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83-406: It covers an area of 1,693 km (654 sq mi). The district has a population of 837,179 according to 2012 Census, which is approximately 4.0% of the total population of Sri Lanka. The District of Kegalle is situated in between the central highlands and western southern plains and has an enchanting environment. The height of the western region is 50 m (160 ft) above sea level while

166-483: A yaksha near "Thammena" ( Tambapaṇṇī ) displacing the inhabitants. Eventually Vijaya's married Kuveni , a daughter of a yaksha leader legitimizing Vijaya’s rule over the region. Four versions of the legend explain the origin of the Sinhalese people. In all the versions, a prince comes to the island of Lanka and establishes a community which gives rise to the Sinhalese people. The Mahavamsa and Dipavamsa identify

249-443: A South Indian style saree. Within the more populated areas, Sinhalese men also wear Western-style clothing — wearing suits while the women wear skirts and blouses. For formal and ceremonial occasions women wear the traditional Kandyan ( Osariya ) style, which consists of a full blouse which covers the midriff completely, and is partially tucked in at the front. However, modern intermingling of styles has led to most wearers baring

332-835: A campaign for better education facilities in the region. Christian missionary groups were at the forefront of this development contributing to a high literacy among Christians. By 1901 schools in the South and the North were well tended. The inner regions lagged behind however. Also, English education facilities presented hurdles for the general populace through fees and lack of access. Traditional Sinhalese villages in early days had at least one chief Medical personnel called Weda Mahaththaya (Doctor). These people practice their clinical activities by inheritance. Sinhalese Medicine resembles some of Ayurvedic practices in contrast for some treatments they use Buddhist Chantings ( Pirith ) in order to strengthen

415-525: A caravan headed for Magadha , which was attacked by Sinha ("lion") in a forest in the Lala (or Lada) region. The Mahavamsa calls the Sinha a lion; according to some modern interpreters, however, Sinha was a beastly outlaw human living in the jungle. Lala is identified as Bengal's Rarh region (part of the present-day Indian state of West Bengal ) or Lata , part of present-day Gujarat . Suppadevi fled from

498-477: A combination of sinha (සිංහ) , literally "lion", and la (ල), for "slayer" or "taker", hence Sinhala may mean "lion-slayer". The story of the derivation of Sinhala is told in Mahāvaṃsa , and it is believed to be a reference to the founding legend of Sri Lanka; the island was conquered by a descendant of Sinhabahu , who is said to have killed his father, a lion. According to legend, a princess Suppadevi of Vanga

581-532: A high level of West Eurasian maternal ancestry among the Sinhalese. The analyses show strong gene flow between the Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils, and higher gene flow from South Indian as well as some North and Northwest Indian populations. Among the Indian populations, the Sinhalese are closest genetically to certain South Indian subgroups, but the analyses also reveal deeply rooted common genetic ancestry with

664-468: A hundred noble maidens, craftsmen, a thousand families from 18 guilds , elephants, horses, wagons and other gifts. The group landed in Lanka at a port known as Mahatittha. Vijaya then asked Kuveni, his Yakkhini consort, to leave the community because his citizens feared supernatural beings like her. He offered her money, asking her to leave their two children behind, but Kuveni brought the children along to

747-487: A kingdom which was named Tambapanni ("copper-red hands"), because the men's hands were coloured by the area's red soil . Members of Vijaya's community were called Sinhala, after Sinhabahu. Vijaya's ministers and other followers established several villages; Upatissa established Upatissagāma on the bank of the Gambhira river, north of Anuradhagama. Vijaya's followers decided to crown him king, but for this he needed

830-508: A letter to Sumitta, but died before receiving a reply. His ministers from Upatissagāma then governed the kingdom for a year while they waited for a reply. In Sinhapura, Sumitta had become king and had three sons. His queen was a daughter of the king of Madda (possibly Madra ). When Vijaya's messengers arrived, Sumitta asked one of his sons to go to Lanka because he was too old; Panduvasdeva , his youngest son, volunteered. Panduvasdeva and 32 sons of Sumitta's ministers reached Lanka, where he became

