Serendib Magazine - January 2013

In this issue

With Sri Lanka reaching the momentous milestone of 100 years of aviation, Rolls-Royce too celebrated a half-century (and counting) of powering SriLankan Airlines and its predecessors, Air Ceylon and AirLanka with their engines.

So, away we went, seeking the location pictured in a famous Sri Lankan adventure novel written by Martin Wickramasinghe almost a hundred years ago!

Mankind’s craving for spices altered the course of history in the East and brought the fiery fragrant clove to Sri Lanka and you’ll find this intriguing black brown spice in the curries, desserts and sweetmeats of the local cuisine.
Held every year in the city of Colombo, the annual pageant of the Gangaramaya Temple continues to hold hostage the senses of thousands who gather to bask in its grandeur.

Polonnaruwa, a fairly flflourishing city back then, lay by the eastern banks of the Mahaweli River and provided a convenient retreat for Kings of yore. The rich heritage visible in this city is a must-see for any visitor to this country.

An adventurous trek to the summit of Hantana mountain range off Kandy, which is among the more popular treks in Sri Lanka for the adventure-traveller.

Delicious offfferings from the palms that fringe Sri Lanka’s golden beaches. While Sri Lankans put the entire coconut tree to good use, it’s the white flesh inside the fruit of this lovely palm that they really dig into.

Located in the heart of the state of Tamil Nadu in the Indian subcontinent, Madurai also called the ‘Athens of the East’ is an important tourist centre and was ruled at difffferent times across its vibrant history by the Pandyas to the Madurai Nayaks.