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.

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.

'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.

Garden, Watawala, Sri Lanka.

Just past Watawala on the Ginigathena - Hatton road, is a welcoming tea stall run by 'Zesta teas'. It is a lovely spot to have short eats and tea. Across the valley you can see the railway line on which, the passage of a train winding its way on the side of the mountain, is a beautiful sight.

Roads leading to the Castlereigh Dam, Sri Lanka.

The Castlereigh Dam was one of the first post-Independence Hydro power projects put into operation by the newly independent Ceylon. It is set in very picturesque country. Tea is the main crop here. I took this picture during a sunny interval on a drizzly day.

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

I took this picture when the cherry blossoms were in bloom, from the ramparts of the 'Dalada Maligawa', Kandy. You can see the crowd of worshippers in the courtyard.

Sunset at Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

 

Tropical sunsets are gorgeous. The ideal places to watch sunsets are from the Eastern seaboard or across a stretch of water with an uncluttered horizon. It could also be enjoyed from a hillside. The above picture was taken by me at Avissawella where the horizon was cluttered with trees. It gave a pleasing effect.

Alupola water falls, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

 

The Alupola falls has to be reached by a side road going from Wewalwathe 18 miles from Rathnapura on the Mawala - Hapugasthenne road. It is visible from the road and consists of three seperate waterfalls. The first is the tallest and is shaped like a chair, the second is like a bridal veil and the third is like a pregnant womans belly. It is a nice spot to have a picnic lunch. During the rainy season it is dangerous with the muddy water roaring down with driftwood and stones.

St Clair's falls, Pathana, Sri Lanka

 

A few miles away from the Devon falls, on the Hatton - Nuwara Eliya road, is the St.Clairs falls. It is not as tall as the Devon falls but it is really beautiful to look at. The Upper Kotmale Dam and hydro-power project might put paid to this beautiful waterfall. We have been promised that it might be turned on and off. It is beautiful country with a luscious green of various shades covering the ground, during the wet season. This photo was taken by me during a dry spell.

Devon falls, Pathana, Hatton - Nuwara Eliya Road, Sri Lanka.

 

Devon falls, at Pathana, on the Hatton Nuwara Eliya road is a beautiful sight. There are a series of rocks after the steep drop on the first stage where the water forms a beautiful pattern. On a rainy day the flow of water is awsome.

Tea plantation bordering the approach to Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka.

Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka, has some very well tended tea estates. A tea estate needs preparing the soil, planting the saplings, and pruning of the tea bushes. It was an old saying among the tea planters that well pruned tea bushes would pass a 'cricket ball test'. A cricket ball thrown on it sideways would skim it and go a long way. You see a well pruned bushes here, with good attention to weeding and attention to drains to take away the rain water. The blue tinged mountains far away takes ones breath away on sighting the landscape.

Sunset over the Batticaloa lagoon, Sri Lanka.

 

Watching the sunset over the Batticaloa lagoon takes one to another world. The peace and tranquility, unaffected by the rush of 'civilization' is palpable.

A jungle stream and bridge over it.

Jungle stream and bridge over it on the Ginigathena - Hatton road. The constant rain and mist keeps these streams running. A severe drought brings them down to a trickle.

The Central Hills of Sri Lanka.

The hills are seen from the Beragalla - Koslanda road. On a rainy day various unnamed rivulets and small waterfalls are seen on the hills. The rocky surfaces glisten with moisture. During the dry season the rivulets and waterfalls are gone. The picture changes with the seasons.

On the Beragala - Haputhale road, Sri Lanka.

The road from the Beragala junction to Haputhale is a stiff climb, first and second gear being engaged frequently. There is an old 'Kavi' in Sinhalese which is a cry of a carter, driving a bullock cart, approaching this climb. He laments the steepness of this stretch of road saying that the sight of it makes his stomach turn. ('Bara baage.. bara baage....). The valley below is beautiful to watch on a sunny day. The distant line of the hills and the water shimmering on the Udawalawe and Thanamalvila tanks adds to the enchantment. The cold wind whipping up the hills might bring down a thick mist in a moment hiding the valley below. One is enveloped in a thick mist and the road becomes impassable because of the low visibility.