* Butterfly thoughts

A talented Anulian

2011-12-05T12:43:00.001-08:00

A day at the Olentangy trail

2011-11-24T15:17:00.001-08:00

by Janani Amarasekara

The Saturday was glorious. Unlike the earlier days, the atmosphere was filled with a cool breeze and warm sunshine. It was the perfect day for an outdoor stroll. Weekends here in Columbus are usually sunny. We, along with some other Sri Lankans who live in Columbus, decided to take advantage of this perfect day. “It is the tail end of autumn.

Before the snow begins there’s something we should see,” suggested one of the Sri Lankans who had been living here for a while. I being a novice had no idea where to go and what to see. By about 10 in the morning everyone gathered at the hotel where we stayed. We packed snacks and drinks in our picnic bags, and armed with enough warm clothes, everyone was ready to leave.

Within a few minutes, everybody was in the vehicle and with the aid of a global positioning tool (GPS); we were on our way to our destination. Since it was Saturday, the road was full of vehicles. However, to my surprise I did not hear any honking at all.

There were queues of hundreds of vehicles, but I could hardly call it heavy traffic unlike Colombo. People were in their lanes, following the traffic lights. It was a smooth journey. We were driving along a river, and by the side of the road were trees of different hue.

“Hey, look at those trees. Those are beautiful. Don’t they grow in our country?” My voice was rather loud, almost everybody in the vehicle started giggling, and my husband’s flushed face turned towards me. It showed signs of discomfort. I realised that I said something stupid. “Idiot, those are not a special type of trees,” my husband whispered slowly into my ear.

“Then, what are they?” I was inquisitive and still loud. “Shush, haven’t you heard that in autumn leaves take different colours?,” “Oh! I know. But, I never thought they would be so amazing,” I tried to cover up and fake a relaxed smile at the others. What a shame! “We are going to Olentangy trails to see the Fall colours,” said a fellow traveller to rescue me from the difficult situation. “I heard we can see striking Fall colours in that locale.” He added.

Thanks to the GPS tool, we reached our haven soon. After parking the vehicle near the entrance, we unloaded our picnic bags and warm clothes. Though, it was a bright and sunny day, a slight chilly weather made us stick to our warm clothes, something unusual for me. In the morning, I was so delighted with the sight of sunshine, and was ready to leave my warm clothes behind at the hotel. However, luckily I listened to my husband and brought them with me.

If not I would definitely be freezing while on the trail. Finally, after the preparation, we were ready to see the Fall colours at the Olentangy trail. This is a beautiful greenway-walking path along the Olentangy River. It is one of the most popular greenways in Ohio. This trail offers an unspoiled 22 kilometres, from Worthington Hills to downtown Columbus.

This well-liked bikeway winds through several neighbourhoods, with trailheads at several major city parks. We did not walk until the end of the trail. However, we hiked quite a distance. On our way through, we passed a few artistic bridges, picturesque multi-coloured trees and a massive playground. By the side of the playground there was a Skateboard Park too, something we do not witness in our country.

A few boys on their skateboards were playing on the cement structure. Bikers and runners were a usual site on the trail.Unfortunately, we were a little tardy to see the Fall colours at that spot. To our relief there were some amazing trees, although the majority of the trees had already shed their leaves. One of the members of our crew said, “We came here to see the Fall colours, in vain all the colours have already fallen.” It was the joke of the day. However, it was a pretty good day outdoors, out of Columbus!

Pix: Aravinda Dassanayake

All Saints Church, Borella

2011-07-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

A short drive along Punchi Borella via Ananda Rajakaruna Mawatha brought us to a glorious church with a tall spire and an unusual bell tower. Next to All Saints Girls’ School was the All Saints Church, which is one of the two All Saints’ Churches in Sri Lanka. Galle Fort houses the other All Saints’ Church.
The environment in the church at Borella is completely different. Some priests at a nearby mission house felt the need for a church at this area and the construction was carried out with the help of devotees. When we reached there, the Tamil mass was going on.
This is the only church in Sri Lanka, which has Mosaic Art on Royal glass paintings. The church was designed using the techniques of Gothic Architecture, on June 28 1886 Parish Priest Bonjan laid the foundation stone for the church. Fr. Collin, one of the initiators, was very enthusiastic about building a church. He succeeded in acquiring the land of two acres with the help of Lady Pies Johanna Wenham Thomson and Lady Arthur Gordon, the wife of the then Governor of Ceylon. At the auspicious moment of laying the foundation stone, Governor, Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon brought some documents written in Latin. It is said the documents described the construction of the church. Those were put into a tiny glass bottle and then buried with the foundation stone.
A result, number of carnivals and fairs were organised to collect funds Fr. Conrad was one of the priests who was eager to put up the church. Later, Fr. A. M. B. Jayamanna further developed the church. As a result of a vow he had made for the successful completion of the church, now there is a cloth with a scenery from the life of Jesus painted on it. It is fixed on the roof above the main altar. The first service after the completion of the church was held on September 24, 1938. Painted glass windows and doors add an extra colour to the already glamorous church interior. In keeping with the Sri Lankan culture, there are a few lotus flowers painted on the ceiling of the church.
Among the other attractions at the church premises are the cave and the bell tower which have taken a prominent place. According to legend some devotees had seen Mother Mary near the cave here. The bell tower, which was built in 1957, is the only one in Asia that has 25 bells in one place. The tower was erected to commemorate the 300th Novena of the church. These bells were brought from Bokum City, in West Germany. They were especially made from a metal unique to that particular factory. The largest bell of the tower weighs 2000kg. Operated manually at first, the bell tower was later converted to an electronically operated one. There is also a mission house at the back of the church. Words ‘Pax Huic Domu’ is written at the entrance. It means ‘Peace to this House’.

Alls well that ends well!

2011-06-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

It was a fine Sunday morning, I should have woken up earlier. I had to sit a very competitive examination at an examination centre I had never gone and never heard of before. It was at 9.30 in the morning, and I woke up at 8’o clock. At the first glance on the wall clock, I was convinced that the clock had stopped last night at eight.

Oh no, seeing the same time displayed on the mobile phone and my mother’s scream hit me hard, I nearly fell off the bed. Nothing was ready. “What had I been doing last night? Oh, Aishwarya was gorgeous in that lovely red dress and Sharukh was really handsome.” Another one or two minutes was wasted in pensiveness until my father also screamed at me.

Wearing a wrinkled top and not at all matching denim, dishevelled to the maximum, I got into the car with pens and pencils in one hand and a sandwich in the other. “Oh, I forgot the bottle of water,” I screamed. “I cannot turn back. Buy one from a nearby shop,” father exploded. I sat back and tried to loosen up.

The morning was a complete disaster; I hope that at least the examination will be a piece of cake. “Dad, do you know the place?” “I think so. I asked my peon for directions,” he replied. I was relieved. I admired the striking colonial type buildings along the road. Turning left and right, finally dad brought me to a place which looked like a school. “The building over there with a high green wall is your examination centre,” he pointed. “Right, then after the examination I’ll have to come home by bus?” I asked praying he would say he would come. “Yes, you better. Walk down this lane and what you see over there is the main road,” he rekindled my hopes. I walked into the premises, without wasting even a millisecond to confirm that the place was correct. “Could you tell me where hall number 01 is please?” I inquired from one of the girls there and they pointed to me the direction.

As I was on my way to the hall, another candidate asked me, “Is this Wolvendal School?” I was flummoxed, because it was not my examination centre, “I’m not sure. I didn’t actually check the board, however, my centre is Kotahena Central College,” Shocked as I was, she suggested, “Shall we ask somebody else?” “Yes, sure” At the end of all the inquiries, I realised that it was I who had come to the wrong centre.

I hurriedly rang my father while those girls lamented that I had to go a long way to find the centre in a limited time. My furious father virtually flew to the place and as soon as I got into the car he said, “Didn’t you ask directions to the school?” “They said I need to go to Kotahena,” I stuttered. “No, it should be somewhere around here,” he screamed.

He took a nippy turn to the next byroad, and asked a person about the school, “Go straight on this road, and take a right turn and then a left turn.” We followed his directions and it brought us nowhere. Time was ticking fast and there was precisely 10 minutes for the examination to begin. Highly frustrated, I was almost in tears. My father kept scolding me about my messy life. He dashed at of the car to ask directions, on his way back he asked another. He said, “Kotahena! My Gosh, you need to go to Kotahena what are you doing here?” We silently came up to the main road. The admission card had the address of the centre as Maha Vidyala Veethi.

We were both convinced that the lane should be somewhere around here.

I actually could remember passing that street when we were on our way to the earlier place. We gave up asking for directions for the school.

We asked for the street. Within a few minutes, we were standing in front of the school. As always, I have been lucky, it was exactly 9.30 and the examinations had not yet begun. By the time I entered the school, the candidates were still loitering. The morning was full of action and within seconds, my mind was at ease to write the examination in style.

Southern express way of Sri Lanka

2011-06-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

An evening at Galle Face Green

2011-06-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

The sun was at the edge of the horizon and the Galle Face green was warming up for a long night despite the slight drizzle. It was a busy Sunday evening at the Galle Face Green. An array of old and new models of vehicles filled the car park and the ticket officer was busy issuing parking tickets. Through the barricade, we entered the breezy stretch of green, the walkers’ paradise, which graciously welcomed us to the arena.

Though it was just 5 o’clock in the evening, the promenade on the sea face stretching one and a half kilometres was swarming with families, children, vendors, lovers and merrymakers.

The largest open space in Colombo used by many hundreds a day was a donation of the British Governor Sir Henry Ward. He laid out this land in 1859. It was used for horse racing a hundred years ago and it is now a paradise for high-spirited citizens.

Two major Sri Lankan hotels, the Ceylon Continental and the Galle Face Hotel, mark the boundaries of this picturesque green turf, while Taj Samudra overlooks the stretch. Many Romeos and Juliets were huddled under umbrellas were dreaming and in their own world. At the same time, some children along with their parents raced across the stretch with their toys and while some flew kites.

The tantalising aroma of fast food vendors was too inviting to ignore. Unless you are a hygiene freak, there are enough and more food choices to make. My favourite has always been the prawn vade, without sauce though. These vendors have everything you need to pile up some fat on your tummy. If you are not into snacks, they will even give you dinner. The famous of the fast food joints is the Nana’s. There were three shops with the same name; however, the inauguration years were 1979, 1987 and 1988. The Nana’s food stall of 1979 boasts of being the pioneers. Galle Face Green hardly goes empty during any time of the day.

It attracts many locals as well as tourists. It is the best spot in town for vendors. Merrymakers strode on to the beach from the steps, which lead from the parapet wall, under the vigilant eyes of lifeguards, these merrymakers enjoyed the experience of the rolling waters. The giggles of the girls echoed on the walls and the men followed the hum to check out on girls. Those who wanted to remain in dry clothing cheered the rest. The evening was vibrant!

A little walk towards the Continental brings you to the 100 metres tall remote operated flagpole and to the newly built bridge, which spans up to the deep waters. The experience on this observation point is wonderful. The deep waters circle around the supporting pillars, as if they are ready to drag them to the seabed. This is the ideal spot to watch the divine view of the sunset.

The mesmerising colours of the evening sky hold you to a step closer to nature. The view of the sea is magnificent; it calms down a tensed mind and eases the pressure. However, the situation on land is pathetic. Among vendors and visitors are piles of garbage thrown here and there. There are garbage cans kept at some points. Maybe these are inadequate and the public are not educated enough on the proper disposal of garbage.

At one point there was a board displayed to warn the public of a fine, unfortunately, someone had changed the lettering and it read ‘If you keep the environment clean, Rs. 500 will be fined.”

However, it is the responsibility of all of us to keep the place clean, so that future generations can benefit from this invaluable landscape.

Self-discipline for cyclists, a must

2011-06-06T05:24:00.001-07:00

Road accidents are on the rise and every day the country loses five to six valuable lives on the road. Who takes the blame? People point fingers at officials, but how fair is it? Every citizen should take responsibility. Upholding road laws by users make the experience on the road pleasant for all of us. On a previous week we enlightened you on some best practices, pedestrians need to follow. Today we are educating you on some rules and regulations cyclists need to follow. According to Sri Lankans, the cycle is the vehicle of the poor.

However, now many youngsters use cycles to commute to school. Intentionally or unintentionally, sloppy cyclists cause many accidents on the road. The first step of safe cycling and in avoiding accidents is checking the bicycle, to see if it is in good condition. Ensure that it is mechanically good, the height of the seat and the handle suits your height, and the fixed revenue license is visible.
The number of accidents, related to cyclists, occurs during the dark hours can be more, when compared to daylight hours. Therefore, a white lamp infront and a red lamp or a reflector at the back is essential. Painting the mudguard in white is also important. When the light is dim, always activate these lights and wear light coloured clothes to make it easier for other vehicles to spot you.
The wisest action is using the dedicated cyclists' lane if present, as it is safer than on busy roads. However, in the absence of a lane, ride closer to the left edge. Riding in vertical lines, rather than going in pairs is secure for the riders. Some modern day youngsters do perilous stunts using bicycles. Unless they are professional stunt performers, this action would lead to many accidents.
Therefore, riding using both hands is the best, while not giving hand signals. Even when signalling, do that early allowing sufficient time for drivers to prepare. Never carry anything extra, which will disturb proper handling of the cycle. In some areas, especially in villages, people hold other cyclists and chat while riding. This practice is dangerous and should be avoided. Unlike other vehicles, bicycles have the benefit of taking less room on the road. Then cyclists are tempted to overtake other vehicles in a bad manner.
This could surprise other drivers, and could lead to accidents. When it comes to mishaps related to cyclists, always it is not the fault of the rider.
Therefore, it is better to be cautious than be regretful. While passing parked vehicles, see if a careless passenger has opened a door, or may be another motorists might hastily overtake the parked vehicle and you. Be careful about your surroundings.
Another fatal moment in motor traffic is when a vehicle enters a main road, since this is an unexpected movement for drivers on the main road, it is better to stop and watch the traffic. When the highway is clear, entering is secure.
On a one-way road or at a roundabout avoid taking the opposite way. Sure, you notice vehicle come to your face, but these motorists do not anticipate you. Thus, the result will be an accident.
Arresting accidents is easy if we act cautiously on the road and follow road rules. Let us aid the country to minimise the number of lives lost unreasonably. In another episode, we will elaborate about road rules applying to motorists.

Sri Kailasanathar Swami Devasthanam: The oldest Hindu temple in Colombo

2011-06-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

Sri Kailasanathar Swamy Dewashthanam

The deafening sound of Ketti Melam, music played at Tamil weddings, filled the atmosphere of Sri Kailasanathar Hindu Temple, and the grandly dressed crowd rushed around the kovil to ensure a perfect nuptial ceremony. Not wanting to barge in, we wandered around the place to find the kovil office. A man appeared from nowhere and offered us to help. "Show us the office please?" "Come I will show you," he signalled us to follow. "There, at the blue painted building." We thanked him and followed his directions. We were stunned to see the board 'wedding hall.' The man had assumed we too were invitees. After another round, around the kovil, we found the correct place and managed to meet the kovil officials.

The decorated roof

The astrology chart

A bull statue

The decorated Gopuram

Sri Kailasanathar Swami Devashthanam is a kovil hidden inside a bushy surrounding behind the Fort Railway Station. Built during the Portuguese era, it was a family kovil. Apparently, it is the oldest Hindu temple in Colombo. Although it is Sri Kailasanathar, Swami Devashthanam, many still identify it as the kovil at the Captain's Garden. Though I presumed it as an unseen and unknown kovil, we later realised that it is popular even among non-Hindus. The number of Sinhala notices displayed there makes it obvious.

The entrance to the road leading to the kovil is near the famous second-hand bookstores at D. R. Wijewerdene Mawatha. Turn right from the main road and kovil Veethi, leads to the kovil over the Fort railway lines. As soon as you take a right turn from the kovil Veethi, to the kovil grounds, there are two kovils in the vicinity; a new building and an old colour-faded building. According to the kovil Manager, the faded building is the Ganapathi Kovil and the new-fangled building is the Easwaran Kovil.

Though the two kovils are adjacent the management of the two is different. Construction of a new kovil was under way at the place. A man who hid behind the stone dust was carving beautiful sculptures from the stones brought especially from India. Nowadays with the use of machines, cutting and polishing a stone into a sculpture is an easy task. However, the life of the artisans who originally built the kovil would have undergone many difficulties. The clerk of the kovil office, Nesarajah, took us on a tour around the kovil. Starting from the intricate lotus-carved main door, the tour covered almost all corners of the kovil. As soon as we entered, Nesarajah pointed to the roof. Oh! A gorgeous carving of an astrology chart, adorned the roof entrance. Magnificent paintings of Gods and Goddesses decorated the entire roof of the kovil. The kovil is full of statues of various gods. Shrines dedicated to various gods filled every empty slot of the temple.

