Serendib Magazine - February 2013

In this issue

Sri Lanka has a distinctive mask heritage, and enjoys a living tradition in mask dance-drama: dozens of types of masks, many bizarre, are used in spiritual, secular, magical and even exorcism rituals.

It is by far the most expensive seafood to be had in Sri Lanka, its meat variously described as tender, sweet and succulent. Yes, it’s the king of crustaceans, the lobster.

Meetiyagoda in southern Sri Lanka is famed for its moonstones. The minor tunnels down to depths of even 150 feet or burrow long distances horizontally, until the earth reveals its treasures.

Deep in the Amazonian jungles the para rubber tree (Hevea brassiiensis) had
been discovered by intrepid explorers in the 19th Century and ever since its advent in Sri Lanka, rubber has been a main stay foreign exchange earner contributing immensely to the agro based Lankan economy.

Encompassing one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the Island, residing adjacent to the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary at the foot of the Sri Pada massif, the Gilimale Nature Reserve is home to an amazing wildlife diversity.

A golden sunset turns the powdery sands of Weligama into coppery dust and quiet Weligama is full of delightful surprises.