LANKA
Sri Lankans pan for gold in the Kelaniya river, at Ranwala, in Pugoda, 34km from Colombo yesterday. The news of the presence of gold nuggets in the sands of the Kelaniya river drew large crowds which made the police enforce a ban on them.

 Later the authorities issued permits for panning and there was a controlled rush. History records the existence of gold as well as iron ore in Sri Lanka and of their being used by ancient kings. Ranwala or the ‘pit of gold’ in Sinhalese is believed to have thus derived its name since it is in close proximity to Kelaniya which had been a centre of ancient royal administration