The Vel Cart

"Easwaran kovils usually have shrines for almost every god," said the manager. The kovil has shrines for almost every god whom I have read in Tamil folk tales. Sri Kailasanathar Swamy Devashthanam is the starting point of the Vel ceremony, which later went up to Bamabalapitiya on the Galle Road. The kovil has two major festivals, in March and August.

The March festival is dedicated to goddess Pattini, while the August festival is dedicated to God Easwaran.

There is a beautiful Vel cart, decorated with intricate wooden carvings. In June 2010, the kovil Management had organised the most recent Kumbabhishekam ceremony. The kovil offers different special poojas for various gods during the week.

Beginning the week on Monday with a pooja offered to Goddess Pattini, the kovil has a unique set of poojas to Goddess Durga, Bahirawa, and nine planets. On Poya days, the Sri Sakkara Pooja is followed by an almsgiving to the devotees.

The Kannagi Amman festival began on May 25, and it will last for 10 consecutive days, Nesarajah said. The shrines of Goddess Pattini and God Easwaran had two carved bronze flag poles in front.

Thalawila Church Unique shrine dedicated to St. Anne

2011-05-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

The city of churches, as I would like to dub Kalpitiya, occupies a large number of fine little churches scattered around the neighbourhood. Under the dimly lit streetlights, these churches glow in the dark with the help of some colourful light bulbs. There is one place in this peninsula, of which the popularity has been rising everyday for almost 400 years. It is none other than Thalawila Church, which is known for its miracles and blessings for many years.
This church is dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of St. Mary. Thalawila is considered as one of the most visited churches in the country and a unique shrine, which is worshipped by many thousands of people each year despite their religion. According to the records, this is one of the oldest churches in Sri Lanka. The cool breeze of the vast Puttalam Lake and the mighty Indian Ocean refreshes the apostles who are exhausted from eternal struggles in life.

Front of the church

The history of the Thalwila Church goes back to the seventeenth century. There are two stories related to the origin of the shrine. The first tale is rather an exaggerated story, which narrates about a Portuguese traveller, who in poor circumstances, travelled to find employment. However, failing to do so, he returned to where he lived. He used the coastal route for this.
The tired traveller happened to fall asleep under a large tree, which then grew at Thalawila. He dreamt that he saw a statue at the foot of the tree, with lighted tapers. Waking up from his deep sleep, he realised that the image was actually there. In his confusion, he prayed and was suddenly dazzled and awestruck by the 'great awakening light', which illuminated in the form of St. Anne and the Saint in the bodily presence stood before him. She told him that the image he had seen was intended as a representation of Her.
She ordered the traveller to build a church at the very spot in Thalawila and name it after Her.
It is believed that the image and the statue that is there today are the same. The story of the origin, which is accepted by many is related to a shipwreck. A European trader, travelling in a ship dedicated to St. Anne, was shipwrecked off the coast of Thalawila in the early half of the 18th century. As the place where they landed was not very hospitable, they sought a place to rest. They saw a large banyan tree at a distance and they loomed it with the statue of St. Anne, which they had in their possession. They placed the image in the tree, with the captain of the ship vowing to return and build a church if his business prospered.
The European trader obviously met with success as he desired, and kept his word by building a church at the place where the statue of St. Anne stood in its glory.
It is said that in 1943, by some bizarre coincidence, exactly a hundred years after the erection of the present church, there appeared the hull of a wrecked vessel for which the present generation has no recollection. The huge crowds which flocked to view it, believe that it was the vessel, which had once borne the image of St. Anne, which testifies the persistence of the tradition.
"This, however, is not the original church built by the trader," said the Administrator of St. Anne's Church, Fr. Luke Nelson Perera. "The first church of this premises was built in 1762 and this church in 1843," he added. The earliest church had been built using cadjan and wood. Therefore, over time it had been destroyed. The statute of St. Anne's placed at the church is made out of wood. "All the churches in Sri Lanka, which are believed to have miracles, have wooden statues," explained Fr. Perera.
According to the historians, the wood needed for the construction of the church, especially for the 18 pillars of the hall, were found from the surrounding forest.
There are many miracles recorded in the history of St. Anne's Church, Thalawila. For many who desperately wish for a baby, this is considered as the last resort. They pray for many days and nights and ultimately their wish will be granted. An engineer working for a leading Company in Sri Lanka, Arul, was married for 10 years without children when they first heard about the church. After praying to St. Anne, now they are a happy couple with a daughter. "I have experienced the miracle of St. Anne's.
"I have a lot of faith in Her," said Arul. One of the popular miracles is the shipwreck of the 'Kandula' ship, which belonged to the Navy.
This ship had collided with a sand bank near Thalawila and got shipwrecked. Removing the parts of the vessel was a tough job. Then the officers made a vow at the St. Anne shrine. It is said that then everything happened in order. As a way of paying gratitude, now the Navy attends the church festival every year.
The church is always full of devotees. However, the most crowded period is the festive season. There are two major festivals of the church; one is during March and the other is in August. "About 400,000 devotees attend the March festival and 500,000 the August festival. Organizing these events is a major task," he explained. These two are gazetted feasts of the country.
Therefore, the GA of the area does the planning, which involves the government.
At present, a development projects, initiated by Fr. Nelson Perera are in progress at the shrine. Drinking water project for pilgrims, renovation of the roof of the shrine, construction of a retreat house and Tree planting campaign are some of them.

SLTB to launch novel project to minimise accidents: Points system to choose best depot

2011-05-21T19:31:00.001-07:00

The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has declared May as the month of accident prevention. "In line with a proposal by the Board's Vice Chairman, L.A. Wimalarathne, the program 'We save you', will be carried out to arrest the rising number of accidents and also give a boost to the income of the Board during this month," said Manager, Income Generation of Sri Lanka Transport Board, H. M. Chandrasiri.
Under the program, all the depots in the country will be assessed on a special grading scheme. Daily points will be awarded for the percentage of buses put into the service as per area requiremen, number of miles covered and the income brought in by the end of the day.
At the same time, points will also be deducted for passenger complaints and cases of accidents.
During this period, SLTB employees will also be educated on how to maintain a bus, ways and means to provide a better passenger service and highway code. The Sri Lanka Police and guest lecturers will conduct a lecture series in order to impart lessons.
As an incentive the depot with the highest number of points will be selected as the best depot. "We are planning to reward the winning depot, with something that will help further and sustain the depot facilities," said Chandrasiri.
"This will be the perfect project to minimise the number of accidents caused by SLTB buses.
All our employees will be enthused to provide a better service for the community," he added.
In the first three months of this year there were 380 accidents involving Sri Lanka Transport Board buses resulting in 23 deaths.
In 2010, the number of accidents involving State buses was 1,158.

Deegavapi Vihara: Sacred shrine blessed by the Buddha

2011-05-21T19:28:00.001-07:00

The newly built shrine

Driving away from the bustling city of Ampara, towards East on Akkaraipattu Road for almost 18 km, brings you to the point where you are required to make a left turn from the main road to enter Deegavapi Temple Road. This path, has a dead end at the garden of the shrine, and passes a small hamlet of Muslim community and a picturesque ambience. Once you pass the locale, it is just the plain lush green valley, which allows you a splendid panorama up to the sky.
By the time we arrived at the temple, it was almost deserted and there was hardly anybody to be seen except one or two vendors. The mesmerizing serenity of the temple resembled the idyllic setting of a place blessed by the Buddha. It was during the third visit the Blessed One visited Deegavapi shrine with 500 other arahants and had spent the time meditating. Of course, although occasionally a peacock breaches the silence of the atmosphere, it is the perfect place to meditate.
After parking the vehicle at the gate of Deegavapi Vihara, we hurried passing the two storeyed monks' abode until the Stupa was in our vicinity. Did I expect to see a beautiful dazzling white Stupa like Ruwamweliseya? Maybe, I did not. Deegavapi is nothing like a Stupa. It rather gives an impression of a heap of bricks and plants. The circumference of the Stupa is 1000 feet, and it has been restored only up to 30 feet of the height. Rest of the height is a small jungle with various bushes on it. According to archaeologists, the Stupa was 110 feet high in 1964. However, a report by Badigode Buddharakitha thera says that the height of the Stupa was 185 feet in 1845. I presumed that on top of the Stupa there was an eagle's nest as well. Flower pedestals, foot prints of the Buddha, and ruins of a beautifully decorated Vahalkada were seen all over the place. There are ruins scattered around the premises.
The Stupa had been built by King Saddhathissa (137 -119 BC), and is considered as a 'Pariboghika Stupa', one which does not contain relics. Being one of the 16 places blessed by the Buddha the shrine has become a sacred place. The great chronicle Mahavamsa, states that the King had also donated a jacket decorated with gold lotus flowers, and gems to cover the Stupa. According to an inscription on a gold foil found during an excavation, the Stupa was later renovated by king Kawanthissa who ruled from 164 - 192BC.
The British took over the entire land that belonged to the temple. In 1886, the Governor had instructed the villagers to dig the area and remove the bricks and granite slabs to be used for irrigation projects. Buddhists had refused to take part in the excavation.
The project had ended leaving only a pile of soil at the area where the Stupa was situated. Ven. Kohukumubure Revatha Thera, had located the Stupa.
Later he started reconstructing the stupa. The thera also managed to reclaim 250 acres of land back to the temple.

The Monks’ abode	Deegavapi Stupa
Ruins of a decorated Vahalkada	Foot imprint of the Buddha Pedestal
Stone flower pedestal	Pix: Janani Amarasekara

Miracles of Somawathie dagoba attract pilgrims

2011-05-21T19:27:00.001-07:00

It was May 09, 2010 and the devotees at the Somawathie shrine were attending a Kiripindu Pooja. Minutes and hours passed by, and all were engrossed in the pooja, when a strange pinkish light appeared near the square chamber of the Pagoda. The air above the premises echoed by the hum of a worship, 'sadhu!'It was not an alien incident for Somawathiya; it had happened numerous times before. Some scholars interpret this light as illuminations of the Buddha and some deem this as a proof for the appearance of a god. Whatever it is, these miracles do bring many devotees to the shrine.
Around 40 kilometres away from Polonnaruwa, the Somawathie Chethiya is a popular pilgrimage site among the Buddhists and non-Buddhists. The place creates a lot of news throughout the year. Besides, the miracles, there is also an elephant that visits the temple regularly to pay homage to the Stupa which is enshrined with the right canine Tooth Relic of the Buddha. During the rainy season, the whole area goes under water.
During the conflict, the journey to the temple was not easy. Once you drove in at the last army camp, you were required to leave your National Identity Card with the security. Subsequently, it was a journey through the thick jungle up to Somawathie Viharaya.
While standing here at the temple premises, I remember a story related to my grandmother. Some years ago, my granny went missing. A few days later, she was back at home from an adventurous journey to Somawathiya. "I was late by the time I reached the army camp. There were hardly any vehicles to commute up to the temple. Taking a tractor was the only option I had. I got into it to reach the shrine and spent the night all alone at the temple," she said. This incident took place in 2007 and she was 68 years old then.
The history of Somawathiya predate Dutugemunu. Therefore, it is much older than Ruwanweliseya, Mirisawetiya or Jetawanaramaya. Some believe that it was built during the reign of king Kavantissa, Dutugemunu's father who ruled Magama. According to ancient chronicles, the very first Arahant of the country, Aritta Thera, had visited the residence of gods especially to bring the Sacred Right Tooth Relic of the Buddha.
As the legend unfolds, Kawantissa's sister, Somawathie Devi, had built the dagoba during the second century BC. The Mahawamsa describes that the royal couple who had left Ruhuna had sought refuge in Raja Rata over a disagreement with king Dutugemunu who was also the nephew of Somawathie. Queen Somawathie had a yearning to build a stupa in honour of the Buddha. The king himself had agreed to the idea with much enthusiasm. Giri Abhaya, the husband of queen Somawathie, had explored a possible site for the construction. In the course of his survey, he came upon an area where Bhikkhus led by Arahant Mahinda resided. When the king suggested his idea to Arahant Mahinda, he gave his consent to the stupa-building project.
The location was known as Somapura. There were companion stupas known as Kumbanacchaduwa (identified as the place where Kadol elephant had died).
The pilgrim of earlier days to the holy shrine had an opportunity to see on one side of the dagoba, a trench-like opening revealing some five feet inside the present dagoba, wherein is the ancient brick masonry of the earlier dagoba. However, now the trench has been covered.

The flooded premises

The present freshly painted white dagoba is an enlargement of an earlier one. Two kings have renovated the chetiya and with the opening visitors could view the section of the chetiya that revealed the three layers illustrating the three periods during which renovations were undertaken.
According to scholars, some Brahmi characters found at the site have been identified as letters from the second century. Seven stone inscriptions detailing the history of the dagoba have also been found in the area. Separate inscriptions found here refer to the Rebavehera and Pajini Naka Araba Vihara, which are presumed to be the ancient names of the monument. According to the latter, there is also a belief that the vihara was a construction by Naka, the son of king Mahallaka Naga in the second century.
Like the road to Seruwila Dagoba, here too, the voyage itself offers you an array of thick jungle and swamp as well as their inhabitants, big and small.
In fact, the dagoba is often visited at night by elephants. Sungawila is the last little town and border village from where you cross the Mahaweli to travel on some 13 kilometres of unsealed road that cuts through the Somawathie's strict natural reserve and wildlife sanctuary, and takes you through the jungle and marshy land to the great dagoba.
As elephants encroach into the temple premises, an electric fence has been installed there. The fence is powered by solar electricity. Electricity is switched on in the evening from six onwards.
The Somawathie Chetiya is famous in recent history due to its miracles, which took place in the temple. Some of the valuable ancient ruins found in the place are found at the Polonnaruwa Museum.


Miracles	The Buddha’s foot imprint

Self-discipline for road safety, a must

2011-05-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

During the last three decades, since 1977, more than 40,000 people died and nearly 370,000 injured out of which 68,440 were serious. Am I talking about the damage caused by the 30-year-old conflict? No, I am not. These are statistics on road accidents, released at the recently held conference hosted by the National Road Safety Council.
The data also revealed that around 150 accidents are reported daily in Sri Lanka, causing death to five to six people. This is not a problem faced only by the Sri Lankans; almost 1.3 million people around the world die each year from road accidents.
Taking this rise of accidents into consideration, many countries of the world including ours, have declared a Global decade of Action for Road Safety in 2011-2020.
The road accidents are under the spotlight, making it the perfect time to discuss the causes. Negligence plays a key role in causing accidents although not the eventual.
Ill disciplined pedestrians and drivers also deserve the blame. The Gazette Announcement 486/8 issued by the Sri Lanka Government on December 29, 1987, established a set of best practices the pedestrians and drivers need to follow. Unfortunately, only a few know these practices and even those who know rarely puts those into practice. Therefore, we decided to enlighten you gradually on the rules suggested by the gazette announcement. After all, this is simply common sense that we all should have.
Pedestrians - The discussion about safety of the pedestrians, always give priority to children. The parents need to be watchful when their children use the road. Never allow them to play on the road.
As a rule of thumb, keep children away from the moving traffic while walking. From their tender age, teach the safety road rules and develop the habit of following those.
Pedestrians should always use footpaths or pavements, if provided. Using the footpath also needs you to follow few rules; avoiding covering the full width of the pavement while walking tops this list. Haven't you ever faced these types of pedestrians in your life? How did you feel? I am sure you did not feel great!
Further, pedestrians should note that the roads are for the primary use of the motor traffic. Therefore, they should offer priority to motor traffic.
They also should take caution while walking on the dimly lit roads, especially at night. If there is no footpath, it is advisable to wear light colours and carry something white, which will help the drivers to spot you easily at night.
When a pedestrian needs to cross the road, look for a pedestrian crossing, overhead bridge or an underground crossing.
A crossing within 50 metres wants the pedestrian to cross from there. While crossing, stop and check for motor traffic until you get a safe moment.
As we learnt as children, "Eyes right! Eyes left! Eyes right once again.
Then, if the road is, clear. Quick march! Don't rush! You may cross the road for there's nothing now to fear." You are safe on the road, if you follow this rhyme. Crossing - in an instance when motor traffic and pedestrians coincide, needs the attention of the drivers and the pedestrians.
Following the rules, ease the life of both the parties. Crossing behind or ahead of parked vehicles is fatal, especially after getting down from the bus, as this causes many accidents. Many main roads have security fences along the road. Always choose to use a dedicated gap of the fence, when a pedestrian enters the road, instead of jumping over. After all, who wants to end with a broken bone instead of walking few steps? Fences guard the pedestrians. Therefore, never bypass and walk on the road.
An intersection is an idyllic example for intricate traffic plans. Motor vehicles come in every direction. Therefore, pedestrians need to be cautious at these places. Since, most junctions provide narrow footpaths or the footpath might be absent. When you start to cross the road at pedestrian crossing, allow the driver sometimes to see you, and lower the speed before stopping.
Pedestrians on the crossing, merely obliges the driver to stop. The pedestrians need to be extra cautious if the road is dark or wet. At points where traffic signals control the motor traffic and the pedestrians, do not dare to cross when the red man is on.
If a control button is available, press and wait for the green man. The duration between the red man and the green man is hardly two minutes. So why be restive and prefer colliding on a vehicle rather than waiting for two minutes? It is your preference. In the end, you are periling your life. Never try to cross when the green man blinks, which signals the pedestrian, to 'hurry.'
We play the role of the pedestrian in our daily routines. Follow this set of best practices and make others lives easier. Next week, we hope to bring you another episode of rules on courtesy driving dedicated for bicycles and motor vehicles. Let us do our duty to lessen accidents.

