Designed to offer a relaxing atmosphere in Colombo, this quality bed
and breakfast is the perfect getaway.
Located in a quiet neighborhood, Lion's Gate offers travelers peace
and quiet within minutes of metropolitan Colombo.
Whether enjoying a cup of tea served on the verandah or a refreshing
dip in the pool you will find Lion's Gate the perfect location.
It is only just minutes away from Colombo's newest country club and
Golf course, "Waters Edge". Our full time resident chef has
experience in preparing both Sri Lankan as well as European style meals.
Additional services such as transportation can be arranged by special
request. Contact us for details.
Accommodations:
There are three distinctively decorated guest rooms, each with its
own private bath. All rooms feature air conditioning and a television
for your comfort.
Meals:
Meals are prepared on site for a nominal fee. Your menu options
include both traditional Sri Lankan fare as well as European style
meals.
On-Site Amenities:
Air conditioning, telephone, television, swimming pool, beautifully
landscaped garden, laundry facilities, iron, sundeck.
About Sri Lanka:
Tea Culture in Sri Lanka:
Being one of the largest producers of tea in the world, Sri Lankans
drink a lot of tea. Many Sri Lankans drink at least three cups a day.
Sri Lanka is also one of the best tea producing countries in the World
and the Royal Family of the United Kingdom has been known to drink
Ceylon tea. Tea is served whenever a guest comes to a house, it is
served at festivals and gatherings. It is served almost anywhere in
Sri Lanka.
Religion in Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka's culture also revolves around religion. The Buddhist
community of Sri Lanka observe Poya Days, once per month according to
the Lunar calendar. The Hindus and Muslims also observe their own
holidays. Sri Lankans are very religious because the history of the
island has been involved with religion numerous times. There are many
Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka and many mosques, Hindu temples and
churches all across the island. The religious preference of an area
could be determined by the number of religious institutions in the
area. The north and the east of the island has many mosques and Hindu
temples because a large Tamil and Muslim population resides in those
areas. Many churches could be found along the southern coast line
because many living in those areas are Roman Catholic or Christian.
The interior of the island is mostly the Buddhist population and there
are many Buddhists residing in all parts of the island because they
are the largest religious group in Sri Lanka.
Sports Culture in Sri Lanka:
Sports plays a very big part in Sri Lankan culture. Sri Lanka's
main sport is Cricket. Every child in Sri Lanka knows how to play
cricket, and there are many cricket fields scattered across the island
for children and adults to play the sport. The biggest pastime of the
Sri Lankan population, after cricket, is watching the Sri Lankan
National Team playing cricket. It is common for businesses to shut
down when very big matches are televised. This was the case in 1996
when the Sri Lankan team beat Australia in the finals to win the
Cricket World Cup. The whole country shut down as though there were a
curfew imposed upon the whole island.
Music of Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka is an island off the southern coast of India. Its
population is mostly Sinhalese, as well as minorities of Tamils,
Burghers and the last remnants of the Veddas, the forest dwelling
aborigines of Sri Lanka.
The two single biggest influences on Sri Lankan music are from
Buddhism and Portuguese colonizers. Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka
after the Buddha's visit in 300 BC, while the Portuguese arrived in
the 15th century, bringing with them cantiga ballads, ukuleles and
guitars, along with African slaves, who further diversified the
musical roots of the island. These slaves were called kaffrinha, and
their dance music was called baila. Traditional Sri Lankan music
includes the hypnotic Kandyan drums - drumming was and is very much a
part and parcel of music in both Buddhist and Hindu temples in Sri
Lanka. There are sometimes even banners saying "Ichiro!
Ichiro!"
Cuisine of Sri Lanka:
The cuisine of Sri Lanka draws influence from that of India, as
well as colonists and foreign traders. Rice, which is usually consumed
daily, can be found at any special occasion, while spicy curries are
favourite dishes for dinner and lunch. A very popular alcoholic drink
is toddy, made from palm tree sap. Rice and curry refers to a range of
Sri Lankan dishes. Sri Lankans also eat Hoppers which can be found
anywhere in Sri Lanka. Many Sri Lankans eat short eats as a snack
which is a variety of hamburgers, hot dogs, Chinese rolls, patties and
pastries.
It also should be noted that much of Sri Lanka's urban areas now
are filled with many American fast food corporations, such as
McDonald's. Although many, especially elders and those who stubbornly
stick to their cultural cuisine, reject this, many of the younger
generation have started to take a liking to this new American cuisine.
