All about Sri Lanka’s local culture!
Located right next to the Indian subcontinent, just above the equator, lies Sri Lanka – a teardrop-shaped island that is drenched in history, natural wonders, and profound and unique culture. Among its varied offering, its culture seems to be rich, vibrant, and filled with stories! If you are planning to visit Sri Lanka, here is everything that you need to know about its culture!
The colonial rule
Sri Lanka was a colony of not one but three different countries. They are namely the Dutch, Portuguese, and the British. The colonial rule lasted from 1517 to 1948 and each of the countries took control over the island one after the other. Colonisation made a profound impact on Sri Lanka’s culture and it is apparent in many of the country’s colonial edifices that remain intact and through various other tangible and intangible aspects such as cuisine, habits, and even administrative systems.
The nation endured a heart-rending civil war
Right after the country’s liberation from colonial rule, the nation fell victim to a civil war that lasted for nearly 30 years! During this period the country fell into chaos, thousands of lives were lost, but finally, the war came to an end in the year 2009. After the war, the nation slowly started healing but, some of the regions and people’s memories remain scarred. Although many try to forget this chapter, the war highly affected the nation’s culture yet it instilled the need for its people to stay united.
The country has four main religions
Being a nation that is home to a multicultural populace, Sri Lanka has four main religions and a number of others as well. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity are the main religions of the nation and they live quite harmoniously respecting each other’s beliefs. Travellers to the island will occasionally come across different places of worship during their journey and visiting them would indeed be a unique experience.
Three official languages
Sinhala is the widely spoken language in Sri Lanka and Tamil comes right behind it. English is the third official language of the country and the majority of Sinhalese and Tamils could understand and speak English. Signs, Name boards, and other information that are displayed in public are usually written in all three languages as well.
The country has an exquisite food culture
Sri Lanka cuisine is vibrant and diverse! Influenced by the country’s multicultural population and its colonial past the food items in Sri Lanka are unique and the usage of spices and fresh seasonal ingredients make the food items quite the treat for your palate as well! Being an island nation, fresh seafood could be always enjoyed almost anywhere on the island, and tropical fruits – many that you wouldn’t have tasted anywhere else on the planet could be found at markets all around the island. If you plan to stay at any of the best hotels in Sri Lanka belonging to reputed establishments the likes of Araliya Hotels & Resorts, you could even embark on a glorious culinary expedition savouring all the regional specialities and local food favourites.