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Oil Found in Gulf Beach Sand, Even After Cleanups
Long-lasting, hidden oil from the Gulf spill poses risk, experts say.

Geologist Ping Wang (right) points to a buried oil patty on Pensacola Beach, Florida, Thursday.


Digging under the patchily oil-splattered white sands of Pensacola Beach, Florida (map), on Thursday, it didn't take long for scientists to strike black gold.

Oil patties and tarballs were discovered as deep as 2 feet (0.6 meter) beneath beaches dirtied by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill—the deepest oil yet found by a team of University of South Florida coastal geologists that's been studying the effects of the oil spill on Gulf beaches since early May. The previous record had been 6 inches (about 15 centimeters) deep, said geologist Ping Wang, the team's leader.

The discoveries suggest that toxic oil lies hidden under even "clean" patches of beaches along the U.S. Gulf Coast—and that oil-spill cleanup crews are only scratching the surface.

Because the buried oil is both harder to clean and slower to break down, it could be a long-lasting threat to beachgoers, both animal and human, experts say.

This "weathered" oil—mainly tarballs and tar mats—began washing ashore around June 23 in Pensacola.

Waves buried much of the oil under new layers of sand, particularly this week, when Hurricane Alex spawned rough seas around the Gulf.

"This time, we were lucky," said Wang, kneeling by a freshly dug hole striped with ribbons of black tar on Pensacola Beach, which remains open to beachgoers and swimmers, though a health advisory warns visitors away from any obvious oil.

Hurricane Alex's path was hundreds of miles to the east, so the storm's surges had been relatively small along Florida's Gulf coast.

As a result, the storm pushed only a thin amount of new oil onto Pensacola Beach and the nearby Gulf Islands National Seashore, which includes sites in both Florida and Mississippi. The preserve also remains open and under a health advisory.

Yet when a bigger and closer storm powers through the Gulf, it could erode beaches and unleash the oil underneath, he said—while at the same time pushing ashore more oil from the Gulf spill, Wang noted.

Wang would know: He's studied 2004's Hurricane Ivan and 2005's Hurricane Dennis, both of which totally flooded Pensacola Beach.

Exposed oil, though, may be the least of the worries.

Even without cleanup crews, surface oil disappears fairly quickly as oxygen, sunlight, and oil-eating microbes break it down. Buried oil persists much longer, particularly deep down, where oxygen is in short supply.

What Lies Beneath: Oil Inches Below Beaches

"If [oil's] buried and you have a five-year-old out here next summer building a sand castle and they uncover a layer of tar and oil, that's not going to be good," said Tiffany Roberts, a Ph.D. student working in Wang's lab.

Contact with oil can cause skin irritation, and inhaling evaporated oil particles may cause nausea, headache, and dizziness—ailments already reported by some Gulf oil spill cleanup workers, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

That's why Roberts and colleagues are studying how oil is distributed atop the beach—in hopes of discerning a surface pattern that could be used predict the locations of buried oil, she said.

Right now cleanup crews are "dealing with the immediate," she said. Eventually "we've got to figure out what's below."

Like a New Oil Spill With Every Storm


It's easy for cleanup crews to be deceived by invisible oil, according to Michel Boufadel, who has studied the lingering oil from the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker spill in Alaska. (Exxon Valdez Pictures: 20 Years on, Spilled Oil Remains.)

For example, in 1992 crews packed up and left the Valdez site without realizing that vast quantities of oil still sat below the surface—and much of that oil remains underground today, said Boufadel, chair of Temple University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Ambler, Pennsylvania.

"You can go to a beach and say the beach is clean," he said, "and then a year later a storm hits and you find out that the beach is still polluted."

It's like "getting a new spill" with every storm, Boufadel added.

Unlike the frigid Alaska coastline, however, Florida's beaches are hot and sunny—conditions that may evaporate exposed oil more quickly.

Wildlife Impacts are "Uncharted Territory"

If the spilled oil under Gulf beaches stays buried, it could harm wildlife that nest and feed along the coast, experts say. For instance, some shorebirds eat only small sand-dwelling invertebrates, such as bloodworms, which could be killed by the oil.

"If the oil does get into the surf zone and [poisons] invertebrates that these guys are eating, then the food base is gone," said Riley Hoggard, a resource-management specialist for Gulf Islands National Seashore. "It's  going to be tough for some of these shorebirds."

(Related: "Oil-Coated Birds Better off Dead?")

Likewise, four species of Gulf sea turtle hatchlings—which crawl through sand layers to leave their underground nests—could get injured or killed through contact with buried oil on their way out to sea, Hoggard said.

In part to address such threats, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently began arranging the relocation of some 70,000 turtle eggs from 700 Gulf Coast nests. After the babies hatch in a special facility in a warehouse at eastern Florida's Kennedy Space Center, they will be released on several Atlantic Ocean beaches—on the other side of the state from the Gulf.

The turtles' internal magnetic "maps"—apparently "tuned" to Gulf beaches during incubation—should point the animals back to their native Gulf waters, even with the entire Florida Peninsula in their way, Hoggard said.

Hoggard admits the massive sea turtle rescue operation is "uncharted territory," and could fail. But "we can't afford to lose a generation of them," he said. "That's what gnaws at your stomach."

Courtesy by National Geographic News

Origins of some well-known place names

Big towns
Colombo

Colombo: Derived from Kolamba an indigenous Vedda word for harbor or fort, borrowed by Sinhalese. However, the Portuguese were probably struck by its similarity to the name of Colombus, and renamed the city 'Colombo'.

Colombo (Sinhala: කොළඹ, pronounced [ˈkoləmbə]; Tamil: கொழும்பு) is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital city of Sri Lanka. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins and a city population of 647,100.[1]  The Colombo Metropolitan Region, defined by the districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara, has an estimated population of 5,648,000, and covers an area of 3,694.20 km².

Due to its large harbour and its strategic position along the East-West sea trade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. However it was only made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, and its status as capital was retained when the nation became independent in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo was designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.

Like many cities, Colombo's urban area extends well beyond the boundaries of a single local authority, encompassing other Municipal and Urban Councils. The main city is home to a majority of the Sri Lanka's corporate offices, restaurants and entertainment venues.[6] Famous landmarks in Colombo include the Galle Face Green, the Viharamahadevi Park as well as the National Museum.

Kandy

Kandy' is an abbreviation of 'Kanda Udarata', or 'hill country' which was the seat of the later Sinhala kings.

Kandy (මහ නුවර maha nuvara, pronounced [mahaˈnuʋərə], in Sinhala; கண்டி kaṇṭi, pronounced [ˈkaɳɖi], in Tamil) is the English name for the city of Maha Nuvara (Senkadagalapura) in the centre of Sri Lanka. It lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy Valley, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an administrative and religious city. It is the capital of the Central Province (which encompasses the districts of Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya) and also of Kandy District.

The name
The name Kandy is derived from the Sinhalese kaⁿda uḍa pas raṭa. The Portuguese shortened this to "Candea", using the name for both the kingdom and its capital Senkadagalapura. In Sinhala, Kandy is called Maha Nuvara, meaning "Great City" or "Capital", although this is most often shortened to Nuvara.


Galle

 (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable in English, /ˈɡɔːl/ "Gaul", and as two in Sinhalese, IPA: [ɡaːlːə]) is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District.

Galle was known as Gimhathiththa (although Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, during the Dutch colonial period. The major river is Gin River (Gin Ganga) which starts from Gongala Kanda and passing villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada, Wakwella and kisses the sea at Ginthota. In Wakwella over the river there is Wakwella Bridge which is the longest bridge in Sri Lanka.

On 26 December 2004 the city was devastated by the massive Boxing Day Tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that occurred a thousand miles away, off the coast of Indonesia. Thousands were killed in the city alone.

Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in south and southeast Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and south Asian traditions. The Galle fort is a world heritage site and the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers. Other prominent landmarks in Galle include St. Mary's Cathedral founded by Jesuit priests, one of the main Shiva temples on the island, and the Amangalla, a historic luxury hotel.

Galle is the main town in the most southerly part of the island, with a population of around 100,000, and is connected by rail to Colombo and Matara. It is home to a cricket ground, the Galle International Stadium, rebuilt after the 2004 tsunami. Test matches resumed there on December 18, 2007.

