In antiquity, Sri Lanka was known to travellers by a variety of names. According to the Mahavamsa, the legendary Prince Vijaya named the land Tambapanni (‘copper-red hands’ or ‘copper-red earth’), because his followers’ hands were reddened by the red soil of the area.[22][23] In Hindu mythology, such as the Ramayana, the island was referred to as Lankā (‘Island’). The Tamil term Eelam (Tamil: ஈழம், romanized: īḻam), was used to designate the...Read More