Light-house, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

The light-house, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Unripe fruits on the Palmyra tree. They turn black on ripening.

Video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erB0Cspah0c

Light-house Park, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Sunset at Amirthagaly, Batticaloa

Children at play near the light-house on Bar road

Amirthagaly, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Cadjan tent over fine sand for the children to play

Collection of pedal boats near a jetty

Video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp8Wgol9v1w

Pleasure boats, Amirthagaly, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Boats for hire

Swan-look pedal boat

Boats for hire at Amirthagaly, Batticaloa. Quite a few families come here in the evenings to enjoy a ride.

Amirthagaly, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

Entrance to boat yard

Boats for hire

A place for relaxation by hiring boats is available at Amirthagaly on the side of the Batticaloa lagoon.

Kallaaru bridge, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Kallaaru bridge

A paddy harvester and container on the bridge

New roads have brought various benefits to the East of Sri Lanka. Paddy harvesters are being used on the large paddy fields here.

The bridge at Kallaaru, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

On the bridge - Kallaaru

View from the bridge

The new post-tsunami built bridge gave these views.

Bridge and Hindu temple, Kallaaru, Batticaloa.

The post-Tsunami bridge at Kallaaru, Batticaloa.

Hindu temple on the beach at Periya Kallaaru.

Everything is part of the post-Tsunami reconstruction.

Oddamaavadi bridge, Sri Lanka.

The new bridge for road traffic spanning the Mahaweli Ganga at Oddamaawady.

Two views of a Batticaloa sunset taken in the 1980s.

Views of sunsets in Batticaloa takes ones breath away. I took these pictures in the 1980s.

Student

I took this picture in the 1980s on a 'timed exposure', using candle light. The camera used was an SLR with a 50mm lens. This was in the post cyclone days in Batticaloa when power supplies were being restored and there were frequent power cuts.

Uganthaimalai, Batticaloa, Sriu Lanka.

Uganthaimalai is a famous rock temple dedicated to Lord Murugan. It lies on the sea-shore on a rocky outcrop. It lies on the path of the pilgrims walking from the north of the Island to Kathirgaamam. I took this photo on a visit with a group from the Batticaloa Hospital. Photo taken by me on an SLR in the late 1980s.

Batticaloa sunset hours

I took this photo on an SLR in the 1980s, near the Rest House, Batticaloa. Colour photos were available at that time but were too expensive.

Government Hospital, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

 A corridor in the General Hospital (Teaching), Batticaloa and the Oncology Surgeon, Dr.Parthiban in his room.

Brahminy Kites, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Brahminy Kites photographed around the Batticaloa Fort.

Old Dutch Fort, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Seeing clockwise The Fort, the ferry landing site, a sentry point on the corner of the rampart and the bell tower are seen.

Old Dutch Fort, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

Looking clockwise the Fort, its front entrance on the lagoon side, the rampart on the wall of the fort and covered air-vents on the rampart are seen in this picture.

British guns on Batticaloa Fort.

 You can see the British Coat-of-arms and other markings on the artillery piece of those days.

The ghost in the Fort.

In the 1970s when I was Resident Surgeon at the General Hospital, Batticaloa I heard the following story. Inside the old Dutch fort connecting the rampart with the commanders quarters there was a metal - wooden floored bridge.
A night watcher inside the fort had heard someone walking on the wooden floor in the dead of the night. He had gone to investigate. He had seen a man dressed in metal armor and wearing a metal cap walking to and fro on this bridge. The metal ramp is now converted as a concrete bridge. I took this picture recently.

Rev.Ault, landing site, Puliyanthivu, Batticaloa

The place where the Rev. William Ault landed at Puliyanthivu in 1824, is remembered by the monument called the 'Batticaloa Gate'. There is a statue of the reverend close by. You can get a lovely view of the 'Kottamunai bridge from this site. I have included a photograph of same.