913-469: A maiden of a noble house as queen. His ministers sent emissaries with gifts to the city of Madhura, which was ruled by a Pandya king. (Madhura is identified with Madurai , a city in Tamil Nadu ). The king agreed to send his daughter as Vijaya's bride, and asked other families to offer their daughters as brides for Vijaya's followers. Several families volunteered, and were rewarded by the king, who sent

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996-567: A major trade hub, it draws influence from colonial powers that were involved in Sri Lanka and by foreign traders. Rice , which is consumed daily, can be found at any occasion, while spicy curries are favourite dishes for lunch and dinner . Some of the Sri Lankan dishes have striking resemblance to Kerala cuisine , which could be due to the similar geographic and agricultural features with Kerala . A well-known rice dish with Sinhalese

1079-630: A mural of cave number 17 . Another suggestion on the origin of Sinhala proposes that the descendants of Sinhabahu may have been called "Sinha" or lions, either because they were descended from a lion or because they were brave like a lion, but those who conquered and settled in Sri Lanka were called Sinhala simply as a derivative of "Sinha" for the people of the lion. Likewise, the conquered lands may be called 'Sinhalaya' or 'Sinhalé' (up-country Sri Lanka), or 'Sinhala dvipa', and their language 'Sinhala' or Sinhala-Bhasha'. The early recorded history of

1162-508: A population that has been growing at a slow pace relative to India and other Asian countries. Within Sri Lanka the majority of the Sinhalese reside in the South, Central, Sabaragamuwa and Western parts of the country. This coincides with the largest Sinhalese populations areas in Sri Lanka. Cities with more than 90% Sinhalese population include Hambantota , Galle , Gampaha , Kurunegala , Monaragala , Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa . Sinhalese people have emigrated out to many countries for

1245-563: A variety of reasons. The larger diaspora communities are situated in the United Kingdom, Australia, United States and Canada among others. In addition to this there are many Sinhalese, who reside in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe, temporarily in connection with employment and/or education. They are often employed as guest workers in the Middle East and professionals in the other regions. The largest population centres of

1328-427: Is Kiribath , meaning 'milk rice'. In addition to sambols , Sinhalese eat mallung , chopped leaves mixed with grated coconut and red onions . Coconut milk is found in most Sri Lankan dishes to give the cuisine its unique flavour. Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its spices . The best known is cinnamon which is native to Sri Lanka. In the 15th and 16th centuries, spice and ivory traders from all over

1411-531: Is a main foreign attraction in modern tourism. Sigirirya is famous for its frescoes. Folk poems were sung by workers to accompany their work and narrate the story of their lives. Ideally these poems consisted of four lines and, in the composition of these poems, special attention had been paid to the rhyming patterns. Buddhist festivals are dotted by unique music using traditionally Sinhalese instruments. More ancient rituals like tovils (devil exorcism) continue to enthrall audiences today and often praised and invoked

1494-778: Is often made colourful with the incorporation of songs and dance adding more uniqueness to the industry. In the recent years high budget films like Aloko Udapadi , Aba (film) and Maharaja Gemunu based on Sinhalese epic historical stories gain huge success. Performing arts of the Sinhalese people can be categorised into few groups: Angampora is the traditional martial art of the Sinhalese people. It combines combat techniques, self-defence , sport , exercise and meditation . Key techniques observed in Angampora are: Angam , which incorporates hand-to-hand fighting, and Illangam , which uses indigenous weapons such as Velayudaya , staves, knives and swords. Its most distinct feature

1577-641: Is represented in many forms such as painting , sculpture , and architecture . One of the most notable aspects of Sri Lankan art are caves and temple paintings, such as the frescoes found at Sigiriya , and religious paintings found in temples in Dambulla and Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy . Other popular forms of art have been influenced by both natives as well as outside settlers. For example, traditional wooden handicrafts and clay pottery are found around

1660-495: Is the coconut sambol , made of ground coconut mixed with chili peppers , dried Maldives fish and lime juice . This is ground to a paste and eaten with rice, as it gives zest to the meal and is believed to increase appetite. Many forms of Sri Lankan arts and crafts take inspiration from the island's long and lasting Buddhist culture which in turn has absorbed and adopted countless regional and local traditions. In most instances Sri Lankan art originates from religious beliefs, and

1743-411: Is the use of pressure point attacks to inflict pain or permanently paralyse the opponent. Fighters usually make use of both striking and grappling techniques, and fight until the opponent is caught in a submission lock that they cannot escape. Usage of weapons is discretionary. Perimeters of fighting are defined in advance, and in some of the cases is a pit. Angampora became nearly extinct after