Navy-operated boat trips to Adam's Bridge

2011-04-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Sri Lanka Navy has initiated a novel project to let the public experience a journey to the renowned Adam's Bridge in Thalaimannar. Inaugurated on April 10, as a part of this project they operate boat tours for the public to the bridge.
If the sea is calm and if there is no rain, departure from the old pier at Thalaimannar to the sand banks will be operated from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. everyday. The journey is 15 km from the mainland to the bridge. After landing at the sand bank, people can explore the area.
"Visitors are not expected to bring anything specifically for the trip. We provide everything including food and water. Only thing is that they should not litter on the sand bank," a Navy official who is in charge of the tour said.
Adam's Bridge or Rama's Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island, off the South Western coast of Tamil Nadu, and Mannar Island. There are many legends related to this bridge. A famous story in the ancient Sanskrit script, Ramayana identifies the bridge as a construction by the Vanara army of Rama, which he used to reach Lanka and rescue his wife Sita from Ravana, the Raksha king who ruled Lanka at the time. The believers of this chronicle named this bridge as 'Rama's Bridge'. According to the geologists, this stretch of sand banks was a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka. The bridge is 30 km long and it is believed that this had been a continuous stretch during the olden days. However, sea erosion has separated the sea bank into 18 fractions.
The Sri Lankan Navy governs nine of them and the other nine belong to the Indian Navy. Adam's Bridge, which separates the Gulf of Mannar from the Palk Straits, consist of some dry sea banks. The sea around the banks is very shallow. It is said that during the bygone days people reached India by foot through this bridge.

here devotees worship daily: Thiruketheeswaram Kovil

2011-04-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

The harsh rays of the burning sun reached every inch of the Kovil premises. It was three in the evening and the place was deserted except for Murali, the boy who was clearing the yard and us. The daily pooja was at five and we had plenty of time to walk around the place.
Thiruketheeswaram Kovil, one of the five main Hindu temples of the country dedicated to God Siva, is an ancient Hindu Kovil situated in Manthei. It is about seven miles to the North from Mannar Town.
As the legend unfolds Kethu Bhagavan worshipped Lord Siva at this temple, and that is how the temple got its name Thiruketheeswaram.
This Kovil is one of the main places of worship sights in Mannar. Many Hindus and non-Hindus from all over the country visit this place nearly every day. “We never had to do the evening pooja without devotees. All around the year people visit this Kovil,” said Swami Nithyanandan. “The place is blessed with people,” he added.
The history of the temple goes back to the era of Chola. It is believed to be built in 600 B.C. Another story related to the Kovil says that the father-in-law of Ravana, the king of Lanka, built Thiruketheeswaram. Ravana himself had been a devotee of Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee. Rama, who built the Sivan Temple at Rameshwaram, on his way back to Ayodhya from Lanka, is reputed to have worshipped Lord Siva at the Thiruketheeswaram as well.

The Thiruketheeswaram Temple

The Assistant Archaeology Commissioner, S. Sanmuganathan, in his research paper ‘Excavations at Thiruketheeswaram’ states that ,”The ancient Saiva shrine of Mahathiththa called Thiruketheeswaram is referred to in Tamil devotional hymns dating from 7th century A.D.” However, the invasion of the Portuguese Catholic colonists in 1505 brought the darkest period of the Kovil. They destroyed the buildings and took most of the valuable items in it.
The materials found from the Kovil and from the nearby Buddhist temples were used to build the Fort of Mannar. One of the most popular Tamil civil servants, Sir Kanthiah Vaithianathan explains this tragedy plainly in his report named ‘Thiruketheeswaram temple and the port of Manthota’, “To the Portuguese who had set about to plunder the rich Hindu Temples of the Deccan, Thiruketheeswaram was even an easier pray than Kanya Kumari, which they succeeded in plundering.
The conversation of the people of Mannar Island was preceded by the plunder of Thiruketheeswaram, whose very stones were subsequently used in the construction of the Mannar Fort.
The feeble effort made by the king of Jaffna to avenge the crime on Thiruketheeswaram was magnified into a massacre.” He also added in this report that the good and the bad times of the Kovil were directly related to the political condition of the country.
The Kovil prospered during the period of Cholas and Pandyans. Even Parakramabahu the Great had been having a soft corner for the Kovil. It is evident from the ruins found from the site that the Kovil was once built according to Pandyan architectural style. The exact location of the destroyed temple was located more or less after 400 years in 1894.
In the 20th century most of the restorations of the Kovil was completed. In June 1903, a small temple was reconstructed and the central shrine was reconstructed and re-consecrated in 1921.

A statue of a rat

The Kovil has gone through several facelifts and additions until 1970’s and the tank near the Kovil, Palavi tank, was rebuilt in 1949. The Palavi tank is prospered by the river Palavi, which had been the outlet of Matale waters via Malwattu Oya and other natural waterways of the extensive basin.
Presently the devotees are advised to bathe from this tank without using the main pipeline, since the water supply to the Kovil is only twice a day for two hours. At present, the Thiruketheeswaram restoration committee does the management of the Kovil. The main priest of the Kovil is Swami Shiva Kumar who had served the temple for 35 years. He had seen vicissitudes of the temple since 1976. For him, the most haunting time at the Kovil is the period of the recent war.
“The Kovil was closed for 12 long years. We fled from the place to secure our selves. No one was here during that period,” he said. The temple was reopened in 2002 during the ceasefire agreement of the two parties.
Though the Kovil was untouched during the war, around 24 ‘madams’ or rest houses, situated around the place for the use of the devotees, were destroyed.
“Two parties had fired each other by covering themselves from these buildings. Only a few walls remained intact,” said one of the caretakers of the Kovil who had come here in 2002. When asked about his experience of the war he said with a smile, “After I arrived there were no face to face gun fires. All came from above,” Though it sounded a tragedy the way it was replied brought us a good laugh.

Wooden cart under construction

Destroyed rest house of the Kovil

Now the Kovil has a new rest house and used by the devotees who come from faraway places. “Even yesterday there were people from Kottawa and Rajagiriya,” he added.
The festival of the Thiruketheeswaram Kovil is held annually in May. This year it starts on May 8, and finishes on Vesak Poya day. A huge wood cart decorated by excellent carvings, and which was restored recently is used for the procession. Along with that a statue of a rat, bull and a peacock will be paraded.
Inside the main temple, there are shrines of Nadarajar, Vineyakar, Somaskander, Maha Vishnu, and a Maha Lakshmi Shrine along with the Maha lingam. The main entrance of the Kovil is decorated with a tree storied Raja Gopuram.
The area where the Maha Mandapam is situated was decorated from magnificent stone carvings.
In addition, there were two decorated outlets from the main shrine in the shape of a dragonhead, to remove water or milk from the inside chamber.
There were few peacocks roaming around the premises, which doubled the beauty of the place.

Pix: Janani Amarasekara

Breathtaking musical evening by the differently abled

2011-04-17T02:45:00.000-07:00

After each and every item on the agenda, they returned to the dressing room amidst loud cheers from the audience. Their innocent smiles and adoring expressions stole the hearts of the spectators. They were simple and humble and were encouraged by every little appreciation. They enjoyed every minute on the stage.

They smiled and guided each other while the performance is going on. They wanted to show their best in front of those kind men and women.

The differently abled branch of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides’ Association organized the magical event ‘you are very special’, a concert by the differently abled girl guides and little friends.

These little blooming buds enlightened the Grand Ballroom of Galle Face Hotel on April 5, 2011.

The concert aimed at collecting funds for the International Indoor camp for differently abled Girl Guides and little friends, which is scheduled to be held in August this year.

Out of the 256 Girl Guides and little friends attached to this branch, many performed at this concert.

Before the concert began, I met some of the performers back stage. Nadeeka Jeewanthi Samarakoon, an excited young girl with autism was very keen to share her views.

“I’m an assistant dancing teacher at Ladies College,” she said. She is presently a student of dancing teacher Miranda Hemalatha.

Her first dancing teacher had been Daya Nellampitiya. “I was a guide when I was at Chitra Lane and it helped me a lot to shape my future,” she explained.

Dhanangi Fernando, another guide with autism, is a Grade 10 student of Lyceum College. paththare dannayi yanne. Kiyanna meyata oya gana (Tell her something about you, for the newspaper),” said Nadeeka to her highly excited friend Dhanangi, who refused to talk.

The guides and little friends from Nuffield School for the Hearing impaired and sight impaired, Kaithady Jaffna travelled all night to participate at this concert.

There were six little friends, three guides, and four teachers in the team. All the children who participated were hearing-impaired. However, they performed a dance item by following signals of their teachers.

The tragedy is that though we tapped our feet to the music, they did not hear anything. “It was a hard task to practice these little ones, still they enjoyed a lot,” said the teacher-in-charge Malini Prince Devarathnam.

The event started when the western band of the differently abled guides welcomed the chairperson of the Sunera Foundation, Sunethra Bandaranaike to the ballroom. After a little presentation, the items began.

The first item a, Pooja Dance by the Guides of the Supem Uyana Home, Gonapinuwala, signalled the audience of a breathtaking evening. Well-practised performers never paused to think about the next step. The beautiful song by the Guides of the Ratmalana Blind School was one of the special ones in the programme line up. The teacher who played the organ was also visually impaired. However, the voices and the music were superb.

The evening passed by in a flash. These differently abled Guides and little friends do not need sympathy, they need understanding.

Bak Maha Ulela for orphans: Anula, Lyceum Girl Guides to the fore

2011-04-17T02:43:00.000-07:00

Love and protection of a aparent is necessary for a child. Once a baby is born, he/she becomes the sensor of the family.

The Girl Guide Captains of Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda, Lyceum International and Senior Guides of Anula Vidyalaya with their Principal Kalyani Gunasekera at the Orphanage.

Then the infant gets enough attention and care to grow as a healthy youngster. However, some children miss the warmth of parents from childhood due to unforeseen circumstances, they end up being orphans.
However with the help of some kind-hearted people, some of them get to live in orphanages, and only God knows what happens to the others.
There are many orphanages for children around the country. Most of them are well maintained and function for the betterment of children, with the help of the public.
The Girls' Orphanage in Delkanda is also one such home dedicated specially for orphaned girls.
There are about 150 girls from the ages 2-17 at this place. Unlike boys, girls need a lot of awareness and protection.
Girls need parental care most and in order to fulfil their desires, the senior Girl Guides of Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda organised a Bak Maha Ulela for them on April 10, at the Orphanage. Principal of Anula Vidyalaya, Kalyani Gunasekara, Senior Guide Captain Dr. Vajira Wanigasekara, two Guide Captains of the school B.S. Tennakoon and Avanthi Thalewela and Guide Captain of Lyceum International Mala Wijeypala were also present on the occasion.
It was a day filled with fun and frolic for the girls. There were many games organised for them; hurdle race, paper dance, fancy dress parade, and locating the hidden guest were some of them.
Tug-o-War between senior guides and the girls was also an event, which raised the level of adrenalin of both the teams.
Going on par with a traditional 'Avurudu Ulela,' items such as breaking the pot and 'keeping an eye' on the blind elephant were also included in the agenda.
During the events, girls from Anula Vidyalaya and children from the orphanage entertained spectators by performing magnificent items.
Just before the conclusion, there were a few items of dance and music which were entertaining and helped everyone to relax. The orphan girls enjoyed themselves very much as it was a day different from their normal schedule.

Nawagamuwa Devalaya - Dedicated to goddess Pattini

2011-04-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

Nawagamuwa Devalaya

It was the day of the ICC Cricket world cup finals. Sri Lanka was yet to play the biggest match of the season. With the intention of coming back before the commencement of the match, we started our journey from Colombo to the famous Nawagamuwa Devalaya around 9 a.m. Situated at the 13th mile post of Colombo-Rathnapura Road, 4km from Kaduwela Junction, it is one of the most visited devalayas of the country.
Nawagamuwa Devalaya is a shrine dedicated to Goddess Pattini. Buddhists as well as non-Buddhists offer poojas to the deity with the intention of getting blessings for children and pregnant mothers. On the day we visited, the place was full of devotees despite the match. History of this devalaya goes back to the Anuradhapura era. As the legend unfolds King Gajaba 1 (A.D. 114 - 136) came from India with 12,000 men as prisoners, bringing with him a Pattini anklet, he landed at a place close to devalaya. Devalaya was built enshrining the anklet.
“Other version of this legend is that Goddess Pattini arrived at this place from India with 12,000 devotees belonging to 16 castes. The men and women settled down in adjacent villages to serve the goddess,” said Nawagamuwe Podi Hamuduruvo Atigala Kunnarathana Thera.

Moonstone with floral decor

“The well, which is believed to be the one that the Goddess Pattini used to bathe, can be found near the devalaya,” said the Thera. “The oldest building of the premises is the Pattini Devalaya. Viharageya and the other artefacts had been built later to accommodate the large number of devotees arrived at the place,” he added.
The temple, which is attached to the devalaya is Sri Sugathabimbaramaya. The first historical mention of the Nawagamuwa Pattini Devale is found during the Kotte period, in the ‘Godagama Sannasa’, it is said that King Buwanekabahu V (A.D. 1521 - 1580), a gift of oil is made for the Nawagamuwa Pattini Kovil Perahera.
This area was historically important even during the period of King Sitawaka. It is renowned that King Mayadunne (A.D. 1521 - 1580) had stopped at the Nawagamuwa Pattini Devale to make a vow before he went to war with the Portuguese in the Colombo Fort. According to the reports of the Portuguese, in 1550, the King of Portuguese sent 600 troops to help King Buwanekabahu V. They fought with King Mayadunne at Nawagamuwa. It is also recorded that in 1576, the Portuguese army destroyed Nawagamuwa Devale and established an army camp there.
The devalaya was rebuilt by King Mayadunne only to be destroyed again by the Captain of the Colombo Fort, leaving a pile of ruins. According to the Department of Archaeology some building materials, Dutch coins, and iron implements have been found during an excavation around the devalaya.


Dagoba of the temple	Bodhisatva Statue

The Viharageya, which is believed to have been built in 19th century, is a beautiful building with paintings belonging to the Kandy era. It has four stone entrances and three Bodhisattva Statues. The inner part of the Viharageya has a long reclining Buddha Statue and a statue of God Vishnu. That ceiling is decorated with magnificent floral paintings. The door, which opens to the inner hall, is decorated with paintings of a flower and a picture of a worshipping ‘vamana’.
The stone pillars in front of the building are believed to be from a temple, which has been destroyed during the Portuguese period. The whole building is built on a stone foundation. The moonstone at the entrance, which belongs to the post Kandy period is rather different from what we see in other places. Instead of a liyawela this one has six petal flowers and tuskers.
There are also two doratupala figures and remains of a Makara Thorana. “The oldest shrine of the devalaya premises is the Galkanu Devalaya,” said Podi Hamuduruwo. This shrine is built of four stone posts. The remains of the original stone posts are still visible. Some people believe these as rubbles of the first Pattini Devalaya. However, this was rebuilt during the Katuwawala Sri Sumanathissa Thera, one of the Chief Priests of the Sri Sugathabimbaramaya.
The Maha Pattini Devalaya, the main shrine of the area, has been built during the 19th century. A gilded statue of the Goddess Pattini is enshrined in it. There are five other shrines stands in a row in front of the Maha Devalaya. Out of these Dedimunda, Kataragama and Vishnu Devalayas belongs to the 19th century, however others are built recently. During a recent research conducted by the Department of Archaeology, Viharage, Sangavasaya (the Monks abode), Galkanu Devalaya, Maha Pattini Devale, along with these three ancient shrines has declared as archaeologically important sites.

