Treasures
Indigenous Medicine or “Hela Wedakama” and Ayurveda
Sri Lanka has practiced for thousands of years based on a series of ancient indigenes medical literature (apart from Ayurveda) handed down from generation to generation and practice as a way of daily life. Early references revealed that pre-historical King Ravana’s great grandfather Pulasthi Rishi (Sage) presided The World Council of Indigenes Medicine held in India over a thousand years ago. The great chronical Mahavamsa, gives a comprehensive report of a King named Buddhadasa who ruled Sri Lanka in 4th century AD. He was the only Sri Lankan King who excelled in Medicine, Surgery and Veterinary science. This erudite King has composed a medical thesis known as “Sarartha Sangrhaya” which is believed to be the first written book of Medicine in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has a variety of herbs growing in its soil, whose effectiveness have been proven across many generations.
According to Ayurveda teachings, when the Three Dosa ( Vaa – Air, Pith – Bile, Sem – Phlegm ) are out of balance, many weaknesses are accumulating inside the body which invites illnesses. Ayurveda healthcare concentrates on the prevention and health promotion. The Island’s pleasant climate, famous hospitality and the cultural and natural diversities have helped in setting up a number of both Indigenes and Ayurveda based hotels and resorts. Please contact us for further details.
Gems of Ceylon
Throughout history gems have played an important role in economics, politics, religion, law and fashion. Gems are amongst the rarest and most desirable of materials that planet earth has to offer. 9/10 of Sri Lanka is made of high-grade metamorphic rock which means that 90% of Sri Lanka’s land mass belongs to Precambrian age, aging between 3000 to 4000 million years, forming the very first layers of the Earth. – “Ceylon Gem Hub”.
The Gem industry of Sri Lanka has a long history. It is one of the reasons the Island was also known as “Rathnadeepa” (Island of Gems in Sanskrit) in 3C BC. “From here…we reach the island of Seilam, which is, for its size, one of the finest islands in the world…This island produces many precious gems, amongst which are rubies, sapphires, topazes and amethysts. The King of the island owns a ruby thought to be the most beautiful in the world, as long as the palm of your hand and as thick as three fingers; it shines like the most burning fire and is perfect.” – Livres des Merveilles du Monde or Book of Marvels of the World, Marco Polo, ca 1300
Sri Lanka is the 9th largest exporters of precious stones to the world market. Apart from the quality of the Ceylon Sapphires, Sri Lanka is a celebrated destination for Rubies, Cats Eye, Padparadscha, Moonstones and many more. The Island’s lapidaries and jewellery craftmanship has been widely acclaimed. Sri Lankan gems have adorned crowns and thrones and bejewelled royalty the world over, including most recently, Queen Victoria, Princess Diana of Britain and the Duchess of Cambridge.
Ceylon Tea
The first tea plant was brought from China during the British period in 1824 and planted in Peradeniya Botanical gardens. “The Father of Tea” was Scottish planter, James Taylor, who arrived in Sri Lanka in 1852 as a coffee grower, establishing the first commercial tea planation in Loolkandura 40km away from the famous city Kandy. Today tea is one of the main important exports. Tea estates attract visitors from around the world and offer tours of tea factories, stays in plantation bungalows and picturesque views of rows of tea bushes. Tea production in Sri Lanka is a labour-intensive industry, most of the estate workers are descendants of South Indian Tamils who were brought by British in 1870s.
There are three main growing regions identified in Sri Lanka which gives different aroma to the cup. Elevation between sea level to 600m provides the Low grown Tea, Mid grown Tea which is from 600m to 1200m and High Grown Tea which is grown at an elevation above 1200m. High Grown Tea is the most popular among the western world. The Whole-Leaf Orange Pekoe (OP) and Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) are the most sought-after Tea gardens from High Grown region, especially in Nuwara Eliya district.
Ceylon Spices and Herbs
Some Historians believe that Sri Lanka is the cradle of the ancient Spice Trade. Middle eastern traders introduced the strong, aromatic and the unique taste of spices to the western part of the world and maintained a monopoly on the Ceylon spice trade. At the end of the 15C AD, Portuguese decided to grasp that and control the commodities of trading including the spices.
In Sri Lanka spices and herbs are used for cooking, Indigenes and Ayurveda medicine, beauty culture and sometimes for ritual purposes. Being a tropical island close to the equator, Sri Lanka has been blessed by an appropriate climate for the growth of many spices and herbs. “Cinnamomum zeylanicum” or the Sri Lankan Cinnamon plant is endemic to the Island and continues to enjoy 90% of the world market.
Nutmeg is an introduced plant from the south pacific region, which supply one of the expensive spices call Mace as a by-product, Mace derived from the dried lacy coating of the Nutmeg seed. Cardamom counts as the third most expensive spice in the world, regarded as “Queen of spice” it grows in mostly in the central part of the country. Clove also grows in mid country wet zone of Sri Lanka, Kandy, Kegalle, and Mathale districts are the major growing areas. Pepper, a perennial evergreen climbing vine grown as a mixed crop in Coconut and Tea plantations using live or dead stem supports.
Angampora (Ancient unique art of combat)
Uniquely a Sri Lankan art of fighting, history of Angampora goes back to the tribal age and is believed to be practiced by a tribe call Yakka about 5000 years ago. There are many Historical references of how Angampora came to be, since it was never officially documented. However, during the British period practise of this native martial art was banned and outlawed, where the practitioners would face imprisonment, persecution and even execution. Though many families refrained from teaching, few warrior families were dedicated for the preservation of this art, passed it through generations and it is still practiced until today.
They have four methods of practicing according to their teachings – striking methods, locking and gripping methods, takedowns and wrestling methods, and strike the pressure points of the body with the intention to kill. Uniqueness of this martial art is not only ways of inflicting death on their opponent through a series of strikes, but also known how to heal a patient through pressure point strikes.