The 'Orchid House', Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Flower plants for sale, Waters Edge, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A new site for sale of all types of plants for the home garden, is situated in a cleared land opposite the Parliament roundabout on the road to Malabe. It attracts a large crowd. A few pictures from the site.

Two outstanding orchid flowers.

Toque macaque, with its characteristic cap of hair.

Sri Lanka's endemic monkey, the toque macaque, has a characteristic cap of hair. Living close to households they raid the fruit trees like mango, rambuttan. They ruin the produce from the coconut tree by plucking the young fruits. They enter the kitchen through open windows and carry away food items. They can become aggressive and attach children. Here you see one of them sitting on a telephone cable surveying the area.

'Sacred Bo Tree', Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

The 'Sacred Bo Tree', Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. The branches supported by gold plated supports are the ones from the original 'Bo Sapling' brought from present Buddha Gaya, India, more than 2000 years ago. This was a branch taken from the  Bo Tree under which the Sakyamuni got his Enlightenment. The transplanted branch was grown inside a golden vessel - like in 'Origami' - and was brought by Theri Sanghamittha, the sister of Emperor Asoka, to Sri Lanka.

Recent excavations around the Sacred Bo Tree at Anuradhapura, brought to light very ancient artifacts, according to some authorities, predating the arrival of the Bo Sapling. These new excavations have been temporarily halted. The picture above shows these artifacts covered by a chamber topped off with a glass covering. I have heard it said that we have only scratched the surface of Sri Lankan history as it stands at present. There is a lot of work for researchers in this area.

Premises of the 'Sacred Bo Tree', Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

The ornamental stairway made of granite.

A 'Dwara-paala' - 'Gate-keeper'

The 'Sandakada pahana' - 'Moon-stone'

A view of the courtyard.