Ancient Devala

Old avasaya ge

In addition to that, a grove of Naa-tree, which is believed to be more than 100 years old, is also one of the protected sites. “The legend says that there is a white king cobra in this grove,” said Podi Hamuduruvo. “I have never seen him, but there are people who had spotted him,” he added. The procession of the devalaya is also unique. Unlike other shrines, Bulls are used for the procession instead of elephants. This is known as ‘Gon Pita Perehera’. “The jewels of Vishnu and Kataragama are taken on bulls back during the Perehera,” explained Podi Hamuduruwo.
Stories related to the devalaya are also interesting as much as its history. The most popular out of those is that once a Jak fruit has grown out of the wooden entrance of the devalaya. A villager who had come into the devalaya premises in search of his cow had spotted this well grown Jak fruit. The hungry villager had offered a portion to Goddess Pattini and had eaten the rest. Hearing this story the angry kapurala of the devalaya had cursed the villager. “However, it is said that the Kapurala himself had died from that curse,” explained the thera. “This devalaya is a place full of miracles. Unlike today, our ancestors believed that the deity punished the drunk devotees and never allowed to pass the devalaya with loose hair,” added the Thera.

Pix: Janani Amarasekara

Dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year

2011-04-09T21:01:00.001-07:00

When the Sun transits from Meena Rashi to Mesha Rashi in the celestial sphere, we celebrate the dawn of the Sinhala and Hindu New year. The month of ‘Bak’, as we call it in Sinhala, is considered as the month of celebration.

We spoke to the former Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Professor Tissa Kariyawasam about special rituals and customs practised in different areas of the country. He also shared his views about the way; the New Year is practised today.

Rituals of the Sinhala and Hindu New year begin with the sighting of the Moon. There are two days dedicated for this ritual; one is for the old year and the other is for the New Year. The next ritual is bathing for the old year. People refrain from having a bath after this day until the auspicious time for the anointment of oil and bathing for the New Year arrives.

The time between the old year and the New Year is known as the Nonagathe or the Punya Kalaya. People attend religious activities during this time. However, during this period they refrain from doing other activities such as cooking, eating and studying.

When the New Year dawns, the sound of crackers and the cuckoo bird announces the good news. Then the woman of the house lights the hearth at the auspicious time and prepares the first meal of the New Year. This meal is eaten at the auspicious time given to partake the meal. At that time the rituals of commencement of work and the first transaction are also performed.

However, these rituals slightly differ in various parts of the country. Though, Buddhists attend temples during the Punya Kalaya is the normal practice, in some parts of the country people worship their regional gods. "In ancient agricultural societies, people worshipped many regional gods who were believed to be the in-charge of the area," said Prof. Kariyawasam. "Hurulu Deviyo is worshipped in Anuradhapura. Kalu Bandara deyiyo and Mangara Deviyo are also some of the regional gods," he said. People worshipped these gods during Punya Kalaya.

The goddess of Chastity, Paththini Deviyo is the main figure among the people of Horana. Some rituals such as peli yama, ang keliya, are duties practised especially for her. These usually start at the end of January and end during Avurudu time.

In areas such as Kalutara and Ratnapura most of the rituals were also connected with the Paththini deity. There was a person named Paththini hami in these villages. He was one of the farmers in that area, who owned the Devala and jewellery from the goddess known as Paththini Salamba.

There were several Kapu Raalas who worked for him. Just before the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, Paththini hami paid a visit to every household to collect the first portion from their harvest. This portion was known as Pin Vee. Then he offered this share to the goddess.

"A similar tradition was carried out in Kandy

as well. Here, the Diyawadana Nilame of the Dalada Maligawa collected the amount of paddy, which belongs to the Maligawa," said Prof. Kariyawasam.

Farmers of Anuradhapura did their duties to God Kalu Bandara and God Minneri during the Punya Kala. Kalu Banadara Deviyo is believed to be one of the gods who volunteered to protect Sri Maha Bodhi. People from Padukka were famous for their Gammadu tradition.

They started singing hymns to Goddess Paththini during the first week of April. In addition to these, another custom practised by the villagers in the North Western Province is that once the cleaning is done, the ash from the hearth is placed in a winnowing fan (kulla) and kept outside the house until the dawn of the New Year.

These villagers believe in a mythical character called alu bokka who is 'supposed to' take all the bad and evil spirits away from the household, before the New Year dawns.

"In the modern world, people do not practise these customs," said Prof. Tissa Kariyawasam. "It is an ancient custom to visit parents and relatives during the New Year. Unlike other Asian countries, Sri Lankans now celebrate the Avurudu as if it is a fashion," he said. It is important to keep to traditions of the New Year. This is an event that has been celebrated for many years. Even Robert Knox mentions about celebrating the New Year in his book 'A Historical Relation to Ceylon'. Let us preserve these customs and help them prevail for many more years.

Sinhala and Hindu News Year: Traditional customs

2011-04-09T21:00:00.001-07:00

With the month of April comes the sweet scent of erabudu blossoms and the haunting melody of the koel reminding us that once again it is time to celebrate the

Sinhala and Hindu New year. It is the time to bid farewell to the old year and usher in the New Year. All the customs and rituals connected with this traditional celebration are centred around auspicious times set by astrologers. In the olden days, the astrologer of the village who is known as the 'Nekath Raala' distributed a paper, which indicated the relevant auspicious times.
This was popularly known as the 'Avurudu Seettuwa'. During the early days, these Nekath or auspicious times changed according to the area and the families of astrologers. It was only after 1970 that everyone agreed upon a common set of auspicious times for the avurudu rituals, explained the former Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Professor Tissa Kariyawasam.
The New Year is a family celebration tied with traditions of visiting parents, making peace and starting everything anew. During this time, town dwellers who have their roots in the village take time off to visit their parents and relatives. Before the New Year, they pay off all loans as it was the time to heal, and make amends. This practice was known as the davurudu kireema.
Nonagathaya or the Punya kaalaya
"It is a misconception that there are no nekath during the nonagathaya period," says Prof. Kariyawasam. "There are auspicious times (nekath) around the clock; they can be good or bad. Good nekath will give us good results and bad ones will give negative results accordingly," he added. "This period is a transitional period between the old and the New Year. People refrain from doing anything until the Sun moves to a new astrological position. Therefore, before the nonagathe period, people clean the fireplaces, remove the ash, clean the kitchen; buy new pots and pans, eat the last meal of the old year and get ready to welcome the New Year. They use this time to engage in religious activities hoping to receive blessings for the New Year. Many of us visit the temple with flowers, joss sticks, oil, and wicks, don't we? Hindus also visit the Kovil during this period. This is considered as a neutral period or rather a relaxing period before the dawn of New Year.
Sighting of the new moon
This is the first New Year ritual we have in the Almanac (Panchanga litha). There are two auspicious times to see the moon; one is for the Old Year and another for the New Solar Year. Once you see the moon for the old year, it is advised to refrain from looking at it until the New Year.
Our ancestors believed that the sighting of the new moon is a good omen. "This ritual is mentioned in one of the graffiti's on the Sigiriya Mirror wall as well," said Prof. Kariyawasam. According to him, there the moon is referred as nava bhaga sanda (new lucky moon).
The graffiti writer had asked those women on the frescos, why they would not talk to him despite him being a person who sighted the new moon.
Lighting the hearth
When the sound of firecrackers fills the air we know that the New Year has dawned. The auspicious time to light the hearth is usually set soon after the dawn of the New Year. Many make a new hearth to carry out this ritual.The chief female occupant of the house worships the pot thrice before lighting the hearth. Then she boils the milk and prepares milk rice (kiribath). However, in some households, the ritual of boiling a pot of milk is not practised. For this ritual the members of the family dress in the auspicious colour or colours, which are also prescribed according to the day the New Year falls on.
The days are governed by planets. According to astrology these planets have their favourite colours and trees, explained Prof. Kariyawasam. "As an example, Tuesday is the day of planet Mars and its colour is red," he added.
The next ritual is one of the favourite among children - commencement of work, first transaction and consumption of the first meal. Sinhalese families eat kiribath with sweetmeats and other accompaniments while Hindu's eat sweet rice called Sakkara Pongal during the auspicious time.
Then comes the time for the ritual of the first transaction. In the olden days, the first transaction was done with the well. The chief female occupant of the house dropped a coin wrapped in a piece of clean cloth into the well and filled a bottle from the first bucket drawn from the well.
Then this bottle was kept in the house and the level of water in the bottle was monitored throughout the year. It was believed the level of water indicates the prosperity of the house. "If the water level has gone down, it was believed to be a sign of a bad period the family suffered," said Prof. Kariyawasam.
"During the first few months after the dawn of the New Year, housewives checked this bottle from time to time to get an idea about the good and the bad periods of their family. It gave them some kind of a satisfaction," he added. As a part of this ritual, the younger people worship the elders with a sheaf of beetle leaves and then the elders give them some money.
At this time, they are given a coin to offer to god and some money for their use, Hindu's call this ritual Kai Vishesham,which is exchanging money between the family members.
The head of the family will start this custom by exchanging money and blessing them with good luck.
The next part of the ritual is commencement of work. In some areas, elders who are involved in agriculture would use their equipment in a symbolic manner. They would chop a branch or make a cut on a jak tree with the knife usually used by an elder and cut a sod of soil. It was customary to plant a sapling. During this nekatha, children in the house are encouraged to study, with the intention of having a good year for studies. Some families invite someone successful and of some standing in society for the first meal of the year. They believed that doing the first transaction with a person of that calibre would bring them good luck. After completing these rituals, nowadays people exchange plates of sweetmeats among the neighbours.
"This is not a customary ritual practised during the olden days. Why should we give sweetmeats that they have already made?" he questioned. However, sweetmeats and bananas are taken when visiting friends and relatives during the season.
Anointing oil
In ancient times, the oil anointing ceremony was held at temples and the chief incumbent of the temple applied coconut oil mixed with special liquid called Naanu and some medicinal herbs on the villagers' heads.
These days, mostly an elder of the family anoints oil at the auspicious time. They use herbal leaves to stand on and to anoint oil on head. Leaves such as margosa, banyan and kolon are used.
The oil anointing ceremony is usually held towards the latter part of the New Year celebration. The type of leaves are prescribed according to the day. It is usually the favourite tree of the planet of the day.
Leaving home for work
This is a ritual of the modern day, said Prof. Kariyawasam. During the good old days what we had was an agricultural society. Those farmers started their work just after partaking the first meal.
This was included in the recent past when people started working at offices, he added. Usually there is a colour to wear and a direction to look at when leaving home for work.

Aluth Avurudu Games

2011-04-09T20:57:00.001-07:00

Sinhala and Hindu New Year:

Aluth Avurudu games
The dawn of the New Year is around the corner and most of you must be eagerly looking forward to it especially to have fun with your friends participating in the various games played during the season and also enjoy the tasty sweetmeats that are available in plenty. Like all the age-old rituals connected with the New Year there are also traditional games played at the Avurudu Ulela some of which are very different to the games we play at other times. Today we give you an insight into some of these games....
Pancha keliya, onchili pedeema, kalagedi sellama, olinda keliya and porapol geheema are some of the games played during the New Year. These games bring fun and joy to our lives and at the same time, teach us a valuable lesson about team spirit.
Oththe-iratte is believed to be one of the oldest games played during the New Year. Both men and women play games such as kawadi for stakes. The scoring by means of runners is done on a chart drawn up on a plank or on cardboard.
Pancha is another popular indoor game played during the New Year season. Pancha is played with five small seashells, a coconut shell, and a chart. Players are divided into two groups. At events organised during the New Year, traditional competitive games like climbing the greased pole, pillow fighting (Kotta Pora), raban contests, gudu and elle are also played by many people.
Porapol geheema is a game which involves two teams, each taking turns to throw a coconut until all the nuts on one side are broken. The winning nut will be kept in the temple. This game is very famous in the southern part of the country, especially in Matara and Devundara. During ancient times, only king coconuts were used, but nowadays with the demand and the price of the king coconuts, if needed coconuts are being used. The popular belief is that the origin of this game dates beyond the advent of Buddhism.
Ankeliya is another common game mostly preferred by teenage boys. It is a more elaborate exercise than porapol geheema and is essentially a community game where divisions called udupila and yatipila are made. Each contesting side has a forked sambur horn.
These horns are interlocked and attached to a strong tree, which is called the an-gaha (horn tree). A rope is then attached to the interlocked horns and both teams have to tug vigorously at the rope. The tugging has to continue until one of the horns is damaged.
Gudu Keliya is another game played mostly by the smaller children. A propelling stick about two and a half feet long and a smaller one about six inches in length called the kuttiya are used.
A small hole about three inches is dug on the ground. Across this hole, the kuttiya is placed. The player then inserts the longer stick beneath the kuttiya and pushes it forward as fast as he/she can.
The rival players are spread out in the field in order to catch the kuttiya while it is still in the air. If any of them succeed, the striker is out. Another famous fun activity played during the season is going on the swing or onchili pedeema. Adults prepare gaily-decorated swings on the branches of overhanging trees for the children. They sing onchili waram while they swing. Tug-o-war is another game played especially at Avurudu Ulelas.
This is played using a long and strong rope. Players divide into two groups to play this. The middle of the rope is marked and each team is asked to stand on either side of the rope and pull it until one team is dragged towards the opposite side. Olinda Keliya is another popular game played especially in villages during the season.
This game is played using Olinda seeds. Women mainly play this game. Players also sing Olinda kavi. It is believed that Olinda keliya originated in Bangladesh. The stool, which is used to play Olinda, has two columns with seven holes in a row. Seeds like madatiya, mee and kekuna are also used to play this game.
These traditional games are interesting to play. Most of them such as an keliya and porapol gaheema are connected to religion.
They enhance the team spirit of people and help make friends. Avurudu is the time to forgive and forget. It is the time to make friends. Make use of these traditional games to promote peace and harmony among everyone in your village and neighbourhood.

All Saints' Church

2011-04-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka is one of the busiest cities in the country. It is a vibrant metropolis with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins. Unlike other areas of the country, this buzzing city has ruins, which belongs to several eras, such as pre-historic, Dutch, Portuguese and British. "There are ruins which belongs to the pre-historic era at Vaarana and Pilikuththuwa temples, and many old buildings around the heart of Colombo belongs to the eras of Dutch, Portuguese and British," said an officer from the Provincial Department of Archaeology (Western), A. E. L. Thilakawardene.
A suburb of Colombo, which is known as Hulftsdorp is a part of the postal area of Colombo 12. During the early days, this part was known as Hulftsdorp. This suburb of the metropolis was named Hulftsdorf to commemorate General Gerard Pieterszoon Hulft, the Dutch East India Company's Director of India and commander in chief of the company's forces in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and on the Coast of India, who was killed during an invasion of Colombo. The hill on which he had his headquarters was named 'Hulft's Dorp' during the Dutch occupation. It is said that an ancient route connecting Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Colombo Fort, crossed Hulftsdorf. Today, what is known as 'Wella Veediya' had been a retaining wall of that road. King Rajasinghe the first (1554-1593) emptied tanks around the fort during the invasion of the Portuguese fort in Colombo. He removed the water through a canal, which was later named as St. Sebastian Canal.On the top of Hulftsdorp is the building decorated using Roman and Greek architectural style, which was used by the Dutch as the High courts in 17th century.

A stained glass window

The tall spire

The British later renovated this. Nowadays this area is popular as the hub of legal activities in the country as well as the place where Sri Lanka's only Law College is situated. In addition, to that, this area is popular for many buildings, which belongs to the era of the Dutch and British.
On top of 'Wella Veediya' is All Saints' Church, the religious landmark we are going to focus on today. It is one of the most unnoticed landmarks of the area. Though it is hidden among legal offices and the other ancient buildings, this church has a history of 145 years. In 1815, there was a seminary at the place where All Saints' Church is situated now. The Public Works Department (PWD) built this Church in 1865 according to a plan made by J. F. Churchill, who served the country as a 'civil engineer' at that time.
"The consecration of this church was held on November 01, 1865 on All Saints Day. This was more a family church during colonial reign," said Fr. Felician Ranjith Perera, Parish Priest of All Saints' Church, Borella. "Two famous families of the time Obeyesekeres and Bandaranaikes were the trustees of the church," he added. According to Fr. Ranjith Perera, All Saints' Church was built under the Episcopal Ordinance.
Later in 1998, it was brought under the ordinance of Churches Ceylon.
In keeping with the Gothic architectural style, All Saints' Church is absolutely a work of art.
This church features some of the main characteristics of the Gothic style such as pointed arches, and the ribbed vault. Prior to the 20th century, Gothic churches generally were the landmark of towns in Europe.
Rising high above all the other structures and often built with one or two towers and tall spires, those churches stole the hearts of city dwellers. The same goes with the Saints' Church in Hulftsdorf. Its tall spire is visible from quite a distance.
The large stained glass window behind the alter depicts the nativity story of the Lord. In addition to that, there is another stained glass window towards the left hand side of the church.
"Almost all the furniture here, is nearly 145 years old," said Fr. Ranjith Perera. Furniture includes things like the decorated pulpit, pews, altar and brassware.
All the furniture is decorated with magnificent woodcarvings. Hanging fans with attached lampshades reminded me of flowers hanging from a roof. The baptismal font and the Eagle Bible holder were two important monuments found inside the church.
The trustees of this church, Mr. And Mrs. S.C. Obeyesekere had donated this eagle bible holder on 24 June 1889. Some memorial wall tablets fixed on the church walls are noteworthy monuments found here.
Almost all the wall tablets belonged to the period before the twentieth century. Out of the entire, most touching memorial wall tablet was the one, which had constructed in memory of an infant boy.
With a picture of a plant with roots on a side, it read 'In Memory of James Massy infant son of Paul and Hilda Pieris Born June 11, 1901 Died April 28, 1902.'