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1826-608: Is uncertain. It has been identified with Singur, West Bengal (in the Rada, or Rarh, region) or Singhpur, near Jajpur ( Sinhapura, Odisha ). Those who identify the Lala kingdom with present-day Gujarat place it in present-day Sihor . Another theory identifies it with the village of Singupuram , near Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh . It has also been placed in present-day Thailand or on the Malay Peninsula . Vijaya

1909-522: The 2011 Canadian Census , 7,220 people identified themselves as of Sinhalese ancestry , out of 139,415 Sri Lankans. There are a small number of Sinhalese people in India , scattered around the country, but mainly living in and around the northern and southern regions. Sri Lankan New Zealanders comprised 3% of the Asian population of New Zealand in 2001. The numbers arriving continued to increase, and at

1992-699: The British as indentured labourers to work in tea states makes a significant minority. Religions in Kegalle District (2011) Situated between coastal lowlands and central highlands district has a contrasting landscape. Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage of Pinnawala attracts thousands of tourists daily. This Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sinhalese people The Sinhalese people ( Sinhala : සිංහල ජනතාව , romanized:  Sinhala Janathāva ), also known as

2075-480: The Hela Atuwa were lost after their translation into Pali . Other significant Sinhala texts include Amāvatura , Kavu Silumina , Jathaka Potha and Sala Liheeniya . Sinhala has also adopted many loanwords of foreign origin , including from many Indian such as Tamil and European languages such as Portuguese, Dutch, and English. Sandesha Kavyas written by Buddhist priests of Sri Lanka are regarded as some of

2158-549: The Maratha . Some older studies however pointed towards a predominantly Bengali contribution and a minor Tamil influence. Gujarati and Punjabi lineages are also visible. In relation to the former, other studies also show the Sinhalese possess some genetic admixture from Southeast Asian populations , especially from Austroasiatic groups . Certain Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups and genetic markers of immunoglobulin among

2241-551: The Pulindas of India). Vijaya was crowned king. The Pandya king's daughter became his queen, and other women were married to his followers according to their rank. Vijaya bestowed gifts on his ministers and his father-in-law; he abandoned his evil ways, and ruled Lanka in peace and justice. Vijaya had no other children after Kuveni left. Concerned in old age that he would die without an heir, he decided to bring his twin brother Sumitta from India to govern his kingdom. Vijaya sent

2324-617: The Sinhalese or Sinhala people are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the island of Sri Lanka . They are the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka, constituting about 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number more than 15.2 million. The Sinhalese people speak Sinhala , an insular Indo-Aryan language . Sinhalese people are predominantly Theravada Buddhists , although a significant minority of Sinhalese follow branches of Christianity and other religions . Since 1815, Sinhalese people were broadly divided into two subgroups:

2407-618: The 1970s. Italy was attractive to the Sinhalese due to perceived easier employment opportunities and entry, compared to other European countries. It is estimated that there are 30,000–33,000 Sinhalese in Italy. The major Sinhalese communities in Italy are located in Lombardia (In the districts Loreto and Lazzaretto), Milan , Lazio , Rome , Naples , and Southern Italy (Particularly Palermo , Messina and Catania ). Many countries census list Sri Lankan, which also includes Sri Lankan Tamils, so

2490-652: The 2018 census there were over 16,000 Sri Lankans living in New Zealand among those 9,171 were Sinhalese. In the U.S., the Sinhalese number about 12,000 people. The New York City Metropolitan Area contains the largest Sri Lankan community in the United States, receiving the highest legal permanent resident Sri Lankan immigrant population, followed by Central New Jersey and the Los Angeles metropolitan area . Many Sinhalese have migrated to Italy since

2573-408: The 700 men were sent on separate ships. Vijaya and his followers landed at a place called Supparaka; the women landed at a place called Mahiladipaka, and the children landed at a place called Naggadipa. Vijaya's ship later reached Lanka, in the area known as Tambapanni , on the day that Gautama Buddha died in northern India. Those who think that Vijaya set out from the west coast of India (Sinhapura

