Some old photos, Sri Lanka.

A 'stock' - 'Dhandu kandha' S, with a voluteer 'in place', Eknaligoda walawwa, Kuruwita.

 During the British Colonial period these were used by the Village Headmen to punish offenders. A lady in her 90s told me that when she was a young bride, she had felt sorry for a man from the village who was put in this by her newly married husband who was the Village Headman. She had felt sorry for the offender and had unlocked him and made him go away. When the husband arrived home he was furious and locked the young bride on the 'Dhandu kandha' for a few minutes. Feminine charm had obviously not worked.

A hospital kitchen at Mulangaavil, Mannar.

The fire-place was on a platform made of mud and stones. Firewood was used in the cooking. The wall had a weaved mat with holes to hold the coconut shell spoons. The elevated platform on the left served as a bench.

Donation of a Students Hostel building to Hartley College, Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka.

email from Chella Padmanathan:-

Sending some photos taken at Hartley College new Hostel opening on 1st March,2014 and sent to me ,though I could not be present at the event.

Chella Padmanathan

The old Hartley hostel well with the old building pulled down in 2012.

The building under construction in 2013 December.

The new Hartley Hostel.

Mr. Ian K Karan at the opening ceremony.

Unveiling the memorial plaque.

The Memorial plaque.

On stage at the opening ceremony.

The guests.

The audience.

Kirupakaran was with me at the Hartley Hostel in the early 1950s. We were in the College Choir and were at the functions when we celebrated our 100th College Anniversary of it's founding. We were told that it was more 125 years at that time. Mr. Pooranampillai was our Principal. Kirupaharan was always well dressed and took part in the fun and frolics of the hostel. The hostel had two dormitories in a two storey building.
The building was in the thick of the unrest and was severely damaged during the 'time of troubles'.
In the meantime Kirupaharan emigrated to Germany and became a tycoon in the container shipping field at Hamburgh. He is also a Senator in Germany.
When he visited Hartley after the 2009s he promised a brand new building for the damaged hostel. The old hostel building was pulled down and this is the result. I heard that he had also started an orphanage at Thunnaalai. All of us who were with him appreciate his magnanimity and thank him from the bottom of our hearts.
Philip GV

Flowers, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Alupola waterfalls, Alupola, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

The first waterfall.

The second waterfall.

The third waterfall.

A water-spout  near the highway, for bathing in the ice-cold water.

Click on link below to see a video of the waterfall :-

http://youtu.be/HVnvPXZzmxU

 The Alupola waterfalls is a cascade of three waterfalls. It is found by the roadside from Wewalwaththe to Alupola. The second and third waterfalls are regularly used by bathers on sunny days. During the rainy days, water from the upper reaches of Walabody come in a raging torrent and it is dangerous to go close to the bathing sites.

Art exhibition, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The 'balance'.

A leopard.

Figure made out of 'papier mache'

'Female' figure out of 'papier mache'.

 Art by Mr. Kingsley Perera, Kudagama road, Avissawella.

Tales of an Enchanted Boyhood' - New publication

Expected publication by April 2014.

Will follow up with a final notice on the public release of the book.
If you have read the earlier two publications by the same author this would be
 a good addition to your library.
Philip G V.

'Dolos-maha pahan pooja', Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The statue of Lord Buddha, near the entrance of the Seethawaka Urban council, Avissawella.

The donated 'Dolos maha pahana' in its glass covering. 

Mr. Wimalasena lighting the lamp.

Lighting the lamp.

The donors of the lamp.

A lamp built of brass and made to accept donations of coconut oil by devotees and which is meant to be lighted for all twelve months of the year is called a 'Dolos maha pahana'. In the days when there was no electricity it was a boon to devotees as it lighted the place of worship. One of the older historical ones in Sri Lanka is on the top of 'Sri Pada' - 'Sivanoli paadha malai' - 'Adam's Peak'. Devotees carry a bottle of coconut oil all the way up to the top of the Peak to pour into this lamp.
Donation of this type of lamp is done by Buddhists in present Sri Lanka to earn 'merit' in their life-time.
The above photos are from one such ceremony in Avissawella.