The Eagle Shaped Bible holder

The baptismal font

There were other wall tablets constructed by children in memory of their parents; in memory of Don Andries de Alwis died on April 7, 1858, John Henricus Perera died on March 11, 1873, and Cornelia Dias died on December 30, 1866 were some of them.
The first vicar of All Saint Church was Cannon Rev. S. W. Dias Bandaranaike and the co-founder was Johannes Louis Perera. Rev. S. W. Dias Bandaranaike served the church during the period 1865-1883.
In addition to him, during the first century of the church the following reverends had also rendered service to the church, R. A. Duthy, A. Dias Abeysinghe, H. E. Gunathilake, G. B. Ekanayake, and W. H. W. Jayasekere.
The following were the trustees of the church during the first century, D. G. Obeysekere, R. D. Senevirathne, J. C. T. Perera Bishop's Trustee, and Evelyn De Silva.
"Though All Saints Church has a history of more than 140 years, it is still not a historical monument gazetted under the Archaeology Act," said an officer from the provincial department of Archaeology (Western), A. E. L. Thilakawardene. However, the church is well maintained and in very good condition.

Jaywalking

2011-04-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

“Hi Samudra” Nishani waved at one of her batchmates, Samudra, and waited for a belated wave back. Then she watched her walking slowly towards her along the pavement.
“Hello Nishani, where are you going?”
“Where else can I go at this time of the day? I am going to work. What about you?”
“I’m going on a shopping spree,” Samudra sounded excited.

“That’s wonderful, wish I could join you,” Nishani said.
“Oh! That is fine. We can go another time. By the way, are you going to cross the road?” “Yes, I need to”
“Then let’s cross,” Samudra grabbed Nishani’s hand and hastily ran to the other side.
“What did you do just now?” yelled Nishani.
“Why, you said you wanted to cross the road, so we crossed,” Samudra flashed a mischievous smile.
“Is that the way to cross the road? It is pure luck that we are still alive. The dumbest thing you can do is to cross the road at places other than pedestrian crossings,” Nishani was furious and with the outburst, she felt her face blazing
“What is the big issue? We can cross at any point! It takes time to look for a pedestrian crossing,” argued Samudra.
“It does matter.

Those few minutes you spend to look for a crossing can save your life,”
“Why is it so important to cross at a pedestrian crossing?” queried Samudra. “Listen! At a pedestrian crossing, drivers do anticipate pedestrians. They slow down and hardly even attempt to overtake. However, in other places they do not. Therefore, the probability of meeting with an accident is high at other places,” explained Nishani.
“What you just did is known as jaywalking,” she said.

“What is jaywalking? This is the first time I heard that term,” she mumbled.
“That is an informal word to explain the action of pedestrians, who cross the road from anywhere other than the pedestrian crossing.”
“Nice word though. How did it come into existence?” suddenly Samudra was curious.

“The part ‘jay’ refers to an inexperienced person and then the part walk. Now you know what it means,” smiled Nishani.
“It seems like jaywalking is a serious and common problem. I wonder how drivers feel about jaywalkers,” said Samudra thoughtfully.
“You are in luck, I can see Tharindu walking towards us,” said Nishani.

“Hi ladies!” greeted Tharindu, another batchmate.
“You are right on time. Where’s your car?” Nishani asked, while eyeing the key he was meddling with.
“I parked over there,” he pointed towards the public car park. “Anyway, what is the big issue?”
“We were talking about jaywalking. Do you have any thoughts about it?”
“My god! I have tons of experiences about jaywalkers. Basically, I hate jaywalkers” Nishani looked at Samudra. She blushed as she realised that she was at fault.

“They cross the road when we least expect them. Generally jaywalkers are female shoppers darting across the street from one store to another,” said Tharindu.
“We agree,” murmured both girls.
“What do you think will happen if 100 pedestrians cross the road at 100 places?” questioned Tharindu, the girls just nodded and remained silent wondering what to expect next.

Tharindu continued talking, since the girls decided to remain silent. “If 100 pedestrians cross at 100 places, we won’t be able to drive at all. We will have to stop and wait until each jaywalker crosses the road. Sometimes they take their own time to move. I have seen people crossing while gossiping with each other. They fail to realise that there are drivers waiting till they get across,” he explained aggressively as if he was almost ready to slap one of the jaywalkers right at that moment.
“Hmm... I realise the gravity of my mistake. I’m sorry Nishani,” Samudra murmured and Nishani nodded with a smile.

“By the way, how come you two big gossips are talking about jaywalkers all of a sudden?” Tharindu was genuinely surprised.

The girls looked at each other, and both yelled in unison “No. Nothing special at all,” and shared a good laugh. “Hey, I’m getting late,” cried Nishani while looking at her watch.

“I have some assignments to complete before our big boss arrives. See you!” she wormed her way through the crowd and disappeared.

A 'dazzling' campfire

2011-03-27T02:27:00.000-07:00

Dazzle-2011, the annual campfire organised by the Girl Guides of the Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda was held on March 12, at the school premises with the participation of 10 schools: Ananda College, Thurstan College, Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Samudra Devi Vidyalaya and Pannipitiya Dharmapala Vidyalaya.

The chief guest was the Principal of Anula Vidyalaya, Mrs. Kalyani Gunasekara. The assistant principal in charge of extra-curricular activities, Mrs. P.K.P. Pieris, Guiding Commissioners, teachers and parents were also present to witness this grand event.

The Guides and Scouts in action at Dazzle 2011.

The guides and scouts who were divided into 12 teams after the registration participated in many events. The main event was a treasure hunt which was like a hike around the premises. Each team had to find their way through the signs given at various points. There were also checkpoints to test their knowledge on the history of guiding and guiding signs as well as their ability to think rationally, and ascertain how vigilant they are. After completing the tests at the checkpoints, they had to find the treasure following the given trails. After the treasure hunt, the teams had to face yet another challenge; the cooking challenge. Each team had to cook a meal using the ingredients, the twigs and a saucepan made out of a tin.

The team that cooked in the least amount of time won the game.

The lighting of the campfire which followed the games was the grandest moment of the day. The theme of the day was 'The Journey to the Pathfinders Fiesta'. The organising committee took all the participants on a journey to Mars. The King and Queen of Mars warmly welcomed the visitors and the witch lighted the campfire using her spells. Everyone cheered when a ball of fire rolled along a string, and lit the campfire. Then the King of Mars invited the schools to display their talents through creative activities.

A member of the Old Scouts and Guides Association Abeetha Edirisinghe along with other members of the Association gave immense support to the organising committee to make this event a success. The committee was also thankful to the teacher-in-charge, B.S. Tennakoon for her guidance and support.

According to the marks obtained from the treasure hunt and the cooking challenge, Thurstan College won the trophy of the games. After singing campfire songs, the event concluded with a spectacular fireworks display.

PET DEN Some common diseases affecting canines

2011-03-27T02:24:00.001-07:00

Canines are one of the favourite pets for most of us. They are like part of the family. Unlike cats and other varieties of pets, canines or dogs are very close to humans. Sometimes, they are our best friends who are there for us in good times and bad. To keep these friends in good health at all times, we need to know the illnesses that could affect them and disturb their lifestyle. Today, we enlighten you about some common canine diseases and guide you on general caring methods.

Common dog diseases

A dog can be your companion, an award winning show animal, just a guard dog or your loving pet. The best thing you, as its kind and responsible owner can do for it is to provide proper health care. A good knowledge about the various dog diseases and an awareness of the appropriate prevention and treatment methods will help you provide that care. The best way to treat a disease is to prevent it through vaccines. However, even the dogs that are vaccinated are still prone to various diseases if they are not immunized properly, through regular vaccines . Puppies are usually vaccinated as soon as they open their eyes; just two weeks after birth. These initial vaccinations have to be given at regular intervals until six weeks after birth. Thereafter some vaccinations have to be given on a yearly basis. The disease-fighting antibodies puppies receive through mother’s milk lasts for 6- 16 weeks. Then the vaccinations take over protecting the dog from disease causing germs.

Distemper

A highly contagious, airborne virus causes canine distemper. It affects the respiratory system, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of the dog. Symptoms in the early stages of the disease are a common cold, runny eyes and nose, fever, cough, and often diarrhoea. However, in later stages there may be nervous twitching, paralysis, and seizures (convulsions). Unfortunately, there is no successful treatment for distemper. Many dogs die from this disease.So, make sure you protect your pet from this dreaded disease.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a viral disease transmitted by urine, or saliva of infected animals. This affects the liver, kidney, and blood vessels. Fever, tissue swelling, and hemorrhage are the common symptoms of the disease. When treating the sick dog blood transfusions and intensive care will be required. However, very often those are not successful.

Leptospirosis

A bacteria spread through contact with nasal secretions, urine, or saliva of infected animals causes Canine leptospirosis. It should be noted that humans could also be infected with this disease. Lepto infects the kidneys and causes fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and jaundice. Treatment for this disease requires antibiotics, intensive care, and fluid therapy. Dogs that recover may be left with permanent kidney damage.

Parvo

Parvo is very common among dogs. Canine parvo virus is a deadly contagious viral disease that is spread by contact with infected fecal matter. The virus is difficult to kill and is easily spread. It attacks the gastrointestinal system, causing fever, lethargy, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, and rapid dehydration. Treatment requires fluid and supportive therapy and has a variable rate of success. Mostly young dogs are prone to be infected with parvo.

Rabies

Rabies is a viral infection that affects all mammals,including man. It is transmitted by the bite of an infected animal. The virus infects the central nervous system, causing a brain infection, which is always fatal. There is no treatment for dog or man after symptoms appear. However, vaccines are effective in preventing the disease in people if it is administered soon after their possible exposure.

Ticks

Ticks are most commonly found on outdoor dogs. Ticks can transmit several diseases and should be removed with care. Grasp the tick near its head with a pair of tweezers and pull away from the skin with a firm tug. Disinfect the area with alcohol to prevent infection. Ticks should be controlled by daily inspection and removal.
Some important tips
* Never buy a puppy, which is less than at least eight weeks old.
* A healthy dog is active, has a wet nose and bright eyes. The dog’s behaviour and appetite are normal.
* If your dog is lethargic, inactive and has a dry nose, immediately take it to a veterinary surgeon.
* Dogs with long fur must be bathed once a week and during a hot weather, twice a week.
* Use mild shampoo or soap when bathing. It helps to preserve the fat layer of the dog’s skin.
* Soap or shampoo should be washed away properly and then towel dry the dog’s coat.
* Vitamins and other nutrients are essential for a healthy coat.

Bloggers Meet....

2011-03-27T02:23:00.000-07:00

Human beings are social animals. They like to communicate and connect with the world all the time. Through telephone calls, text messages and social networks, people keep in touch with one another. Blogging has become the latest and popular trend of expressing ideas.

Many have become published writers through this novel concept. They exchange their experiences, views, and opinions through these blog sites. Another plus point of blogging is that writers get instant comments for what they write or post. This encourages budding writers. Not only writing, there are blog sites dedicated to photography as well. Many popular websites hosts blog sites free to provide the foundation for these upcoming bloggers.

When blogging became popular around the world, we, Sri Lankans, customised that concept according to our standards by starting Sinhala blogging. Lankan bloggers typed Sinhala, using various keyboards and converters, on popular blog sites.

This method reached the common man. Anyone who can type Sinhala and English and who can handle a computer can start reading and writing blogs. When the number of blog writers and blog readers increased, many people formed groups to support writers and increase traffic to these sites. Day by day, many got addicted to the habit of reading and writing blogs. It has now become a part of their daily routine.

When time passed, these blog writers and readers made many virtual friends in this virtual world.

Keeping these friends in mind, a few months ago a group of blog writers decided to meet at an event to bring writers and readers from the blog world to one common point.

For many months, they discussed it. When one of their fellow blog writers and a television program editor, 23-year old Dilum Bandara needed a large sum of money for an operation, they realised the value of having a gathering. Since the Sinhala New Year was round the corner, they decided to hold a ‘New Year festival’.

“We thought of organising a ‘New Year Festival’ to fulfill two wishes, one is to meet virtual friends we met in the cyber world and the second is to find the money needed for the operation,” said the event organiser Pasan Maduranga.

This is the first ‘Sinhala New Year festival’, organised by bloggers for bloggers. Therefore, it will be a historic event. The ‘festival’ will be held on April 3 at 9.30 am at the Henry Pedris grounds and will continue till 3.30 p.m. “We welcome anyone who wishes to participate,” said Pasan.

Participants can take part in many traditional games and some new fun games. They can also meet famous Sinhala blog figures at the event,” he said.

The games planned for the day, include tug-of-war, eating buns, Wheelbarrow race, selecting the Avurudhu Kumari and Kumaraya and counting the number of seeds in a fruit are sure to attract many competitors. For those who have the ability to run, they can participate in the 100 metres men and women’s race.

They can also take part in the couple event titled. ‘The three-legged race’. For those who love mystery, games such as ‘finding the hidden guest’ and ‘the secret of the box’ will bring loads of fun.

At the end of the day, the organisers have planned a musical evening and a meeting for bloggers. “If you make it on that day, you are sure will have no regrets. You will have a fun-filled day and at the same time you will contribute to a good cause,” Pasan said.

Korathota Raja Maha Vihara: Oldest and longest cave inscriptions

2011-03-27T01:58:00.000-07:00

This stone inscription is proof to say that 2500 years ago, a king ruled this area. According to Senarath Paranavithane, it belongs to between the third century B.C. to second century B.C.

The long flight of steps


Inside the Viharage

Turning off the old Colombo-Ratnapura Road, from Kaduwela heading towards Homagama, a few minutes’ drive brings us to Korathota Raja Maha Vihara, an ancient temple that radiates its splendour amongst the quarries in Kaduwela. This temple, which dates back to 2000 years, is one of the few ancient temples found in the Western Province, sited on the top of a mountain next to the Belungala Rock in Kaduwela. This temple boasts of having the oldest and longest cave inscriptions in the Colombo district. In addition to the historic artefacts, the ‘show off peacock’ and the ‘white porcupine’ add extra colour to the place.

The historic caves

The history of the temple runs to the era of King Valagamba and King Mahathissa. The historic cave inscriptions and the six caves are the focal points of the temple. The caves give a hint of the good times of this place. After climbing a long flight of steps, devotees are welcomed by a Sandakadapahana or a moonstone, which has carved motifs of tuskers, lions, horses and bulls in one arc and the other arcs with motifs like Liyavela and flower petals Palapethi. After the moonstone, the path leads us to the caves with Kataram carving, something that is carved on the top of the overhanging rock to prevent water dripping into the cave.
Among the caves at the temple, the largest cave is 25 metres in length, 15 metres in width and 18 metres in height. This cave houses a recently built Vihara Geya. A large statue of the reclining Buddha, five large standing Buddha statues and two smaller ones can be seen inside. However, these do not have a significant archaeological value as those have been reconstructed after the Kandy era. There are also some murals and two devalas in it. To the right of the cave temple is a smaller cave with the Chetiya in front.


The decorations around the pagoda

Towards the left of the Viharage, there is another cave, which is 16 meters long, 10 metres wide and 22 metres high. This is used as the Pattini Devalaya now. There is a smaller cave towards the left from this cave, which is 12 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet high. The overhung rock of this cave has a stone inscription belonging to the third century B.C. The smallest cave lies further away from these caves in front of the bo-tree. The last cave is located about 350 metres north of the Viharage. It is at the extreme west of the temple premises. The way to the cave is rough and steep.
The entrance naturally hewn into the rock is almost covered with a thick growth of foliage. This would have resembled the original environment of the caves. Here, one could imagine the monks of yore, meditating, performing their religious rites and living their simple lives in these forest caves, with only the rustling of leaves and the call of birds to disturb them.
The tunnel inside the third cave and behind the reclining Buddha statue there are entrances to a tunnel, which is said to be leading to the Kelaniya temple. Legend also states that this leads to the Kaduwakkalama via Kaduwela Rankadu Devalaya. It is said that a Portuguese slave lived in the cave. However, according to a resident bhikkhu of the temple, the legend mentions about a gold plate in the middle of this tunnel. “Some people, who were greedy for gold, went in search of it, but never returned. It is believed that they must have perished due to the lack of Oxygen inside the tunnel. So, now, the tunnel is sealed,” he added.

