Stone-mason at work, 'Sivan Kovil', Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka.

Fashioning a decorative granite stone pillar, according to age-old traditions, needs expertise in the field, suitable tools, and hard work.

Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka.

The new building replacing the old market.

Road of the round-about surrounding the market.

Another side of the market. looking from the 'Odaikkarai' side.

The old Light-house at Munaiady.

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

Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka.

Shopping.

The new market being built..

The road to KKS.

Munaiady, Point Pedro, Sri Lanka.

A domestic well in Katcovalam. Note the bucket and pulley,two small tanks - 'thotty' - to hold water drawn from the well, the sloped stone for beating the laundry and the enclosure in cement to collect all the water during bathing to be led to the thirsty plants.

Munaiady, Point-Pedro.

A partially renovated building.

Light-house, Point-Pedro.

The old coastline road from Thumbalai, via Munaiady past the light-house to Point-Pedro is now open  to traffic.
Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IwotoZ0fl0&list=UU1dqepitfAJwrQWLD-gZ3NA&index=8

Point-Pedro and Katcovalam, village scenes, Sri Lanka.

House on the Puloly road.

P{onit-Pedro town.

Palmyra seeds buried in the sand to make 'Panangkilangu' T - 'Kottakilangu' S.

Playing in the sand in a house in Katcovalam, Point-Pedro.

The village life and practice of centuries past goes on.

Manalkaadu to Puloly, Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka.

Paddy field near Manalkaadu.

Government Hospital, Manthkai.

On the Puloly road.

Traffic is not hectic and the usual sights of a road meet the visitor.

Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7gDB19Zzg8

Manalkaadu environs, Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka.

A pond growing red and white water lilies.

A hot lonely road.

Water is a precious commodity in these parts. A well is a necessity in each dwelling and even then the water is brackish. It is a hard life in these parts.

Manalkaadu beach, Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka.

The road to Manalkaadu beach.

House destroyed by the Tsunami.

The wind-blown beach.

Pickings from the net.

Sand and more sand is what greets the eye at Manalkaadu (Sandy desert -Tamil). The remnants of houses destroyed by the Tsunami are much in evidence.

Vallipuram - Manalkaadu, Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka, birds

A varied collection of birds.

Ibises in flight.

Black-winged Stilt.

Painted-Storks.

The road from Vallipuram temple to Manalkaadu has a lot of small collections of water near paddy fields  where birds come to feed. I took these pictures there in December 2011.
Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ben1xU2fU-A

Vallipuram Temple, Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka.

'Pura-veedhi' - outer road surrounding the Vallipuram Temple.

Palmyra tree with branches.

Open-bill feeding.

Video of the Open-bill feeding. Click on the web-link below:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNWMM8IM16A

Egret and a Black-headed Ibis feeding in a paddy field.

A sense of peace and serenity comes over one in the surroundings of one of the few Vaishnava Temples in the Jaffna Peninsula. The rise and fall of this large sea emporium by cataclysms nearly two thousand years ago and its present state boggles one's imagination. Only the temple survives. The surrounding once prosperous villages of a large emporium, of nearly two millenia ago survive as 'foot-prints in the sands of time'.