'Black-capped' or 'Black-crested' Bulbul.

I saw this relatively rare type of Bulbul at Yahellawaththe, in Avissawella, Photo by Charaka on a Fuji Finepix.

Wooden frame used for a 'pillow-fight' contest, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

A 'pillow-fighting' contest is held as part of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations in Sri Lanka. The two contestants sit astride the wooden trunk, facing each other. Each has a pillow on one hand and the other hand holds his hip on the same side. The idea is to knock the oppponent down from the bar using the pillow as a weapon. The contest creates a lot of hilarity among the spectators. My brother Saba, resident in Germany from 1972 introduced this in one of their village fairs. It was received very enthusiastically.

A loverly bunch of 'King coconuts' - Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The ripe king coconuts are sold for Rs.5/- to Rs.9/- while still on the tree. They are then plucked and transported to the wayside where they are sold for anything between Rs.15/- to Rs.20/-. The prices go up during the hot days. By comparison a one litre bottle of Coca Cola sells for Rs.100/-.
Wish you all a happy 'Aluth Avuruddha' - 'Puthu varudam'.

Young Leaf-bird, ?Blue winged, Yahellawaththe, Sri La

I saw about four of these young leaf-birds on a tall tree in Yahellawaththe, Avissawella, Sri Lanka. They were still in their juvenile plumage and were difficult to identify. Photo by Charaka on a Fuji Finepix with 10X zoom.

Climbing the 'greasy pole', Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

One of the popular competitions of the 'New year' is climbing the greasy pole and bringing down the red flag on the top of the pole. Here you see one of the competitors attempting it.