GEMSTONES AND HANDY CRAFT Sri Lanka has a rich and varied heritage of traditional arts & crafts. The products of aged-old techniques, tools, natural indigenous materials, mainly in the homes of craftsmen and women or in rural crafts centers and incorporate a legacy of centuries of inbred skill. The ancient Indo-Aryan social system of Sri Lanka assigned certain trades and pursuits to specific socio-economic groups or castes; it was within these castes that traditional skills were preserved with high degree of purity and distinct identity. During your tour in Sri Lanka you have the opportunity to observe, touch, feel and chat with the artisans and craft people while they are at their creative work.

Anuradhapura, The capital city of ancient Sri Lanka, The quiet essential form of Buddhist architecture began as a mound of earth and developed into the stupa of india, the chedis of Thiland, and the pagodas of China and Japan, In Sri Lanka the grew to unprecedented size under the patronage of Anuradhapura's fervent kings. Read more   Sri Lankan cooking has evolved around the staple rice. The national meal is not referred to as "curry" but as "rice and curry" which gives credit in descending order, for a sri lankan will sit in front of a mountainous plate of rice to which is added small spoonfuls of curries, meat or vegetable, along with spoonfuls of various pickles or sambols. Read more   Booking forms and customer enquires for future requirements Read more	Rathnapura (Gem City) Is located in the southwest foothills of the hill country  and is 101km.from Colombo. This district is most famous for its gems……one of our island’s aged-old exports, like elephants and spices. Certainly most of the people of this district have connections with the gem trade, in its many facets…….either mining, cutting or polishing, making jewellery or selling gems and  jewellery. Visits to gem mining sites, gem museums, lapidaries and show rooms will fascinate visitors. There you’ll find stones of Sapphires, Rubies, Amethysts, Topaz, Garnets, Tourmalines, Cat’s eyes, Star rubies and Sapphires, the mysterious Moonstones (feldspar), to name a few. - Kandy - Kandyan arts & crafts are very distinctive among the others from different regions, some of the art effects include, Brass work - Cast or wrought brassware ornamented with fine carvings, silver or copper inlayed boxes, trays, lampshades, hinges, vases, statues and oil lamps. Silver ware - Exquisitely carved and filigree jewellery, trays, trinket boxes, tea sets, candle-stands, cutlery & ashtrays. Sterling silver s well as plated ware is available. Dumbara mats - A highly localized art centered in the dumber valley of the Kandy district. The base fibre is obtained from the plant named Niyanda is woven into distinctive age-old designs. The range of items comprises mats, wall hangings, bags, room-dividers, screens, tablemats & cushion-covers. Lacquer ware - Another highly localized kandyan craft. The ‘lac’ pigments were traditionally obtained from an insect’s resins collected from forest. The boiled-down lacquer is applied expertly by fingernail or with a revolving lathe. The range includes walking sticks, bookends, ashtrays, litter-openers, wooden handles and small tables. Batik - (Wax-resist hand-dyed textiles), a craft with indigenous Sri Lankan and Indonesian roots, has developed here with dramatic and distinctive designs and vibrant colour schemes. The range includes ready-to-wear fashion garments, designer-clothes, wall hangings, pennants, cushion-covers and other décor items. Wood carving - A very old craft in Sri Lanka, wall-plaques, ornaments, ebony elephants, trays, statues etc. - Ambalangoda  - Ambalangoda is famous for wooden-demon mask carving, these masks were originally (and still are) used in demon propitiation and curative rituals. They make colourful and dramatic décor items and are available in a range of sizes from miniature to outsize. - Galle - Lace - Exquisite hand-made pillow, crochet and tatting lace are very much a southern specialty, introduced in the 16th century by Portuguese colonizers. Apart from collars, table linen and dollies, it is also available in lengths. Handloom textiles - A handy craft with ancient roots, handloom woven silk and cotton textiles have seen a major revival recently. Vivid colours and attractive textures and weaves make them popular choices for furnishing, accessories and in Sri Lanka’s burgeoning garment industry.