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2656-582: The Sinhalese by Portuguese, Dutch, and British missionary groups during their respective periods of rule. Most Sinhalese Christians are Roman Catholic ; a minority are Protestant . Their cultural centre is Negombo . Religion is considered very important among the Sinhalese. According to a 2008 Gallup poll , 99% of Sri Lankans considered religion an important aspect of their daily lives. A 2023 genetics study by Singh et al using higher resolution markers than previous studies found strong affinity between Sri Lankan and South Asian maternal gene pools as well as

2739-741: The Sinhalese diaspora are mainly situated in Europe, North America and Australia. The city of Melbourne contains just under half of the Sri Lankan Australians . The 2011 census recorded 86,412 Sri Lanka born in Australia. There are 73,849 Australians (0.4 of the population) who reported having Sinhalese ancestry in 2006. Sinhala was also reported to be the 29th-fastest-growing language in Australia (ranking above Somali but behind Hindi and Belarusian ). Sinhalese Australians have an exceptionally low rate of return migration to Sri Lanka. In

2822-573: The Sinhalese is chronicled in two documents, the Mahavamsa , compiled in Pāli around the fourth century CE, and the later Culavamsa (the first segment probably compiled in the 13th century CE by the Buddhist monk Dhammakitti). These are ancient sources that cover the histories of the powerful ancient Sinhalese kingdoms of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa which lasted for 1500 years. The Mahavamsa describes

2905-405: The Sinhalese people from northern India who settled on the island in the sixth century BCE. Sinhala developed in a way different from the other Indo-Aryan languages because of the geographic separation from its Indo-Aryan sister languages. It was influenced by many languages, prominently Pali , the sacred language of Southern Buddhism, Telugu and Sanskrit . Many early texts in the language such as

2988-458: The Sinhalese, as a religious community, have a complex worldview as Buddhists. Due to the proximity and on some occasions similarity of certain doctrines, there are many areas where Buddhists and Hindus share religious views and practices. Sinhalese Buddhists have adopted religious elements from Hindu traditions in their religious practices. Some of these practices may relate to ancient indigenous beliefs and traditions on spirits ( folk religion ), and

3071-590: The Sinhalese, for example, show Southeast Asian genetic influences many of which are also found among certain Northeast Indian populations to whom the Sinhalese display increased genetic affinities. Sinhalese culture is a unique one dating as far back as 2600 years and has been nourished by Theravada Buddhism. Its main domains are sculpture, fine arts, literature, dancing, poetry and a wide variety of folk beliefs and rituals traditionally. Ancient Sinhala stone sculpture and inscriptions are known worldwide and

3154-595: The South Indians and regaining control of the kingdom. Other rulers who are notable for military achievements include Gajabahu I , who launched an invasion against the invaders, and Sena II, who sent his armies to assist a Pandyan prince. During the Middle Ages Sri Lanka was well known for its agricultural prosperity under king Parakramabahu in Polonnaruwa during which period the island

3237-632: The Yakkha city of Lankapura. She asked her children to remain behind as she entered the city, where other Yakkhas saw her as a traitor; suspected of spying, she was killed by a Yakkha. On the advice of her maternal uncle, the children fled to Sumanakuta (identified with Adam's Peak ). In the Malaya region of Lanka, they married and began the Pulinda race (identified with the Vedda people, not to be confused with

3320-417: The ancient world after Great Pyramid of Giza , and Abayagiriya – third tallest brick building in the ancient world. And also with the ancient hydraulic technology which is also unique to Sinhalese people to build ancient tanks, systematic ponds with fountains moats and Irrigational reservoirs such as Parakrama Samudra , Kaudulla and Kandalama . Sigiriya which is considered by many as the eighth wonder of

3403-552: The artistic masterwork Rekava which sought to create a uniquely Sinhalese cinema with artistic integrity. Since then, Peries and other directors like Vasantha Obeysekera , Dharmasena Pathiraja , Mahagama Sekera , W. A. B. de Silva, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake , Sunil Ariyaratne , Siri Gunasinghe , G. D. L. Perera , Piyasiri Gunaratne, Titus Thotawatte , D. B. Nihalsinghe , Ranjith Lal, Dayananda Gunawardena , Mudalinayake Somaratne, Asoka Handagama , and Prasanna Vithanage have developed an artistic Sinhalese cinema. Sinhala cinema

