Land with friendly smiles

Sri Lanka is a small island in the . Many call it as the pearl of the Indian Ocean. It is a country with more than 2500 years of written history and it has a rich culture nurtured with Buddhism. The island is rich in natural resources, and has a diverse economy based on agriculture, mining, fishing, manufacturing, and tourism. On becoming an independent nation in 1948 seemed to be headed for a future as a stable and prosperous democracy. Most of the people in Sri Lanka are Sinhalese and they are practicing Buddhism. Also there are Tamils, Muslims, Burgers and Malays. Though we are from different nationalities at the end of the day we all are Sri Lankans. Though we had many conflicts now the time has come to stand as one nation.

There many beautiful picturesque places, historical places and religious places in Sri Lanka. The first world heritage rain forest in Sri Lanka is Sinharaja. There are many endemic flora and fauna. Many people visit to enjoy the natural beauty of it. There are many such places like Horton plains, Knuckles mountain range, Hanthana and many more. Sigiriya, Temple of tooth relic in , Pinnawala elephant orphanage, Dambulla, Nuwara Eliya are some other tourist attracted places. And my home town is closer to Nuwara Eliya. It has a mild climate throughout the year.

No less than seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Sri Lanka. They include the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the cave temples at Dambulla dating back to the 1st Century, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy and Sigiriya - the rock fortress in the sky said to be the 8th Wonder of the World.

The Sinharaja tropical rain forest is designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and the white-washed seaport of Galle with its impressive Fort is declared the only Living World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka. My village is surrounded by a mountain range and we are closer to some famous places in Sri Lanka such as Horton plains, Nuwara Eliya, Haggala botanical garden, Dowa raja maha vihara (A famous Temple) Diyaluma and Dunhinda waterfall. Also our town is famous for flowers.

Basically Sri Lanka has two seasons. They are Dry season and rainy season. Our country is closer to the equator so we do not have any snow fall. But we love to experience it one day.

Sri Lankan food is mostly associated with rice and rice flour. Rice is an ever- present antidote to these big flavors. A meal in Sri Lanka is called "rice and curry"—a term that's almost synonymous with food in general. Rice and curry is our staple food. We make hoppers, string hoppers, pittu and much more using rice flour. We use spices to make our food tasty. We make lot of sweet meats too such as “Undu wallau, kokis, kawum, asmi, athirasa dodol” in our special occasions. We specially make milk rice in every special moment in our lives. Men in Sri Lanka wear a sarong and a long sleeved high neck colored shirt as their national dress and women wear “osariya” and it is worn using a saree. Most of the women wear osariya for their work place and even many brides use osariya as their dress.

Usually the national dress worn by men is a light colored one.

” Buddhism has been the core of Sri Lankan culture. The connection between society and Buddhism, traditional Arts, Music and Dance are the significance in Sri Lanka culture. The origin of Sri Lankan Dance goes back to the time of indigenous people of Sri Lanka. According to historical records, the tribal people - Yakkas were fond of Music and Dance.” We have a rich dancing tradition and mainly there are four parts of it. They are Knadyan, down country, sabaragamuwa and baratha nattiyam. Apart from classical dancing, there are also folk dances, which are associated with folk activities and festivities. Normally folk dances are performed during harvest time and other lay occasions.

“The country is famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts, and rubber and cinnamon - which is native to the country. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka’s tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, makes it a world famous tourist destination. The island also boasts the first female Prime Minister in the modern world, Sirimavo Bandaranaike” Anyway I am so proud and happy to be a Sri Lankan. We suffered for many years due to war. When our parents went to job we waited with frightened minds. Everywhere we heard the bomb blasting terrifying sound. Mothers lost their children lost their parents. War did not care whether we are Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims or Burgers it took all lives. But now the situation has changed. We have to spread understanding then we can make a better world. My wish is this peace unity must be there forever in my motherland.