Sights at a carnival, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The 'plane ride'.

LED lighted toys for sale.

The 'gram-seller'.

The 'saara-vita' - betel seller, man, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The 'Saara-vita' seller.

The illumination for the tray is done by a small acetylene flame issuing from a hypodermic needle. The acetylene is generated by water dripping on calcium carbide and is led to the needle by a cut plastic tube from a discarded intra-venous set.

The 'saara-vita' containing a betel leaf, arecanut, tobacco, spices and coloured coconut scrapings. The price was Es.30/- each.

Old 'saara-vita' seller fast asleep before his ware. The acetylene lamp is burning bright illuminating his tray.

'Scorpion orchid', home-garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

'The dew on the flowers has come with the dawn' - Home garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Beach road, Wellawaththe, Sri Lanka.

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