20 Rupees 2016, Sri Lanka
| in Krause book | Number: 123c |
| Years of issue: | 04.07.2016 |
| Edition: | 85 000 000 |
| Signatures: | Finance Minister: Ravi Karunanayake, CBSL Governor: I. Coomaraswamy |
| Serie: | Serie 2010 Development, Prosperity and Sri Lanka Dancers |
| Specimen of: | 01.01.2010 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 128 x 67 |
| Printer: | De la Rue Lanka Currency and Securities Print (Pvt) Ltd, Malawana |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Cornerstones. Denomination 20. Serendib scops owl (Otus thilohoffmanni).
Avers:
In the center there are 2 images of the port of Colombo (the capital of Sri Lanka) - today (below) and in the middle of the XX century. In today's photo are striped port cranes and a container terminal visible.
In the photo of the middle of the last century is the large Freezer Fishing Trawler and an Australian military convoy ship moored to it.
The Port of Colombo (known as Port of Kolomtota during the early XIV Century Kotte Kingdom) is the largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka. Located in Colombo, on the southwestern shores on the Kelani River, it serves as an important terminal in Asia due to its strategic location in the Indian Ocean. During the 1980s, the port underwent rapid modernization with the installation of Cranes, Gantries and other modern-day terminal requirements.
Currently with a capacity of 7 million TEUs and a dredged depth of over 15 m. (49 ft.), the Colombo Harbour is one of the busiest ports in the world, and ranks among the top 25 ports. It is also one of the biggest artificial harbours in the world handling most of the country's foreign trade. It has an annual cargo tonnage of 30.9 million tons. The port is also the naval base for Sri Lanka Navy Western Fleet under the Commander Western Naval Area (COMWEST).[citation needed] The Port of Colombo is home to the second tallest building in South Asia and is the center for many commercial interests. 
On right side is The Serendib scops owl (Otus thilohoffmanni) - endemic of Sri-Lanka.
The Serendib scops owl (Otus thilohoffmanni) is the most recently discovered bird of Sri Lanka. It was originally located by its unfamiliar poo-ooo call in the Kitulgala rainforest by prominent Sri Lankan ornithologist Deepal Warakagoda. Six years later, it was finally seen by him on 23 January 2001 in Sinharaja, and formally described as a species new to science in 2004. Apart from Sinharaja and Kitulgala, it has also been found at Runakanda Reserve in Morapitiya and Eratna Gilimale. Known as පඩුවන් බස්සා in Sinhala.
It is the first new bird to be discovered in Sri Lanka since 1868, when the Sri Lanka whistling thrush, then Ceylon whistling thrush (Myophonus blighi) was discovered. It is also the 24th (according to some authorities the 27th) endemic bird species for Sri Lanka.
The habitat of the Serendib scops owl is in the southern rain forests of Sri Lanka. There is an altitudinal range from 30 to 50 metres. This owl has no competition from other nocturnal birds, the territories are completely different. This species has a very small population, at the end of January 2006 only 80 of them were known to exist. The places that it is expected to be found are in five protected areas, like the Forest Reserve or the Proposed Reserve by Sri Lanka. They seem to be declining because of the loss of habitat and the degradation. The first two hours of darkness is when the owl hunts for its food.
This rare species inhabits the rainforests in the southwestern part of Sri Lanka. Like most owls, it is strictly nocturnal and hunts insects (e.g. beetles and moths) close to the ground. It begins calling at dusk, its frequency rising again some two hours before dawn.
Unlike the other two species of scops owl in Sri Lanka, Indian scops owl (Otus bakkamoena) and oriental scops owl (Otus sunia), it does not have ear tufts and its facial disc is only weakly defined. The general colour of this 16.5 cm. long, short-tailed owl is reddish brown with paler underparts, spotted all over with fine black markings. The irides are tawny yellow (more orangish in male) and the feet are a pale fleshy colour. Tarsi are feathered for less than half their length. The claws and bill are a pale ivory colour.
In lower left corner is Baronet butterfly (Symphaedra nais) or Nilgala Samanalaya (Sinhala).
Baronets are magnificently coloured butterflies with an orange upper side marked with black streaks and white edging on their wings. Their underside is reddish brown. The species is mostly found in the south central and south eastern part of the island. (notes.lakdiva.org)
In top right corner is The Sri Lanka Lion (Panthera leo sinhaleyus), with sword (from coat of arms). About The Sri Lanka Lion, please, read watermark description here!
Numeric 20 at upper left and lower right. At bottom center the value රුපියල් විස්සයි in Sinhala, இருபது ரூபாய் in Thamil and TWENTY RUPEES in English, of decreasing font size.
