The city of gems sri lanka

       Ratnapura city

Ratnapura is a major city in Srilanka  .It is the capital city of Sabaragamuwa Province, as well as   the Rathnapura District, and is a traditional Centre for the Srilankan gem trade. It is located on the Kalu Ganga Sri Lanka , some  km [mi]southeast of the country's capital ,colombo.Rathnapura is also spelled as Rathnapura.

The name 'Ratnapura' is a Sanskrit word meaning ''city of gems'' from the Sanskrit words pura and ratna [gemstone] .over 2000 years ago ,when Buddhist monks arrived here from  the north eastern provinces of India namely Bodh-Gaya,Varanasi and Pataliputra , they not only brought with them the Buddhist religion , but since their teachings wee mainly in Sanskrit and Pall they also  influenced the local language .While candy produced from the jaggery paim is traditionally known in this region as ratnapura , It is more likely that the candy was named for the locale rather than vice versa.

It is the centre of a long -established industry of percious  stone mining including rubies , sapphires, and other gems .Apart from gem mining, the city is known for the production of rice and fruit. Large plantations of tea and rubber surround the city .Tea grown in this region is called low -country tea .There is a well established tourism industry in Rathnapura. Nearby Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Udawalawe National Park ,Kitulgala ,and Adam's peak are especially popular among tourists.

 It have many attraction places;

place of worship

* Maha Saman Devalaya-a shrine declicated to the god saman .The god Saman is considerent to be the guardian of Ratnapura .When the portuguese captured Ratnapura , the ancient shrine that stood at this location was destroyed and a Portugurse church was constructed on top of it .When the Kandyan kingdom recaptured Ratnapira, the Portugues church was destroyed and the shrine was rebuilt.Althought there is no direct evidence to support the existence of the old shrine , indirect evidence supports the existence of a shine that looked like a Hindu temple at the current location before Portugues times.Currently this shrine is a very important place for buddhists.

* Saints Peter and Paul's Cathedral

* Pothgul Viharaya

* St.Luke's Church 

* Siva Temple

* Sri Pada [Adam's Peak]

Attractions

*  Waterfalls- 

• Katugas Ella
• Kirindi Ella
• Rajanawa Ella
  
  
  
• Bopath Ella    
• Dodan Ella
• Mine ella

So, I'm proud to be born in a palce like this.....