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Religion In Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is officially a Buddhist country, while Sri Lankans practice a variety of religions. As of the 2012 census, 70.2% of Sri Lankans were Buddhists, 12.6% were Hindus, 9.7% were Muslims (mainly Sunni), 7.4% were Christians (mostly Catholics). Buddhism is declared as the State religion of Sri Lanka and has been given special privileges in the Sri Lankan constitution such as the government is bound for protection and fostering of Buddhist Dharma throughout the nation. However, the constitution also provides for freedom of religion and right to equality among all its citizens. In 2008 Sri Lanka was the third most religious country in the world according to a Gallup poll, with 99% of Sri Lankans saying religion is an important part of their daily life. Distribution of religious groups The census 2001 covered 18 districts only. The district percentages shown are from 2001 census except where the numbers are italic, which are from 1981 census. Population movements have occur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kandy Sri Lanka Temple Of The Tooth
Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic (''Sri Dalada Maligawa''), one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. Historically the local Buddhist rulers resisted Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial expansion and occupation. Etymology The city and the region have been known by many different names and versions of those names. Some scholars suggest that the original name of Kandy was Katubulu Nuwara located near the present Watapuluwa. However, the more popular historical name is Senkadagala or Senkadag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Islam In Sri Lanka
Islam is the third largest religion in Sri Lanka, with about 9.7 percent of the total population following the religion. About 1.9 million Sri Lankans adhere to Islam as per the Sri Lanka census of 2012. The majority of Muslims in Sri Lanka are concentrated in the Eastern Province of the island. Other areas containing significant Muslim minorities include the Western, Northwestern, North Central, Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Muslims form a large segment of the urban population of Sri Lanka and are mostly concentrated in major cities and large towns in Sri Lanka, like Colombo. Most Sri Lankan Muslims primarily speak Tamil, though it is not uncommon for Sri Lankan Muslims to be fluent in Sinhalese. The Sri Lankan Malays speak the Sri Lankan Malay creole language in addition to Sinhalese and Tamil. Islam in Sri Lanka traces its origin back to the arrival of Middle Eastern merchants in the Indian Ocean. By the 16th century, Middle Eastern traders' were the main trad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theravada Buddhism
''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in the Pāli Canon for over two millennia. The Pāli Canon is the most complete Buddhist canon surviving in a classical Indian language, Pāli, which serves as the school's sacred language and ''lingua franca''.Crosby, Kate (2013), ''Theravada Buddhism: Continuity, Diversity, and Identity'', p. 2. In contrast to Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna, Theravāda tends to be conservative in matters of doctrine ('' pariyatti'') and monastic discipline ('' vinaya''). One element of this conservatism is the fact that Theravāda rejects the authenticity of the Mahayana sutras (which appeared onwards). Consequently, Theravāda generally does not recognize the existence of many Buddhas and bodhisattvas believed by the Mahāyāna school, such as Amitābha a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Lanka - 029 - Kandy Temple Of The Tooth
Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific. The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Assamese, Meitei ( Manipuri), Marathi, Malay (including Indonesian and Malaysian), Javanese, Balinese, Sundanese, Sinhalese, Thai, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Assamese, Punjabi, Hindi, Bengali, Nepali, Malayalam, Kannada, Sanskrit, Pali, Khmer, and also among Philippine languages. It is usually transliterated as ''Sri'', ''Sree'', ''Shri'', ''Shiri'', ''Shree'', ''Si'', or ''Seri'' based on the local convention for transliteration. In Tamil it evolved to Tiru. The term is used in Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia as a polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." in written and spoken language. "Shri" is also used as a title of veneration for deities or as honorific title for individuals. "Shri" is also an epithet for Hindu goddess Lakshmi, while a ''yantra'' or a mystical dia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Province, Sri Lanka
The Western Province ( ''Basnāhira Paḷāta''; ''Mael Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established Provincial councils of Sri Lanka, provincial councils. Western Province is the most densely populated province in the country and is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte as well as to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center. History Parts of present-day Western Province were part of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Kotte. The province then came under Portuguese Ceylon, Portuguese, Dutch period in Ceylon, Dutch and British Ceylon, British control. In 1815 the British gained control of the entire island of Ceylon. They divided the island into three ethnic based administrative structures: Low Country Sinhalese, Kandyan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Uva Province
The Uva Province (, , ) is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. The province has an area of 8,500 km2 and a population of 1,266,463, making it the 2nd least populated province. The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is bordered by the Eastern, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, and Central provinces. It is home to several tourist attractions, waterfalls and two national parks: Yala National Park and Gal Oya National Park. History Uva's provincial history records an 1818 uprising (also known as the Third Kandyan War) against the British colonial government which had been controlling the formally independent Udarata (Sinhalese: ''Up-Country''), of which Uva was a province. The uprising was led by Keppetipola Disawe, a rebel leader celebrated by the Sinhalese even today, who was sent initially by the British government to stop the uprising. The rebels managed to capture Matale and Kandy before Keppetipola fell ill and was captured and beheaded by the British. His skull was abno ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Province, Sri Lanka
