Flowers in a home garden, Kosgama, Sri Lanka.

Orchids in our home garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Flowers in the home garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

'Thookku kaavady' - being unhooked - Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Click on the web-link below:-

http://youtu.be/9CemfSrD5yU

'Ther' festival, Marie-Amman temple, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

'Thookku kaavadi'.

The procession.

The statue of Lord Buddha on 'Aetha-gala', Kurunegala, Sri Lanka.

Some antique brass-ware on sale, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

A coconut oil burning hanging brass lamp.

A brass vessel to carry milk.

A portable betel chew grinder.

A brass lamp to carry any potable liquid.

A glass 'Bubble- lamp' used in the Dutch period. The glass jar was half filled with vegetable oil. A floating wick in the centre was lit to provide illumination.

Paramaanandha Rajamaha Vihara, sights, near Thonigala, Sri Lanka.

Sights at the Paramananda Raja Maha Vihara, near Thonigala, Sri Lanka.

A bell-tower.

Bee-hives on the rock face.

Paramaanandha Kandhe Raja Maha Vihara, near Thonigala, Sri Lanka.

Copy of a long Brahmi inscription found at Vihare.

A statue of Lord Buddha near Narammala, Sri Lanka.

A statue of Lord Buddha in an uncommon posture in present Sri Lanka, seen at Narammala.

Some scenes at Thonigala, Sri Lanka.

A water reservooir to retain rain-water used in paddy cultivation.

Shrub land.

A hillock of granite.

The climb up a rocky face.

Thonigala, on the Putthalam to Kurunegala road, Sri Lanka.

The first water reservoir, Thonigala.

The footpath to the second Brahmi inscription at Thonigala.

The second inscription on the rock at Thonigala.

The translation of the inscription.

According to local legends 'Thonigala' got its name from the fact that Kuweni the mythical Yakka princess, wailed her heart out ('Lathoni dunne thaena') at this place. Kuweni who espoused Kuweni in his early days in Sri Lanka, got her help to massacre her kith and kin. She had a son and daughter by Vijaya. Vijaya later got a princess from the royal household from Southern Madhura and threw out Kuweni and her children. Kuweni was left helpless to face her wrathful Yakka tribe and was killed by them. The children were spared and legend says that they became the Veddha tribe of Sri Lanka. This latter cannot be true because the Veddhas were almost the first tribes to arrive in Sri Lanka long before the 5th Century BC.