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. 

Mankulam to Kokkavil, A9 Highway and rail track under construction, Sri Lanka.

A9 Highway past Mankulam.

Work going on on the railway bund.

Concrete railway sleepers awaiting laying on the track.

Progress on the railway line.

Railway at Kosgama.

Railway station, Kosgama.

Railway line near Kosgama.

Kosgama was a big station during the early days of the Colombo to Opanaike Kelani Valley Line. Now the line runs from Colomb Fort to Avissawella and is converted to broad gauge.

'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. 

Wild elephant struck by train, Manampity, Sri Lanka.

 Coming back from Batticaloa we saw the carcass of this dead elephant. It had been struck by a train while crossing the railway track at Manampitiya on the Polonnoruwa to Batticaloa stretch. 'The count conducted last month in forests and wildlife parks found 5,879 wild elephants, of which 122 are tuskers and 1,107 calves'.