Sinhalese language in the context of Atthakatha

Ola leaf is a palm leaf used for writing in traditional palm-leaf manuscripts and in fortune telling (horoscopes) in Southern India and Sri Lanka.

Ratnapura (Sinhala: රත්නපුර, IPA: [rət̪n̪əpurə]; Tamil: இரத்தினபுரி, IPA: [iɾɐt̪ːinɐβuɾi]) ("City of Gems" in Sinhala and Tamil) is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of Sabaragamuwa Province, as well as the Ratnapura District, and is a traditional centre for the Sri Lankan gem trade. It is located on the Kalu Ganga (Black River) in south-central Sri Lanka, some 101 km (63 mi) southeast of the country's capital, Colombo. Ratnapura is also spelled as Rathnapura.

The name 'Ratnapura' is a Sanskrit word meaning "city of gems", from the Sanskrit words pura (town) and ratna (gemstone). Over 2000 years ago, the Buddhist teachings in Sanskrit and Pali influenced the local language. While candy produced from the jaggery palm is traditionally known in this region as ratnapura, it is more likely that the candy was named for the locale rather than vice versa.

Rhipsalis baccifera, commonly known as the mistletoe cactus, is an epiphytic cactus which originates in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Florida. It is also found throughout the tropics of Africa and into Sri Lanka where it is known in Sinhala as nawahandi (නවහන්දි). This is the only cactus species naturally occurring outside the Americas. One hypothesis is that it was introduced to the Old World by migratory birds, long enough ago for the Old World populations to be regarded as distinct subspecies. An alternative hypothesis holds that the species initially crossed the Atlantic Ocean on European ships trading between South America and Africa, after which birds may have spread it more widely.