Discover-SriLanka: dancers

DISCOVER - SRI LANKA: PROLOGUE

IN PRAISE OF MY BEAUTIFUL ISLAND,

INFORMATION, PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO.

THE 13th CENTURY VENETIAN TRAVELER MARCO POLO DESCRIBED THE ISLAND AS 'THE JADE PENDANT IN THE INDIAN OCEAN'. THE ABUNDANCE OF GEMSTONES, SPICES, RAIN FORESTS AND WILDLIFE; THE MAGNIFICENT BEACHES, ANCIENT RUINS AND A WRITTEN HISTORY OF OVER 2500 YEARS MAKE THIS ISLAND A TOURISTS' PARADISE.

THE RUINED CITIES OF ANURADHAPURA AND POLONNARUWA ILLUSTRATE THE GLORY OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOMS. THE GIGANTIC STUPAS AND BUDDHA STATUES ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST MAN MADE STRUCTURES OF THE WORLD. THE MASSIVE RESERVOIRS, BUILT BY ANCIENT KINGS TO IRRIGATE THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LAND, ARE MARVELS OF HYDRO ENGINEERING. THERE ARE EIGHT UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN SRI LANKA

THE ISLAND WAS KNOWN TO THE GREEKS AS 'TAPROBANE' AND TO THE ARABS AS 'SERENDIB'. EARLY MERCHANTS VISITED THE ISLAND IN SEARCH OF GEMSTONES AND SPICES, MAINLY CINNAMON AND PEPPER. COFFEE AND TEA PLANTATIONS WERE STARTED BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL RULERS. CEYLON TEA IS FAMOUS THE WORLD OVER.

TOURISM INDUSTRY IS A MAJOR MONEY SPINNER FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. THE VAST EXPANSE OF BEACHES, RAIN FORESTS AND NATIONAL PARKS WITH HERDS OF WILD ELEPHANTS, THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WITH LITHE WATER FALLS, BRING IN THE TOURISTS. THE ISLAND IS DOTTED WITH HUNDREDS OF HOTELS TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRAVELER. AN ISLAND OF 25,000 SQ; MILES HAS 103 RIVERS AND 25000 RESERVOIRS, MOSTLY MAN MADE. WITH VARYING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS THIS IS TRULY A 'SMALL MIRACLE'.

" THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA IS A SMALL UNIVERSE, IT CONTAINS AS MANY VARIATIONS OF CULTURE, SCENERY AND CLIMATE AS SOME COUNTRIES A DOZEN TIMES ITS SIZE........I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY COUNTRY WHICH SCORES SO HIGHLY IN ALL DEPARTMENTS - WHICH HAVE SO MANY ADVANTAGES AND SO FEW DISADVANTAGES. LOVELY BEACHES, BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES, IMPRESSIVE RUINS, A VIBRANT CULTURE AND CHARMING PEOPLE- NO WONDER SRI LANKA IS A SMALL MIRACLE ".***** Arthur C. Clark *****

Showing posts with label dancers. Show all posts

15 February, 2012

SRI - LANKA DANCERS

Dancers of the Channa - Upuli dance troupe performing in concerts world wide.

Pics : Courtesy, Channa Wijewardene

27 July, 2011

SRI LANKA - THE KADYAN DANCERS

Performing a dance different from the ' ves ' dance [ without the head gear ]

Kandyan drummers in traditional costume.

Pics by : Gerrit,Netty,Hans and Hanneke [ Belgium ]

Sri Lanka Tour, May 2011

17 July, 2011

SRI LANKA - KANDYAN VES DANCERS

The world renowned Kandyan Ves dancers and drummers photographed at a cultural performance in Kandy.

Pics by : Gerrit,Netty,Hans and Hanneke [ Belgium ]

Sri Lanka Tour, May 2011

01 July, 2011

SRI LANKA - KANDYAN ' RABAN ' DANCERS

A ' rabana ' is a shallow single headed drum, the raban dancers first spin the drum on the index finger and place it on a pole and dance while balancing the drum spinning on the pole. Some dancers spin five or six ' rabanas ' simultaneously.

Pics by : Gerrit,Netty,Hans and Hanneke [ Belgium ]

Sri Lanka Tour, May 2011

22 June, 2011

SRI LANKA - THE DEVIL DANCERS

The devil dance is a dance form of the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, it is also called Low Country dance. The dancers wear masks to depict different characters.

Pics by : Gerrit,Netty,Hans and Hanneke [ Belgium ]

Sri Lanka Tour, May 2011

26 May, 2011

SRI LANKA - ORCHIDS [ ' KANDYAN DANCER ' ORCHID ]

Orchids are believed to be the largest family of flowering plants , with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species, found in 880
genera.^[1]^[2] The number of orchid species equals more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species. It also encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants.^[3] The largest genera are
Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum(1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species).

Source : Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia.

This orchid from Sri Lanka takes the form of a Kandyan dancer in traditional costume.

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H7

12 April, 2011

SRI LANKA - KADYAN ' VES' DANCERS

Kandyan ves dance is the most popular form of Kandyan dance. The dance was propitiatory, never secular, and performed only by males. The elaborate ves costume, particularly the headgear, is considered sacred and is believed to belong to the deity Kohomba.

The dancers wear an elaborate costume including a headdress. The dancer's chest is only covered by a decorative beaded net. This costume is known as the Ves costume. The headdress incorporates a metallic front which makes the dancer look taller than he is. The complete costume also includes anklets that

produce a metallic rattle.