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3486-462: The attack, but encountered Sinha again. Sinha was attracted to her and she caressed him, mindful of the prophecy. He kept Suppadevi in captivity in a cave, and they had two children: a son named Sinhabahu (or Sihabahu, "lion-armed") and a daughter named Sinhasivali (or Sihasivali). When the children grew up, Sinhabahu asked his mother why she and Sinha looked so different. After she told him about her royal ancestry, he decided to go to Vanga. While Sinha

3569-403: The basis of language or ethnicity and all Sri Lankans are classified into one group as Asian British or Asian Other. Sinhalese people speak Sinhala , also known as "Helabasa"; this language has two varieties, spoken and written. Sinhala is an Indo-Aryan language within the broader group of Indo-European languages . The early form of the language was brought to Sri Lanka by the ancestors of

3652-498: The building of reservoirs and canals was passed down from generation to generation through home training and outside craft apprenticeships. The arrival of the Portuguese and Dutch and the subsequent colonisation maintained religion as the centre of education though in certain communities under Catholic and Presbyterian hierarchy. The British in the 1800s initially followed the same course. Following 1870 however they began

3735-481: The capital to Anuradhapura and developed it into a prosperous city. Anuradhapura (Anurapura) was named after the minister who first established the village and after a grandfather of Pandukabhaya who lived there. The name was also derived from the city's establishment on the auspicious asterism called Anura. Anuradhapura was the capital of all the monarchs who ruled from the dynasty. Rulers such as Dutthagamani , Valagamba , and Dhatusena are noted for defeating

3818-495: The capital, the king of Vanga was dead. Sinhabahu was crowned the new king, but later passed the kingship to his mother's husband (the general). Returning to his birthplace in Lala, he founded the city of Sinhapura (or Sihapura). Sinhabahu married his sister, Sinhasivali, and they had 32 sons (16 pairs of twins). Vijaya Singha ("the greatly victorious") was their eldest son, followed by his twin Sumitta. The location of Sinhapura

3901-722: The coastal areas. Sinhalese people, depending on where they live in Sri Lanka, may also additionally speak English and or Tamil . According to the 2012 Census 23.8% or 3,033,659 Sinhalese people also spoke English and 6.4% or 812,738 Sinhalese people also spoke Tamil. In the Negombo area bilingual fishermen who generally identify themselves as Sinhalese also speak the Negombo Tamil dialect . This dialect has undergone considerable convergence with spoken Sinhala . Folk tales like Mahadana Muttha saha Golayo and Kawate Andare continue to entertain children today. Mahadana Muttha tells

3984-564: The country came under British rule in 1815, but survived in a few families until the country regained independence. The Sinhalese have a long history of literacy and formal learning. Instruction in basic fields like writing and reading by Buddhist Monks pre-date the birth of Christ . This traditional system followed religious rule and was meant to foster Buddhist understanding. Training of officials in such skills as keeping track of revenue and other records for administrative purposes occurred under this institution. Technical education such as

4067-491: The eastern region exceeds 1,800 m (5,900 ft). Rubber cultivation has stretched over most of the area of the District and minor export crops from the district include coffee, cocoa, pepper, clove and nutmeg. Sri Lanka's best graphite mine is situated at Bogala in Kegalle District. The extent of the District is 1,692.8 km (653.6 sq mi). Most of the population are Sinhalese . Indian Tamils brought by

4150-425: The effectiveness. Prince Vijaya Prince Vijaya (c. 543–505 BCE) was a legendary king of Tambapanni , based in modern day Sri Lanka . His reign was first mentioned in Mahāvaṃsa . He is said to have came to Sri Lanka with seven hundred followers after being banished from Sinhapura . However, there is no archaeological evidence of this. After arriving on the island, Vijaya and his settlers defeated

4233-540: The existence of fields of rice and reservoirs , indicating a well-developed agrarian society . According to the Mahavamsa, Prince Vijaya and his 700 followers left Suppāraka , landed on the island at a site believed by historians to be in the district of Puttalam , south of modern-day Mannar , and founded the kingdom of Tambapanni. It is recorded that Vijaya made his landing on the day of Buddha's Parinirvana. Vijaya claimed Tambapanni as his capital and soon

