Passion flower and fruits, home-garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

It is a creeper which bears fruits the size of a lemon. The jelly like contents are used to make cordials and jams.

Fruits galore.

I took this picture at Saalawa on the Colombo - Aviissawella road. Fruits are aplenty now. Rambuttaans, Mangosteens, Pineapples, Melons, Gadugudaa and the perennial King-coconuts.

Langurs raiding a 'Rambuttan' tree for its fruits, Meepe, Sri Lanka.

'Rambuttan' trees produce fruits which fetch Rs.2 to Rs.5 wholesale and Rs.10/- each for consumers. Thieves rob the produce. Bats, squirrels and various birds eat part of the produce. Langurs raid the plantation to enjoy the fruits. The owners do various ruses to prevent these acts. In earlier days empty tin cans were tied to the top of the trees and were made to rattle by pulling a string from a hut close by to scare away bats at night. Transistor radios were put on full volume and tied to the top of the trees at night. Recently I heard that domestic dogs are put in a cage and tied to the branches of the trees to bark and chase away thieves and pests. I saw a keeper using stones on a catapult to chase away the monkeys.
Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwGgtzyTXmY

Fruits for sale, Gannoruwa, Sri Lanka

This fruit seller doing his trade by the roadside at Gannoruwa, Sri Lanka, had quite a selection of fresh, tasty luscious fruits for sale. 'Gan-oruwa' - meaning 'fetch the boat' in Sinhalese, was the ferry crossing point into the Capital of the highlands of Ceylon, Kandy, in historic times, across the Mahaweli river. It now houses the agricultural research centre and the veterenirary reseach centre, among other departments. I took this picture on 7/6/2009.

Selling fruits by the roadside to school children, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

School children like to buy various types of fruits and enjoy them. Here is a picture of a vendor of fruits selling her ware, opposite a school in Avissawella. The fruits for sale are 'gadu-gudha', 'pini jambhu' and 'durian' the latter kept for sale to parents of the children. I hope you recall your school days on seeing this picture.