Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Transporting timber on the highways of Sri Lanka.




Overloading the truck transporting the timber, seems accepted on the roads. Breaking and steering will definitely be compromised. Very frequently the rear axle breaks. 

Monday, December 7, 2015

'Theru-moody Madam', Point Pedro, Sri Lanka.




'Madam' or 'Ambalam' means a resting house. These were constructed near temples or by the side of highways. The ones by the side of highways gave rest to weary travelers.
There were two 'Madams' in Jaffna which covered the highway and earned the epithet 'Theru-moody' - covering the highhwa in Tamil. One was at Aavarangaal and the other at Point-Pedro. The above picture shows the one at Point-Pedro, Sri Lanka, situated opposite the Sivan Kovil.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

'Well sweep' 'Thulaa' - Tamil, 'Aandiya lindha' - Sinhalese, was seen in almost every well in the Jaffna peninsula, Sri Lanka, in the 1950s.

The well sweep, with the cemented channel to conduct the drawn water to a cement lined tank to contain the water.


Thirsty cattle were welcome to drink the water
The wells were quite deep as the aquifer was found below the limestone rock layer.
The height of the sweep indicated  the depth of the well. There was a saying in Tamil '  Aalakkinathukku neelath thulaa'.
This sweep was in active  use at the 'Sivan Kovil' Point-Pedro in 2012 when I took this photo.

Sri Lankan 'wallker' of the last century, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.


This was the wooden device used to train a child to walk in the 1940s in Ceylon.Any village carpenter could turn this out. This had to be used on sandy soil to give friction to the wheels.

Friday, December 4, 2015