Husked coconuts for sale, Sellakatharagama - S, Sellakathirgamam - T , Sri Lanka.

Husked coconuts are smashed in front of the temple as a ritual in the Saiva-Hindu tradition. This is said to symbolise the breaking of the hard shell of the ego in a devotee to get at the sweetness of the kernal inside. Note the clay wick lamps with yellow coloured ghee for burning as an offering at the temple. Notice also the incense sticks for sale..

Road over the bund, Tissa, Sri Lanka.

I took this picture of two cyclists riding on the highway over the bund of the lake in Tissa. You can see the Bird Island on the far right with egrets nesting on the trees. The cone shaped hill in the horizon is 'Vedahiti Kanda' - S, 'Kathiramalai' - T.

Dagoba, Tissa, Sri Lanka.

Dagoba, paddy field and watchman's hut, Tissa, Sri Lanka. Photo taken by Queenie on a Samsung 12 Megapixel camera.

'Pheasant-tailed Jacana' in breeding plumage, Tissa, Sri Lanka.

The Jacana comes out in beautiful breeding plumage as you see in this picture. It is a marsh bird and walks on the lotus and water lily leaves. I took this picture near Tissa on 28/2/2010 on my Fuji Finepix S 1500 using a 12X zoom.

'Pooja vattys' at Sella-Katharagama, Sri Lanka.

Each 'pooja vatty' - an offering to the God contains, a bunch of ripe plantains, a coconut, wood-apple fruit, a lime, melon fruit, betel leaves, camphor, incense sticks and a plastic garland. These cost Rs.300/- upwards.