Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Scenes around Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

 A black-smith working his hearth at Avissawella. The bellows used to blow air into the hearth must be more than 100 years old. It is simple and fool-proof.

The present Railway-station at Avissawella. This was a junction in the old narrow gauge Kelani Valley Railway days. One branch went to Yatiyanthota and the other past Rathnapura to Opanaike. It served the tea and rubber estates well during its heydey. Now it is widened to broad gauge and runs only from Colombo to Avissawella. The old Government Hospital, the Rest-House and Post-Office were clustered around it. There was also a fuel depot storing Petrol and Keroscene oil.

The old Market at Puwakpitiya still active on Pola days. The old-timers say that this once served as the Magistrates courts. The old Chunnaklam market in Jaffna has a similar architectural design. Note the granite pillars in the periphery.