The longest cave inscription

The cave inscription, is considered as the longest and oldest inscription found in the Colombo district, can be seen near one of these Kataram carvings above the cave next to the Viharage. This inscription is written in Brahmi lettering. This states about a cave donated by the daughter of the King, ‘Mahabi’, and another cave named ‘Manapadassana’ donated by the son of ‘Parumuka Sumana’, ‘Sumana’.

Kataram of the cave temple

It is proof to say that 2500 years ago, a king ruled this area. According to Senarath Paranavithane, this stone inscription belongs between the third century B.C. to second century B.C. However, inscriptions talk about an anonymous king, who remains a mystery to-date. It is said that the person known as Sumana is Velusumana - one of the 10 great giants of King Dutugemunu.
“According to legend, during the Anuradhapura era, Viharamaha Devi, the daughter of King Kelanithissa and Sumana had attended a pooja at the Korathota temple. Later Sumana had become popular as Velusumana, because he had risked his life to bring some bees' honey from Anuradhapura to fulfil a pregnancy craving of the queen,” explained Habarakada Sumanasara Thera.
According to historians and archaeologists, Korathota Raja Maha Vihara had owned more than 3000 acres of land, which encompassed several tanks and a prosperous paddy cultivation. Apart from ancient artefacts, there are many animals roaming freely in the temple premises.
The peacock at the temple opens its decorative feathers very often. “When there is a crowd, it opens its feathers and shows off,” said the resident bhikkkhu.
The white porcupine is another attraction of the temple. In addition to these animals, there are deer, ducks, hens, turkey, and lovebirds. Korathota Raja Maha Vihara is one of the treasures of the country. It must be protected for posterity.
Though the caves are preserved with care, other parts of the temple are somewhat commercialised. With shops here and there, we were a bit confused at first whether we arrived at the correct temple. The area where the cave temples are situated is closed during the day and it is opened only around 2 pm.

The mother-in-law conundrum

2011-03-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

A marriage made in heaven is the ultimate wish of every human being. During a time when the divorce rate is high, a perfect marriage is bliss. A couple is in love. The excitement is high. They spend a fortune and celebrate their matrimony in grand style.

Party for two days, at the wedding and the home-coming, they get back to their normal life. The future holds so many promises to this newly wedded couple. Some lovebirds live in their own separate houses and some continue to live with parents. When the latter happens, what can happen under normal circumstances, is some amount of displeasure. The legendary mother-in-law - daughter-in-law conflict begins with a little spark and then continues for a lifetime.

Unfortunately, this is something very common in homes all around the world. However, everything turns upside down when they live together. Why does this happen? Is there a solution? What is the role of the husband in such a situation? We interviewed some of our readers to seek their opinion on this popular issue.

“As I feel, the main reason for this conflict is jealousy and the lack of mutual understanding,” said Sanath, a 31-year-old technician. “Once I heard a story related to this issue, there was a mother-in-law in a family, who is said to be the jealous type. One day, the husband and wife decided to go out on a trip on their own during the weekend. When the day arrived, the mother-in-law had gotten ready before anyone else, with the intention of joining the couple on the trip. Luckily, the daughter-in-law was understanding and tolerated the mother-in-law. If not it would have ended up in a huge issue," he said.

According to Nalika, a 25-year-old schoolteacher, in many houses mother and son relationships are stronger than the relationship between a father and a son.

When the son ties the knot, and brings a wife to the house, his attention is divided between the mother and the wife. Things, which the mother used to do before have been taken over by the wife. When these chains of incidents occur, the mother begins to feel left out. This spurs the conflict.

"My mother is no more, but I have a stepmother. I spend every day of my life with quarrels between my wife and stepmother. I thought a million times to leave the house and live separately. However, I somehow keep my patience for the sake of my poor father. It is not easy to balance," lamented Dulip, a 34-year-old, Quality Assurance Officer.

"When the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law see each other often, the spark, and mutual respect diminishes over time. Then jealousy and anger comes into the scene. The best thing a husband can do at this point is to be unbiased. Else, it will be unfair on one party," Nimsha, a university undergraduate, said.

Kalhara, a father of two, opposes the idea. According to him, when a girl gets married, she gives her whole responsibility to the husband. Therefore, if he is not there when she is in need, she will feel helpless. "Living with parents can create many problems," he said. "First, the couple cannot show their love to each other while being in the house freely, they will be restricted to their room. The couple might not be able to leave the house whenever they want. They are bound to be questioned about it. This might give a feeling of dependency, making them frustrated. Often finding fault with the newly wedded wife is another problem, which can lead to major conflicts later," he said.

Once this clash is set in motion it is likely to continue for a lifetime. The best thing is, to use different tactics to prevent the conflict. The majority of people, who expressed their opinion, suggested that the best possible action to be taken is that the couple should live separately. Through this the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is distant enough not to see each other's mistakes and maintain a happy relationship. Once a relationship is damaged, it is very difficult to bring it back to normal. Therefore, think wisely about your plans before the marriage.

Old Images of Sri Lanka

2011-03-17T09:42:00.001-07:00

Banyan Tree- Colpetty

Boats in canal- Negambo

Bristol Hotel- Colombo

Colombo Kandy Rail

Dimbula Bungalow

Galle face Hotel - Colombo

Galle face Hotel – Colombo (1860)

Grand Oriental Hotel

House Boat – Wellawatta Stream

Matara- Polwatta Rail Bridge

Matara Station - 1895

Mt lavinia Hotel

Mt Lavinia Hotel -1865

Mt Lavinia Hotel – 1865

Colombo Museum

Ohiya Station – 1893

Peradeniya Garden Entrance

Royal Hotel – 1860

Talpe Station - 1895

Kandy Temple

Ruwanwelisaya - Anuradhapura

Samadhi Statue- Anuradhapura

Sri Maha Bodhi- Anuradhapura

Sri Pada

Temple at Slave Island

A new era in Girl Guiding 'Rally 2011' will be held to celebrate the spirit of guiding :

2011-03-13T09:34:00.001-07:00

Girl Guiding is one of the best forms of non-formal education a girl can receive while schooling. Knowing the value of the movement, many parents encourage their daughters to be a part of the Girl Guides Association.

Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association (SLGGA) was inaugurated in Sri Lanka in 1917. Since then the movement has been empowering girls and young women to face the many challenges of life, for over 90 years. Now the Association has more than 30,000 members in all the nine provinces of the country.

The SLGGA is divided into three main categories according to the ages of the members: Little Friends aged 7-11 years, Guides aged 11-16 years and Senior Guides aged 16-23 years.

The Girl Guides Association is hoping to start a completely new era of guiding in Sri Lanka from this year and "April will be a significant month for all the members of the SLGGA and for those who are interested in joining the Movement in the future. An extravagant event called The 'Rally 2011', will be organised by the Movement, to launch the new uniforms, new programmes and a new image for the association," says Director Communications, Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association, Dilmini Peiris.

The last time they had an image change was in 1960s. To give a local touch to the image an elephant was included.

New Sri Lanka badges for all the ranks in the three branches were also introduced in that year. Almost 50 years later , there will be another major change in the system. "We need to show the world that our Movement is changing with the world," she added.

Rally 2011 will celebrate the spirit of guiding. The members from all over the country will meet their fellow guides at the Galle Face Green in April at this much awaited Guiding event. Stay tuned with the Junior Observer for more information about this rally.

History of Girl Guiding

Lord Robert Baden-Powell popularly known as BP founded the Girl Guide and Boy Scout. He first worked with boys in South Africa during the Boer War. He had set up his headquarters in Mafeking, but soon this came under siege. Then, BP recruited a few boys as messengers during this difficult time. They divided themselves into groups or rather patrols and each of these patrol had a leader, known as a patrol leader. Since that scheme was a success, on his way to England BP decided that the boys in England, should also be taught similar skills such as camping, teamwork, and leadership, pioneering, stalking and orienteering to prepare them when they were older.Through his book "Scouting for Boys," he explained how he wants to popularise scouting among boys. The book was soon a hit among boys all over England, and they started forming their own scout companies.

In 1909, the first scout jamboree was held in London. Seeing some of the girls who attended this rally, BP realized the need for forming something similar for the girls as well. As a result, the Girl Guide Movement was inaugurated in 1910 in the UK. BP's sister Agnes Baden Powell was the first president of the Girl Guides movement.

Girl Guiding was first introduced in Sri Lanka in 1917, by Mrs. Jenny Greene and Miss. Jenny Calverley. The first Guide Company was started at the Girls' High School, Kandy with the support of its principal at that time, Miss. Sansom. At the end of that particular year, the guiding oath was altered, so that the non-Christians too can join the movement In 1918, the Ceylon Branch of the Girl Guides Association was formed and Mrs. R. W. Byrde was appointed as Sri Lanka's first Chief Commissioner.

Caring for fine hair...

2011-03-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Many women around the world, dream of having long dark bouncy and silky hair. Companies all over the world make money by selling various types of shampoos, conditioners and medications to improve hair type.

Flat and dull fine hair is a menace to every hair owner. This hair type does not enhance the beauty of a person, if not handled properly; it will ruin your image. However, if you know the trick, you do not have to live with unappealing locks.

Beautiful styles are within your reach. Today, let us enlighten you on some styles to pump up the volume of a fine hair.

Fine hair can be maddening. When you look around, everyone seems to own full, luscious locks, while you seem to be cursed with a thin, lifeless strip of hair, which does not add anything to your image. However, if you know how, there are ways to make hair look like the long, fat tresses of Rapunzel’s. Something you first need to realise is that, there is a difference between fine hair and thin hair.

Fine hair is when each individual strand is thin, and the number of strands per square inch is more. However, thin hair is when the spaces between the hair is bigger. A person can possibly have both fine and thin hair. The best way to convert the baby-fine hair to a gorgeous mane is to have the right cut. Discuss with your stylist about the styles that appeal most to your hair type and to the shape of your face. Bobs look great for people with fine hair; vary the length of the cut based on the shape of the face.

A modified bob with uneven ends rather than rounded edges will also do the trick. Bangs work well with fine hair. Try a short, tapered cut. Angles can add volume to your hair. If you are interested in longer hair, try layers. If you wish, you can go shoulder length or a bit longer than that. If you make it too long, you will lose the effect of fullness. Having irregular edges can lighten the hair and add a bit of volume. Having your hair angled for longer cuts, which is longer in the front and shorter in the back, will give your style a better shape.

Trying styles, which push behind the ears, will also make your hair appear full. Pulling the long hair into a high ponytail or a bun while you sleep and letting it down in the morning will help you to give some volume to the hair, while braiding the hair when sleeping can give a wavy look, which will last all day.

Both short and long hairstyles need regular trims to keep up with the shape, to keep their appearance up and to clean up the split ends. There are shampoos, conditioners, and styling products on the market designed especially for fine hair. The habit of washing your hair every two or three days and applying a conditioner only on the ends will stop weighing down the hair.

Fine hair can be oily, as the oils produced at your scalp can easily work their way down the fine, straight strands. If you are seeing greasy strands, use products designed especially for oily hair. Mousse or gel can add volume too. Apply these products to the roots and then blow-dry the hair upside down for maximum volume. Spraying the roots with hairspray will also add long-lasting fullness.

A hair stylist can help with treatment that can add volume to fine hair. Coloured highlights add depth to your hair visually, and can increase your hair texture. Perms are not the horrors you remember from the 80s. Talk to your stylist about how a perm might add body to your hair. With the right cut and care, you will find a fine-hair style that shines.

Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya

2011-03-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Decorated entrance to the tunnel

Away from the hustle and bustle of the Nugegoda metropolis, a 20 minute drive towards the Pita-Kotte junction leads the way to Kotte Raja Maha Vihara, one of the ancient temples of the city. The tranquillity of the temple invited us for a journey towards a life full of peace and happiness. Since it was almost twilight, the temple was crowded with many worshippers. The light of the oil lamps and the aroma of the incense sticks took us to an incredible world, making us forget that we are at the edge of a busy town.
"When King Parakumbha VI (1415-1467) ruled the country, he built this temple closer to his palace, with the intention of doing the necessary duties to the Sangha regularly," the Chief Incumbent of the Kotte Raja Maha Vihara, Ven. Aluthnuwara Anuruddha Thera explained. With the arrival of the Portuguese, the Kotte Kingdom faced a tragic situation.
The fate of the temple was no difference. It was in 1813, when Ven. Pilane Dharma Keerthi Sri Buddha Rakkhitha Thera found this ancient temple in ruins and restored it to the present condition. "The Thera found the place, with some ruins of the present Chethiya, foundation of the Vihara and the Katharagama Devalaya, and some stone pillars here and there," said Anuruddha Thera. "However, most of the artifacts had been taken away by the foreigners leaving only a few ruins at this place," he lamented.

Kabok tunnel

A kabok tunnel situated at the Kotte Ananda Shasthralaya premises is another important artefact that belongs to the temple. This tunnel has three openings. One doorway leads to the palace and another to escape safely during an enemy attack. It is noticeable that during the past the entrance to the tunnel had been decorated with a 'Makara Thorana'. The outline of the decoration still remains at the doorway. It is said that there was another tunnel connected to this one. That is for the purpose of enabling the Queen and her maids safely reach the other nearby temples.

Inside the tunnel

A bronze plate kept at the temple, with the engraving 'vaasala' (palace), is one of the historic artifacts found at this premises. It is said that this plate was sent from the palace during alms-givings. Now the plate is restored at the Vihara.

Ancient drawings

The 'Viharage' of the temple has many ancient drawings and one of the old 'Devala' contains a drawing of a Portuguese Mudliyar or a soldier, with a bronze-buttoned shirt, a sarong with some designs, and a hat. One of the wall paintings depicts this Portuguese man holding a bird and a devil dancing nearby and another show the Mudliyar pointing a finger at something. The paintings are almost vanishing. It gives some signs of colour, however, now it is visible in black and white. The Sandakadapahana or the moonstone of the temple is adorned with swans, horses, elephants, and leaves (liyavel). The centre of the moonstone is decorated with some coloured glass beads, to give the effect of the seeds of the lotus.
The land towards the east of the temple is another important part of the ancient temple. It had been a place named 'Kota Vehera', a place that was worshipped by the kings, ministers as well as the public.

Na tree

Unlike other temples, this temple has an ironwood (Na) tree instead of a bo tree. History of this tree dates back to the era of the prince Sapumal Bandara, the prince who defeated Aryachakravarthis and won the administration of Jaffna. Before leaving for this war, he had worshipped this ancient naa tree and made a vow.


ancient na tree	Vihara Ge	Moonstone

He returned to Kotte as a winner and national hero. From that day onwards, people had the habit of worshipping the tree before attending any of their major tasks. The kings during that era paid a visit to the temple after their coronation ceremony to pay homage to the Buddha. H. C. P. Bell an Archaeological Commissioner of Ceylon once said, "At the village of Pita-Kotte, which consisted of the outer city stood the Dagaba and temple to which according to tradition, before the coronation the monarchs of Kotte used to ride on horseback for the ceremony of cutting the tali-pot tree that sprang into life again like the golden bough of Virgil with student of each successive ruler. The temple had vanished centuries ago, with the other Buddhist buildings. The Dagaba, which had remained in facet, spaced alike by conqueror and by time, has recently been exploited and the bricks of the dome daily abstracted to build a house. Now, only the basement is left of it, and that too is fast disappearing"
"Later this land was handed over to a mission by the Dutch," says Anuruddha Thera. "They cut off the Bo-tree and built a church on that place," He added. To date, the main temple of the Kotte Vihara does not have a Bo-tree.


Mural	Painting of a mudliyar

The area with the Bo-Tree is situated a few metres away from the main temple. C.M. de Silva states in his book 'Antiquities of the Kingdom of Kotte', "The Rajamaha Vihara is the meeting point of thousands of devotees from all parts of the neighbouring towns and villages.
The perehera of the temple is viewed with a spirit of devotion and happiness evoking a sense of national pride is perpetuation a historic event of the bygone days of Kotte." Explaining further he wrote, "The Rajamaha Vihara in Pita-Kotte was constructed by Sri Parakramabahu VI about the year 1415. For the upkeep of the temple, considerable lands yielding and the King had endowed adequate income. Under the Portuguese rule the temple was reduced to ruins and for nearly one and a half centuries the palace was under the jungle."
According to the Department of Archaeology, there is no other place in the country like Kotte, where most of the ancient buildings, artefacts, and ruins were lost.
The chief incumbent of the temple, humbly requests the public to present voluntarily whatever the artefact they have, which is related to the history of the temple. It would be a social service for the betterment of the future generations.

Ideas for an article

2011-03-07T00:51:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Again I need your opinion for an article.

This is about the famous Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fight. Why do you think it happens? What can each party do to avoid the conflict and what's the role of the husband in this problem?

Comment with your name, job and age. Just to give a rough idea about who you are, to the readers.

