Monday, November 5, 2012

Legends about Sorabora Wewa, Mahiyangana, Sri Lanka..

Statistics of the Sorabora Wewa
The ice-cream vendor who related the legends about Sorabora Wewa.
There are many legends of Sorabora Wewa going back more than 2000 years. Sri Lanka had ancient irrigation works and this would have been one of them. The man asdcrib ed to have made it single handed might have repaired a broken bund at a strategic spot.
Vldeo:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GG943YkmF0

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Tourists on the road to the Katunayaka Airport, Sri Lanka.

Mother
Father
Child
I saw this family pedaling away in the morning sunshine on the approaches to the Katunayake airport, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The child seemed to enjoy the fresh air and scenery. What a novel way for a family to see the sights of Sri Lanka. The bicycles will be unaccompanied baggage in the flight home, I presume.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Sorabora Wewa, boats and birds, Sri Lanka.

Boats used as ferries.
Flock of cormorants on the lake.
Indian Pond Heron.

The bird life in and around Sorabora Wewa is really amazing. I took these pictures in a morning.

Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=219Iy0dYWjI

Friday, November 2, 2012

Sorabora Wewa, Mahiyangana, Sri Lanka.

Water channel leading away from Sorabora Wewa.

Climbing the bund of Sorabora Wewa.
The statistical details of the Wewa.
A view of the Wewa in the morning.
To admire the beauty of this place, the former adobe of the Veddhas the prehistoric tribes of Sri Lanka, one has to spend a few hours here. The serenity and peace one gets sitting under a tree with the gentle breeze blowing is sheer pleasure to be savored in silence. The view of the distant mountains over the glistening water of the lake presents a fantastic sight.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

The village adjoining Sorabora Wewa, Mahiyangana, Sri Lanka.

The village.

The water channel from the Wewa - reservoir.

The hearths in the boutiques.

Frying fish caught in the Wewa for sale to the tourist/pilgrims coming to the  site.
'Sorabora Wewa' - a large water reservoir - was built more than 2000 years ago during the rule of King Dutugemunu,  who reigned from 161 BC to 137 BC. There are many legends surrounding the building of a bund by a single individual. Like in quite a lot of the ancient irrigation works of Sri Lanka, the tank may have been built in prehistoric times. The single individual mentioned may have repaired a breached bund. There is a veddha ancestry for quite a lot of the villagers settled in the village near the bund.