Pehahara

Marking Navam Poya (February Full Moon Day), this massive, dazzling procession starts at sunset. It commemorates Buddha's announcement of his impending death at age 80. Because a colleague (whose uncle is UNP opposition leader Ranil),goes to Gangaramaya Temple, in central Colombo, we got good seats. Numerous elephants, decorated with sequined cloths, dance to the beat of Kandyian drummers, while hundreds of dancers each showcase their unique dances. Everyone is costumed, there are fire-eaters, stilt-walkers, swordsmen, and acrobats. The pehahara is a chance to parade the temple's relics (each temple has its own relics, from past Buddhist prophets) past spectators. Unfortunately, the camera died again so I could not take many photos. Besides it is indescribable to see nor can it be captured as strongly in photos.

Daily Journey to Werkk by Three-Wheeled Tuk Tuk

School crossing of uniformed girls, all with hair braided; neighbourhood cow eating refuse (garbage disposal system); entrance to shanty dwellings; convenient store; decaying house from British colonial rule; man balancing his wares on head while balancing on railroad tracks; smiling family; materials for garment industry.

Outdated Photos from Thai Pongol

Thai Pongol, mid-January, is the Hindu holiday for celebrating the Sun (God) and harvest. My landlords, Gowri and Shiva, invited me to their Thai Pongol celebration, and I woke up at 4am to help them with preparing the morning feast. Nason, the cook, and I made milk rice, vaddai (fried doughnuts with herbs), and juggery sweets. You must first sweep all the floors, to purify and get rid of all misdeeds, as a start to a new season. The other people who work in the house constructed a kind of shrine for the milk rice. You boil the rice with excessive water, skimming off extra water, until it boils over. When it boils over it signals that the Sun god has taken his offerings, then Hindus can begin their morning feast. People generally go to temple in the afternoon or evening.































And the view from my apartment building's roof, towards the sea. Rooftop Hindu garden where New Year's Eve bash, with mad Hindi music, was held.

Cultural Triangle: Anaradhapura, Polonnuwura & (Kandy)

I cannot comment on everything I've seen during my visit to 2/3 of Cultural Triangle. Our group of 6 went to the first two sites. I would recommend looking into Sri Lanka's fascinating history, from a proper history/humanities book. Essentially, Anaradhapura was at its peak from 4-5th C BC to 5-6th C AD, Polonnuwura from 7th C to 13-14th C AD, and Kandy 13-14th C AD until colonial occupation by Portuguese, Dutch, then English. Sri Lanka was thriving when Europe was still trying to figure out sanitation and literacy! Amazing to see that at Polonnuwura there were hospitals, libraries, and numerous cultural centres. (But I have no pictures from Polonnuwura as the camera battery died). Truly a memorable experience, and I became quite fond of the island's wildlife (cows, water buffaloes, monkeys, birds and elephants).





Remains of Vessagiriya Monastery are now scattered rock debris, home to several cows.




At the Citadel, or Royal Palace, flourescent moss covers walls marking the perimeter of each building. The expansive site sprawls through thick, lush forests. The Mahapali Refrectory (no photo) was a sort-of dining area, with an enormous stone trough filled with rice to feed the 5000 monks in the adjoining villages. In times of famine, kings and nobility would also stop for a meal.

Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Baths)

Samadhi Buddha, in meditation, with women praying. Previously, there were 4 statues total, with gems for eyes, but since have been looted or corroded.






Massive twin baths for 8th century monks to have their ritual ablutions. Urns signify plenty, and ancient water engineers constructed the water to run from a lion's head, which also purified it. In addition, the water could pass through the two baths between small holes in the walls. Turtles now live in the fetid, pea-green water, and vendors sell handicrafts and spices.

Maha Thupa and moonstones

Ruvanvalisaya (Maha Thupa/Great Stupa) built by Dutugemunu (one of Sri Lanka's 200 kings within a millennia) to proclaim his victory over his rival, Elara. It is believed to house the remains of Buddha and is the most revered in Anaradhapura. He died before it was completed. Despite attaining control back from Indian invaders for a short time, the island fell to South Indian invaders after his death.

The dagoba is 'supported' by painted elephants. Buddhist animals represent the reincarnation cycles, so there is a significance that these elephants hold up the earth (dagoba). Elephants sybolise birth, horse (old age), lion (illness) and bull (death and decay --which was omitted from later Buddhist architecture and moonstones). Moonstones, at the foot of every temples' steps, have these hierarchy of animals, with elephants on the outermost ring. Vines or snakes, also carved into moonstones, represent desire and attachment to material things in life. Geese signify purity and wisdom. A lotus is usually at the centre of the moonstone, symbolising Buddha, attainment of nirvana and freedom from other reincarnation cycles.

Maha Thupa (Great Stupa)

Third largest dagoba in Anaradhapura, at 55m, shaped in the form of a hemisphere. Prayer flags, each one with someone's blessing/prayer. Grey langur monkeys inhabit the grasslands all around the dagoba, harassing tourists for food. Also, we met other pilgrims, all 9 (including driver) fit into a three-wheeler. They wanted our autographs, as Westerners, so we exchanged addresses.

Buddhist lesson at Isurumuniya Vihara

Within several caves the ceilings and walls are painted with numerous depictions from Buddha's life, and there are rather kitsch Buddha statues, in garish orange and red paints.

Isurumuniya Vihara temple at sunset

One of the most memorable 'epiphanies' during our visit was witnessing sunset from the top of Isurumuniya Vihara temple, less visited by the throngs of tourists. Its eclectic architecture, accumulating over several empirical periods, houses bat caves, an enormous sleeping Buddha, and a maze of cliff rocks that take you up to the top. At sunset, all the nearby temples resound their chanting, so that they echo through the hills. From the top we could see the Buddhist lesson taking place below, by one of the fish ponds. Only when turning around to see the sunset did we realise the temple was built below the enormous Tissa Wewa, irrigation tank.

Embarking to Srigiriya

Habarana Village Hotel's pool where I would start my day, in the isolated, extravagant, yet guiltily refreshing waters, with silver mist coming off the nearby human-made lake and dozens of rare, tropical birds, such as orange eagles and vibrant blue cocas, flying overhead. An indescribable way to start our climb of Srigiriya Rock. As we made our way through the stagnating water gardens and now defunct fountains, we tried to imagine the decadence of this palatial paradise, some 2000 years before.