Galle offers a unique opportunaity to create a visible demonstration of the conservation of this inheritance and an exciting new internationally famous visitor desitination. The vision is to brand Galle as "GreenCity-Greengalle " to create and promote Galle as SriLanka's cool and healthy coastal city with clean green canopy.

Rumassala kanda in Unawatuna is a large mound-like hill, which forms the eastern protective barrier to the Galle harbour. Local tradition associates this hill with some events of the Ramayana.

Trincomalee

Trincomalee (Tamil: திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai) (Sinhala: තිරිකුණාමළය  Tirikūṇamaḷaya) is a port city on the east coast of Sri Lanka, about 110 miles northeast of Kandy. The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. It is one of the main centers of Tamil speaking culture on the island. Historically referred to as Gokanna,[1]  or Gokarna it has been a sea port that has played a major role in maritime and international trading history of Sri Lanka.

The Bay of Trincomalee's harbour is renowned for its large size and security; unlike every other in the Indian Sea, it is accessible to all types of craft in all weathers. The beaches are used for surfing, scuba diving, fishing and whale watching. The city also has the largest Dutch fort in Sri Lanka. It is home to major Sri Lankan naval bases and a Sri Lankan Air Force base.

Names and etymology
Trincomalee is an anglicized version of the Tamil word Tirukonamalai (lit "lord of the sacred hill"); it is a hill situated in the end of a natural land formation that resembles an arc.

The ancient texts, as well as an inscription unearthed by archeologists, call it Gokarna in Sanskrit.[2] The Vayu Purana refers to a Siva temple on Trikuta hill on the eastern coast of Lanka in the 3rd century.[3] The Mahavamsa documents that the King Mahasena destroyed a Deva temple and built a Buddhist shrine in its stead to expiate for an earlier heresy on his part.[4] This explains the Buddhist archeological remains in the region. The South Indian Tevaram of Tiru-gnana Sambandar makes mention to the Siva temple in Trincomalee once again in the 6th century.[5] The Hindu temple was also documented in several late medieval texts such as the Konesar Kalvettu[6] and the Dakshina Kailasa Puranam.


Batticaloa

Batticaloa (Sinhala: මඩකලපුව, Tamil: மட்டக்களப்பு) is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, 69 miles south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.

Jaffna
Jaffna  is the English rendering of Yazhpanam (யாழ்ப்பாணம்) in Tamil meaning "town of the harper"

Archaeologist Paranavithana suggests that the original name was Javapatuna, where 'Java' alludes to the presence of Javaka people. The Portuguese historian De Queyroz refers to it at 'Jafanapataõ', which he says is said by some to be a corrupted form of 'Jafana-en-Putalam', or "Town of the Lord Jafana", and by others to be derived from 'Jafana-Patanaõture' meaning "long harbour"

Jaffna  or Yazhpanam (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணம், Sinhala: යාපනය) (யாழ் meaning = sitar and பாணம் meaning = Town, therefore யாழ்ப்பாணம் means Town of (the) Harper) is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. Though most of the residents of Jaffna are Sri Lankan Tamils, there is also a minor presence of Sri Lankan Moors (Muslims) and Portuguese Burghers (Roman Catholics). Almost all Sri Lankan Muslims were driven off from Jaffna by the LTTE in the 1990s, as a result of the ethnic conflict which started in the 1970s[1]  which today leaves Jaffna almost exclusively Tamil, apart from the military personnel.

 Sigiriya
Sigiriya (Lion's rock) is an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos), which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. The Sigiriya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.

Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric times. It was used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the Buddhist Sangha. The garden and palace were built by King Kasyapa. Following King Kasyapa's death, it was again a monastery complex up to about the 14th century, after which it was abandoned. . The Sigiri inscriptions were deciphered by the archaeologist Senarath Paranavithana in his renowned two-volume work, published by Oxford, Sigiri Graffiti. He also wrote the popular book "Story of Sigiriya".

The Mahavamsa, the ancient historical record of Sri Lanka, describes King Kasyapa as the son of King Dhatusena. Kasyapa murdered his father by walling him alive and then usurping the throne which rightfully belonged to his brother Mogallana, Dhatusena's son by the true queen. Mogallana fled to India to escape being assassinated by Kasyapa but vowed revenge. In India he raised an army with the intention of returning and retaking the throne of Sri Lanka which he considered was rightfully his. Knowing the inevitable return of Mogallana, Kasyapa is said to have built his palace on the summit of Sigiriya as a fortress and pleasure palace. Mogallana finally arrived and declared war. During the battle Kasyapa's armies abandoned him and he committed suicide by falling on his sword. Chronicles and lore say that the battle-elephant on which Kasyapa was mounted changed course to take a strategic advantage, but the army misinterpreted the movement as the King having opted to retreat, prompting the army to abandon the king altogether. Moggallana returned the capital to Anuradapura, converting Sigiriya into a monastery complex.

Alternative stories have the primary builder of Sigiriya as King Dhatusena, with Kasyapa finishing the work in honour of his father. Still other stories have Kasyapa as a playboy king, with Sigiriya a pleasure palace. Even Kasyapa's eventual fate is mutable. In some versions he is assassinated by poison administered by a concubine. In others he cuts his own throat when isolated in his final battle.[5] Still further interpretations have the site as the work of a Buddhist community, with no military function at all. This site may have been important in the competition between the Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions in ancient Sri Lanka.

Location and geographical features

Sigiriya is located in Matale District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.  It is within the cultural triangle, which includes five of the seven world heritage sites in Sri Lanka.

The Sigiriya rock is a hardened magma plug from an extinct and long-eroded volcano. It stands high above the surrounding plain, visible for miles in all directions. The rock rests on a steep mound that rises abruptly from the flat plain surrounding it. The rock itself rises 370 m (1,214 ft) above sea level and is sheer on all sides, in many places overhanging the base. It is elliptical in plan and has a flat top that slopes gradually along the long axis of the ellipse.

History

The earliest evidence of human habitation at Sigiriya was found from the Aligala rock shelter to the east of Sigiriya rock, indicating that the area was occupied nearly five thousand years ago during the mesolithic period.

Buddhist monastic settlements were established in the western and northern slopes of the boulder-strewn hills surrounding the Sigiriya rock, during the third century B.C. Several rock shelters or caves had been created during this period. These shelters were made under large boulders, with carved drip ledges around the cave mouths. Rock inscriptions are carved near the drip ledges on many of the shelters, recording the donation of the shelters to the Buddhist monastic order as residences. These have been made within the period between the third century B.C and the first century A.D.

In 477 A.D, prince Kasyapa seized the throne from King Dhatusena, following a coup assisted by Migara, the king’s nephew and army commander. Kasyapa, the king’s son by a non-royal consort, usurped the rightful heir, Moggallana, who fled to South India. Fearing an attack from Moggallana, Kasyapa moved the capital and his residence from the traditional capital of Anuradhapura to the more secure Sigiriya. During King Kasyapa’s reign from 477 to 495 A.D, Sigiriya was developed into a complex city and fortress. Most of the elaborate constructions on the rock summit and around it, including defensive structures, palaces and gardens, date back to this period.

Kasyapa was defeated in 495 A.D by Moggallana, who moved the capital again to Anuradhapura. Sigiriya was then turned back into a Buddhist monastery, which lasted until the thirteenth or fourteenth century. After this period, no records are found on Sigirya until the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when it was used as an outpost of the Kingdom of Kandy. When the kingdom ended, it was abandoned again.

In 1831 Major Jonathan Forbes of the 78th Highlanders of the British army while returning on horseback from a trip to Pollonnuruwa came across the “bush covered summit of Sigiriya".[9] Sigiriya came to the attention of antiquarians and, later, archaeologists. Archaeological work at Sigiriya began on a small scale in the 1890s. H.C.P Bell was the first archaeologist to conduct extensive research on Sigiriya. The Cultural Triangle Project, launched by the Government of Sri Lanka, focused its attention on Sigiriya in 1982. Archaeological work began on the entire city for the first time under this project.

