'Katina Pinkama Perahera' (ctd), Honitan Place, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

'Katina Pinkama' Perahera, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

During the three  months of 'Vaes Kaley' - rainy season, the Theravada Buddhist monks remain in their residences. During this period the laymen supply them with all necessities. At the end of the three months, the laymen organize a Perahera to signify the end of the 'Katina' period. The word 'Katina' means difficult. A Tamil equivalent is 'Kadhinam'. I took the above photos of a 'Katina Perahera' dong the rounds of our village in Avissawella, at 4am.

Sun-bird, Parakeet and an Orchid flower, Home garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Sights on a misty morning.

On the High level road from Godagama to Kaluaggala, Sri Lanka.

Rubber plantation lining the highway

Boiled Indian corn for sale, wayside.

After the hot concrete jungle of the city of Colombo, this area called Ihalagama off Hanwella is very cool
and gives the impression of being in an air-conditioned environment.

Paddy fields on the road from Malabe to Godagama, Sri Lanka.

Crow, Egret and Black-headed Ibises feeding.

Yellow Bittern foraging on the paddy field

Beautiful unspoilt countryside with paddy fields are still there in the outskirts of Colombo. The road from Malabe to Godagama has been widened and carpeted. It handles quite a lot of rush hour traffic.

Baseline road, and the road to the Parliament, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Railway station, Demetagoda. This was earlier the narrow gauge Kelani Valley line. Now it is standard gauge. You can see the remnants of the old narrow gauge railway line still remaining.

Near Magazine Prison

Sri Jayawardenapura Mawathe.

On the Sri Jayawardenapura Mawathe near Waters Edge.

Surveyors drawing a map of Colombo during British Colonial times drew the Baseline, along what is now called 'Baseline road'. The name persists even though the city of Colombo has long passed this boundary.

Entrance to the Southern Highway at Kaduwela, on a rainy day,Sri Lanka.