A haven for elephants

2011-03-06T03:22:00.000-08:00

The lost, orphaned and injured are well taken care of at the Uda Walawe Elephant Transit Home

The largest land animal on the planet, the elephant, is loved and adored by many of us. However, during the recent past with the increase of the population, many elephants have lost their habitats ( living spaces) and food sources. Therefore, they come to villages looking for food.

This has created a conflict between humans and elephants. A large number of elephants and humans have died as a result. Some elephants, especially baby elephants lose their parents and become orphaned. We cannot let these little ones die. Keeping this tragic situation in mind, the Department of Wild Life Conservation initiated a pilot project in 1995 to take care of the elephants that are in need of help and later release them back into the wild when they are ready.

'Ath Athuru Sevana' or the 'Elephant Transit Home' was built on a 22-hecatare land with the sole objective of saving our endangered elephants.And do you know who the first resident of this transit home was? An elephant named 'Komali',found from Meegallawa, Galgamuwa.

Today there are 43 elephants between the ages of two months to five years at this home. Since the inception, around 73 orphaned, lost or injured elephants had been found from various parts of the country .

When such elephants are brought to the home, the transit home officials take good care of them before releasing them back into the wild. So, to date 73 elephants have found their new homes in the various wild life parks such as Udawalawa, Maduruoya and Lunugamwehera. Of these, the majority had been released to Udwalwawa National Park , as it is the closest and also has enough resources for the elephants to roam and grow up freely.

"We find orphaned baby elephants from all around the country. These elephants can be orphaned due to an injury or death to the mother or as a result of straying from their herd.

Some small elephants which get along with the buffaloes in the vicinity are in the habit of walking around with these buffalo herds ," said the veterinary surgeon at the Elephant Transit Home, Dr. Udaya Kumara.

"As soon as we find these elephants , we check whether they need any emergency medication. Thereafter we take good care of them until they are strong and old enough to live on their own ," he added.

According to Dr. Kumara adult elephants are fed milk every three hours and baby elephants every two hours. A veterinary surgeon and other officials work round the clock (24 hours a day) to take care of them.

"Sometime these little elephants behave like children .They fight with each other and injure themselves . Then we need to treat them and give them medication. They also suffer from stomachaches and phlegm problems just like human babies. Therefore, we need to be vigilant about them all the time," said the senior veterinary surgeon at the home, Dr. B. Vijitha Perera.

Even though they are big in size, their behaviour and needs are very similar to those of an infant. Someone has to keep an eye on them all the time. However, it is strictly prohibited for anyone to pet these little ones, unlike at the elephant orphanage at Pinnawela.

You may think it is strange or cruel to do so because these baby elephants are so cute nad lovable. But the authorities have a very good reason for doing this.'These elephants are not going to be at the Home for their entire life. They have to be released into the wild, so they need to get used to the life in the wild. “Therefore, we make sure that human contact is at a minimum. We never pet them," said Dr. Kumara.

Once these elephants reach the age of four or five years they are released to the wild. At this point, home officials fix a radio belt or collar with a transmitter, around the neck of the elephant.

By this the officials can identify the location of these elephants once they are back in the wild.They closely monitor the elephants released from the transit home for a period of three years. During this time, their behaviour and the way they adapt to the wild is observed.

"When we release these elephants to the wild, some of them tend to return to the home, and then we have no other option than relocating them to another national park," explained Dr. Kumara.

These giants pachyderms are maintained mainly by Government funds. However, people who love elephants can contribute to the well-being of these majestic animals, threatened with extinction today.

The Elephant Transit Home also has a 'foster parent' scheme. An organization or a person too can become a foster parent to anyone of these elephants.

These foster parents pay Rs. 25,000 per month to maintain an elephant. Musaeus College, Colombo is also the foster parent to an elephant named Kanthali at the home.

The Wild Life Conservation Project of the school holds various fund-raising campaigns to collect this amount.

The public, yes even you can contribute any amount as a general donation for the development of this one and only elephant transit home we have in Sri Lanka.

Living treasures of Udawalawe

2011-03-06T03:09:00.000-08:00

After a four-hour drive from Colombo via Rathnapura, Pelmadulla and Udawalawe junction, you can reach the sixth largest animal sanctuary of Sri Lanka - the Udawalawe National Park. The park encloses an area of 30,821 hectares, and is bordered by the Southern and Uva provinces. When the Udawalawe reservoir was constructed, many animals lost their natural habitats. As a result, in 1972 this area was declared as a national park.
Another reason for Udawalawe to be considered for elephant reservation, was to ensure the availability of water, from the Udawalwe reservoir and Mau Ara basin, even in the driest periods. This park is a popular travel destination among locals as well as foreigners, and is open throughout the year.
Elephants are a common sight in Udawalawe. They can be observed at any time of the day. Rehabilitated elephants from the Elephant transit home are released primarily to the Park. Besides the elephants, recent investigations have recorded 21 species of fish, 12 species of amphibians, 18 species of snakes, 15 species of tetra pod reptiles, 184 species of birds and 39 species of mammals. "Excepting for bears almost all varieties of dry zone animals live here," a volunteer guard of the park, L.D. Mahesh said. There are many water buffaloes all around the park. Spotted and barking deer, jackal, wild boar, and grey and striped necked mongoose are some of the fascinating animals found in the park. It is said that leopards, jungle and fishing cats have been spotted; however, their sightings are very rare.
"The park is famous for birds as well," said Mahesh. "The numbers of bird varieties are almost equal to Kumana, a bird lover can find many birds here, " he added. The Crested serpent eagle, white-billed sea eagle, painted stork, Blue face Malkoha, Lanka Junglefowl, and warblers are some of the bird varieties seen at the park.
The vegetation of the park also plays an important role. Out of the recorded plant species, three are endemic and one is considered as threatened. The bio-diversity of the park is quite high, despite the much-degraded vegetation cover. There are pockets of natural Intermediate Zone forest, stripes of Riparian forests and some pockets where Natural Succession is advancing.
All these amount to significant biodiversity pockets. The main tree species found in the forest area are the Satin, Milla, Ebony and Ehala. Riverine forests dominated by Kumbuk & Mandora, Mana, Illuk, and Daminiya are found in grasslands and scrublands. At the time of the park declaration, there were many settlements inside the area concerned, and a major part of the Park was cleared for shifting cultivation. Most of the high forest was practically destroyed. What remained of the forest was the forest areas associated with Rock Knob Plains and shallow soil areas that were unsuitable for agriculture.
Other than going on a safari, visitors can also stay in one of the five bungalows or go camping at one of the four camping sites. At all these sites, a guide will be there for you to instruct on safety precautions, rules and regulations in the park. These bungalows and campsites can be booked through the Department of Wildlife Conservation head office.Visitors need to comply with some rules. As we all know, the Udawalawe National Park is home to many animals. These animals love to live in peace.
Keeping quiet and not using any musical instruments when you are in the park is definitely a superb practice. Using plastics and polythene is also prohibited. Something Very important is not to feed these animals. Whatever the rule is, many people feed the elephants who found along the Uda Walawe- Thanamalwila road. We counted 10elephants in a morning and seven elephants in an evening.
"These elephants stand near the electric fence all day. They hardly go into the jungle seeking for food," said Piyadasa, a villager. These elephants become very excited when any person walks towards them. "Despite the boards stating that elephants should not be fed, people still continue to feed these elephants, bananas and other fruits," he added.
However, we noticed that these boards were not visible from the road and some were even discoloured. When inquired from the Department, an officer said they would look into the matter. When people go on a safari, every vehicle is sent along with a tour guide who is trained by the Department. The guide knows all the rules and regulations that visitors need to abide by. "If a visitor spots a group which not obeying these rules if they are shouting or feeding the animals, they can make a complaint at the gate giving the vehicle number of the offending party.
Then the Department would restrict the vehicle from entering the park premises. The tour guide will also be penalised. If it is a department guide, he will face the penalty and a volunteer guide will lose his licence," an officer from the Department of Wildlife Conservation said. "One of the main problems we have is the buffaloes and bulls. There are so many inside the park. They eat greater part of the grasslands, leaving elephants in hunger," officer explained further. Another problem the department faces is wildfires. Sometimes these fires starts with a little cigarette butt or a matchstick destroying a huge area. Fire belts have been created to avoid such fires from spreading over to a greater portion of the park.
These are strips of lands where forest cover has been removed. In other words, what we use as roads are the fire belts. In addition, well-trained wildlife officers can successfully handle an emergency like this. As responsible citizens, we also have a duty. These are treasures of our country.
Therefore, it is necessary to comply with the rules of the Department. Let us protect the forest and animals for future generations!
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/03/06/fea50.asp

Relationship or friends first ?

2011-02-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since Maya, a university undergraduate, started a relationship with Thameera one of her batchmates. Her friends witnessed a big difference in the way she associated with them. Now, she hardly sits with them during lunchbreak, or at the lectures. Even the usual walk home with them has become a walk with her newfound boyfriend.

She rarely finds the time to talk to her friends because throughout the day, she is with Thameera. However, on the other hand, Thameera, after dropping Maya at her house, goes out with his friends and stays until late with them. Nothing has changed in the way he associates with his friends.

Sounds familiar to you? Is this the story revolving around young couples in the country? “This is 100 percent right. I went through this. Once he was my world. I could not think of a day without him. However, when we broke up, I had no one around. My friends had left me and gone for good because I neglected them for the sake of my love. I did not have anyone to share my sorrow,” said Chathurani, a 28-year-old graduate.

“It was too late when I realised it,” she whispered.

A 26-year-old software engineer, Aravinda has a completely different view about this matter. According to him, this is not true. “The girl never knows the difference between love and vanity. Loving a person does not mean leaving friends at all. Friends too need to be around. It is about mutual respect and gratitude. The moment either one forgets it, that’s it, then you are back with your friends,” he said. Bhanuka, a 24-year-old engineer, also supports this side of the argument. He holds on to his view with one of his own life experiences.

“What really happens here is that we spend less time, than the usual with friends. I see this as something normal, since you have added responsibilities now than before. However, this does not mean that any party leaving their friends in the name of the partner. Neither my girl nor I have left our friends to keep up with the affair.”

According to Angel, a 30-year-old doctor, this happens quite often when the girl has had a protected upbringing, or has a shy personality. When she has not had the opportunity to build mature relationships with her peers (both male and female) then the attention and the security of a romantic relationship means that her boyfriend becomes the world to her.

“While a breakup may be devastating to both parties, it is the shy introvert (and even boys may fit this description) who suffer the most from the lack of security and support, strong friendships give,” she said.

Damitha, a 20-year-old college student had experienced an incident similar to what we are discussing today, through one of his closest friends. “This goes both ways, my best friend started hanging out more with his girlfriend than us, when she joined our college. She was always with him and vice versa. I noticed that she was not with many people when he was not around her. The same thing happened to him when she was not around, but at least he had me to hangout with,” he said.

This type of incidents depends on the ‘type’ of the relationship between the girl and the boy. Whether both of them love each other, it is a one sided love or whether this relationship is there for a different purpose. According to a 34-year-old, Quality Assurance Officer, Dulip, it is natural for a person to become distant, intentionally or unintentionally, from his/her friends when he/she entangles in a romantic relationship.

For example, some boys do not like when their girlfriends have boys as friends. Then she has no option, except keeping them away from her life. However, if a person has no friends at all, then the relationship is not the one to be blamed. It is something to do with their personality. Finally, every person has a right to have friends.

Men and women are social animals. Leaving friends for the sake of a relationship is not appropriate. With proper understanding between the couple, having a balanced life between a lover and friends would not be a difficult task.

Unplug the music... Protect your ears..

2011-02-26T18:14:00.001-08:00

Listening to music via MP3 players while travelling in buses and trains have become the latest trend among the younger generation today.

Not only MP3 Players, but also ipods and mobile phones are used to listen to music to overcome the boredom while travelling. Sometimes, thisis done when they do not like the music played in the bus, or simply because trendy children do it.

Whatever the reason may be, a majority of youth in this modern generation are addicted to this . Even while walking on the road many youngsters plug in the handsets of music players into their ears. If they are in a noisy place, they naturally increase the volume to the maximum to get a better reception by drowning the noise in the surroundings. But, is this habit safe?

According to a recent research conducted by the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), this habit among the Sri Lankan youth can lead to a hearing-impaired future generation. Senior Deputy Director of ITI, Ananda Pannila said that listening to high-pitched music for most of the day, and in close proximity to the eardrums, could lead to loss of hearing.

"Most children, when they are in noisy places, increase the volume of the MP3 player to the maximum. This produces a sound of around 85 - 100 decibels inside the ear. This is equal to a noise created by a loud live band at a wedding reception, he explained.

The research team had developed an artificial ear with a microphone in place of the eardrum to test the effects of different frequencies of noise from different types of players.Then by using several phone models that are available in the local market they had measured the impact of the decibel levels on the eardrum. After experimenting with varying levels and models they had finally found that when the volume is increased to 90 per cent of the maximum possible volume , the player produces a sound of around 90 decibels, but when the volume is increased to 50 per cent of the maximum possible volume it generates a sound of around 70 decibels or less.

According to the general rule, a sound of 85 decibels or below is considered as safe to the human ear. "We found out that most of the phones and MP3 players, which are available at very low prices, are not up to the standard and can cause more damage to our ear," said Pannila. "If a person is listening to music through the head phones by increasing the volume to the maximum, he should not continue that for more than 10 minutes," he warned. "The recommended level to listen to music is by keeping the volum level to 50 per cent and that too only for a maximum of three hours at a stretch,"he said.Hearing impairments does not occur within a day or two, like catching a common cold.

It takes years to develop a hearing problem. Once the damage is done, it is not reversible. Then the only remedy will be to wear hearing aids. If that happens, life is not going to be easy at all. "This is not a problem unique to Sri Lanka," he added.Health officials in the USA and in many European countries too face this problem. As a safety measure, now many players have software to warn the user of the health risk, if they exceed the safety limit," he said.

If I were your pillow!

2011-02-20T00:28:00.000-08:00

I will comfort your face...
never regret...
to be under you
for a whole night....
I will listen to your,
words in dream..,
and will let you hold
when you are scared....
so far,
your pillow is luckier than me...
but,
not for long!! :)

Fresh Food?

2011-02-20T00:19:00.001-08:00

Whether you shop at a supermarket, Sunday fair or at an ordinary vegetable seller, you always look for fresh vegetables. Even after taking those vegetables, fish, and meat, home you still want to keep them fresh as long as possible. Due to the lack of knowledge, many food items are being wasted in large quantities.

Food safety and storage basics

When it comes to food safety, we need to be aware of spoilage and bacteria, which causes diseases. As a precaution start your awareness program by looking at the expiry date on the label.

The expiry date is valid only if you store the product as instructed on the label. For example the expiry date for yoghurt is usually two weeks from the manufactured date.

However if you keep it outside the refrigerator in warm weather for a few hours the yoghurt will spoil and it is not suitable to consume. Therefore, the expiry date is merely a good guideline.

It is considered that prepared or unpreserved foods between four degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius are in the ‘danger zone’, which is not cold or hot enough to consider safe.

Therefore, when refrigerating those, first of all set your fridge temperature at four degrees Celsius or below and the freezer at -18 degrees Celsius or below.

Some refrigerators come with a built in thermometer, however if not you can easily buy an appliance thermometer to ensure that the temperatures are right.

Maximising food safety and flavour

If you want to keep the food in a regular temperature, the best place to keep is the refrigerator shelves. If you overload those shelves with food and containers, circulation of air will be blocked.

Something to be mindful of is never store fresh food on the door.

Nowadays, refrigerators come with special compartments for fish, meat, and vegetables, use them. They are specially designed to give the correct environment for those products.

When storing raw meat, keep those away from products such as cheese. Raw meat, poultry, and seafood should be kept in sealed containers to prevent the juices tainting other foods. If you are storing meat and poultry in the freezer in their original wrappings, make sure that you double-wrap it with foil to avoid freezer burn on the frozen meat.

When the veggies are stored in the freezer, to avoid any damage to the freshness, there is a method used called blanching. That is a fast dip in boiling water and an equally fast cool-down in cold water. This helps to preserve the colour and the taste of the vegetable.

The most common thing we refrigerate is the leftover food. Make sure that before putting those in to the freezer you place them in shallow containers for faster cooling. The most important thing is to keep your fridge clean. It keeps your food safe for a longer time.

Storing shelf staples

Staple food items such as sugar and flour, those which come in packages should be checked thoroughly before buying for ripped edges or for damage, after opening the package store those in sealed containers.

Lastly, whatever the precautions you take, if you are suspecting that a food item has gone bad, whether fresh, frozen, or at room temperature, immediately throw that away, do not even bother to taste.

World Thinking Day - 2011

2011-02-20T00:17:00.000-08:00

Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all over the world, celebrate World Thinking Day on 22 February every year. On this day Guides and Scouts think about the meaning of guiding and scouting as well as the guides and the scouts around the world. Many troops use this day as a day to learn about other countries and their cultures.

