| Sri Lanka Culture Details |
Many a kingdom that was established in ancient Sri Lanka, along with various cultural influxes from India has influenced in shaping the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka.
Inarguably the factor, which has played the lead part in contributing to the culture along with everything traditional, is the presence of Buddhism. Ancient rulers of Sri Lanka built monuments established institutions to honor the philosophy of Buddhism. In turn this led to lesser folks following the principles advocated by Buddhism en masse. This could be described as a way of life, a pattern of thinking, which led to a self-sufficient society that engaged in agriculture as the means of living.
To support agriculture an advanced irrigation system was constructed. These people pursued matters aesthetic such as dancing, music, painting, sculpting and literature in spare time.
Sri Lankan society is dominantly marked by the caste system. Caste system in Srilanka is based on the theory that every person is born into a particular group which defines his or her fixed position within society for lifetime. Purity is one of the most basic concepts of caste system. The person in each caste must preserve their purity by avoiding the contact with the persons of lower purity. In Sri Lanka, there are two caste systems, one for the Sinhalese and the other for the Tamils. For the Sinhalese, although Buddhism discourages the distinction based on caste, it still exists but is not based on the concept of purity but on the basis of hereditary roles and functions. For the Tamils, Hinduism is a perpetuated influence on social division among themselves.
Sri Lanka's classical architecture, sculpture and painting are predominantly Buddhist. Stupas sprinkle the countryside, and there are several extravagantly large Buddha's sculptures, notably at Aukana and Buduruvagala. Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa have the most impressive archaelogical legacy, but Kandy is the most thriving cultural centre today. Colonial remnants include Dutch forts, canal and churches and British residences, clubs and courthouses. Galle is the finest colonial city on the island.
Woodcarving, weaving, pottery and metalwork are all highly developed crafts, and Sri Lanka is especially renowned for its gems. Ambalangoda is the best place to see Sri Lankan masks; Ratnapura is the centre of Sri Lanka's gem trade.
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