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Articles & Essays

In-depth explorations of Sri Lanka's history, religion, architecture, and living traditions.

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Vesak: The Night Sri Lanka Lights Up
Religion
Vesak: The Night Sri Lanka Lights Up

On the full moon of May, the island marks the most sacred date in the Buddhist year — not with solemnity, but with lanterns, fr...

21 Apr 2026
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Poya Days: The Full Moon Calendar That Runs Sri Lanka
Religion
Poya Days: The Full Moon Calendar That Runs Sri Lanka

Every month, when the moon is full, Sri Lanka pauses. Shops selling alcohol close, traffic thins, and temples fill — because po...

21 Apr 2026
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Independence Without a Single Shot: How Ceylon Became Sri Lanka
History
Independence Without a Single Shot: How Ceylon Became Sri Lanka

Unlike many former colonies, Ceylon's transition from British rule to independence in 1948 was negotiated rather than fought fo...

13 Apr 2026
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The Vedda: Sri Lanka's Indigenous Forest People
History
The Vedda: Sri Lanka's Indigenous Forest People

Long before Sinhalese or Tamil kingdoms rose on the island, the Vedda people were already living in its forests. Their story is...

02 Apr 2026
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Ratnapura: The City of Gems
History
Ratnapura: The City of Gems

Sri Lanka has been mined for sapphires, rubies and other precious stones for over two thousand years - and the gem-bearing grav...

28 Mar 2026
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How Sri Lankan Iron Smelters Beat the Monsoon Wind to Make Steel
History
How Sri Lankan Iron Smelters Beat the Monsoon Wind to Make Steel

In the hills near Samanalawewa, archaeologists found the remains of furnaces engineered to face the wind - evidence that ancien...

28 Mar 2026
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The Jaffna Kingdom: Sri Lanka's Northern Tamil Monarchy
History
The Jaffna Kingdom: Sri Lanka's Northern Tamil Monarchy

For over three centuries, an independent Tamil kingdom governed Sri Lanka's northern peninsula, developing its own dynasty, its...

27 Mar 2026
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The Ancient Port of Mantai: Where Rome Met the Indian Ocean
History
The Ancient Port of Mantai: Where Rome Met the Indian Ocean

Long before European ships found their way east, a harbour town on Sri Lanka's northwest coast was already a meeting point for ...

12 Mar 2026
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Ceylon Tea: How a Coffee Catastrophe Created an Industry
History
Ceylon Tea: How a Coffee Catastrophe Created an Industry

When a fungal disease wiped out Ceylon's coffee plantations in the 1870s, a Scottish planter named James Taylor tried something...

28 Feb 2026
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