Site plan

The Sigiriya Rock seen from the Gardens

Sigiriya is considered one of the most important urban planning sites of the first millennium, and the site plan is considered very elaborate and imaginative. The plan combined concepts of symmetry and asymmetry to intentionally interlock the man-made geometrical and natural forms of the surroundings. On the west side of the rock lies a park for the royals, laid out on a symmetrical plan; the park contains water retaining structures, including sophisticated surface/subsurface hydraulic systems, some of which are working even today. The south contains a man made reservoir, these were extensively used from previous capital of the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Five gates were placed at entrances. The more elaborate western gate is thought to be reserved for the royals


The gardens
The Gardens of the Sigiriya city is one of the most important aspects of the site as it is among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. The gardens are divided into three distinct but linked forms; water gardens, Cave and boulder gardens, and terraced gardens.
[edit] The water gardens

The water gardens can be seen in the central section of the western precinct. Three principal gardens are found here. The first garden consists of an island surrounded by water. It is connected to the main precinct using four causeways, with gateways placed at the head of each causeway. This garden is built according to an ancient garden form known as char bhag, and is one of the oldest surviving models of this form.

The second contains two long, deep pools set on either side of the path. Two shallow, serpentine streams lead to these pools. Fountains made of circular limestone plates are placed here. Underground water conduits supply water to these fountains which are still functional, especially during the rainy season. Two large islands are located on either side of the second water garden. Summer palaces are built on the flattened surfaces of these islands. Two more islands are located further to the north and the south. These islands are built in a similar manner to the island in the first water garden.

The third garden is situated on a higher level than the other two. It contains a large, octagonal pool with a raised podium on its northeast corner. The large brick and stone wall of the citadel is on the eastern edge of this garden.

The water gardens are built symmetrically on an east-west axis. They are connected with the outer moat on the west and the large artificial lake to the south of the Sigiriya rock. All the pools are also interlinked using an underground conduit network fed by the lake, and connected to the moats. A miniature water garden is located to the west of the first water garden, consisting several small pools and water courses. This recently discovered smaller garden appears to have been built after the Kasyapan period, possibly between the tenth and thirteenth centuries.


The boulder gardens

The boulder garden consists several large boulders linked with winding pathways. The boulder gardens extend from the northern slopes to the southern slopes of the hills at the foot of Sigiriya rock. Most of these boulders had a building or pavilion upon them. There are cuttings on these boulders that were used as footings for brick walls and beams.

The audience hall of the king was situated in the boulder garden, the remains of which are seen on the flattened and polished summit of a large boulder. There is also a five metre long granite throne in this hall. The throne is carved from the boulder itself, and is not separated from it. Another notable feature in the boulder garden is the Cistern rock, named after a large, carved cistern on top of the rock. A large archway, created by two boulders, provides access to the terraced gardens.

The terraced gardens

The terraced gardens are formed from the natural hill at the base of the Sigiriya rock. A series of terraces, each rising above the other, connect the pathways of the boulder garden to the staircases on the rock. These have been created by the construction of brick walls, and are located in a roughly concentric plan around the rock. The path through the terraced gardens is formed by a limestone staircase. From this staircase, there is a covered path on the side of the rock, leading to the uppermost terrace where the lion staircase is situated.

Frescos

John Still in 1907 suggested, "The whole face of the hill appears to have been a gigantic picture gallery... the largest picture in the world perhaps".[14] The paintings would have covered most of the western face of the rock, covering an area 140 metres long and 40 metres high. There are references in the graffiti to 500 ladies in these paintings. However, many more are lost forever, having been wiped out when the Palace once more became a Monastery so that they would not disturb meditation.[citation needed] Some more frescos different from the popular collection can be seen elsewhere on the rock surface, for example on the surface of the location called the "Cobra Hood Cave".

Although the frescoes are classified as in the Anuradhapura period, the painting style is considered unique,[citation needed] the line and style of application of the paintings differing from Anuradhapura paintings. The lines are painted in a form which enhances the sense of voluminousness of figures. The paint has been applied in sweeping strokes, using more pressure on one side, giving the effect of a deeper colour tone towards the edge. Other paintings of the Anuradhapura period contain similar approaches to painting, but do not have the sketchy lines of the Sigiriya style, having a distinct artists' boundary line.

List of schools in Sri Lanka

The two main types of schools in Sri Lanka are governmental schools and non-governmental schools. Most of these schools provide primary and secondary education.

Governmental schools are categorized into two main types: national schools and provincial schools. The former are controlled by the Ministry of Education of the central government follow the local curricula languages of Sinhala, Tamil and in a few schools English, and the latter are controlled by provincial councils.

Non-governmental schools are also categorized into two types: private schools and international schools. Private schools are not directly controlled by the government but follow regulations and the local curricula set up by the Ministry of Education in the languages of Sinhala, Tamil and English.

International schools are schools which have English as the primary language of instruction and mostly follow a foreign curriculum, with a very few non-international schools opting to have both local and foreign curricula. A unique feature is that, unlike the private schools governed by regulations of the Ministry of Education, international and other non-international schools are listed under the Board of Investment (BOI) and not under the ministry of education.

Colleges in Sri Lanka are not tertiary level educational institutes, but primary and secondary level schools. All of the elite colleges were established in the colonial era while others have been established in later years.

Note: All lists are in alphabetical order; Balika Vidyalaya = girl's (only) school, Madhya Maha Vidyalayas = central school.


National schools
 Colombo

    * Asoka Vidyalaya
    * Ananda College Colombo
    * Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte
    * Defence Services School, Colombo
    * Devi Balika Vidyalaya
    * Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya
    * D. S. Senanayake College
    * Gothami Balika Vidyalaya
    * Isipathana College
    * Mahanama College,colombo-3
    * Nalanda College Colombo
    * President's College
    * Royal College Colombo
    * Thurstan College
    * Veluwana College
    * Piliyandala Central College
    * Hameed Al Husseinie College

 Kandy

    * K/madina national school, kandy
    * Anuruddha Kumara National School, Nawalapitiya
    * Girls' High School
    * Dharmaraja College
    * Kingswood College
    * Mahamaya Girls' College
    * St. Sylvester's College
    * Vidyartha College
    * Gampola Jinaraja Boys' College
    * Pushpadana Girls' College
    * Poojapitiya Central College



 Galle

    * Ananda Central College, Elpitiya
    * Devanada College, Ambalangoda
    * Devapathiraja College, Rathgama
    * Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda
    * Mahinda College
    * Richmond College
    * St. Aloysius' College
    * Sanghamitta Girls College
    * Southlands College
    * Upananda Vidyalaya, Manavila
    * Vidyaloka College

 Jaffna

    * St. John's College
    * Chundikuli Girls' College
    * Chavakachcheri Hindu College
    * Jaffna Central College
    * Jaffna College, Vaddukoddai
    * Jaffna Hindu College
    * Kokuvil Hindu College

 Kurunegala

    * Maliyadeva College
    * Maliyadeva Girls' College
    * St. Anne's College
    * Ibbagamuwa Central College, Dehelgamuwa

 Kegalle

    * St.Marys' College, Kegalle
    * Kegalu Vidyalaya, Kegalle
    * Zahira College, Mawanella
    * St.Josephs' College, Kegalle
    * Kegalu Balika Vidyalayam Kegalle
    * Rajasinghe Central College, Ruwanwella

 Matale

    * Sri Sangamitta Balika National School, Matale
    * St Thomas' College, Matale
    * Weera Keppetipola Central College, Akuramboda
    * Zahira College, Matale
    * Christ Church College, Matale
    * Rajjamana Muslim Vidyalaya, Ketawala

 Polonnaruwa

    * Polonnaruwa Rajakeeya Maha Vidyalaya

 Kalutara

    * Taxila Central College, Horana
    * Kalutara Vidyalaya National School, Kalutara
    * Miriswatta National School, Dodangoda
    * Panadura Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Panadura
    * Sri Sumangala College
    * St. John's College Panadura
    * Central College, Mathugama
    * Zahira College, Dharga Town
    * Alhambra Maha Vidyalaya, Dharga Town
    * Central National College, Dharga Town

 Gampaha

    * Bandaranayake College
    * St anthony's college,wattala
    * Sri Dharmaloka College
    * Rathnavali Balika Vidyalaya
    * Sri Sanghabodhi College Nittambuwa
    * [Ellakkala Maha Vidyalaya, Ellakkala]
    * [Bandaranayake Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Veyangoda]
    * [ Jeelan muslim madya mahavidyalaya, Panadura]

 Matara

    * Rahula College
    * St. Thomas College, Matara
    * Sujatha Vidyalaya
    * St. Servatius' College
    * telijjawila central college
    * Siddartha college, Weligama, Sri Lanka
    * Sri Sumangala Girls Central College, Weligama, Sri Laka

