New Delhi, March 24 -- When the invading Portuguese built a small fort in southwest Sri Lanka in 1588, they could not have guessed that more than 400 years later, it would become the site of one of South Asia's premier literary festivals. The fortress, captured, fortified further, and expanded by the Dutch in 1640, stands at the historic Galle port, once a key stop along the ancient maritime Silk Route, its location attracting traders from Arabia, Persia, India, China, and later Europe. These influences shaped the city's architecture, cuisine, and traditions.

Enclosed by massive moss-encrusted ramparts overlooking the Bay of Galle, the fort, sprawling over 2.5 km in circumference, is the largest remaining one built by Europeans in Asia. ...