SRI LANKA _____ Ruwan Peiris !

With My Attitude..

Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian ocean. It is also called the pearl of the Indian Ocean due to it's natural beauty. It was a British colony till 1948 and was known as Ceylon. Despite her small size Sri Lanka has a wide range of geographic features and is rich in natural beauty.

Geography
Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 81 00E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 65,610 sq km (land: 64,740 sq km, water: 870 sq km)
Coastline: 1,340 km
Climate: tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior.
Land use:
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 15%
permanent pastures: 7%
forests and woodland: 32%
other: 32% (1993 est.)

People
Population: 19,144,875 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 2,650,135; female 2,535,092)
15-64 years: 67% (male 6,231,987; female 6,500,782)
65 years and over: 6% (male 592,539; female 634,340) (1999 est.)
ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Sri Lankan(s)
adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%
Religions: Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%
note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken by about 10% of the population
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.2%
male: 93.4%
female: 87.2% (1995 est.)


Communication
Telephones: 352,681 (1997 est.); 114,888 cellular telephone subscribers (1997 est.)
Telephone system: very inadequate domestic service, but expanding with the entry of two wireless loop operators and privatization of national telephone company; good international service
domestic: NA
international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations. 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 5, shortwave 0
Radios: 3.6 million (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 21 (19 network stations, two low-power stations) (1997)
Televisions: 1.6 million (1996 est.)

History
- 6th Cent. BC. Colonisation by the people of Singha (Lions), which under the leadership of Prince Vijaya arrived from North-India. Vijaya is the progenitor of all the180 Singhalese kings who have ruled the country with very few interruptions for 300 years. The last king of this dynasty died in the middle of the 18th century.
- 0250 BC Conversion to Buddhism
- 0250 - 1017 Anuradhapura period
- 1017 - 1213 Polonnaruwa period
- 1235 - 1316 Changing capitals - decline
- 1418 -1815 Kingdom of Kotte
- 1592 - 1815 Kingdom of Kandy
- 1505 - 1658 Portuguese rule (coastal areas)
- 1658 - 1795 Dutch rule (coastal areas)
- 1795 - 1948 British rule over the entire Island

Infrastructure
Railways:
total: 1,501 km
broad gauge: 1,442 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total: 99,200 km
paved: 39,680 km
unpaved: 59,520 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft
Pipelines: crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Ports and harbors: Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee
Merchant marine:
total: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 178,867 GRT/276,363 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 14, container 1, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 5 (1998 est.)
Airports: 1 international Airport

With My Site
Check out my photo pages for examples of sri lankan. soon......

A wedding in a village in the hill country (Kandyan wedding) is an opportunity not to be missed by the visitor to the island.
The chain of events, prior to a wedding is generally started by the marriage broker, with a visit to the future bride's, or groom's home. The marriage broker wields a great amount of power when a wedding is imminent. He or she, is a virtual database for all available brides and grooms in the area. Information like how many siblings in the family, whom they are married to, what their worth, age, education, and any inherited or acquired diseases are some of the information stored in his "little black book".

 

 

 

 

The broker, during his first visit will take stock of his/her "clients" family and suggest several possible "matches". The family then has to decide which of the prospective bride's or groom's homes to visit for a preliminary "inspection". All stops are pulled, when it comes to entertaining, by the host family for this visit by the guests,- after all first impressions go a long way. However the guests rarely get to see the future bride or the groom during this first visit. He or she will be presented ""properly" later, during a subsequent visit.
The broker will arrange several more visits over a period of several months to each other's families and during one of these visits the bride or the groom will make a brief appearance, perhaps serve a drink. In most arranged marriages, like most marriages in the villages are, one is marrying into a family, and therefore the individual bride or the groom takes a lessor role, as long as they are compatible as determined by their horoscopes. This astrological "match" will be determined by the local astrologer.


During the subsequent visits the families will discuss the amount of "dowry",- a payment (in cash and/or property) by the bride's family to the grooms family, - and the future partners will get to know each other a little bit better. If everything is agreed to mutual satisfaction, a wedding day will be selected by the astrologer. The preparations for the wedding generally starts several days before, sometimes several weeks, if, for instance, the house needs to be repainted. Otherwise, men in the village will start decorating the house, and the road leading to it. Usually, a temporary archway (thorana) is erected using palm trunks by the side of the road, and decorated with fresh palm fronds, palm inflorescence, and bunches of coconut and other fruits.

All the cooking is done by the women of the village. Their marathon cooking session starts several days before the wedding day - first sweets and other foods that are non-perishable, then on the night before the wedding day, all the foods for wedding feast. During this time the whole village takes on a carnival atmosphere, with firecrackers, continuous loud music, some heavy drinking by the men, and some attempts at hanky-panky by the young eligibles.

