Monday, December 27, 2010

Brass container

Working in brass is a speciality in Sri Lanka from very early times. I saw this polished brass container set up for display at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo. , and took this picture.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Sri Lankan 'Paradise Fly-catcher' on a 'Jambu' tree.

The Sri Lankan 'Paradise fly-catcher' is a beautiful bird. The male has a long tail and is a beauty to watch flitting from branch to branch. It is a very shy bird. I took this photo in my garden a few days back.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Two versions of the song 'White Christmas'



Click on each link separately to see two versions of the enchanting song 'White Christmas'. Switch your speakers on.

1.White Christmas -Sing along

2.White Christmas – Celtic Woman

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A farmer working, Salawa, Sri Lanka.

Old ways of using a 'mammoty' to turn up the soil and build earthen bunds in paddy fields are a common sight in Sri Lanka. I took this picture at Salawa in Sri Lanka.

Friday, December 17, 2010

'Thirukkaley' - Sinhalese; 'Thirukkal' - Tamil, A bullock drawn cart for the family.

This was the equivalent of the family car in Sri Lanka, in common use about 100 years ago. Entrance was by a door at the rear. The seats were arranged facing each other and the driver of the cart sat in front. The wheels were wooden with an iron rim. The accelerator was a gentle tap on the bull's testicles by the driver. In extreme cases a bite on the bulls tail created a rapid response. It was usually a leisurely journey with time to enjoy the scenery.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Cactus plants, Hambanthota beech, Sri Lanka.

A beech with thorny cactus plants among the casuarina plants at the Hambanthota beech in sight of the newly built harbour, Sri Lanka.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

'Adisham', Haputhale, Sri Lanka.

'Adisham' was built by a Scotsman in the hills of Haputhale in the 1930s, the heyday of British Empire. He came to Ceylon from the village of Adisham in Scotland, with ten sterling pounds in his pocket. He ended up owning several tea estates and being elected to the State Council. He got masons and materials from England and built this beautiful home patterned on an English Manor house. The stones and wood were imported from England. He saw the writing on the wall in the 1950's and sold this to Mrs.Wimala Wijewardena of SWRD fame. This house was said to have been used in plotting Mr.SWRD Bandaranayake, the then Prime Minister's, downfall. This house changed hands and is now maintained by the Catholic Church in its original condition. I took this picture about two years back. The place is reached by the road going past the Haputhale Police station, just before entering Haputhale town, approaching from Colombo,

Monday, December 13, 2010

On the road to Haputhale, Sri Lanka.

I saw this 'wattle and daub' hut, acting as a sales point for garden produce by the main road to Haputhale, past Belihul Oya. It formed a contrast for the beautiful background of the distant hills. Note the heavy sticks placed over the roof to withstand the high winds in this area.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Bird Island, Tissa wewa, Tissa, Sri Lanka.

There is an island on Tissa Wewa in Tissa, Sr5i Lanka, where birds build their nests. The island can be seen from the main road. A boat ride close to the island could be arranged. I took this picture from the road on the bund of the Tissa wewa.

View from the bridge at Karawanella, Sri Lanka.

This is a view from the bridge at Karawanella on a rainy day. The distant Adam's peak is covered by clouds. The river is the Kelany.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

View from the bund of the 'Tissa wewa'. Tissa, Sri Lanka.

This picture was taken from the bund of the 'Tissa Wewa', in Tissa, Sri Lanka. You can see the watch-hut on the paddy field and the 'Tissa Dagoba'.

Monday, November 29, 2010

View at Haldumulla, Sri Lanka.

Coming down on the road from Haldumulla on the Haputale - Balangoda road I saw this play of sunlight on the hills and paused to take this picture.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Two views of 'Bopath Ella', Kuruwita, Sri Lanka.

 'Bopath Elle' - the waterfall which looks like the leaf of a Ficus reliogosa,is lovely to look at. It looks serene in these pictures. During the rainy season it can become a raging torrent. Quite a few lives have been lost by people who try to show off especially after liquor, at this site. Suicides also have taken place here.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Paddy field at Talduwa.

Egrets gather in large numbers to eat the worms turned up from the wet soil after ploughing. Note the reflections of the egrets in the water producing a 'mirror-image'. I took this picture 3 Kilometers from Talduwa on the Talduwa - Amithirigala road. This road is being developed as the main route to the Katunayake airport from Avissawella. It goes from Avissawella - Talduwa - Amithirigala - Hiswella - Nittambuwa - Katunayaka.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

House on a hill, Amithirigala, Sri Lanka.

Dwelling houses are set on lush green hills with adequate land around it in Sabaragamuwa, Sri Lanka. The land has coconut palms, arecanut trees, plantain trees, jak, breadfruit, rambuttan, mangoostein, .. the list is endless. I took this picture of a dwelling house in Amithirigala, Sri Lanka.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The Galaboda valley, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

The distant hills covered by mist, seen across the Galaboda valley in Rathnapura is a place to halt and contemplate on.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Buduruwagala, Wellawaya, Sri Lanka.

Close to Wellawaya situated in shrub jungle is this massive rock on which there are some Mahayanist Buddhist carvings. In the center is a massive figure of the Buddha. On the Buddhas right are Avalokiteswara and two consorts. On the left of Avalokiteswara the Bodhisatwa is the bare breasted Tara in the 'three bends' pose (Thivanka). On the right of Avalokiteswara is Sudhanakumara.The identity of the figures on the left of the Buddha are thought to be of another Bodhisattwa - ?Vajrapani. There are some iconic indications here of Tibetan Buddhist influence. These images are the finest example of Mahayana culture in Sri Lanka and are estimated to be more than a thousand years old. These are the omitted chapters in our traditional Theravada chronicles.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Rock formation, Gampaha, Sri Lanka.

