Sri Lankan sambar deer. The Sri Lankan sambar or Indian sambar ( Rusa unicolor unicolor ) - it is also spelt "sambhur" or "sambur" - ගෝනා (gōṇā) in Sinhala, is a subspecies of the sambar that lives in India and Sri Lanka. This subspecies is one of the largest sambar subspecies, with the largest antlers both in size and in body.

Sambar (Tamil: [saːmbaːɾ] , romanized: Sāmbār) is a lentil-based vegetable stew, cooked with pigeon pea and tamarind broth. It is popular in South Indian, Sri Lankan and Maldivian cuisines. The stew has been adapted into Burmese cuisine as a popular accompaniment to Burmese curries.