COVER N. 283- SRI LANKA

Postmark: Head Quarters P. O. Colombo - Mail - 30.06.23

Posted on the 30th June; Received on the 14th July 2023

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Sri Lanka, Ceilão (Ceylon)  as it used to be called when I first learned about it, or Tapobrana as Camões, our national Poet called it in his monumental epopee "os Lusíadas". Another country joins the list and this time with two entries in a row. Thank you so much, Ravindra.

I have to confess my ignorance regarding Sri Lanka's culture and the facts that I do come up with when I try to invoke my inherent data bank are not the kind of news that any country would like to be talked about for: civil war  between Tamil and Sinhalese and the horrific Tsunami of 2004.  Hopefully both are bad stories of the past although, in later years, again, social unrest caused by a pressured economy have made it to the news on TV all around the world,  but I do hope that Sri Lanka may find its way and prosper in peace for the benefit of all its citizens.  

Vesak is the most important Buddhist holiday, celebrating the birth, enlightenment (Nibbāna), and passing (Parinirvāna) of  Buddha.

Honouring this celebration, which is particularly relevant in Sri Lanka given that Buddhism is the creed of 70% of its population, Sri Lanka Post has issued on 04MAY2023 a three 50 Sri Lankan Rupee set illustrated with images of temples and a procession, all associated with the Vesak Festival, I presume.

The stamps were also issued integrated in a souvenir sheet and, further to the three, a fourth 50 Rupee stamp, also dedicated to the Vesak festival, illustrated with a painting of a procession, was equally issued on the same date.

Left to right, the temples depicted in the colourful stamps are  are:

The Thinipitiya Viharaya at Madampe;

The Sri Nagarama Purana Viharaya at Mahawewa;

The Paramakanda Raja Maha Viharaya at Anamaduwa.

Besides the identification of the temples, the stamps contain a legend with the name of the State  written in Sinhala - ශ්‍රී ලංකා - and Tamil - இலங்கை, - the official languages  and English - Sri Lanka - defined as the Link language.

Of note is also the fact that the year indication also shown on the stamps is that of the Buddhist calendar in use in Sri Lanka - 2567, corresponding to 2023 in  the Gregorian calendar.

The letter was mailed from Colombo, the country's capital, as indicated by the Postmark.