Travel
to Sri Lanka and make your dream Holiday come true!
Holiday in Sri Lanka is ideal if you're looking
forward to have fun, enjoy the sunshine and frolic
in white sandy beaches. If you want to do bird
watching, see wildlife paying a visit to Ceylon will
be a holiday you'll never forget. If you want to try
out eco tourism, Sri Lanka is a marvelous place to
spend your vacation. Sri Lanka is one place where
you could be in harmony with nature like in no other
place. By spending your holiday in Sri Lanka you'll
get so much of entertainment.
A Holiday in Sri Lanka means that you'll have loads
of fun, experience a unique culture
& heritage at www.lanka-travel.info
Lanka Travel Directory is the web site giving the
most comprehensive information on Ceylon. So if you
are thinking of a Vacation in Sri Lanka you have
come to the right place!
This beautiful garden is
situated in the serene Hill capital, Kandy. Located 4
miles off Kandy, the garden dates back to the reign of
king Vikrama Bahu III, 14th century. Peradeniya is is
home to a large variety of ornamental plants and other
creepers that are used to produce the special spices of
Sri Lanka. There is a flourishing growth of huge
tropical trees along the lawns. But the orchid house is
the prime attraction of this garden. Tourists will find
more than 300 varieties of exquisite orchids blooming in
profusion. The spice garden sustains trees and plants
used for the traditional Ayurvedic medicine.The scenic
splendour of the garden raised to ethereal heights by
the Mahaweli river which flows through its fringes.
The best know attraction
of the garden is the orchid House, which houses more
than 300 varieties of exquisite orchids. A spice garden
gives you a first hand introduction to the trees and
plants used for the traditional Ayurvedic medicine.
Mahaweli river, Sri Lanka's longest river surrounding
this garden gives an added beauty to this garden. It
wont be wrong to say that this garden is one of it's
best kind in the world and the best in Asia.
History and Heritage
The history of the Royal
Botanic Gardens dates as far back as 1371 when King
Wickramabahu III ascended the thrown and kept court at
Peradeniya near Mahaweli river. Later, in the reign of
King Kirti Sri from 1747 - 1780 King Rajadhi Rajasinghe
resided therein, where a temporary residence was erected
for him.
A vihare and dagaba were built in the reign of King
Wimala Dhamma which was improved by Kind Rajadhi
Rajasinghe. The vihare and dogaba were destroyed by the
English when they occupied Kandy. The famous historical
battle of Gannoruwa between Rajasinghe II and the
Portuguese was fought on the Northern side of the river.
A priest resided here till the Gardens were formed by Mr
Alexandar Moon in 1821 six years after the final
conquest of the Kandyan Kingdom.
In 1810 under the advice of Sir Joseph Banks a garden
named Kew was opened in Slave island and Mr William Kerr
was appointed as its Superintendent. In 1813 the garden
was moved to Kalutara for the reception of economic
plants which could be cultivated there on a larger scale
than was possible at Slave island. Kerr died in 1814 and
under the rule of his successor Mr Alexander Moon this
Garden was finally moved to Peradeniya in 1821 as it was
found to be favorable and better adapted for the
proposed Botanic establishment. The transfer of exotics
from the Kalutara Garden was made by successive
Superintendents at least up to 1843.
During Moon's superintendent the opening of the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, can be said to have
commenced though at first only the South West portion of
the Gardens was cleared and opened and it was mostly
planted with cinnamon and coffee. Moon published his
"Catalogue of Ceylon Plants" in 1824 in which was given
the Botanical and native names of 1, 127 plants,
indigenous to the island. After the appointment of Mr
George Gardner in 1844 the institution started upon its
more active independent and useful existence that it has
since maintained. Only 40 acres of the 147 acres were in
cultivation when Gardener took charge and the chief use
made of the land was to grow jak, coconuts and
vegetables for sale by the Government Agent in Kandy.
Gardner effected many important improvements in the
condition of the Gardens but his chief work was the
exploration of the country for the collection and
preparation of its flora. He died at Nuwara Eliya in
1849 and was succeeded by Dr Thwaites who for over 30
years maintained the Gardens in a high state of
efficiency, added largely to our knowledge of the flora
of the Colony and gave the establishment its worldwide
reputation. Botanic Gardens at Hakgala was established
in 1861 for introduction of Cinchona into the island and
in 1876 Gampaha (Henarathgoda) Botanic Garden was
started for the introduction of Rubber.
Thwaites was succeeded by
Dr Henry Trimen, under whose rule and capable management
the beauty and usefulness of the Gardens were very
considerably advanced. He established the Museum of
Economic Botany, opened branch Gardens at Badulla and
Anuradhapura and began the publication of his work, "The
Flora of Ceylon" which however was finished by Sir
Joseph D. Hooker after Trimen's death in 1896. In 1896
Trimen was succeeded by Dr J.C. Willis and from that
date a new extension of scientific work took place. In
the early years work was mainly directed towards the
introduction and acclimatization of useful and
ornamental plants but in later years activities
developed towards Economic, Botany and Agriculture and
led to the development of the Department of Agriculture
in 1912. Mr H.F. Macmillan who was appointed Curator in
1895, was made the Superintendent of Botanic Gardens in
1912 and Mr T.H. Parsons the Curator in 1914. During
Macmillan's superintendent the Gardens were improved and
extended and his great work "a Hand Book of Tropical
Planting and Gardening" was published. Macmillan retired
in 1925 and Mr T.H. Parsons continued as curator till
1945.
