Adisham, Sri Lanka

Another view of 'Adisham'.

'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,

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.

Mountains of Haputhale - Ella, Udawalawe, Sri Lanka.

I took this picture from the roadway straddling the bund of the Udawalawe reservoir, in the south of Sri Lanka. I took this picture around 10amn and the lingering mists on the mountains created a fascinating picture. A gentle breeze was blowing across the reservoir and causing ripples on its surface.

The Haputhaley valley as seen from the Railway Station.

I took this picture in the afternoon, against the sun. The valley was slightly misty and the air was cold. The mist on the distant mountains gave a beautiful effect to the landscape.