 Puttalam

    * Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa
    * Senanayake National College, Madampe
    * Dammissara National College, Nattandiya

Negombo

    * Newstead girls college
    * Harishchandra College
    * Al hilal central college.
    * Al Falah Maha vidyalaya, Porutota
    * Seventh day Adventist
    * loyola college

 Badulla

    * Badulla Central College, Badulla
    * Badulla Dharmadutha College, Badulla
    * Bandarawela Central college
    * Visakha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * Kahagolla National School, Diyatalawa, Bandarawela
    * B/Kuda Kusum Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * Mahiyangana National School. Mahiyanganaya.
    * Naulla Central College, Demodara
    * Sri Janananda National School, Kadurugamuwa
    * St. Joseph's College, Bandarawela
    * B/Uva Science College, Hali-Ela.
    * Vishaka Girls' High School, Badulla
    * Halpe National School, Halpe
    * Bandarawela Dharmapala Vidyalaya
    * Bandarawela Dharmashoka Madya maha Vidyalaya

 Batticaloa

    * Kattankudy Central College, Kattankudy
    * St. Michele's College, Batticaloa
    * St. Cecilias Girls MahaVidyalaya, Batticaloa
    * Vicent Girls Maha Vidyalaya, Batticaloa
    * Aligar Central College, Batticaloa

 Ratnapura

    * Sivali Central College,Hidellana, Ratnapura
    * Fergusion High School, Ratnapura
    * St. Alosyious College, Ratnapura
    * Sumana Balika Vidyalaya, Ratnapura
    * Gankanda Central College , Pelmadulla
    * Ananda Maithriya Central College, Balangoda
    * Embilipitiya Maha Vidyalaya, Embilipitiya
    * Elapatha Maha Vidyalaya, Elapatha

 Provincial schools

 Colombo

    * Al Hidaya Maha Vidyalaya
    * Al Hikma College, Colombo 12
    * Atamie International School, Kotahena
    * All Saints' College, Colombo 10
    * Ananda Balika Vidyalaya, Kotte
    * Anurudhdha Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Colombo 09
    * Asoka Vidyalaya, Colombo-10
    * Clifton Girls School, Colombo 10
    * Colombo Hindu College, Colombo-04
    * C.W.W. Kannangara Vidyalaya
    * Good Shepherd Convent, Colombo-13
    * Gothami Balika Vidyalaya
    * Hameed Al Hussainiya, Colombo 12
    * Janadhipathi Balika Vidyalaya, Nawala
    * Lumbini Vidyalaya
    * Meegoda Dharmaraja Vidyalaya, Meegoda
    * Muslim Ladies College, Colombo - 04
    * Rathnawali Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Colombo 08
    * Samudradevi Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Nugegoda
    * Sevalee Vidyalaya, Colombo 09
    * Sri Jayawardenapura maha Vidyalaya, Kotte (C.M.S Boys College)
    * Sri Jayawardenapura Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Kotte (C.M.S Girls College)
    * Sri Rahula Balika Vidyalaya, Malabe
    * St Anne's Girls Maha Vidyalayam, Colombo-13
    * St. Anthony's Boys Maha Vidyalayam, Colombo-13
    * St. Johns College, Nugegoda
    * St Joseph's girls' school, Nugegoda
    * Vipulanantha Tamil Maha Vidyalayam, Colombo 09
    * Yashodara Balika Vidyalaya
    * Susamaya Wardana Maha Vidyalaya, Colombo 08
    * sunathra davi balika vidyalaya, Pepiliyana
    * Herman Gminer school kesbewa
    * Zahira College, Maradana

 Kandy

    * Dharmawickrama Balika M.V
    * Dudley Senanayaka centrall college
    * Gohagoda Maha Vidyalaya
    * Halloluwa Navodya Maha Vidyalaya
    * Nugawela Boys' College
    * Pushpadana Balika Vidyalaya
    * Sarasavi Uyana Maha Vidyalaya, kandy
    * Teldeniya National College, Teldeniya
    * Viharamaha Devi Balika Vidyalaya
    * Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College
    * Azhar College, Akurana
    * Girihagama maha viddyalaya
    * K/kurugoda m v
    * Nugawela boys college
    * Gampola Zahira College (By Aman Mohamed)
    * K/Kumbukkandura Muslim maha vidyala (By Murshid)
    * k/Denu/Almanar Centrel College,Handessa (By Jumana Hijas)
    * A. Rathnayaka Central College - Walala

 Galle

    * Ananda Central College, Kaleganna
    * Batapola Central College
    * Karandeniya Central College
    * G/P.De. S.Kularathna Maha Vidyalaya
    * G/Thunduwa Muslim Maha Vidyala
    * G/Gintota Maha Vidyalaya
    * G/Balagoda Maha Vidyalaya
    * G/Uluvitike Maha Vidyalaya
    * G/Navinna Muslim Vidyala
    * G/Sri Rathnasara Vidyalaya
    * K/Beragama K. Vidyalaya
    * G/Madampa central College

 Jaffna

    * Jaffna Hindu Ladies College
    * Usan Ramanathan Maha Vidyalayam
    * Jaffna Hindu Primary (JHP)
    * Karaveddy Vigneswara College
    * Mahajana College, Tellippalai
    * Manipay Hindu College
    * Manipay Hindu Ladies College
    * Manipay Memorial English school
    * Sri Somaskanda College, Puttur
    * Skandavarodaya College
    * Uduvil Girls High School
    * Nadeswara College, Kankesanturi
    * karaveddy Vigneswara Primary school

 Kurunegala

    * Ambanpola Central College, Ambanpola
    * Ambanpola Kanista Vidyalaya, Ambanpola
    * Central College Kuliyapitiya
    * Holy Angels Girls' College, Kuliyapitiya
    * Ibbagamuwa Central College, Ibbagamuwa
    * Paragahadeniya Central College
    * Sir John Kotalawala Vidyalaya
    * Maliyadeva Model School
    * Wayamba Royal Central College College
    * Abukkagama Muslim Maha Vidyalaya,Nikaweratiya
    * Wijayaba College Maho

 Kegalle

    * Babul Hassen Central College (Navodya School), Warakapola
    * Kegalu Balika Viddiyalaya
    * Zahira College, Mawanella
    * Al-Azhar Navodya School, Hemmathagama
    * Nooraniya Central College, Uyanwatte
    * Baduriya National School, Mawanella
    * Danagama Mahavidyala, Mahawatte
    * ST'Mary's College, Kegalle
    * Aranayake Central College (Rivisada Madya Maha Vidyalaya)
    * Rajasinghe Central College , Ruwanwella

 Matale

    * Vijaya College, Matale
    * Sangamiththa Balika Maha vidyalaya
    * St. Thoma's Boys College, Matale
    * Government Science College, Matale
    * Ajmeer Central College (National School),ukuwela Matale
    * Christ church College (National School), Matale
    * Wijayapala College
    * Hindu Boys College
    * Pakyam Girls College
    * St. Thoma's Girls College
    * Amina Girls College
    * Zahirara Boys College
    * Puhulwella m.m.v

 Matara

    * Pamburana Shariputhra Vidyalaya, Matara
    * St.Servatious College [by pathum dissanayake]

 Gampaha

    * Holy Cross College
    * Keppetipola vidyalaya
    * Maddumabandara vidyalaya
    * Parakrama vidyalaya
    * Rathnawali Girls School
    * Sangamitta Balika vidyalaya
    * Siddhartha vidyalaya
    * Siyane national College, Dompe
    * Sri Sangabodhi Central College, Nittumbuva
    * St Meris College, Veyungoda
    * Yashodara Balika Vidyalaya
    * Galahitiyawa Central college, Ganemulla
    * Sri Sanghabodhi Central College, Nittambuwa

 Badulla

    * B/Alubogolla Prathamika Vidyalaya
    * B/Al-Adhan Muslim Mahavidyalaya
    * B/Bandarawela Tamil Central College
    * Al-Murshid Muslim Maha Vidyalaya.Silmiyapura
    * B/Ethtalapitiya Maha Vidyalaya
    * B/Kadana Siri seewali widuhala
    * B/Megahakiula Maha widyalaya
    * B/Rahula Vidyalaya
    * B/Rilpola Darmaraja Widyalaya
    * B/Sirisumana Vidyalaya
    * Sujatha Vidyalaya
    * B/Udayaraja widyalaya
    * Uva College
    * B/Uva Science College
    * Viharamahadevi Girls school