ශ්රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව in Sinhala at Top center, with smaller இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி in Thamil and English CENTRAL BANK OF SRI LANKA on next line.
Legality Legend in 3 lines
"ශ්රී ලංකාණ්ඩුව වෙනුවෙන් නිකුත් කරන ලද මේ
මුදල් නෝට්ටුව ශ්රී ලංකාව ඇතුළත ඕනෑම මුදල් ගණනක්
ගෙවිම සඳහා නිතියෙන් වලංගුය"
In English: "Issued on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka
Banknote legally valid for payment in Sri Lanka".
Revers:
In top right corner is the Punkalasa Guard stone. The traditional symbol in Sinhalese art is Pankalas or a pot of prosperity. Sign of good luck and abundance, represented by a decorative pot of flowers.
Guardstones (doratupala figures or muragal) are one of the finest creations of ancient Sinhalese artwork. Guard stone carved with pot of plenty is an expression of prosperity and it is associated with the belief of ushering prosperity to the building throughout the year. The best example of a guard stone with a pot of plenty is seen at the Abhayagiri archeological complex.
Guard stones had gone through three major stages in their development. Using the punkalas design was the first stage in this development.
In ancient days, there was a custom to keep pots of water with flowers (usually of the coconut palm variety) and budded twigs in front of buildings on important occasions. Even nowadays, such pots known as punkalas, are kept in front of wedding poruwas and also used at other important occasions.
Across all field of banknote is floral motive Liya vela.
Liya vela is a commonly used design technique in Sinhala art. It is a decorative art form using the leaves and flowers of a creeper.
A map of Sri Lanka appears in the background, centered to the left.
This banknote shows a drummer with Geta Beraia and a Ves Netuma dancer.
Ves Netuma (Ves Dance), the most popular form of dance in Sri Lanka, belongs to the classical dance known as Kandyan Dancing. It is believed that the Kandyan Dance originated in the IV century BCE with the ritual known as the Kohomba Kankariya, which Is performed to propitiate the deity known as Kohomba to obtain relief from various sicknesses, pestllences and to ensure health and prosperity throughout the year. The elaborate costume comprises of its glorious head dress which is considered sacred, a skirt like trilled cloth, decorated chest plates and bangles for arms and ankles. The Ves Netuma originally confined to the ritual of the Kohomba Kankariya, now forms a part of the repertoire of Kandyan Dancing and is performed on stage and in the Kandy Perehera independent of its ritual significance. The main drum used for this form of dance is the Geta Beraya.
Geta Beraya (Kandyan Drum) is the main drum used n Kandyan Dancing tradition, The drum tapers from the centre towards the ends.
To the left of the center is the dancer, and to the right are drummers from the city of Kandy.
There are three main styles of classical dance of Sri Lanka: Dances of Kandians from the highlands, known as Uda Rath Natum; The dances of the poor from the southern plains, known as Pahatha Rata Natum; Dancing Sabaragamuva or Sabaragamuva Natum.
Kandyans dances take their name from the city of Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka, which is located about 120 kilometers from the modern capital of Colombo. This genre is today considered a classic dance of Sri Lanka. There are five different types: ves, naiyandi, uddekki, pantheru, and vannams. Three classical dance forms are distinguished by their styles of body movements and gestures, the costumes of the performers, and the shape and size of the barrels used to provide rhythmic sound accompaniments of the dances.
The drum is used in the Kandyans' Dances, called Geta Bera, drumming for such as ruhunu (small country) dances like “Yak Bera”, and the drum in Sabaragamuva Dancing as “Davula” (the word Bera or Berea in Sinhale means “drum”). Geta Bera and Yak Bera are beaten with their hands, and Davula is played with a stick on one side and the other; Geta Bera has a shape that narrows on both sides, while Yak Bera and Davula are both cylindrical.
The main distinguishing feature between Kandy and Sabaragamuva dances, and how Ruhuna dances, is that Ruhun dancers wear masks. (srilankafinder.com .rus)
Numeric 20 at upper left and lower right. රුපියල් විස්සයි in Sinhala, இருபது ரூபாய் in Thamil and TWENTY RUPEES in English, in 3 lines of decresing font size at lower left.
ශ්රී ලංකා මහ බැංකුව in Sinhala, இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி in Thamil and CENTRAL BANK OF SRI LANKA in English, in 3 lines of decresing font size, at center upper left.
Printer Thomas De la Rue, Sri Lanka, in tiny text DE LA RUE in bottom right.
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