Back5 things Narendra Modi could do in Sri Lanka if he weren’t Prime Minister
Modi landed in Colombo on the first visit to Sri Lanka by an Indian Prime Minister since 1987
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Early on Friday, Narendra Modi landed in Colombo on the first visit to Sri Lanka by an Indian Prime Minister since 1987. If it wasn’t an official visit, there are other things Modi could have done in the island nation.
For one, he could have taken time off to visit sites of Buddhist history.
In his nearly 10 months as Prime Minister, Modi has come across as a student of history. Sri Lanka, with its rich Buddhist heritage is a must-visit country for followers of the religion. Let’s start with Anuradhapura, the first major kingdom in ancient Sri Lanka. The kingdom was founded in 377 BC by a king named Pandukabhaya, hailed as the first truly Sri Lankan king. Located in the island’s north-central province, Anuradhapura was the capital of the country for around 1,300 years.
According to the popular travel guide Lonely Planet, “The ruins of Anuradhapura remain one of Sri Lanka’s most electrifying sights. The sprawling complex contains a rich collection of archaeological and architectural wonders; enormous dagobs, soaring brick towers, ancient pools and crumbling temples, built during Anuradhapura’s 1000 years of rule over Sri Lanka."
There are other significant sites of ancient Sinhalese and Tamil history in the island nation. Kataragama (or Kathirgamam) temple in Sri Lanka’s Uva province (Monaregala district, to be precise) is one. Kataragama has places of religious importance for Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims alike.
It is also home to the guardian deity of Sri Lanka, known as Kataragama Deviyo. The deity is worshipped as Murugan (or Kartikeya) by the Hindus, and Skanda (another Hindu name, by the way, for Kartikeya) by the Buddhists.
Lastly, since Modi is visiting the North, let’s look at Jaffna and what it has to offer.
Jaffna is home to many Hindu temples built during the reign of the Aryachakravarthi dynasty, which ruled Jaffna.
Tamil and Sanskrit literature flourished during the reign. For a start, he could visit the famous Nallur Kandaswamy Temple, located in Point Pedro Road. Besides, there’s a Sri Maha Ganapathy Pillaiyaar Kovil (kovil is temple in Tamil language) located in Sithankerney.
If he were in Sri Lanka as a tourist, the Indian prime minister could have tried some culinary hot spots as well.
Modi is a vegetarian. There’s a place called Saraswati Lodge in Bambalapittiya, Colombo 4, which might be a good place to start. It’s famous for its string hoppers and kothu (chopped parottas) that are popular Sri Lankan dishes (also common in states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala).
Besides, there are places like Shanmuga’s in Colombo’s Welawatte, which offer Indian cuisines of all kinds.
For non-vegetarian, the options open up immensely. A restaurant by cricketers Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, deliciously named the ministry of crabs, is a one-stop outlet for sea-food offerings in Colombo.
Then there’s The Lagoon, located on Galle Road, which is also famous for its sea food.
Modi, being a strict tee-totaller, doesn’t consume alcohol. But for those who do, there’s an indigenous liquor called the arrack (araku in parts of South India, Kerala especially), brewed from fermented dry coconut, which is the favourite local tipple.
And the tea, which Sri Lanka is universally known for, is quite the winner here. The tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya, one of Sri Lanka’s most popular tourist destinations, are definitely worth a visit. Just adjoining Nuwara Eliya is yet another famous tourst destination — the Sigiriya Rocks.
Modi could also have toured some Sri Lankan national parks.
Sri Lanka is known for its eclectic wildlife and is home to the famous Sri Lankan elephant or the Elephas maximus maximus. En route to the central city of Kandy is an elephant orphanage in Pinnawala. Located adjacent to the Maha Oya River, Pinnawala was established in 1975 by government to provide care for orphaned elephants.
The island has other national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The Wilpattu National Park, its largest and oldest, is a must-visit for tourits. Located near Anuradhapura, Wilpattu is known for its leopards. The park was closed to visitors for nearly 16 years (1988 to 2003) due to security concerns.
Further south is Yala, the second-largest and arguably the most visited national park in Sri Lanka. Located in the Uva province, adjacent to the pilgrimage site Kataragama, the national park is known for Sri Lankan species of the gray hornbill, jungle fowl and the brown-clapper babbler, to name a few.
Besides the elephant, Yala is also home to other mammal species like the Sri Lankan sloth bear and the Sri Lankan leopard.
Tourists also have the option of basking on Sri Lanka’s many beaches, some of the most gorgeous in South Asia. The beaches, spread across the West and East coasts of the country, also offer adventure watersport activities like scuba-diving and snorkelling.
The most famous beaches of Sri Lanka are Unawatana (near Galle), Hikkaduwa-Bentota (near Galle), Trincomalee (Eastern Province), Weligama (located in Matara). These beaches also double up as resorts, with the promise of good sea food always in the vicinity.
Like India, Sri Lanka is known for yoga and Buddhist meditation. In fact, Buddhist texts, especially those belonging to the Vajrayana fold, contain a mention of these practices—bhavana and dhnyana.
Over the last two decades, Sri Lanka has seen a sudden sprawl of eco-villages (like Ulpotha) dedicated to ayurveda, the traditional and ancient medical treatment technique. Other than Ulpotha, there are places like Siddhalepa, one of the first Ayurvedic spas and resorts in Sri Lanka.
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