Sri Lankan Firsts:
- First country in the world to have established a dedicated
hospital (Mihintale, 4th century BC)
- The world's first recorded wildlife sanctuary was at Mihintale. It
was established by King Devanampiyatissa in the 3rd century BC.
- Oldest country in the World within its present borders (the island
of Sri Lanka existed as an independent sovereign country as far back
as the 4th century BC)
- First female monarch in an Asian country, Queen Anula (47–42 BC)
- First country in the World to have a female prime minister (Sirimavo
Bandaranaike, July 21, 1960)
- Longest period of continuous multi-party democracy by a
non-western country (1931–present)
- World's leading exporter of tea; Ceylon tea is famed to be one of
the best teas in the world.
- World's leading exporter of cinnamon; exported to Egypt as early
as 1400 BC
- First country in South Asia to start radio broadcasting with Radio
Ceylon — celebrated 80 years in Broadcasting on December 16, 2005
- First country in Asia to fly the Airbus A340
Miscellaneous Facts About Sri Lanka:
- The Nil Manel, (Nympheae Stelleta), has been the national flower
of Sri Lanka from 1986. The national tree of Sri Lanka is Na (Mesua
ferrea)
- Seven properties of Sri Lanka have been inscribed in the UNESCO
World Heritage List, namely, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa (1982),
the ancient city of Sigiriya (1982), the golden Temple of Dambulla
(1991), the old town of Galle and its fortifications (1988), the
sacred city of Anuradhapura (1982), the sacred city of Kandy (1988)
and the Sinharaja forest reserve (1988)
- The world's oldest documented tree, and first generation of the
tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment - the Sri Maha
Bodhi - still grows in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
- The Buddhist scriptures were first committed to writing at
Aluvihare in Sri Lanka.
- The chronology of early India depends upon that of the Mahawansa,
the Sri Lankan Historical Record.
- Winner of the 1996 Cricket World Cup
- Sri Lanka is recognised with the popular slogan The Pearl of the
Indian Ocean
- Several names have been used in ancient times to describe Sri
Lanka. In Ptolemy's map (127–151 AD) Sri Lanka was depicted as
Taprobana. One of the seamen of Alexander the Great used the name
Sinhala Dvipa. The name Serendib was used by the Arab navigators in
the 6th and 7th centuries. This was further contracted to Ceilão by
the Portuguese, Ceylan by the Dutch and Ceylon by the British.
Provinces of Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka is divided into 8 provinces for the purposes of local
governance. Each province is administered by a directly elected
Provincial Council. The provinces are:
Central:
The Central Province of Sri Lanka consists primarily of mountainous
terrain. Both the hill capital Kandy and the city of Nuwara Eliya are
located within the Central Province as well as Sri Pada. The province
produces much of the famous Ceylon tea, planted by the British in the
1860's after a devastating disease killed all the coffee plantations
in the province. Central Province attracts many tourists, with hill
station towns such as Kandy, Gampola, Hatton and Nuwara Eliya.
The historic Matale town, and the Sigiriya rock is also in the
Central Province.
Though three successive European powers invaded Sri Lanka during
the 16th to the 19th century, the Central Province maintained its
independence until the early 19th century when the British finally
managed to conqueror Kandy.
The province has an area of 5,674 km²,and a population of
2,421,148. Some major towns include Kandy, Gampola (24,730), Nuwara
Eliya and Bandarawela. The population is a mixture of Sinhalese, Tamil
and the Moors. Many tea plantation workers are Indian Tamils, brought
over to Sri Lanka by the British in the 19th century.
The climate is cool, and many areas about 1500 metres often have
chilly nights. The western slopes are very wet, some places having
almost 7000 mm of rain per year. The eastern slopes are parts of the
mid-dry zone as it is receiving rain only from North-Eastern monsoon.
The Temperatures range from 24ºC at Kandy to just 16ºC in Nuwara
Eliya, which is located 1,889 m above sea level. The highest mountains
in Sri Lanka are located in the Central Province. The terrain is
mostly mountainous, with deep valleys cutting into it. The two main
mountain regions are the central massif and the Knuckles range to the
east of Kandy.
North Central:
North Central Province is a province of Sri Lanka. Its capital is
Anuradhapura. The province is economically rather backward and not
densely populated, as the land tends to be dry tropical woodlands.
