Ferry ride across the Kelany Ganga at Amithirigala, Sri Lanka.

A ferry-boat plying across the Kelany  Ganga at Amithirigala in the Gampaha District Sri Lanka. It crosses to Aswaththe on the other side on all days except on days when the water level rises due to heavy rains.
Video:-
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXe7SWDywYs

Elephant on the Kelany Ganga, Karawanella, Sri Lanka.

The Kelany Ganga at Karawanella. You can see Adam's Peak in the distance. A domesticated elephant is being bathed by its Mahout.
Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tViCSo6ys_g

'A boat on the river', Meethirigala, Sri Lanka.

This boat on the river is 'not sailing away'. It has no sails and is tied up for the day. It is used daily for 'sand harvesting' from the river bed. The sand in the bottom of the river, is a result of soil erosion upstream. The harvested sand is used for building purposes.

Sunset over the Kelany Ganga at Hanwella, Sri Lanka.

The gently flowing Kelany Ganga at sunset, is the theme of this photo which I took at Hanwella. It is a peaceful scene, which produced tranquility for the mind. The Kelany Ganga was one of  the means of transport from Colombo into the interior of Sri Lanka, upto the late 19th century. The route to the Kandyan Kingdom was by boat upto Kosgama and then by land via Karawanella. Timber was tied together as logs and was transported via the Kelany Ganga from its upper reaches, to the timber mills lining the banks of the river at Sedawaththe, in the outskirts of Colombo. The Portuguese built a fort at Hanwella to control this traffic. The Dutch enlarged the fort. The remains of this fort now houses the Rest-House at Hanwella.