Driving along from Radhaavana to Yakkala in the Gampaha district of Sri Lanka, I saw this beautiful rock formation rising out of a paddy field. It was in a village named Koskandhawala.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Adam's Peak as seen at Kuruwita, Sri Lanka.

It was a rainy morning and as I was entering Kuruwita on the road to Rathnapura. I got this glimpse of the 'Sacred Peak'. It was hidden in the mist in a few minutes after I took these photos and disappeared from view

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Paddy fields ready for sowing, Eheliyagoda, Sri Lanka.

Paddy fields need a lot of water for the plants to grow. Small earthen bunds of mud are built in these fields from centuries past. The bunds keep the necessary water at the proper level and the excess water flows to the next field. I saw this scene at Eheliyagoda, before the sowing of paddy. The Egrets find plenty of earthworms to feed on, in the paddy fields.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Galaboda, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

The view looking down across the valley from the Galaboda Estate, Rathnapura on a rainy day, is captured in this picture. The mist very often descends onto the road and makes driving difficult. The fresh air tinged with a slight chilliness made the view memorable.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Sooriyawewa, Sri Lanka.

Sooriyawewa, a large reservoir is close to Embilipitiya. I took this picture from its bund. The gentle breezes and the green paddy fields watered by it are an unforgettable sight.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sunset at Wellawaththe beach, Sri Lanka.

Sunsets are always beautiful. The colors change from moment to moment and over a few minutes almost all the colors of the rainbow are seen. Even after the red ball of the sun goes below the horizon, the display of colors is awesome. This was one of a series of pictures I took at Wellawathe beach, in Sri Lanka.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Paddy fields of Tissa, Sri Lanka.

I took this picture while returning from Katharagama, from the bund of the Tissa Wewa. The paddy fields were a lovely green in the sunlight. The white painted Dagoba partially hidden by the branches of the tree formed a nice composition.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Alupola falls - all three stages.

The first and second cascades are obvious. The third stage starts just below the second and only the top of it is visible on the picture. The people on the bottom right hand corner give a perspective re the size of the falls.

Alupola water falls, second and third, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

I took this picture of the second and third parts of the cascade of the Alupola waterfalls. These are the two places for bathing and to have a chat over beer and lunch on rainless day. You have to climb over rocks to go to these places.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The Alupola falls, Alupola Estate, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

The first of the three waterfalls in Alupola, is shown in this picture. This picture was taken during the dry season. On rainy days the volume of water is about ten times this and is muddy carrying the soil erded from the Walaboda region close to the Adam's peak area.

The Bambarabotuwa valley, Wewalwaththe, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

The bambarabotuwa valley in the Alupola Estate, Rathnapura is a beautiful sight on a clear day. The Pandi Oya flowing down from the Alupola falls is seen in the bottom of the valley. Far away on the hills, the Wewalwaththe tea factory is seen. The air is clear and cold. No wonder the Scottish Planters who pioneered this area built a bungalow overlooking the valley and the Alupola water falls.

Sunset scene at Wellawaththe, Sri Lanka.

Wellawaththe beach was a regular haunt for us as Medical Students, in the early 1960s. The colorful sunsets and the people on the beach, have not changed much. There are now high rise apartment blocks close to the beach across the railway line and across the new four lane marine drive. The stiff breeze getting colder after sunset are a permanent feature here.

Birds on a paddy field, Dompe, Sri Lanka.

Paddy fields in the rural areas of Sri Lanka are one of the most peaceful sights. A variety of birds rest on the bunds of these paddy fields catching insects and worms and occasionally fish from the flowing water channels. I took this picture in Dompe, Sri Lanka.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Adam's Peak, Seen from Kaluaggala, Sri Lanka.

Driving from Avissawella to Colombo in the morning around 5.30am, at the bifurcation of the roads to High Level and Low Level roads, I saw this sight of Adam's Peak through the early morning mist. I took this picture on a Nikon, in the late 1990s.

Church on a hill, Castlereagh, Sri Lanka.

The Portuguese and the Dutch followed by the British brought various architectural styles in building churches in Ceylon. I saw this Anglican church on a hill in a tea estate at Castlereagh. You can see the steeply sloping roof designed for the British climes so that snow would slip off the roof and relieve it of stress. The roof  is of galvanized corrugated iron sheets. You can see the bell on the roof. You can also see the cross on a gravestone in the courtyard of the church.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Evening, beach at Wellawaththe, Sri Lanka.

There is a rocky promontory at the beach at Wellawaththe, Sri Lanka. Rod and line fishing was a favorite past-time for some. It was also a haven for lovers. To sit and watch the sunset from here was an exquisitely pleasurable experience. I took this picture in 2009.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

A view from the 'Temple of the Tooth', Kandy, Sri Lanka

The innumerable incense sticks burnt and the coconut oil lamps burnt as offerings at the Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, enshroud it in a haze, visible at night. I took this picture from across the lake at night.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Old light house at Pesalai, Sri Lanka.




This is an old light house claimed to be dating back dating back to ?Portuguese times - 16th Century. You can see that the top of the light house is flat. Firewood was hauled up and lighted there, to warn away ships from the treacherous shoals off shore. I took this photo when I was working in Mannar in 2004.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

'Pattinagala', Yala, Sri Lanka.


A rocky prominence called 'Pattinagala' marks the spot in the coastline of Yala, where the 'Tsunami' washed away about twenty Japanese. The term 'Pattanam' in Tamil means a coastal town. There must have been a coastal metropolis in ancient days at this site. Who knows what similar disasters would have wiped away these coastal towns. Being on the southern tip of Sri Lanka, this would have been an ideal landfall for mariners in ancient days.