The day starts with a visit to the local temple to receive Buddha's blessings. Afterwards, the groom is dressed in traditional clothing similar to that were worn by the Kandyan chieftains, complete with the ornamental dagger. The bride is adorned in all her finery with gold embroidered sari and heavy gold jewelry.

Then at the prescribed auspicious time the wedding vows are taken, inside a poruwa, a temporary stand decorated with flowers, and palm fronds. The customs are somewhat similar to the western customs. Wedding rings are exchanged by the bride and groom, and gifts are offered to the elders of the family, and photographs are taken for posterity. The local registrar of marriages, who is always an invited guest, will do the necessary paperwork. Until the poruwa ceremony the bride and groom who were kept separated, now get to sit together and enjoy the wedding feast. Soon after the wedding feast it is time for the bride to accompany her new husband to his home and another round of rituals and celebrations.<<>>


A vast majority of the people of Sri Lanka are Buddhists. But throughout history, folk cults with beings of supernatural powers that influence day-to-day lives of the people have entered the main stream Buddhism. There are elaborate rituals to pacify these spirits and to appease the benevolent. Although not encouraged by the Buddhist clergy, there is a large following of these rituals, specially in the southern part of the country. The commonest of them is the "devil dancing", which is a form of exorcism with quite a bit of theatrics thrown in for good measure. The colorful and sometimes frightening masks worn by the performers, represent the good and spirits. These masks are all hand crafted by traditional craftesmen out of local soft woods and can be quite elaborate. The town of Ambalangoda in southern sri Lanka is famous for these masks. <<>>

There are ceremonies and rituals associated with every part of Sri Lankan's life. From birth, first solid meal, first lesson, first job, and "first" anything must be done at the right, and auspicious time, dictated by ancient and somewhat mysterious legends and lore. Some of these rituals may only involve a visit to the village temple, or a small offering to the Gods, but the major ceremonies, specially that are religious in nature are, are celebrated to the full. The Esala Perahara in Kandy is the biggest of these events. <<>>




Sinhalese and Tamil New Year (avurudu), which is celebrated about the 13th - 14th of April, is a very special time in Sri Lanka. The larders are full since the harvest has just been collected, the trees are full of flowers, the homes are freshly painted and it is time for festivities.
The precise times when the old year ends, and the new year begins, (most times the two does not coincide) are calculated by astronomers, and is generally announced by the peal of temple bells. Everything during this time must be performed at precise times (nakatha), and in the prescribed way. The lighting first fire in the hearth, start of work, first transaction, first application of oil to hair, first meal, to name a few. In between these rituals, the time is spent playing games, visiting friends and relatives, enjoying the many sweets that are made for the occasion, and generally having a great time.
Music and poetry has always been a part of village life in Sri Lanka, and what better time to enjoy some singing and merry making than the avurudu festival?. Poetry contests, or contests between teams of drummers between adjoining villages are common during these celebrations, These village beauties playing the "rabana", a one sided drum, somewhat like an enormous tambourine, certainly looks like a winning team. <<>>



With the growth of commerce, many large businesses in cities like Colombo saw the commercial possibilities of Wesak, similar to how the businesses in the west embraced Christmas. Sending of Wesak cards to friends and business associates has become the done thing, during the month of May. Shops selling large and small lanterns, candles, and various electric lighting sets, and papers of any imaginable color abound. Many of the bigger companies pay other small companies to make large Wesak lanterns like these in the hope of attracting prospective customers, and they do come .... Traffic in the streets leading to more popular sites, bad during normal days becomes impossible during the Wesak Holidays.
This Wesak lantern, elaborate and several tiers high, could have cost the sponsor quite a large sum of money, but that would be offset with the extra sales !!!.<<>>

Embodying the Dharma
The greatest gift to the world that a person can offer is to help people bring forth their own possibilities for good. This is a rare and remarkable legacy, especially when one has organized structures for helping people embody in their own lives the values of the Buddha Dharma.

In my study of Buddhist scriptures I had been especially fascinated by the Buddha's social teachings, such as those relating to nonviolence, ecology, self-governance, and economic sharing. Without Dr. Ariyaratne, these teachings would have remained for me somewhat abstract, in the realm of ideas and ideas, matters for conjecture, argument and longing.

But soon it was my great good fortune to meet Ari, and to witness what he has brought forth in and through Sarvodaya. He has not only given flesh and to the Buddha's social teachings, but also revealed in new, distinctive ways their implications for our world today. My own life in terms of my understanding, courage, and sense of the possible is deeply influenced by his ongoing achievement. My gratitude is immeasurable.

