COVER N. 317 - SRI LANKA

Postmark: Headquarters P.O. Colombo - Mail - 04.09.2023

Posted on the 4th September; received on the 22nd September 2023

_________________________________________________________________________________

Beautiful animal  illustrations on a cover laden with stamps. Thanks a lot Ravindra.

- As I understand it, in 1961, Sri Lanka iniiated a vast development project centered on the Mahaweli river with a view to establish controlled irrigation areas and hydroelectric power generating facilities, thus allowing for the settlement of populations in the area. The project would affect an area of 365,000 ha and so compensation measures had to be taken, the creation of five national parks to protect impacted fauna and flora having been considered.

Wasgamuwa National Park, establkished in 1984, famous for its elephant population, located in the centre of the country,  is one of those parks and on  05OCT2029, Sri Lanka Post issued a set of 6 souvenir sheets with one stamp each dedicated to the  animals of the park.

Five of these stamps ( 2x 12; 15; 2x45 rupees) can be seen on the cover, the beautiful illustrations depicting a butterfly, the five-bar swordtail (Graphium antiphates ceylonicus); a lizzard, the painted-tipped lizard (Calotes ceylonensis - endemic to Sri Lanka); a fresh water fish the SriLlanka Combtail (Belontia signata - endemic to Sri Lanka); the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) and a bird, the Sri Lanka red faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus - endemic to Sri Lanka).

The stamp missing from the set on the cover is dedicated to the Sri Lanka Purple faced Langur (Trachypithecus vetulus), a primate species also endemic to the country.

- the 15 rupee circular stamp was issued by Sri Lanka Post in commemoration of World Post Day of 2021, celebrated each year on the 9th October, precisely the day of issuance of the stamp.

The Madu Ganga Wetland is formed by the Madu Ganga lake and the Randombe Lake which are interconnected by two narrow channels, according to the potted article on Wikipedia. Quoting direct: "It has a high ecological, biological and aesthetic significance, being home to approximately 303 species of plants belonging to 95 families and to 248 species of vertebrate animals. The inhabitants of its islets produce peeled cinnamon and cinnamon oil".

It was declared a Ramsar wetland in 2003.

On 02FV2009 Sri Lanka Post issued a two stamp set (5 and 25 Ruppees) dedicated to the Madu Ganga Wetland. The 5 rupee stamp is illustrated with an image of a Lumnitzera littorea  mangrove.