“Travel Sri Lanka” is a popular search amongst travel enthusiasts around the world.

Undoubtedly, Sri Lanka is a wonderful country to travel to, with a fusion of colours and sounds, different languages that fall trippingly on the tongue as the music carried on the balmy breezes that blow off the coast of this exceedingly beautiful island.

SHRI LANKA

The present official country name is writing in English as “SRI LANKA”. However, from 1992 to 1993 English letters were used as “SHRI LANKA” as per the government decision. The stamps issued at that period give evidence of official usage of letters as “SHRI LANKA”.

CEYLON

The use of the current name of Sri Lanka began in 1972 when the country becomes a fully-fledged republic. Before that, the island was named “CEYLON”. It was created by the British when the island becomes a crown colony in 1815. The name Ceylon was derived from many variations used by the different nations at that period. Those were “SAHEELAN” by the Arab, “CELIAO” by the Portuguese, “SEYLAN or “ZEYLAN” by the Spanish and the “SELON” by the French.

The first stamp issued by Sri Lanka was in 1857 depicted the country name as Ceylon. 

Some of the stamps were issued between 1857 and 1948.

The country name Ceylon continued to be used even after Sri Lanka becoming an independent nation in 1948 and until 1972.

The first stamp issued after the independence was still using the country name Ceylon.

Since ancient times, Sri Lanka was famous around the world for its own exports of luxury goods such as precious gems, Pearls, elephants, ivory, valuable woods, and spices. Therefore, various nations who came to know about our Island used to refer to the island in different names.

PARASAMUDRA

The ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise “Arthasastra” written by Kautilya between 2nd -3rd century BC on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy referred to Sri Lanka as “PARASAMUDRA” (means beyond the Ocean). The Greeks used the translated version of it as “PALAESIMOUNDU”. Some Greek writers referred to “SIMOUNDU” as the abbreviated version.

TAPROBANA 

Megasthenes, (350-290 BC) an ancient Greek historian, diplomat and explorer referred to Sri Lanka as “ISLAND OF TAPROBANE”. The Greek geographers of Pliny (24-79 AD) and Ptolemy (100-170 AD) also referred to “TAPROBANE” and/or “TAPROBANA” to Sri Lanka.

The Geography of Ptolemy, a gazetteer, an atlas compiling the geographical knowledge of the Roman Empire originally written in Greek in around 150 AD mapped Sri Lanka as Taprobana.

The name Taprobane/Taprobana was believed to be derived from the word Tambapanni. “TAMBAPANNI” was the name given by the Indo-Aryan migratory prince Vijaya who arrived on this island in 543 BC with 700 of his followers according to the “Mahavamsa”, the historical chronicle of Sri Lanka. In Sanskrit Tamraparni or Tamravarni means copper or bronze colour. The name Tambapanni was derived from that Sanskrit word. 

The origination of this name was quite interesting. When Prince Vijaya and his followers landed on a place on the island's west coast, their hands and feet got red (copper) in colour due to the dust of the copper-coloured sand in the area. As a result that they nominated the island as Tambapanni.

It is believed that the present Kudiramalai area between Puttalam and Mannar on the west coast that belongs to the Wilpattu national park now, was the place prince Vijaya and his followers landed at the time.

SIELEDIBA

According to the Mahavamsa prince Vijaya, his followers’ tribe was known as Sihala because they were supposed to have lion ancestry. Hence the land of the Sihala people was called “SIHALADEEPA”. The names of “SIELEDIBA” and “SALIKE” or “SILEKE” were used by the ancient Indians that were derived from Sihaladeepa or Sihala.

“Lanka” and the “Shereeshavastu” were two towns on this island where Yakkhas and Nagas were inhibited during the time of arrival of prince Vijaya according to the Mahavamsa.

However, the Indian epic poem Ramayana written by Valmiki in the 5th century BC stated that the “Lanka” was an island fortress of the legendary Asura king Ravana. The present island of Sri Lanka has been traditionally recognized as the “LANKA” of Ramayana. But there are many controversies regarding the identity of the real Lanka in Ramayana among scholars. If the traditional recognition is correct that was the first instance Sri Lanka was recorded in history.

LANKADEEPA

During the lord Buddha’s period, Sri Lanka was referred to as “LANKADEEPA”, where “Deepa” means island in Sanskript and Lankadeepa means “Island of Lanka”.

SERANDIB

Arabs who had strong trade relations with ancient Sri Lanka referred several names to this island. Arab historian Al-Biruni or Abu Rihaan Muhammad was referred to as “SINGALDIP” in the 10th century AD. Arab traveller Iban Batuta and Arab Geographer Al-Idrisi referred to Sri Lanka as “SERANDIB”. An Arab book called Ajab-al-Hind was written by Ibn Shahriyar in 960 AD referred to Sri Lanka as Serendib as well as “SAHEELAN”. The name Saheelan was referred to as “ZEYLAN” or “SEYLAN” by Europeans. Hence the British was referred to as "CEYLON" and used it from 1815 to 1972 as the official name. 

Some Sri Lankan export products such as tea and rubber used the word “CEYLON” with their brand names.

We, FantAsia Tours (https://www.fantasiatours.com/), are always there to help you discover our wonderful island nation, Sri Lanka.

You also like to know:

Travel and Philately

https://www.fantasiatours.com/back-packers-helps/travel-philately

https://www.fantasiatours.com/viewDetailedItinerary/43