    * B/Welimada Muslim Maha Vidyalaya

 Polonnaruwa

    * Hingurakdamana Maha vidyalaya
    * Lankapura Maha vidyalaya
    * Thopawawa Maha vidyalaya
    * Sewamuktha Maha vidyalaya
    * Vigitha Maha vidyalaya

 Ratnapura

    * Eheliyagoda Madya Maha Vidyalaya, Eheliyagoda
    * Embilipitiya Maha Vidyalaya, Embilipitiya
    * Mihindu Vidyalaya, Ratnapura
    * Nawanagara Vidyalaya, Ratnapura
    * Embilipitiya Central college, Embilipitiya
    * Sivali Central College, Rathnapura
    * Ferguson High School, Rathnapura
    * Sumana Balika Convernt Rathnapura
    * Pinnawala Maha Vidyalaya, Pinnawla Balangoda
    * Kalawana Gamini Central College, Koswaththa

 Trincomalee

    * St.Joseph's College, Trincomalee
    * Al-Aqza College, Kinniya
    * Kinniya Central College
    * Kinniya Muslim Girls College
    * Orr's Hill Vivekananda College
    * Ramakrishna Mission Sri Koneswara Hindu College
    * St Mary's College, Trincomalee
    * Trincomalee Hindu College
    * T.vipulalnda college
    * Vigneswara college
    * T/Pulmoddi Muslim Maha Vidyalaya (By Mohamed K Muhseen)

 Puttlam

    * Sri sangha Bodhi Central College, Dakotuwa
    * Girl's collage, Dankotuwa
    * Ananda College, Chilaw

 Other cities

    * Al Manar Central College, Maruthamunai
    * Akkaraipattu Muslim Central College (National School), Akkaraipattu
    * As siraj Maha Vidyalaya Akkaraipattu
    * Agamathi Balika Vidyalaya, Panadura
    * Arafa National College, Weligama
    * Annor Muslim Balika National College, Weligama
    * Al-hilal Maha Vidyalaya, Sainthamaruthu
    * Al Yaseen Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * As-Safa Muslim School, Madurapura, Denipitiya
    * Atapattukanda K.V, Deiyandara
    * Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Gampaha
    * Darmapala Maha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * Darmashoka Maha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * Debaraweva Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, Tissamaharamaya
    * Deiyandara M.M.V,Deiyandara
    * N/ Dharmakeerthi Sinhala Vidyalaya, Bagawanthalawa.
    * Dhammissara national College, Nattandiya
    * central college Ginigathhena
    * P/Fathima Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Puttalam
    * Bd/Haputale Tamil Central College, Haputale
    * Joseph Vaz College, Wennapuwa
    * Kegalle Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle
    * Ketiyape M.V, Deiyandara
    * Kilinochchi Madya Maha Vidyalayam, Kilinochchi
    * Lakshapana Central College, Lakshapana
    * B/ Kuda Kusum Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * Kudakusum Maha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * Mahmood Ladies College, Kalmunai
    * Mawala Vidyalaya, Wadduwa
    * Mallavi Central College, Mallavi
    * Malharu Sams School, Sainthamaruthu
    * MR/Kongala M.M.V, Hakmana
    * MR/Gagodagama jayawardana M.V, Hakmana
    * MR/Buddhajayanthi K.V, Hakmana
    * Nalanda Central College, Minuwangoda
    * Nalanda Girl's School, Minuwangoda
    * Narandeniya M.M.V, kamburupitiya
    * Piliyandala Central College, Piliyandala
    * Panadura Royal College, Panadura
    * Prince Of Wales' College, Moratuwa
    * Rathanawali Balika Vidyalaya, Gampaha
    * Seevali Navodya Maha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * Sitthartha College, Weligama
    * Sripali Maha Vidyalaya, Horana
    * Sir Rasik Fareed Maha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * Sri Sangamitta Balika Vidyalaya, Matale
    * Sriphada College Hatton
    * St. Anne's M.M.V, Vankalai, Mannar
    * St. Josophs College, Bandarawela
    * Al-Murshid Muslim Maha Vidyalaya.Silmiyapura
    * St. Anthony's College, Wattala.
    * St. Mary's Maha vidayalaya, Bandarawela
    * St. Pauls Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Kelaniya
    * Sumagale Balika National College, Weligama
    * Swarnapali Balika Vidyalaya, Anuradhapura
    * Taxila Central College, Horana
    * Telijjawila Central College, Matara
    * Thihagoda M.M.V,Thihagoda
    * Tumpane Central College
    * Vishaka Maha Vidyalaya, Bandarawela
    * Vayavilan Central College, Vayavilan
    * Zahira College, Kalmunai by, [mcm sajath]
    * St mary's college, Matugama

 Private schools

 Colombo

    * Alexcendra College, Maradana
    * Bishop's College
    * Buddhist Ladies College (semi-government)
    * Carey College, Borella
    * Good Shepherd Convent
    * Highlands College, Nugegoda
    * Holy Family Convent, Colombo 4
    * Holy Family Convent, Dehiwela (semi-government)
    * Ikra International School, Colombo
    * Ladies College, Colombo
    * Karlshrue College
    * Methodist College, Colombo
    * Musaeus College (semi-government)
    * Our Lady of Victories Convent, Moratuwa
    * St Benedict's College Colombo
    * St Bridget's Convent, Colombo
    * St. Joseph's College
    * St. Paul's Girls School, Milagiriya
    * St Peter's College, Colombo
    * St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa
    * S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia
    * S. Thomas' Preparatory School,Kollupitiya
    * Sujatha Vidyalaya - Nugegoda
    * The School for the Blind
    * Wesley College, Colombo
    * Zahira College, Colombo
    * Vivekanandha College, Colombo 13
    * St. Anthony's college Wattala

 Kandy

    * Sri Chandananda Buddhist College-Kandy(Semi Government)
    * Good Shepherd Convent (Semi Government)
    * Hillwood College (Girls School)(Semi Government)
    * St Antthony's Girls Collge,kandy(semi government)
    * St Anthony's College, Kandy (semi government)
    * Trinity College Kandy(semi government)

 Galle

    * Sacred Heart Convent Galle (Semi Government)

 Puttalam

    * Ikra International School, Puttalam
 Gampaha

    * Ave Maria Convent, Negombo
    * Maris Stella College, Negombo
    * Newstead College, Negombo
    * St. Mary's College, Negombo
    * St. Michell's College, Negombo
    * Al.Hilal Central College, Negombo
    * Ceylinco Sussex College, Negombo

 Jaffna

    * Chundikuli Girls High School
    * Hartley College
    * Jaffna College
    * Jaffna Convent
    * Manipay Hindu College
    * St. John's College, Jaffna
    * St. Patrick`s College, Jaffna

 Kurunegala

    * Holy Family Convent
    * Unique International College

 Matale

    * St Thomas' Girls School, Matale

 Matara

    * St. Mary's Convent, Matara

 Badulla

    * St. Thomas' College, Gurutalawa
    * St.Thoma's College , Bandarawela

Other cities

    * De Mazenod College
    * Highlands Central College, Hatton
    * Holy Cross College, Gampaha
    * Holy Cross College, Kalutara
    * Holy Family Convent, Kalutara
    * Mn. Vellankulam G.T.M.S, Mannar
    * St. Michael's College, Batticaloa
    * St. John's College, Panadura
    * St. Joseph's College, Trincomalee
    * St. John Bosco's College, Hatton
    * St. Thomas College, Guruthalawa
    * St. Thomas's College, Matale
    * St. Xavier Boy's National School, Mannar

Exceptions

    * Sussex College Ampara
    * Sussex College Ambalangoda
    * Sussex College Anuradhapura
    * Sussex College Badulla
    * Sussex College Bandarawela
    * Sussex College Galle
    * Sussex College Gampaha
    * Sussex College Horana
    * Sussex College Kandy
    * Sussex College Kiribathgoda
    * Sussex College Kuliyapitiya
    * Sussex College Kegalle
    * Sussex College Kurunagala
    * Sussex College Malabe
    * Sussex College Matara
    * Sussex College Negambo
    * Sussex College Nugegoda
    * Sussex College Nuwaraeliya
    * Sussex College Ratnapura
    * Sussex College Wennappuwa
    * Minhal Boys' School, Kotahena
    * Vajira College, Colombo
    * Vidura College, Colombo
    * Gurulugomi Maha Vidyalaya , Kalutara
    * Oxford International College, Badulla