The Southern Province ( ''Dakuṇu Paḷāta'', ''Theṉ Mākāṇam'') of Sri Lanka is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. It is the 7th largest province by area and is home to 2.5 million people, the 3rd most populated province. The province is bordered by Sabaragamuwa Province and Uva Province to the North, Eastern Province to the Northeast, Western Province to the Northwest and the Indian Ocean to the South, West and East. The Province's capital is Galle. The Southern Province is a geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. Subsistence farming and fishing is the main source of income for the vast majority of the people of this region. Government School education is primarily handled by thSouthe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sabaragamuwa Province
The Sabaragamuwa Province (, , ) is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, provinces of Sri Lanka. Ratnapura is the capital of the province. History The provinces of Sri Lanka were created by the British Empire, British in the 19th century, but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established Provincial councils of Sri Lanka, provincial councils. The province is named after its former indigenous inhabitants, namely the Sabara, an Indic term for hunter-gatherer tribes, a term seldom used in ancient Sri Lanka. The Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka is located in the town of Belihuloya, and was founded in 1991. Geography The province has an area of 4,968 km2 and a population of 1,918,880. Major towns include Ratnapura and Kegalle. Demographics Ethnic groups The Sinhalese people, Sinhalese are the majority ethnic group of the Sabaragamuwa province. Additionally, there are sizeable minority populations of India ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Western Province, Sri Lanka
North Western Province ( ''Wayamba Paḷāta'', ''Vada Mael Mākāṇam'') is a province of Sri Lanka. It is the fourth-largest province by land area, covering , and the fourth-most populated province with a population of over 2,592,000 people. North Western Province is bordered by the North Central Province, Sri Lanka to the north, Central Province, Sri Lanka to the east, Sabaragamuwa Province to the southeast, Western Province, Sri Lanka to the south, and is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the west. The province encompasses a variety of climates and geographical features, from its coastal regions to the central highlands and plains. The majority of the population is concentrated in the urban centers of Kurunegala, the provincial capital, and Puttalam. Kurunegala is the largest city in the province and serves as a major commercial and administrative hub. Puttalam, located on the western coast, is known for its lagoon and salt production. The region has numerous archaeolog ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province ( ''Vaṭa Mākāṇam''; ''Uturu Paḷāta'') is one of the nine Provinces of Sri Lanka, provinces of Sri Lanka. The province has an area of 8,884 km2, making it the 3rd largest province by area, and a population of 1,061,315, making it the least populated province. Jaffna is the capital city of the province. Between 1988 and 2006, the province was temporarily Merger (politics), merged with the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, Eastern Province into one province, the North Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, North Eastern Province. Due to its large Sri Lankan Tamil people, Tamil population, the Northern Province is sometimes referred to as "Sri Lanka's Tamil country". The majority of the fighting in the Sri Lankan civil war, Sri Lankan Civil War took place in the Northern province. History Parts of present-day Northern Province were part of the pre-colonial Jaffna kingdom. Other parts were ruled by Vanniar (Chieftain), Vanniar Chieftains who paid tribute to the Jaffna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Central Province, Sri Lanka
North Central Province ( ''Uturumæda Paḷāta'', ''Vada Mattiya Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. The province has an area of 10,472 km2, making it the largest province by area, and a population of 1,266,663, making it the 3rd least populated province. The city of Anuradhapura is the capital of the province. History The North Central province is home to the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, both of which were historical capitals of Sri Lanka during ancient times. The two cities were the capitals of the Anuradhapura kingdom (437 BCE–1017 CE) and the Polonnaruwa kingdom (1070–1232) respectively. The provinces of Sri Lanka were established by the British in 1833. In independent Sri Lanka, provinces did not have any legal status or power until 1987, when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. The centralised system of Sri Lanka, which is a unitary state, failed to satisfy the aspirat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province ( ''Næ̆gĕnahira Paḷāta'' , ''Kiḻakku Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established Provincial Councils (Sri Lanka), provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was temporarily Merger (politics), merged with the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, Northern Province to form the North Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, North Eastern Province. The Capital city, capital of the province is Trincomalee. Kalmunai is the largest and most populous city of Eastern Province. History In 1815 the British gained control of the entire island of Ceylon. They divided the island into three ethnic based administrative structures: Low Country Sinhalese, Kandyan Sinhalese and Tamils, Tamil. The Eastern Province was part of the Tamil administra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