North Eastern:
The North Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the merger of the
Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka into a single province.
Trincomalee is the capital of the NEP and the location of the
Provincial Government and Provincial Departments. Trincomalee is an
anglicized version of Thirukonamalai. Thiru = Holy; Kona = East; Malai
= Hill. Kona is derived from the 1st century word kuna.
The ancient people who lived in this province are called 'Nagas'.
It is a derivative of the word Pali word Nagina-hira = Rising Side or
East. Nagar Kovil, Naga Patnam, and Nagaland are similar names arising
from these root words.
The Mahaweli River ends in Eastern Province. It is a derivative of
similar river suffixes like wezi, weri, vari, and vazhi. In several
languages it means water, way, and rain. Similar river names are
Zambwezi, Mahafali, Kaveri and Godavari.
North Western:
North Western Province, or "Wayamba" as it is known in
Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba.
Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of over 28,000. The
province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other
main towns in this province are Chilaw (24,000) and Puttalam (45,000),
which are both small fishing towns. The majority of the population of
Wayamba province is of Sinhalese ethnicity. There is also is a
Tamil-speaking Muslim minority around Puttalam. Fishing and prawn
farming are some other main industries, alongside coconut and rubber
plantations. The province has an area of 7,888 km², and a population
of 2 million.
Southern:
The Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area
consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The
region is economically backward compared to the Western province,
where the capital Colombo is situated. Subsistence farming and fishing
is the main source of income for the vast majority of the people of
this region.
The more educated people of the province have been slowly migrating
to Colombo, which has hindered industrial development of the region.
Important landmarks of the Southern Province include the wildlife
sanctuaries of the Yala and Uda Walawe National Parks, the holy city
of Kataragama, and the ancient cities of Tissamaharama, Kirinda and
Galle. (Although Galle is an ancient city, almost nothing survives
from before the Portuguese invasion.) During the Portuguese period
there were two famous Sinhalese poets called Andare who was from
Dickwella and Gajaman Nona who was from Denipitiya in Matara District,
composing poems on common man.
Uva:
Uva is Sri Lanka's second least populated province, with just over
1 million people, created in 1896. It consists of two districts:
Badulla and Monaragala. The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is
borderd by the Eastern, Southern and Central provinces. Its major
tourist attractions are Dunhinda Falls, Diyaluma Falls, Rawana Falls,
the Yala National Park (lying partly in the Southern and Eastern
Provinces) and Gal Oya National Park (lying partly in the Eastern
Province). The Gal Oya Hills and the Central Mountains are the main
uplands, while the Mahaweli (Sinhalese: great-sandy) and Menik (Sinhalese:
gemstone) rivers and the huge Senanayake Samudraya and Maduru Oya
Reservoirs are the major waterways.
Uva province's symbolic mountain is Namunukula which stands tallest
among the mountain range surrounding the Badulla town. One can get
spectacular views of Welimada basin, Katharagama and Hambantota beach
from Namunukula peak on a clear day. The views of sun rise and sun set
are magnificent too.
Haputale mountain range has its tallest, mount Kirigalpottha.
Haputale-Beragala gap gives a splendid view of the Southern and
Sabaragamuwa provinces on a clear day.
The provincial history records a 1818 uprising against the British
colonial government which had been controlling the formally
independent Udarata (Sinhalese: Up-Country), of which Uva was a
province. The uprising was led by Keppetipola Dissawe - a leader that
the Sinhalese celebrate even today - who was sent initially by the
British Government to stop the uprising. The rebels captured Matale
and Kandy before Keppetipola fell ill and was captured - and beheaded
by the British. His skull was abnormal - as it was wider than usual -
and was sent to Britain for testing. It was returned to Sri Lanka
after independence, and now rests in the Kandiyan Museum.
Sabaragamuwa:
Sabaragamuwa is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main
cities: Ratnapura and Kegalle. Sabaragamuwa University is in
Belihuloya. It is named after its former indigenous inhabitants,
namely the Sabara, an indic term for hunter gatherer tribes, a term
seldom used in ancient Sri Lanka.
At an elevation of approximately 500 feet above sea level,
Ratnapura is the provincial capital of Sabargamuwa. It is 60 miles
(100 km) from the main coastal city of Colombo.
Western:
Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri
Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as
well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.