 International schools

 Colombo

    * Aba Beel International College
    * Alethea International School
    * American International School
    * Amal International School
    * Asian International School
    * Belvoir College International
    * Buddhist Ladies College International
    * The British School in Colombo
    * College Of World Education
    * Colombo International School
    * Colombo South International School
    * Crescent Schools International
    * Elizabeth Moir School
    * Gateway College, Colombo
    * Highlands College
    * Harrow International College
    * Ikra International School
    * Ilma International School
    * J.M.C. International School
    * Lakeland Inter-American School
    * Leighton Park International School
    * Lyceum International School
    * Minhal International Boys' School
    * The Overseas School of Colombo
    * Oxford College International
    * Rotary International School
    * Royal Institute
    * Stafford International School
    * St. Nicholas' International School
    * Willesden College International
    * Wycherley International School
    * Kingston College international.
    * Winway International School

 Kandy

    * Sri Chandananda Buddhist College - Kandy
    * École internationale Kandy
    * Gateway College, Kandy (formally Kandy International School)
    * Netherfield International School
    * Vision International School
    * Springfield International School Kandy

 Galle

    * Leeds International School
    * Kingston International School
    * Thomas Gall International School

 Badulla

    * Oxford International College,Badulla

 Other cities

    * Since International School Mathugama
    * Eureka International school, Kiribathgoda
    * Gateway College, Negombo
    * Leeds International School, Panadura
    * Lyceum International School, Gampaha
    * Lyceum International School, Kandana
    * Lyceum International School, Panadura
    * Lyceum International School, Ratnapura
    * Lyceum International School, Wattala
    * Regent International College, Miriswatte
    * Negombo International School, Negombo
    * Negombo South International School, Negombo
    * Noor International School, Kalutara
    * Royal International, Matale
    * Royal International, Kurunegala
    * OKI International School, Wattala
    * Sri Bodhiraja International College, Embilipitiya
    * Ward International School, Gampaha

Famous people in Sri Lanka

Arisen Ahubudu

Arisen Ahubudu (born 18 March 1920) is a writer, orator, scholar, playwright, teacher (Guru), Sinhala lyricist, author and poet in Sri Lanka, born in Mudiyallagahawatta in Malalaga, Koggala. He is a member of the Hela Havula. He has received three government awards for literary works, the title of Kalasuri from the Government of Sri Lanka, and the Sarasavi Award film award for best composer.

He had his early education at the Kataluwa government school and joined the Nittambuwa Teacher Training College. It was after his close association with Hela stalwarts Vellala Jayamaha and Cumaratunga Munidasa in the thirties and forties that he sharpened his language skills. The name change to Arisen Ahubudu was also the result of this association.

Ahubudu served 42 years as a teacher. Having first taught at Holy Trinity College in Nuwara Eliya, he moved to Mahinda College, Galle and later to Maha Bodhi College, Maradana. His longest stint came even later at S. Thomas' College from 1952 until 1979. To promote the use of Sinhala at a time when prominence was given to English, he began a free correspondence course for students whom he had never met or seen. St Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia.

Some of his works

    * Hela Derana Vaga
    * Koggala Pavata
    * Mangala Kinkini
    * Dam Rasa Dehara
    * A-Sammataya Raja Vima
    * Arisen Ahubudu Harasaraniya
    * Sakviti Ravana
    * Lanka Gam Nam Vahara
    * Atu Aga Dili Vana Mal

More.....http://www.ahubudu.com/

Kumaratunga Munidasa

Kumaratunga Munidasa (1887–1944) was a pioneer Sri Lankan (Sinhala) linguist, grammarian , commentator, writer, poet, and journalist. He founded the Hela Havula movement which sought to remove Sanskrit  influences in the Sinhala language promote its correct usage. He was one of the most eminent scholars Sri Lanka has known for several centuries. He achieved fame through his profound knowledge of the Sinhala language and literary work. He used many languages as Sinhala, English, Tamil, Pali, Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Malayalam.

Biography
Early life

Munidasa was born on 25 July 1887 in Idigasaara, Dickwella in the Matara District. He was the 12 th of 13 children.[1] His mother was Palavinnage Dona Gimara Muthukumarana (or Dona Baba Nona Muthukumarana) and father Abious (or Abiyes) Cumaranatunga was a physician practicing indigenous medicine who kept invaluable Pali and Sanskrit manuscripts on Ayurveda, Astrology and Buddhism.

He first studied at the Dikwella Buddhist School. Later his father died and he attended St. Thomas' College, Matara. Then he attended the Dikwella Watarukanna Pirivena to learn Pali and Sanskrit in order to become a Buddhist monk. But due his family's discontent, he entered the Government Teachers' College in Colombo. He graduated after two years of training in 1907.

Work and Marriage

His first appointment was as Government teacher in Bilingual School of Bomiriya. Later he was promoted Principal of Kadugannawa Bilingual School. After 11 years he was promoted to Inspector of Schools, which he held for 4 years. In 1921 he married Lilie and had two daughters and four sons. he is a good teacher and a good principle for the school

Literary/Scholarly career

He wrote his first book in his school days; "Nikaya Sangraha Vivaranaya", an analysis for a Scripture on Buddhist Monastic Orders.

Munidasa was a member of Sinhala Maha Sabha of the Swabhasha movement which started as a protest against the English educated elites.

Hela Havula

Munidasa spoke of Language, Nation, Country as a Triple Gem. For this purpose he founded the Hela Havula. It consisted of people who shared his idioms. They often engaged in debates and literature. It was the starting point for many scholars and artists. It exists to this very day.

Quotes

    "If a certain language is underdeveloped the land in which that language operates is also underdeveloped".:-Subasa

    "ලක්දිවට ඉතා බිහිසුණු කාලයකි. පිට රටින් සාල නැවතිණි නම් අපට කෑම නැත.පිට රටින් එන රෙදි නැවතිණි නම් අපට විළි වැස්ම නැත.පිට රටින් එන යාන නැතිනම් අපට ගමන නැත.කොටින් මැ පිට රට පිහිට නැත්නම් අපට කළහැකි කිසිවක් නැත."("Dangerous are the times to Lanka. If the rice from abroad stops, we would have nothing to eat. If the materials from abroad stops, we would have nothing to wear. If not for the vehicles from abroad, we would have no travelling. Essentially, without accommodation from abroad, we cannot do a thing.")-Editorial of Lakmini Pahana

Publications

32 textbooks on Sinhala grammar

    * Heenseraya
    * Hathpana
    * Kriya Wiwaranaya
    * Magul Keema
    * Nelawilla
    * Piya samara
    * Virith Vekiya
    * Vyakarana Vivaranaya

Mahagama Sekara

Mahagama Sekara (1929-1976) is one of Sri Lanka's well known poets and was a significant figure in Sinhalese poetry. He was also a teacher, lyricist, playwright, novelist, artist, and a filmmaker. Sekera is best remembered as a poet and songwriter with several of his works even becoming popular songs in Sri Lanka. His works occasionally have an introspective Buddhist  influenced outlook. His poems and songs remain widely quoted on the island nearly thirty years after his death. His demise at the age of forty-seven was considered a tragic loss by many in Sri Lankan literary circles.

Poetry

    * Vyanga (with K. Jayatillake)
    * Sakwa Lihini
    * Heta Irak Payai
    * Mak Nisada Yath
    * Rajathilaka Lionel saha Priyantha
    * Bodima
    * Nomiyemi
    * Prabudda

Novels

    * Thun Man Handiya

Films

    * Thun Man Handiya

Biographical Notes

    * Sekara was born in Radawana and had his initial education at Kirindiwela Maha Vidayalaya

Martin Wickramasinghe

Martin Wickramasinghe, MBE (May 29, 1890 - July 23, 1976) was a professional and an important Sri Lankan novelist.

The search for roots is a central theme in Wickramasinghe's writings on the culture and life of the people of Sri Lanka. His work explored and applied modern knowledge in natural and social sciences, literature, linguistics, the arts, philosophy, education, and Buddhism and comparative religion to reach beyond the superficial emotionalism of vulgar nationalism, and guide Sri Lankan readers to the enduring roots of their common national identity that exists in the folk life and folk culture of Sri Lanka.

