Building a 'Dewatha Kotuwa' - Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Building a 'Dewatha Kotuwa' - a place for the Gods to stay, during an intiation ceremony for a 'Hewisi Band', is a piece of art. Young coconut leaves and plantain stems and leaves are used to build this. In Theravada Buddhist Cosmology there are innumerable Gods, part of a cycle of births and deaths, who bless or curse human beings. This is an act to appease them and ward off evil.
Video:-
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYE5XpRWHwI

Black-headed Munias

Photos taken in the shrub jungle near Maniccawaththe, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Bearing 'pirikara' (gifts to monks), at a Buddhist temple, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

On a full moon (Poya) day, devotees are seen carrying gifts for the monks in the Buddhist temple, at Manickawaththe in Avissawella. This was around 6pm on 5/8/2009.