SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS: Sri Lanka History

Sri Lanka Holidays: latest edition of Mahawamsa

Tour The Land of Delights with Riolta Lanka Holidays (My Sri Lanka Holidays), Sri Lanka. Total Holiday Experience awaits you in the beautiful tropical island of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Holidays presents the publisher's brief narration on the latest edition of Mahavamsa, for the benefit of those tourists of Sri Lanka Holidays.  The great chronicle of Sri Lanka from chapters one to thirty seven was edited with an annotated new translation with prolegomena by Dr. Ananda W. P. Guruge. ISBN-955-20-8963-8

The Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka Mahavamsa Chapters one to thirty-seven Ananda W. P. Guruge

Sri Lanka has a unique heritage with its fascinatingly colorful history maintained in an unbroken written record extending beyond two thousand five hundred years.With an exceptionally rare historical sense, the island nation has preserved its memory of the varying vicissitudes through which its peoples have endeavored to safeguard its spiritual & cultural identity.

Of its many works of history, the Mahavamsa remains the most inspiring & enduring. Its first thirty-seven chapters, reflecting the first eight hundred years of nation-building was written by the historian-poet Mahanama(1), with remarkable skill in historiography & literary expression, in the sixth century CE in Pali verse. Updated & expanded from time to time, the Mahawamsa, the non-stop historical epic of Sri Lanka, is an integral part of the universal heritage of humanity.

So was it recognized since its first translation into English in 1837 by George Turner & the next in 1912 by Wilhelm Geiger. Reflecting the vast progress made in archeological & epigraphically research & the exploration of corroborative supporting evidence from world literature, a new translation & an in-depth study became a felt national need. Dr. Ananda W. P. Guruge, the internationally renowned scholar in Asian History, with special expertise in Buddhist studies & Sri Lankan history & culture, responded to this need in 1989 with  his annotated new translation with prolegomena.

Godage International publishers (Pvt.) Ltd. is privileged to publish this revised new edition, on a renewed demand for this scholarly treatment of the most important source of Sri Lanka’s ancient history.END

Footnotes by bunpeiris

(1) Historian-poet Mahanama, a Buddhist Bhikshu (priest) was an uncle of King Dhatusena of Anuradhapura, the builder of great rainwater reservoir “Kala Weva”. It was King Dhatusena’a son King Kashaypa ( AD 479- 497)  who built Sigiriya Lion Rock Citadel.

Sri Lanka Holidays wish to impress upon all the visitors to the ancient Sri Lanka that the new translation of Mahavamsa is a must read.