Biography

Early life
Wickramasinghe was born on May 29, 1890, in the village of Koggala, in Sri Lanka, the only son of Lamahewage Don Bastian Wickramasinghe, and Magalle Balapitiya Liyanage Thochchohamy. Koggala was bounded on one side by a reef, and on the other by a large lake into which the numerous tributaries of the Koggala Oya drained. The landscapes of the sea, lake studded with little islands, the flora and fauna, the forested hinterland, and the changing patterns of life and culture of the people of the village would later influence his work.

At the age of five Wickramasinghe was taught the Sinhala alphabet, at home and in the village temple, by a monk, Andiris Gunananse. He also learned the Devanagari script and could recite by memory long sections of the Hitopadesa. After two years he was taken to a vernacular school where he prospered until 1897 when he was sent to an English school in Galle called Buena Vista. In the two years spent at the school Wickramasinghe became fluent in English as well as Latin. When his father died, he returned to a vernacular school in Ahangama and subsequently lost interest in schooling.

Creative writer and pioneer critic

Wickramasinghe began his literary career with the novel Leela (1914) and an anthology of essays on literary criticism, Sasatriya Lekhana (1919). Shortly thereafter he began a campaign to raise literary standards for the Sinhalese reading public with work such as Sahityodaya Katha (1932), Vicara Lipi (1941), Guttila Gitaya (1943) and Sinhaa Sahitayaye Nagima (1946) in which he evaluated the traditional literally heritage according to set rules of critical criteria formed by synthesizing the best in Indian and western traditions of literary criticism.

Through the 1940s Wickramasinghe dabbled with the double role of literary critic and creative writer. Gamperaliya (1944) is widely held as the first Sinhalese novel with a serious intent that compares, in content and technique, with the great novels of modern world literature. The novel depicts the crumbling of traditional village life under the pressure of modernization. The story of a successful family in a Southern village is used to portray the gradual replacement of traditional economic and social structure of the village by commercial city influence.

Wickramasinghe followed Gamperaliya with Yuganthaya (1948) and Kaliyugaya (1957) forming a trilogy. After the decay of the traditional life, the story details the rise of the bourgeoisie, with its urban base and entrepreneurial drive, ending with the formation of the labor movement and socialist theology and rise of hopes for a new social order.

With the development of a literary criticism movement in the early-'50s, Wickramasinghe presented the works Sahitya Kalava ('The Art of Literature' 1950) and Kavya Vicaraya ('The Criticism of Poetry' 1954). He received an MBE around this time.

Wickramasinghe's most heralded work came in 1956 with Viragaya. Due to the significance of its theme and the sophistication of its technique, the novel has come to be hailed as the greatest work of Sinhalese fiction. It follows the spiritual problems of a fragile Sinhalese youth raised in a traditional Buddhist home after being confronted with the spectre of adulthood and the responsibilities that come with it all made more complex with the modernization of society. First-person narrative is used to put forth the autobiographical story of the anti-hero in impressionistic vignettes rather than in chronological order. It is a seminal work and spawned a spew of imitators, some good on their own right.

 Peradeniya school and poetry

Wickramasinghe was an early practitioner of the genre of poetry called nisandas, which ignored the restrictions placed on poetry by the traditional prosodic patterns. It drew inspiration from the work of Eliot, Pound, Whitman and other western poets and was part of a movement called Peradeniya School. Wickramasinghe's work was Teri Gi (1952).

The movement dissolved in the 1960s prompted by Wickramasinghe's contention that other writers of the Peradeniya School were not sensitive to cultural traditions and the Buddhist background of Sinhalese society. He accused Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Gunadasa Amarasekara and others of imitating "decadent" western and post-war Japanese literature and of supporting a nihilistic look on life with cyncial disregard for national tradition.

 Later years

In 1973, Wickramasinghe wrote a new biography of Lord Buddha titled Bava Taranaya. In it the great teacher's change from royal heir in-waiting to philosopher-mendicant is portrayed as been a result of his sympathy to the poor and the downtrodden of society. Wickramasinghe died on July 23, 1976.


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Arthur C. Clarke

Sri Lankabhimanya Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, most famous for the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, written in parallel of the script for the eponymous film, co-written with film-director Stanley Kubrick;  and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke were known as the "Big Three" of science fiction.

Clarke served in the Royal Air Force as a radar instructor and technician from 1941–1946. He proposed a satellite communication system in 1945 which won him the Franklin Institute Stuart Ballantine Gold Medal in 1963. He was the chairman of the British Interplanetary Society from 1947–1950 and again in 1953.

Clarke emigrated to Sri Lanka in 1956 largely to pursue his interest in scuba diving,[9] and lived there until his death. He was knighted by the British monarchy in 1998, and was awarded Sri Lanka's highest civil honour, Sri Lankabhimanya, in 2005.

Biography

Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset, England. As a boy he enjoyed stargazing and reading old American science fiction pulp magazines. After secondary school and studying at Huish's Grammar School, Taunton, he was unable to afford a university education and got a job as an auditor in the pensions section of the Board of Education.

During the Second World War he served in the Royal Air Force as a radar specialist and was involved in the early warning radar defence system, which contributed to the RAF's success during the Battle of Britain. Clarke spent most of his wartime service working on Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) radar as documented in the semi-autobiographical Glide Path, his only non-science-fiction novel. Although GCA did not see much practical use in the war, it proved vital to the Berlin Airlift of 1948–1949 after several years of development. Clarke initially served in the ranks, and was a Corporal instructor on radar at No 9 Radio School, RAF Yatesbury in Wiltshire. He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer (Technical Branch) on 27 May 1943.[14] He was promoted Flying Officer on 27 November 1943.[15] He was appointed chief training instructor at RAF Honiley in Warwickshire and was demobilised with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. After the war he earned a first-class degree in mathematics and physics at King's College London.

In the postwar years, Clarke became the Chairman of the British Interplanetary Society from 1946-1947.[16] and again from 1951-1953 Although he was not the originator of the concept of geostationary satellites, one of his most important contributions may be his idea that they would be ideal telecommunications relays. He advanced this idea in a paper privately circulated among the core technical members of the BIS in 1945. The concept was published in Wireless World in October of that year. Clarke also wrote a number of non-fiction books describing the technical details and societal implications of rocketry and space flight. The most notable of these may be The Exploration of Space (1951) and The Promise of Space (1968). In recognition of these contributions the geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometres (22,000 mi) above the equator is officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union as a Clarke Orbit.

On a trip to Florida in 1953 Clarke met and quickly married Marilyn Mayfield, a 22-year-old American divorcee with a young son. They separated permanently after six months, although the divorce was not finalised until 1964. "The marriage was incompatible from the beginning", says Clarke. Clarke never remarried but was close to Leslie Ekanayake, who died in 1977. In his biography of Stanley Kubrick, John Baxter cites Clarke's homosexuality as a reason why Clarke relocated, due to more tolerant laws in regards to homosexuality in Sri Lanka. Journalists who inquired of Clarke whether he was gay were told, "No, merely mildly cheerful." However, Michael Moorcock has written

    Everyone knew he was gay. In the 1950s I'd go out drinking with his boyfriend. We met his proteges, western and eastern, and their families: people who had only the most generous praise for his kindness. Self-absorbed he might be, and a teetotaller, but an impeccable gent through and through.

Moorcook's assertion is not supported by other reports, although in an interview in the July 1986 issue of Playboy magazine, Clarke stated "Of course. Who hasn't?" when asked if he has had bisexual experiences.

Clarke also maintained a vast collection of manuscripts and personal memoirs, maintained by his brother Fred Clarke in Taunton, Somerset, England, and referred to as the "Clarkives." Clarke has said that some of his private diaries will not be published until 30 years after his death. When asked why they were sealed up, he answered "'Well, there might be all sorts of embarrassing things in them".
[edit] Writing career

While Clarke had a few stories published in fanzines, between 1937 and 1945, his first professional sales appeared in Astounding Science Fiction in 1946: "Loophole" was published in April, while "Rescue Party", his first sale, was published in May. Along with his writing Clarke briefly worked as Assistant Editor of Science Abstracts (1949) before devoting himself to writing full-time from 1951 onward. Clarke also contributed to the Dan Dare series published in Eagle, and his first three published novels were written for children.