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4316-569: The form of a dog. One of the followers thought that a dog indicated habitation, and followed her. After some time, he saw a Yakkhini named Kuveni (or Kuvanna) who was spinning thread . Kuveni tried to devour him, but Vijaya's magical thread protected him. Unable to kill him, Kuveni hurled the follower into a chasm ; she then did the same thing to all 700 followers. Vijaya went to Kuveni's place, looking for his men; he overpowered her, and forced her to free them. Kuveni asked Vijaya to spare her life, swearing loyalty to him. She brought food and goods from

4399-515: The good powers of the Buddha and the gods in order to exorcise the demons. Traditionally during recreation the Sinhalese wear a sarong ( sarama in Sinhala). Men may wear a long-sleeved shirt with a sarong. Clothing varies by region for women. Low country Sinhalese women wear a white Long sleeved jacket, and a tight wrap around skirt, which usually is embedded with a floral or pattern design. As for

4482-403: The guardianship of Lanka to the lotus-coloured god ( Upulvan ), who came to Lanka in the guise of an ascetic to protect Vijaya. Wilhelm Geiger identifies the lotus-coloured god as Vishnu ; uppala is the blue lotus . Senarath Paranavithana identifies him with Varuna . Vijaya tied a protective ( paritta ) thread on the hands of his followers. Later, a Yakkhini appeared before them in

4565-434: The hill country while Portuguese-inspired lacework and Indonesian-inspired Batik have become notable. It has many different and beautiful drawings. Developed upon Indo-Aryan architectural skills in the late sixth century BCE Sinhalese people who lived upon greater kingdoms such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa have built so many architectural examples such as Ruwanwelisaya , Jetavanaramaya – second tallest brick building in

4648-602: The immensely popular children's novel Madol Duwa . Munadasa Cumaratunga's Hath Pana is also widely known. The form of Buddhism in Sri Lanka is known as Theravada (school of elders). The Pali chronicles (e.g., the Mahavansa) claim that the Sinhalese as an ethnic group are destined to preserve and protect Buddhism. In 1988 almost 93% of the Sinhala-speaking population in Sri Lanka were Buddhist. Observations of current religious beliefs and practices demonstrate that

4731-433: The influence of the Indian cooking methods and food have played a major role in what Sri Lankans eat. The island nation's cuisine mainly consists of boiled or steamed rice served with curry. This usually consists of a main curry of fish or chicken , as well as several other curries made with vegetables , lentils and even fruit curries. Side-dishes include pickles , chutneys and sambols . The most famous of these

4814-460: The island circa 543 BCE , from the legendary kingdom of Sinhapura led by Prince Vijaya , who mixed with later settlers from the Pandya kingdom . Genetic analyses have found genetic affinity between the Sinhalese and South Indian populations, as well as links to other Indian populations such as the Maratha . There are a couple of explanations for the word Sinhala. Sinhala may be considered

4897-560: The island. In the 15th century a Kandyan kingdom formed which divided the Sinhalese politically into low-country and up-country. In this period, the Sinhalese caste structure absorbed recent Dravidian Hindu immigrants from South India leading to the emergence of three new Sinhalese caste groups – the Salagama , the Durava and the Karava . The Sinhalese have a stable birth rate and

4980-544: The late 1930s/early 1940s. He has been followed by artists of repute such as Sunil Shantha , W. D. Amaradeva , Premasiri Khemadasa , Nanda Malini , Victor Ratnayake , Austin Munasinghe, T. M. Jayaratne , Sanath Nandasiri , Sunil Edirisinghe , Neela Wickremasinghe, Gunadasa Kapuge , Malini Bulathsinghala and Edward Jayakody . Dramatist Ediriweera Sarachchandra revitalised the drama form with Maname in 1956. The same year, film director Lester James Peries created

5063-433: The midriff. The Kandyan style is considered as the national dress of Sinhalese women. In many occasions and functions, even the saree plays an important role in women's clothing and has become the de facto clothing for female office workers especially in government sector. An example of its use is the uniform of air hostesses of Sri Lankan Airlines . Sinhalese cuisine is one of the most complex cuisines of South Asia . As

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5146-550: The most sophisticated and versatile works of literature in the world. The Sinhala language was mainly inspired by Sanskrit and Pali, and many words of the Sinhala language derive from these languages. Today some English words too have come in as a result of the British occupation during colonial times, and the exposure to foreign cultures through television and foreign films. Additionally many Dutch and Portuguese words can be seen in