From the moment I walked into Dr. Ariyaratne's crowded little office in Medura twenty-five years ago, and listened, spellbound, as he described Sarvodaya philosophy, I felt that I had, in a sense, "come home". For what I had loved in the Buddha Dharma was now taking on fresh, surprising, convincing reality; and I wanted to move right into the Sarvodaya scene to explore this reality at length.

Thanks to an invitation from Ari and a small grant from the Ford Foundation. I returned to do that in 1979 and 1980, when my doctoral work was completed. From that year's experience came my book Dharma and Development. Subsequent visits over the next two decades sustained my appreciation for Dr. Ariyaratne's extraordinary combination of scholarship and creativity in embodying the Buddha Dharma for a crisis-ridden world.

The Buddha's central doctrine of causality, paticca samuppada or dependent co-arising, had served as focus of my recently completed doctoral dissertation. Since my head was well stocked with scriptural references and metaphysical debates on the subject, it was not surprising that I should detect its presence in Dr. Ariyaratne's thought and work. But I hardly anticipated that this teaching of radical interdependence would be given form in such concrete and pervasive ways. When I reflect on these ways, I see how rooted Ari is in the Dharma, and how original in applying it.

Every step Ari took, from the first shramadana that engendered the movement, expressed the recognition that all beings are intricately and inexorably interconnected. This basic premise is conveyed in the very name, Sarvodaya, and made explicit in both its philosophy and its organizing strategies.

To take a people's religious and cultural heritage, and interweave it with economic and social programs to meet spiritual and mental bungers while addressing material needs runs, of course, directly counter to modern conventions since the onset of the industrial era. Yet to do this, to bring these aspects of human life together once again in mutual interplay, releases energy, like fusion.

Appreciation of the natural interdependence of all forms and dimensions of life have always imbued Ari's portrayal of development. Personal awakening (purushodaya) is integral to the awakening o

Was soma thero's death due to natural causes?

1. His book "Buddha Stupa", to which he was to receive the so called doctorate, was translated neither to English nor to Russian.
   
2. The Rector (Shanti P. Jayasekara) only can understand Sinhalese, But he can't nominate a person for doctorate by himself. It should come from a senate.
   
3. Soma Thero had called his brother and Dharmayathanaya. But none knew about the heart ailment until he has passed away.
   
4. The doctorate was awarded by affiliated institution, not by a recognized university in Russia.(International University of Fundamental Studies) ( http://www.iufs.edu )
   
5. The person who has recommended Theros book for the doctorate happened to be a catholic priest. (Shanti P. Jayasekara)
   
6. His (Shanti P. Jayasekara) younget brother Sisil Jayasekara says that he doesn't know his brother is a Catholic Priest. And he says he knows only he is a Engineer who works there. He says if he knows this previously he won let him to go Russia .
   
7. The official web site for International University of Fundamental Studies says that he (Shanti P. Jayasekara)  is a Priest. ( http://www.iufs.edu )
   
8. Sisil Jayasekara was the former editor of  paper which is published by Ceyilnco Group.
   
9. Thero had got a heart attack in the air craft (say so) and he was taken to st.petersberg city hospital 2, which was 800 km away from Moscow air port.
   
10. A report says that his treatment on diabetic has converted into insulin, We have heard so many murder cases by overdosing insulin (In Sri Lanka also) [In down south chatholic father murdered his wife by overdosing insulin]
    

Rev. Soma Thero has been suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 for the last 10 years. When he came here about 2 months ago, before landing in Moscow he felt chest pains. With those pains he managed to fly further to St. Petersburg spending another 3 hours and then only the ambulance was called and he was rushed to the hospital. In the cardiology clinic in St. Petersburg doctors could place a stentor in one of the coronary arteries and to recover blood flow where it was totally absent. Then his diabetic therapy was converted into insulin. Now the glucose levels are fluctuating between 3.9 - 6.0 m.mole/1 litre. After treating him in the hospital, for rehabilitation therapy Thero was sent to a sanatorium where pineso therapy moler observation of a cardiologist and other specialists was done. Once insulin overdosed it causes instant heart attack. Because it will make blood more thicker.

1. Family members and close friends denies that he had heart attack.
   
2. Thero was intended to return to sri lanka in 10 days, but he had stayed there for more than two months and he had telephoned sri lanka only thrice during that period.
   
3. It took 07 days for the Thero's body to be sent to sri lanka .
   
4. Ven. Gangodavila soma Thero was the ONLY Buddhist Thero who preached without any fear or hesitation against the orthodox forms of religions criticized the behaviour of politicians. 
   
5. Today there will be a preach of Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero at TNL called "DAHAM SUWANDA". He sated that he has something to tell to buddhists about this death. So please watch that before come to a conclution....