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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Scenes from a 'Ther' festival, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Taking home the returned half of the offering.

The 'Poosary' (the one who does the 'pooja') is given a tray with various types of fruits, a coconut and betel leaves with some coins ( nowadays it is notes). The 'Poosary' breaks the coconut in half and cuts some of the fruits. He then offers it to the consecrated image of the Diety chanting the appropriate manthras. He then returns the remaining parts of the offering to the devotee who takes it home and shares it with family and friends.

The 'Ther' with the 'light machine' producing current to light up the 'Ther' following it.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

'Ther' festival, 'Muthu Mari Amman' temple, Kudagama road, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The 'Thiruvilaa' ( 'Thiru'+'Ulaa' meaning 'the sacred perambulation' in Tamil) of the resident diety of a Hindu temple, takes place once an year. The image of the diety is placed on a wooden wheeled carved wooden chariot and is drawn on the main roads in the village. The 'Muththu Mari Amman' temple at Kudagama road, Avissawella, had this function a few days back. In the above two photos you see the female devotees arriving for the festival, and in the lower photo waiting to give their offerings to the diety.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Old photos, Ceylon.

Old Fort Railway station. See the profusion of British steel used in the construction. Those were the dayus of British Empire.

Steam engine with attached large coal tender for a long haul. Each of these engines had the name of a distinguished Britisher, emblazoned in large letters on a steel plate, riveted in a prominent place.