Thondamanaru Lagoon, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

The road from Atchuvely, Idaikkaadu to Thondamannaru. You can see the Selvachchannithy temple on the far right and the sluice dam running across near the horizon of the picture..

A flock of Cormorants and Egrets near the sluice gates of the dam.

Video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MedahzLjsLk

Atchuvely to Thondamanaru, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Road from Atchuvely to Thondamanaru

Cultivation at Idaikkaadu. Note the water pump pumping out ground water for irrigation.

Road and onion field on the road from Atchuvely to Vasavilaan, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Chunnaakam - Kopay road, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

The road and a field where onions are being cultivated. Note the water pump near the deep well and the water channel.

'Orchid House', Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

The profusion of colors is unimaginable in this place.

The black-smith and his hearth, Nilavarai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

This black-smith had a shop set up near the deepwell at Nilvarai, Jaffna. You can see the hand operated bellows, the hearth and a piece of rail, the latter used as the anvil. This is a timeless picture of Jaffna.

Video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Wv_sm0oUA

Country road and deep well, Nilaverai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

The road from Chunnaakam to Kopay passes the 'Nilaverai Deep well'. The first picture shows a part of the road. The second picture shows the surface of the fresh water deep well. This well has an inexhaustible supply of fresh water.

The old 'Chunnaakam Market', Jaffna, Sri Lanka

The 'Chunnaakam Market' is a very old institution where the produce of the surrounding countryside is brought by its producers for sale. It is still a thriving community.

Video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2P4HCwmW1s

Maruthanaamadam market, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

'Panangkilangu' T - 'Kottakilangu' S, the young shoot of the palmyra seedling is a delicacy consumed after boiling in water. You see it being sold in the above photo at the Maruthanaamadam market.

Video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMxcZCMP1jg

'Murikandi Pillayaar Kovil' on the A9 highway, Sri Lanka.

A place where the travellers to Kandy the capital city in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, from Jaffna the north of the country, broke journey.
Watch a video of the  'Poosai' - worship - at the above temple by clicking on web-link below:-
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5n5nHuaWr0

'Omanthai' railway bridges, Sri Lanka.

The brand new railway bridge, grey in color, put up by aid from the Government of India, is seen next to the old steel bridge put up by the British Colonial Government nearly a century ago, in this picture. 

Transporting firewood, A9 highway, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka.

In these days of high Kerosene and LP gas prices, firewood for the kitchens in urban areas is in high demand. This is a way of transporting firewood.
Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ibiXwXooUc

'Pansal' on a hillock, past Rambaewa, 'Isinbaessa Gala' on the A9 road, Sri Lanka.

'Mihinthale', Sri Lanka.

'Mihinthale', a few Kilometers from the ancient city of Anuradhapura, has a strong religio-historical tradition in Sri Lanka. It was the hillock on which the King Devanampiya Tissa out on a deer hunt, met the son of King Asoka - the Rev. Mahinda. After an oral IQ test which was administered to Tissa and which Tissa passed, he was given instructions in Buddhist philisophy. This happened more than 2000 years ago. This place is a place of pilgrimage to Buddhists in the Island.

The Rev. Mahinda later an 'Arahant'  was born to a lady of the 'Vaisya' (trader) cast, when the young Asoka was the Governor of Ujjain (present Bombay,) during Asoka's fathers reign. Mahinda's mother could never become the Queen, because of the difference in caste. But Asoka the Emperor did not forget his son in Ujjain. When he started his missionary activities he chose his son the now Rev.Mahinda to lead the mission to the distant and famous Isle of Sri Lanka. There he became a legend in the establishment and propagation of Buddhism.

Double bridge and the highway to Badulla - A4 - Sri Lanka.

 Two bridges the old and the new on the widened Badulla road past Belihul Oya on the A4 highway.

Scenery on the Koslanda - Beragala road, Sri Lanka.

Looking down into the valley through which the Udawalawe river runs.

The 'Galkandha waterfalls' straddling the main road. This is the section below the highway.

Diyaluma waterfalls, Koslanda, Sri Lanka.

During heavy rains in the upper reaches of this river the water falls onto the road. In 1966 I have been held up for nearly 30 minutes on this road by this phenomenon when stones, drift wood and a cascade of muddy water falls on the road below.

Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJkvDe2ZQiU

Monkey and a fire-place, Car park, Yudaganaawa, Sri Lanka.

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

'Yudaganaawa' , Butthala, Sri Lanka.

The unfinished Dagoba and the statue of Lord Buddha showing a 'frowning face'.

This Dagoba at Yudaganawa started in the 2nd Century BC would have been larger than the 'Ruwanvelisaaya' of Anuradhapura. It was never completed. The building in front of the Dagoba houses a statue of Lord Buddha showing 'a frowning face', according to a Buddhist monk I met at the site. This place was the site of a famous battle field mentioned in the 'Rajavaliya'.

‘Being angry at these words spoken by his royal father, the Prince(Gamini) fled to Gilimale, and having hid himself there for several days went to Kotmale’.

          ‘Kavantissa reigned 60 years from his coronation and passed {at death} to Tusitapura. On the demise of the King, Prince Tissa came, put his royal father in his coffin and repaired to Digamadulla, taking with him the Kadol elephant and his mother Vihara Mahadevi. Prince Gemunu having heard of his father’s death, left  Kotmale and returned to the city of Magama. Whilst there, he wrote to Prince Tissa asking him to send their mother and the Kadol elephant which was born on the same day as himself; but Tissa sent them not. The request was repeated three times; but still he did not send them. Prince Gemunu then set out to fight, taking his forces, and the two brothers joined battle in Yudaganapitiya. Of his army 30,000 men having fallen, Dutugemunu was defeated in the battle and fled, and Tissa persued after him; but when he saw that the great community of monks had come and barred his way, he returned to Digamadulla.’ A translation from the Sri Lankan Chronicle ‘RAJAVALIYA’ – (The line of Kings).

On a second single man combat Tissue was defeated and was pursued by Gamini. Tissue sought refuge at a Vihare – identified as ‘Demetamal Vihara’ close to Butthala.


Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WJl3Sq_aew

An exhibition of 'drift-wood art', Maligawila, Sri Lanka.

These are some pictures I took of a one-man exhibition of drift-wood art, near the entrance to the Maligawila Monastery Complex at Butthala, Sri Lanka.

Statue of Bodhisatwa, Maligawila monastery complex, Butthala, Sri Lanka.

Maligawila, stairway and a 'Mandapa' ruins, Butthala, Sri Lanka.

This area appears to be the Mahayana side of the monastery.

A devotee's views of the statue, Maligawila, Sri Lanka.