regions: the Wet Zone in the southwest third of the island, and the Dry Zone in the rest. The Dry Zone has only one season of torrential rain per year, and almost all of its 50-75 inches of precipitation falls within a three-month period from November to January (Leach 1968: 15; Yalman 1971: 19). The rains are followed by long droughts. The Kandyan region, except for a small southwestern portion, falls entirely within the Dry Zone. The Kandyan region is more thinly populated, more economically backward, and at a simpler level culturally and socially than the Wet Zone. Subsistence farming is the major occupation. Most of the people live in small villages whose size and location are determined by the availability of water. Most Sinhalese practice irrigated rice cultivation for subsistence. Shifting cultivation (chena), mainly in the Dry Zone, is also practiced, but is opposed by the government, since it destroys what they see as valuable forest resources. Millet is the principal chena crop, but cash crops such as gingelly and mustard are also grown in this fashion and supply the main source of cash to villagers. The major form of employment is as farm labor to high-caste cultivators, and payment is most often in kind. The national economy is mainly dependent on three cash crops, which comprise 95 percent of the agricultural exports. They are tea (56 percent), rubber (23 percent), and coconuts (16 percent), all grown in the Wet Zone. Other minor crops include cacao, cinnamon, citronella, cardamom, and areca nuts. Settlement in the Dry Zone is dependent on water supply. Yalman lists four types of Dry Zone villages. The first and most permanent is the "tank village," which contains a large, artificial reservoir that irrigates the rice fields and is a dependable source of water. The second type is located near mountain streams, which run for a large part of the year. The third type is dependent entirely on rainfall, and the fourth depends on chena cultivation and some hunting to survive. The size and wealth of these villages are in direct proportion to the permanence of the water supply. Villages consist of walled compounds containing dwellings, vegetable gardens, and fruit trees. There is usually only one dwelling per compound and one nuclear family (ge), per dwelling, but sometimes two or three dwellings will be found in a single compound, and occasionally two or more nuclear families are found under one roof. The household, defined as a commensal unit, is also called a ge and is usually composed of a single nuclear family. It has its own separate granaries and cooking facilities. Villages also contain religious shrines, water sources, and agricultural fields. Villages are ideally composed of only one subcaste (variga), although as many as five castes (rare) may be found. Large, low-caste groups are frequently found in their own named hamlets, physically separated from the main village. Social relations between villages are structured by a complex set of caste and subcaste relations and obligations. These overlap and interweave with kin relations. Named castes are distinguished by the traditional services they perform, but these duties are generally ritual, and members of all castes are primarily agriculturalists. Caste obligations tended to bring people of different villages into contact. With the breakdown of the caste structure, resulting from the British abolition of the feudal hierarchy in the early nineteenth century, these relations have tended to atrophy, and villages have become more isolated. But caste consciousness is still very much alive in rural areas, and residence is strictly controlled by caste membership. In urban areas, where wider social and economic opportunities are present, the traditional caste hierarchy is not as clear. Preferred marriage is endogamous within the variga or subcaste group and within the same generation, while marriage is prohibited between parallel cousins. Marriages tend to be between co-villagers or with nearby villages. Since all village members generally belong to one variga, and since an attempt is usually made to marry someone of equal or nearly equal status, over time a majority of marriages turn out to be between classificatory cross-cousins, even though there is no stated cross-cousin preference. Residence is generally virilocal (binna) for men of wealth expecting a large inheritance, and uxorilocal (deega) for poorer men or those with a caste taint, who prefer to get away from their natal village. The political structure of the Kandyan Sinhalese is a reflection of the British colonial system, which was itself influenced by the indigenous feudal hierarchy that it followed. According to Leach, the view of villagers that their contemporary political structure is continuous with the feudal past has some basis, since their relationships with the government representativepresent-day Divisional Revenue Officer, British colonial Ratemahatmaya, or feudal overlordhave scarcely changed. In some cases, the offices have remained within the same family. The village is ruled by an administrative officer called the Vel Vidane, who serves as the executive head and the irrigation headman. In theory, he is the elected representative and spokesman of the villagers. Even with little formal authority, this can still be a very influential post. Above the Vel Vidane is the Village Cultivation Officer (V.C.O.). He is an employee of the Irrigation Department and is responsible for over 50 villages. In agricultural matters, the Vel Vidane takes orders from him. The V.C.O. reports to the tulana or headman, who is in charge of upward of a dozen villages. The latter's duties are mainly clerical, but the most trivial administrative decisions require his approval. The tulana is responsible to the Divisional Revenue Officer (D.R.O.), who must approve most of his decisions. Finally, above the D.R.O. is the Government Agent, whose contact with the villagers is slight. It is the D.R.O. who represents the government to most village people. Leach reports that the recently introduced (1954) village committees, organized to take care of local problems, play little part in people's lives (1968: 28-30). Most Sinhalese are Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhists, although numerous Low Country Sinhalese have become Christians (Nyrop et al. 1971: 189). Popular Sinhalese Buddhism contains many elements of Hinduism and magical-animistic beliefs. Culture summary by Martin J. Malone Golenpaul, Ann, ed. 1975 Information Please Almanac. New York, Dan Golenpaul Associates, 1974. Leach, Edmund Ronald. Pul Eliya, a village in Ceylon: a study of land tenure and kinship. Cambridge, University Press, 1961 (reprinted 1968). 15, 344. illus., geneal. charts, maps, tables. Nyrop, Richard F. Area handbook for Ceylon. By Richard F. Nyrop et al. Washington, D.C., U. S. Government Printing Office, 1971. Yalman, Nur. Under the bo tree; studies in caste, kinship, and marriage in the interior of Ceylon. Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1971. 13, 405 p. illus., maps, tables. 7869

40. Abooda - Culture Of Sri Lanka Tourism - Sinhala, Tamil, Buddhism, Hindu (Colombo News in sri lanka, tourism, UK business directory, asian wedding directory, classified. Promoting local events and businesses so that our culture and http://www.abooda.com/tourism/culture.asp

Home Tidal Wave Disaster News Window on Sri Lanka ... Asian Wedding Dir. SriLankan Culture A rich tapestry of diversity Sri Lankan culture is a rich blend of the interaction of diverse cultural patterns both indigenous and derived from, trade, religions, as well as, western colonization. The cultural patterns of Sri Lanka today show the lasting impact of a diverse range of cultures. The overall culture is largely the result of the impact of the introduction of Buddhism, more than 2,300 years ago. This does not erase the heavy influence of Hinduism, together with the lesser impact of Islam, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity, in addition to the pre-Buddhist worship of deities and animism, some of which still remain in the traditions and rituals of the country. At a time when other societies in the world were boasting of their martial prowess, Sri Lankan society had embraced a religious philosophy based on the rational, where tolerance played a most significant part. Buddhism as it developed in Sri Lanka was not an exclusive state religion, but was rich in its philosophical content to let other breezes too flow into the country. The close proximity to South India saw the impact of Hinduism in the country grows, but not diminishing the overall acceptance of Buddhism. Traders from the Arab world, from pre-Mohammedan times, saw the influence of Persians, with their own Zoroastrianism and even Nestorian Christianity in the very early centuries of the Christian era. Later trade with the countries of the Arab world and South India, after the rise of Islam, saw the weaving of Islam too into the cultural fabric of the country. It was very much later, from the early 16th century, that Sri Lanka came under the strong influence of the Christians, who came in search of its much valued spices, peacocks, gems and elephants and stayed over to rule over a part of and finally the entire country.

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