5229-470: The need to establish Buddhist schools for educating Buddhist youth and organising Buddhists with new organisations such as the Young Men's Buddhist Association, as well as printing pamphlets to encourage people to participate in debates and religious controversies to defend Buddhism. There is a significant Sinhalese Christian community, in the maritime provinces of Sri Lanka. Christianity was brought to

5312-525: The new ruler. In Sri Lanka, the legend of Vijaya is political rhetoric used to explain the origin and genetics of the Sinhalese; it is often treated as an account of historical events. Sinhalese scholars such as K. M. de Silva have used the legend to confirm the Indo-Aryan origin of the Sinhalese, distinguishing them from the Dravidians ; Tamil authors such as Satchi Ponnambalam have dismissed

5395-456: The numbers of just Sinhalese are not as accurate when the census states Sri Lankan and not Sinhalese. Though Sinhalese people in particular and Sri Lankans in general have migrated to the UK over the centuries beginning from the colonial times, the number of Sinhalese people in the UK cannot be estimated accurately due to inadequacies of census in the UK. The UK government does not record statistics on

5478-511: The original gods. Prominent Sri Lankan anthropologists Gananath Obeyesekere and Kitsiri Malalgoda used the term "Protestant Buddhism" to describe a type of Buddhism that appeared among the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka as a response to Protestant Christian missionaries and their evangelical activities during the British colonial period. This kind of Buddhism involved emulating the Protestant strategies of organising religious practices. They saw

5561-479: The prince as Vijaya, and the other two legends have different names for the prince. According to the Mahāvaṃsa , the king of Vanga (the historical Bengal region) married a princess named Mayavati of neighbouring Kalinga (present-day Odisha ). The couple had a daughter, Suppadevi, who was prophesied to mate with the king of beasts. As an adult, Princess Suppadevi left Vanga to seek an independent life. She joined

5644-523: The ships of the traders she had devoured for Vijaya and his followers, and Vijaya took her as his consort. Vijaya woke up to the sounds of music and singing. Kuveni told him that the island was home to Yakkhas, who would kill her for sheltering Vijaya's men, and the sound was from wedding festivities in the Yakkha city of Sirisavatthu. With Kuveni's help, Vijaya defeated the Yakkhas. Vijaya and Kuveni had two children: Jivahatta and Disala. Vijaya established

5727-605: The tale of a fool cum Pundit who travels around the country with his followers ( Golayo ) creating mischief through his ignorance. Kawate Andare tells the tale of a witty court jester and his interactions with the royal court and his son. In the modern period, Sinhala writers such as Martin Wickremasinghe and G. B. Senanayake have drawn widespread acclaim. Other writers of repute include Mahagama Sekera and Madewela S. Ratnayake. Martin Wickramasinghe wrote

5810-777: The throne. However, Vijaya had died before the letter had reached its destination, so the elected minister of the people Upatissa , the Chief government minister and leading chief among the Sinhalese became regent and acted as regent for a year. After his coronation (in 505 BC), which was held in Tambapanni, he left it, building another city Upatissa Nuwara , named after himself, 11–13 km (7–8 miles) further north of Tambapanni. When Vijaya's letter finally arrived, Sumitta had already succeeded his father as king of his country, and so he sent his son Panduvasdeva to rule Upatissa Nuwara. In 377 BC, King Pandukabhaya (437–367 BC) moved

5893-509: The up country Sinhalese, women wear a similar outfit, but with a puffed up shoulder jacket, and a tucked in frill that lines the top of the skirt (Reda and Hatte in Sinhala). Traditionally, high caste Kandyan women wear a Kandyan style sari , which is similar to the Maharashtrian sari , with the drape but with a frill lining the bottom half and sometimes puffed up sleeves. It is also called an Osariya. The low country high caste women wear

5976-492: The up-country Sinhalese of the central mountainous regions , and the low-country Sinhalese of the coastal regions. Although both groups speak the same language, they are distinguished as they observe different cultural customs. According to the Mahavamsa , a Pali chronicle compiled by Buddhist monks of the Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya in Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese descend from settlers who immigrated to

