About Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon and now officially The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean just south of India and separated from it by the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar.
It is often called the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” or the “Teardrop of India” due to its shape, natural beauty, biodiversity, and historical role in trade routes. Geography Sri Lanka covers about 65,610 square kilometers (roughly the size of West Virginia or a bit smaller than Ireland). The island is mostly low, flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising in the south-central region. The highest peak is Pidurutalagala at 8,281 feet (2,524 meters).
Sri Lanka has a tropical monsoon climate, with the northeast monsoon (roughly December–March) and southwest monsoon (June–October). The country features beaches, rainforests, tea-covered highlands, rivers, waterfalls, and significant biodiversity (including endemic species of plants, birds, reptiles, and amphibians). It is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the few places where both Asian elephants and blue whales can potentially be seen in a single day.
The population is approximately 22 million (estimates for 2025–2026 range from about 21.9–23 million depending on the source). Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages, although English serves as a widely used link language.
The main religion in Sri Lanka is Buddhism (about 70%), Hinduism (around 13%) and Islam (around 10%). Christians are a minority, around 7–8% of the population (1.3 million), most of whom are Roman Catholic.
Sri Lanka has recently emerged from a civil war with the Tamil rebels to become one of the more stable countries in Southeast Asia. Colombo is the largest city and the commercial, executive, and judicial capital. Nearby Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (also simply known as Kotte) serves as the legislative capital.
Sri Lanka blends ancient traditions with modern influences, reflected in festivals, cuisine (featuring rice, curry, coconut, spices, and seafood), arts, and architecture.
The capital city is Colombo, and is the largest city in the country.
Catholic Shrines Places of Interest in Sri Lanka:
There are three major Catholic Shrines in the country:
Colombo (Ragama): Basilica of Our Lady of Lanka
Madhu: Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu
Matara: Shrine of Our Lady of Matara
Traveling to Sri Lanka:
You will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) applied for online in advance via the official website: eta.gov.lk. Visa / Entry Requirements (ETA). Almost all short-stay visitors (tourism or business) must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arrival. Free 30-day tourist ETA (double-entry in many cases) for nationals of about 40 countries, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, most EU countries, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and others (full list on the official site). Singapore, Seychelles (30 days), and Maldives (up to 90 days) also qualify under reciprocal arrangements.
Other nationalities pay a fee (typically around USD 20–55 depending on category and nationality; SAARC countries often lower).
Children under 12 usually get free tourist ETA for up to 30 days.
Key requirements on arrival: Passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry, confirmed return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation and sufficient funds (may be requested), Yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from (or transiting) a yellow-fever risk country.
Always verify your specific nationality and the latest rules with a Sri Lankan embassy/consulate, as policies can change. Overstaying can result in fines.
By ship or ferry: You can travel from India to Sri Lanka either via the Nagapattinam–Kankesanthurai passenger ferry or luxury cruises from Chennai, with journey times ranging from 3.5 hours to several days depending on the option. Several major cruise lines offer ports-of-call in Sri Lanka including Holland America, Princess and Cunard.
By air: Most visitors reach Sri Lanka by air. The Main gateway is Bandaranaike International Airport (IATA code CMB), located about 35 km north of Colombo city. Direct flights operate from many Indian cities (short hops of 1–3.5 hours), major Middle Eastern hubs (Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi), Southeast Asia (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok), Europe (including direct SriLankan Airlines flights from London Heathrow), and other Asian cities. Common connecting hubs are Doha (Qatar Airways), Dubai (Emirates), Singapore, and others. SriLankan Airlines is the national carrier and offers good connectivity.
A secondary international airport exists in the south (Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport – HRI), but CMB handles the vast majority of international traffic.