Clarke corresponded with C. S. Lewis in the 1940s and 1950s and they once met in an Oxford pub, The Eastgate, to discuss science fiction and space travel. Clarke, after Lewis's death, voiced great praise for him, saying the Ransom Trilogy was one of the few works of science fiction that could be considered literature.

In 1948 he wrote "The Sentinel" for a BBC competition. Though the story was rejected, it changed the course of Clarke's career. Not only was it the basis for A Space Odyssey, but "The Sentinel" also introduced a more mystical and cosmic element to Clarke's work. Many of Clarke's later works feature a technologically advanced but still-prejudiced mankind being confronted by a superior alien intelligence. In the cases of The City and the Stars (and its original version, Against the Fall of Night), Childhood's End, and the 2001 series, this encounter produces a conceptual breakthrough that accelerates humanity into the next stage of its evolution. In Clarke's authorized biography, Neil McAleer writes that: "many readers and critics still consider [Childhood's End] Arthur C. Clarke's best novel."

Clarke lived in Sri Lanka from 1956 until his death in 2008, having emigrated there when it was still called Ceylon, first in Unawatuna on the south coast, and then in Colombo. Clarke held citizenship of both the UK and Sri Lanka. He was an avid scuba diver and a member of the Underwater Explorers Club. In addition to writing, Clarke and business partner, Mike Wilson set up several diving-related ventures. In 1961, while filming off Great Basses Reef, Wilson found a wreck and retrieved silver coins. Plans to dive on the wreck the following year were stopped when Clarke developed paralysis, ultimately diagnosed as polio. A year later, Clarke observed the salvage from the shore and the surface. The ship, ultimately identified as belonging to the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, yielded fused bags of silver rupees, cannons, and other artifacts, carefully documented, became the basis for The Treasure of the Great Reef. Living in Sri Lanka and learning its history also inspired the backdrop for his novel The Fountains of Paradise in which he described a space elevator. This, he believed, would make rocket based access to space obsolete and, more so than geostationary satellites, would ultimately be his scientific legacy.

His many predictions culminated in 1958 when he began a series of essays in various magazines that eventually became Profiles of the Future published in book form in 1962. A timetable[33] up to the year 2100 describes inventions and ideas including such things as a "global library" for 2005. The same work also contained "Clarke's First Law" and text which would become Clarke's three laws in later editions.


More...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke#cite_note-7

Famous water falls in Sri Lanka

Bambarakanda Falls (also known as Bambarakele Falls) is the tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka. With a height of 263 m (863 ft), it ranks as the 299th highest waterfall in the world.  Situated in Kalupahana in the Badulla District, this waterfall is directly visible from the A4 Highway. The waterfall was formed by Kuda Oya, which is a branch of the Walawe River. The Bambarakanda Falls can be found in a forest of pine trees.

The Dunhinda Falls is one of Sri Lanka's most beautiful waterfalls  located about 5 km off Badulla town. The waterfall, which is 210 feet (64 m) high gets its name from the smoky dew drops spray, (Dun in sinhala means mist or smoke) which surrounds the area at the foot of the waterfall. The water fall is created by the river called Badulu Oya which goes through the Badulla town.

To reach the water fall you have to walk more than 1 km distance along a foot path. Along this foot path you can see another small waterfall at a distance. However walking along this muddy foot path is really worth as the waterfall is so beautiful. Along this foot path there are many native venders selling herbal drinks to refresh and rest yourself. At the end of the path there is a secure stage constructed for viewers to see the waterfall. If you are brave enough you can reach the foot of the waterfall and cross the river and see the most beautiful view of the fall.

Diyaluma Falls is 220m high and the second highest waterfall in Sri Lanka  and 361th highest waterfall in the world.  It is situated 6km away from Koslanda in Badulla District on Colombo-Badulla  highway. The Falls are formed by Punagala Oya, a tributary of Kuda Oya which in turn, is a tributary of Kirindi Oya.

Laxapana Falls is 126m high  and the 8th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and 625th highest waterfall in the world. It is situated in Hatton area in Nuwara Eliya District. It formed by Maskeliya Oya near the confluence of Kehelgamuwa Oya and Maskeliya Oya which forms Kelani River. The Falls gives its name to twin Hydroelectricity Power stations, Laxapana which generates 50MW of electricity and New Laxapana which generates 100MW.

Bopath Ella (Sinhala: බෝපත් ඇල්ල) is a waterfall situated in the Ratnapura District of Sri Lanka. It has a shape very similar to the leaf of the Sacred fig or "Bo" tree, which has earned it this name. The waterfall is a major tourist attraction in the country. Local myths say that it is haunted and that it hides a treasure trove.

Location

Bopath Ella is located in a village named Agalwatte in Kuruwita in the Ratnapura District of Sri Lanka. It is approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Ratnapura

Aberdeen, Sri Lanka is a tea estate in Sri Lanka, is famous for its picturesque waterfall Aberdeen Falls which situated in Ginigathhena, Nuwara Eliya District. Aberdeen is named after Aberdeen, the third largest city of Scotland  and the capital of Aberdeenshire.

Ramboda Falls is 109m high and 11th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and 729th highest waterfall in the world.[2]  It is situated in Pussellawa area, on the A5 highway at Ramboda Pass.  It formed by Panna Oya which is a tributary of Kothmale Oya. Altitude of the falls is 945m above sea level.

St.Clair's Falls is the widest waterfall in Sri Lanka hence called "Little Niagara of Sri Lanka".  The Falls is the most politically discussed environmental entity in Sri Lanka.

List of waterfalls in Sri Lanka

Waterfall	Height	Location	Province
Aberdeen Falls	98 m (322 ft)	Aberdeen	Central
Ahupini Ella	10 m (33 ft)		Central
Alakola Falls	60 m (197 ft)
Baker's Falls	20 m (66 ft)	Horton Plains National Park	Central
Bambarakanda Falls	263 m (863 ft)	Kalupahana	Uva
Bopath Ella Falls	30 m (98 ft)	Ratnapura	Sabaragamuwa
Delta Falls	60 m (197 ft)
Dessford Falls	20 m (66 ft)
Devon Falls	97 m (318 ft)	Talawakele	Central
Diyaluma Falls	220 m (722 ft)	Koslanda	Uva
Doovili Ella	40 m (131 ft)		Central
Dunhinda Falls	63 m (207 ft)	Badulla	Uva
Elgin Falls	25 m (82 ft)	Ambewela	Central
Galdola Falls	100 m (328 ft)
Garandi Ella	100 m (328 ft)		Central
Gartmore Falls	20 m (66 ft)
Glain Falls	10 m (33 ft)		Central
Handapan Ella	200 m (656 ft)
Handun Ella	30 m (98 ft)
Hunnas Falls	60 m (197 ft)		Central
Kalupahana Falls	10 m (33 ft)
Kirindi Ella	116 m (381 ft)
Kothmale Mahakandura Falls	10 m (33 ft)
Kurunduoya Falls	206 m (676 ft)		Central
Laxapana Falls	129 m (423 ft)	Hatton	Central
Lihinihela Ella	200 m (656 ft)
Lovers Leap	30 m (98 ft)		Central
Madanagiri Falls	70 m (230 ft)
Mahakandura Falls	120 m (394 ft)
Manawela Falls	22 m (72 ft)
Mannakethi Ella	60 m (197 ft)
Mapanana Falls	148 m (486 ft)
Nakkawita Falls	100 m (328 ft)
Nanuoya Falls	60 m (197 ft)		Central
Okandagala Falls	63 m (207 ft)
Oolu Ella	200 m (656 ft)
Puna Falls	100 m (328 ft)		Central
Pundalu Oya Falls	100 m (328 ft)
Ramboda Falls	109 m (358 ft)	Pussellawa	Central
Rathna Falls	101 m (331 ft)		Central
Ravana Falls	25 m (82 ft)	Ella	Sabaragamuwa
Rawan Ella		Uduhawara	Uva
Sampath Ella	30 m (98 ft)
St.Clairs Falls	80 m (262 ft)	Hatton	Central
Seetha Kotuwa Falls	60 m (197 ft)
Sri Pada Falls	75 m (246 ft)
Yaka Andu Ella	60 m (197 ft)
Windsor Forest Falls	10 m (33 ft)