6059-504: The whole island went under this name. Tambapanni was originally inhabited and governed by Yakkhas , having their capital at Sirīsavatthu and their queen Kuveni . According to the Samyutta Commentary, Tambapanni was one hundred leagues in extent. At the end of his reign, Vijaya, having trouble choosing a successor, sent a letter to the city of his ancestors, Sinhapura , in order to invite his brother Sumitta to take over

6142-459: The world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and techniques. Lamprais , rice boiled in stock with a special curry , accompanied by frikkadels ( meatballs ), all of which is then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked as a Dutch-influenced Sri Lankan dish. Dutch and Portuguese sweets also continue to be popular. British influences include roast beef and roast chicken . Also,

6225-441: The world, it is a combination of natural and man made fortress, which consists so many architectural aspects. There are extensive folk poems relating to specific jobs of the ancient society. These poems were communal songs which had a rhythm that were sung when performing day-to-day tasks like harvesting and sowing. Concerning popular music, Ananda Samarakoon developed the reflective and poignant Sarala gee style with his work in

6308-439: The worship of Hindu deities . Some of these figures are used in healing rituals and may be native to the island. Gods and goddess derived from Hindu deities are worshiped by Sinhalese. Kataragama Deviyo from Kartikeya , Upulvan from Vishnu and Ayyanayake from Aiyanar can be named as examples. Though these gods take the same place as their Hindu counterparts in mythology, some of their aspects are different compared to

6391-465: Was abducted by a lion, with whom she then bore a daughter called Sinhasivali , and a son, Sinhabahu . On the origin of Sinhala, Mahāvaṃsa says: "By whatever means; the monarch Síha Báhu slew the 'Síha' (lion), from that feat his sons and descendants are called 'Síhala' (the lion-slayers)." By this account, Sri Lanka conquered and colonised by his descendants therefore also came to be associated with 'Sinhala'. The first king of Sri Lanka, Vijaya ,

6474-593: Was famous around the world as the rice mill of the east. Later in the 13th century the country's administrative provinces were divided into independent kingdoms and chieftaincies: kingdom of Sitawaka , kingdom of Kotte , Jaffna kingdom and the Kandyan kingdom . The invasion by the Hindu king Magha in the 13th century led to migrations by the Buddhists (mostly Sinhalese) to areas not under his control. This migration

6557-454: Was followed by a period of conflict among the Sinhalese chiefs who tried to exert political supremacy. Parakramabahu VI , a Sinhalese king invaded the Jaffna kingdom and conquered it, bringing the entire country back under the Sinhalese kingdom for 17 years. Trade also increased during this period, as Sri Lanka began to trade cinnamon and a large number of Muslim traders were bought into

6640-589: Was in Gujarat) identify present-day Sopara as the location of Supparaka. Those who think that Sinhapura was in the Vanga-Kalinga region identify it with locations off the east coast of India; S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar speculates that Supparaka might have been Sumatra . According to the Mahavamsa , Gautama Buddha asked the lord of gods (identified as Indra ) before he attained Nirvana to protect Vijaya in Lanka so Buddhism could flourish there. Indra gave

6723-412: Was made the prince regent by his father, but he and his band of followers became notorious for their violent deeds. After their repeated complaints failed to stop him, prominent citizens demanded that Vijaya be put to death. King Sinhabahu then expelled Vijaya and his 700 followers from the kingdom. The men's heads were half-shaved, and they were put on a ship that set out to sea. The wives and children of

6806-482: Was out, Sinhabahu escaped from the cave with Suppadevi and Sinhasivali. They reached a village, where they met a general of the Vanga Kingdom. The general was a cousin of Suppadevi, and later married her. Sinha began ravaging villages to find his missing family. The king of Vanga announced a reward to anyone who could kill Sinha, and Sinhabahu killed his father to claim the reward. By the time Sinhabahu returned to

6889-459: Was the son of Sinhabahu, the ruler of Sinhapura . Some versions suggest Vijaya was the grandson of Sinhabahu. According to the Mahavamsa and other historical sources , King Vijaya arrived on the island of Tambapanni (Sri Lanka) and gave rise to the Sinhalese. The story of the arrival of Prince Vijaya in Sri Lanka and the origin of the Sinhalese people is also depicted in the Ajanta caves, in

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