World Thinking Day was first initiated at the fourth Girl Guides' International Conference held at the Edith Macy Conference Centre, USA in 1926. All those who attended, decided that there should be a special day when girl guides and scouts think of each other and exchange greetings to thank and appreciate their service as guides and scouts. All the attendees unanimously proposed February 22 as the World Thinking day; since it was the birthday of Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Boy Scout Movement, and also his wife Olave, who served as the World Chief Guide.
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) choose a theme for every World Thinking Day and proposed related activities. Last year the theme was "Together we can end extreme poverty and hunger." For the year 2011, their theme is "Gender equality and empowering women."

The main objective is to raise awareness of the situation of girls and women around the world and empower them to take a stand against inequality. This is the third of the eight areas of focus made by 189 world leaders at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000. It is also a part of the WAGGGS Global Action theme, which encourages girls to make a commitment to change the world around them. This year activities have been divided into five main categories. They are group warm-up activities, developing self-esteem and self-confidence, learning together to change the world, living and working for a fairer world, and girls and young women as decision makers. Apart from this there is also, a special speak out category to help girls learn how to advocate on issues that concern them.

The celebration of World Thinking Day in Sri Lanka is going to be a little different from the world celebrations. "We are trying to incorporate non-Guides to our World Thinking Day celebrations this time. Then we can show them what actually the Girl Guides do," says the Director Communications, Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association, Dilmini Peiris. The strength of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association is around 30 000. All these Guides will engage in activities such as organizing health camps and giving alms for elderly homes to celebrate the Thinking Day. "However, to keep up with the Association's objective every guide will bring one of her cousins or a friend, a non-guide, to show the activities of the Girl Guides movement", she added.

Amazing pictures...

2011-02-16T02:25:00.000-08:00

White Tigers get a new mom
When the hurricane Hannah, separated two white tigers from their mother, Anjana came to the Rescue. Anjana, a chimp at TIGERS in South Carolina, became surrogate mom and playmate to the cubs, even helping with bottle feeding, according to The Sun. But here's the truly amazing part: This is something Anjana does all the time, having helped raise leopard and lion cubs on several occasions.

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I love this photo!!!

Need your opinion...

2011-02-12T18:42:00.000-08:00

This is for a paper article I'm doing....Tell me what you think...

When a girl and a boy start a relationship, the boy becomes the entire world of the girl. She spends the majority of her time with the boy. She sacrifices her friends. Ultimately, her only friend will be the boy. On the other hand, the boy lives his own life with his friends, goes out with them. Enjoys his life. He hardly sacrifice his friends for the sake of the relationship.

Once they breakup, the girl is alone with no one around, but boy has his friends.

What do you think about this? Is this true? Why is this happening?

When you are commenting write your name, job and age (if you don't want to give the exact age give a rough range)

Thank you.....

Planning Your Big-Day

2011-02-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

Wedding is one of the most important occasions in a person’s life. Not only have the couple, but also all the family members and the relatives from both the sides get together to plan this grand event. Usually preparations begin at least a year before the big day.

Booking the hotel, the florist, the photographer and the beautician needs to be done way before the big day. When it comes to these things, everyone has their favourites and ideas. Obviously, the couple has their own dreams about their wedding and their parents have another set of dreams. If all these dreams match together, all of you are lucky, however, most of the times it is something very unlikely to occur.

Then begins the conflict; the bride and the groom and the parents, conflicts go on. Sometimes it is said, that the bride will be able to understand the real personality of the groom only during this wedding planning period.

Now not only the groom, parents and in-laws can also put a certain amount of pressure when planning this event.They are the ones who do the spending most of the time. Therefore, they expect to run the show according to their wishes to a certain extent especially since they are the ones who know family traditions.

Sometimes objections can arise when the couple wants to do something out of the ordinary. The tragedy of this is that these conflicts, which arise at this point, can prevail throughout. Therefore, the best thing is to avoid conflicts as much as possible. However, it is easier said than done.

The first step in your wedding planning is deciding on the type of the wedding you want. Express those ideas among everybody. Communicate with the fiance, family, in-laws and anyone else who is involved in the planning. This is essential. When you have open discussions about planning, it helps avoid conflicts and all will have an enjoyable time.

Let everyone express his or her ideas. Then choose the best and the most suitable idea out of all. Be patient with everybody. Have some flexibility. Be open to different ideas. If an idea brought by a family member, does not tally with the theme you have selected, politely say so. If the idea is extremely good, try if you can modify it according to the theme. Show that you are making an effort to listen to their ideas. Respect everyone’s views. Make them feel welcomed for the planning sessions.

It is very important fact to take note of your budget. No one wants financial problems as soon as they start a new life. Therefore, spending a fortune on your big day is not a wise thing to do. When deciding on the budget, be practical and realistic. Communicate this budget among everyone who is involved. Then before coming up with an idea they themselves have something to think and something to restrict them.

Another conflict arising point is when it comes to choosing the bridesmaid, the bestman, the flower girls, and the page boys. Many of the relations and close friends will want to take part in the wedding. However, choosing the best people is in your hands. Rejecting others who are willing to take part should be done with care.

Organising a wedding cannot be done single handedly. There should be friends and relatives around the couple for their help. Therefore, make them understand your requirements and get their cooperation. Lastly, through your communication abilities and flexibility you can avoid conflicts and have a smooth and a conflict free wedding. Plan ahead and let everyone follow the plan through discussions.

What does independence means to you?

2011-02-06T00:10:00.000-08:00

On February 4, 2011, we celebrated our 63rd Independence Day. For the first time in 63 years, the celebrations were held outside the Colombo City, in Kataragama. In 2009, after the conflict which ruined our country for more than three decades, the country gained true Independence. After 30 years, people travelled around the country without any fear. People from the South toured the North and the Northerners paid visits to the Southerners. In an environment like this, we are an independent nation.

Once Gandhi said, “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.”

Independence is the freedom of our soul, sensitivity of the mind and a feeling understood only by the heart. When this sensitivity, patriotism, self- dependence, and the freedom put together there is a big responsibility for today’s youth to create a better Sri Lanka.

“I’m proud to be a Sri Lankan.” How often have you heard that expression? How often have you heard that expression and felt the emotion coming through, like a quiver of arrows? Maybe once, maybe twice or maybe you never thought about it. Now that is freedom of thought.

However, is it of any good? With the budding face of the youth of today, the insight levels of the Sri Lankan youth is increasing, for the better. Reviving those rare instances of pride being linked to our nationality, as part of our identity, we begin to wonder why each one of us does not feel that way when every single time our nation is being criticised, or being harassed by powerful nations.

Sometimes Sri Lankans themselves go against the motherland for the sake of money. Why is it only on Independence Day, we feel ‘Sri Lankan’? We queried from a few Sri Lankan youngsters about the way they define independence, what actually it means to them.

Hishan Melanga, an IT undergraduate gives us an idea of a thinking man’s perception of freedom, “Independence is the happiness we have. Happiness is something we should earn. Therefore, the person who is happy enjoys independence at its best.”

Eranda Angunuwela, a software engineer, on the other hand, preferred to cut it short by saying, “Independence to me is responsible freedom.”

Eranda Senanayake, a university graduate, defines Independence as the ability to live peacefully without causing harm to anybody and without quandary from others.

Chinthaka Maduranga, an engineering student, quotes a philosopher saying, “The right to swing my stick ends where the other man’s nose begins. People should know this simple rule when dealing with the society. I live by this and that is what Independence means to me.”

“Independence is not an easy topic to describe. I think that is relative from person to person. For example, a person freed from prison might feel a lot of freedom than a person who is still inside. However, if the person is going to a house where poverty governs, will they feel the real independence? Therefore, what I feel is as freedom is not a matter, it is just a status of each individual’s mind,” said Kasun.

Amali Perera, who has just completed her A/L examination gives an entirely dissimilar outlook to Independence. “How often do we actually think about the sacrifice, the struggle that has gone into obtaining this freedom that we’re enjoying today, except while studying about it in history lesson? To be honest, I never do. Independence does not mean anything to me. It has become a habit now, to be proud of my country on Independence Day every year. The day is just a holiday for me. However, this needs to be changed soon.”

With so much brainstorming over Independence and its importance in our lives, it is not difficult to believe that youth are concerned about their independence as well as the nation’s. Their voice needs to be heard. Their ideas should not be restricted, but should be used for the betterment of the country. They are the future leaders of our country.

It's time to gather...he needs help...

2011-01-31T08:59:00.000-08:00

Life is a sort of a race. Many go chasing their dreams despite the hurdles they have to conquer. Some succeed and some don't. The tragedy is, in this race some of them face very unfortunate incidents. This is a story about a young man, who had to face an incident like that.

Those who are into blogging knows him as Ilandariya, a budding blog writer who attracted many readers. He was an employee of a television company, when he realized he is losing the hearing of one ear. It took only one and half years to convert him from normal status to the deaf status. His world became a silent one. Everyone faced the problem of communicating with him. There was no other way than writing the message and passing to him. According to the doctors if this continues he will not be able talk in the future.

However, there is one way to give back the life he had to this young man. There's a little operation to do. It costs 3 million rupees. This is an amount he or his family cannot afford. He needs our help. Let's get together to give him a new life. Please!!

If you like to help: 0772332071 ,0718050116, facebook :

D.M.D.T.B.Dissanayake
Bank account Number 71408612

(Bank Of Ceylon Matale )

Money - Desperately In Need Of Love And Respect

2011-01-31T06:25:00.000-08:00

"Hello Anisha"
"Hey, how are you? It's been a while since I met you last!"
"Of course Gayathri, I think this is the first time we are meeting after we left university."
"Yes it is. I do not even have your mobile number. Can I have the number please?"
"Why not, I will tell you. Will you write this down?" said Anisha. Gayathri searched every corner of her bag for a paper.
"Looks like I don't have a piece of paper."
"Me neither." Anisha was embarrassed.
"Don't worry! I'll write it down in this currency note!" and then Gayathri took a Rs. 10 note out of her wallet.

Does this conversation sound familiar to you? Have you ever used a currency note for purposes other than paying for a service or a product? Haven't you ever used a coin to open a tin of biscuit? I am sure you are guilty of at least one of these. We consider these also as crimes.

Although people, who do these, are not practically penalised at any point but just like other criminals, they can also be considered wrongdoers.

Out of all these little crimes, scribbling on currency notes is very common. When a paper is not available, currency notes come in handy to take down notes. Our bus conductors fold all the notes in a nice manner and hold it between their fingers. It looks neat, but it speeds up the tearing of the note. However, nobody seems to understand the gravity of what these people do.

Money is not something we hold on to. It circulates among different kinds of people at different levels of the society. The hundred-rupee note I have today, may have been with a beggar yesterday.
Tomorrow it may be with the President. You never know. During circulation, notes lose their crispness, while coins lose their colour and shine.
We could easily find certain notes, which are taped, and torn on the edges.
Everyone likes to have new notes and shiny coins, else why would they try so hard to get rid of the damaged ones?
Money buys us everything we need for our perfect life; it can give us all the luxuries in life, and it helps us to bring smiles on to our loved ones' faces.
If money plays an important role in our life, why shouldn't we give some respect to our currency notes and coins?

Keeping this in mind, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CB) has launched a program to create awareness among people of the correct way to handle money. It is not about how to spend wisely. It is about 'how to take care of the notes and coins'.
They have started a series of newspaper advertisements highlighting the importance of 'loving your currency'.

In one of their recent advertisements, CB raised some important questions for the society, giving us something to think. "Have you considered loving your currency notes and the coins we use every single day?"

"We all love to have crisp notes and sparkling coins what would you feel if you get damaged, folded notes with drawings and giving out a bad smell?," inquired the bank. They also open our eyes on a situation we rarely tend to think about - that is how a foreigner will react when they see our dirty notes. This is how it was worded in the advertisement.

"The first thing a foreigner would use in our beautiful paradise will be our currency. What would be his first impression on us? Will that be admiration or detestation?" Then the advertisement queried, "Don't you want your homeland to be inviting, clean and hygienic?"

According to CB Deputy Governor Dr. Dharma Dheerasinghe, hundreds of currency notes are soiled and have writings on them making them useless for legal tender, under the law.

The tendency to mutilate the currency notes have increased in recent years. The distressing part of the story is when banks take money to the CB; the CB's highly sensitive machines detect and reject these notes, unlike the less-sophisticated machines used by commercial banks.

We all need money to live. Therefore, why do we damage and ruin those notes? Let us use currency notes with care, without folding, and scribbling on them.
If someone has written notes like addresses and messages on these; these are identified as intentional defacement and will be charged under the Monetary Law Act No.58 of 1949. Therefore, if you deface them or accept defaced currency like that, the least penalty is it could be yours for a lifetime.

Respect thy teachers

2011-01-31T06:09:00.000-08:00

Miss, how come you didn't give marks for this?"
"Because the argument you have written here is wrong."
"But, the answer is correct!"
"The answer does not really matter in mathematics. It is the argument you should get right!"
"That's very unfair! You should give marks for the answer!"

The discussion went on between this teacher and the student, until the teacher walked away from the class with a broken heart. Strange isn't it? A few decades ago, the first advice from a parent to a schooling child is not to hurt the feelings of a teacher. Therefore, this is an alien incident for those who grew up in the society where the teachers were treated with much respect.

At that time, the teachers had the final word. Students respected and listened to them. They believed in them a lot. They were the parents at the school. Unlike in some foreign countries, in the Sri Lankan society, teaching is considered as one of the most respected and sacred professions. It is more like a service than a job. The teacher is person who is respected by any person.

The relationship between the teacher and the student depends mostly on mutual respect.
Teachers are like candles. They give the light of education and guidance to hundreds, wearing themselves off. Therefore, they are the guiders of the future generation. If they teach good manners to the student, he/she will become a good student. Every member of the society is a student of a teacher. Consequently, if those people are good, then the society becomes a wonderful place to live. Teachers often are unsung heroes. They receive a paltry salary and are blamed when a student does not learn, regardless of the learner's ability, but they love their jobs.

People who are forced into teaching do not last long. It takes fortitude, interest, and love of learning to stay in a teaching career. Consider the requirements needed to get into a nursing school and the heavy emphasis on science-based courses. Nursing is not for dummies. Nurses must be intelligent, decisive, knowledgeable, and confident in their ability to think critically. It was probably a teacher somewhere, who was instrumental in making a person as a nurse.

The biggest reward for most academic teachers is seeing students learn. To see a light bulb turn on or see a student experience an "Ah-ha!" moment is worth everything.
The secondary reward is to see students succeed in their careers, turn into wonderful citizens and leaders, and move forward in various professions.

Sometimes, teachers can be too involved with the students. They become friendly with them and love them as their own children. However, students should understand this in the correct manner. When a teacher is friendly, it does not give the licence to the student to treat the teacher as a casual friend or talk to her as they are at the same level.

This friendliness with a teacher should go in line with respect. If the student wants to benefit from the teacher, love and respect are must ingredients. A student who treats teachers with respect, will always receive their blessings.

However, how do we respect? Do we know what to do? Respecting is not blindly accepting every little thing a teacher says. Yet, to have faith in what he/she says. Believe in your teachers.They show you the correct path. Concentrate on what he/she is teaching. Take their advice. The favourite student of the teacher is not the one who matters but the one who listens to and follows his/her teachings.

Tuition Forever

2011-01-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

It was a wonderful Tuesday morning. Year 4 students had mathematics in the first two periods. After explaining the lesson, it was the time for them to practise. While they were busy with the questions in the book, I called one by one to mark the homework I gave on the previous day. The first student brought the book to me; I marked it and the second one and then the third followed it.

The fourth student I called was a bit hesitant to come; he tried his best to avoid the marking. After a little shout, I managed to make him bring his book. I turned the pages quickly several times, and yet could not find any homework there.

“Where’s the homework?” I raised my voice.

“I couldn’t do it,” he answered in a low voice.

“Why?” Now the whole class had stopped work and looked at this drama.

“I had a tuition class, so I got late to come home.” The reply made me furious.

“What’s your priority, tuition work, or school? You go for tuition to support your school work, right?” I asked. “That’s not an excuse to miss your home work,” I added. “Miss, I will bring the completed homework on Thursday,” the boy replied.

“Why can’t you bring it tomorrow?” I was puzzled.

“No, Miss. I have tuition today too. Therefore, I do not have time to do it. Tomorrow I do not have tuition. So, I definitely can complete my homework,” he replied.

After the incident, I ordered the class to raise their hands if they have not done their homework. Few tiny hands were in the air. When I queried the reason, it was the same - I had classes.

Nowadays going for extra classes has become the trend. From kindergarten to Advanced Level, sometimes at the university too, students go for extra classes. With the competition in the country, one might ask how can we survive without going for tuition? In a way that is reasonable. When a student is in Grade 5, he/she is in a race to score the highest marks. When a student is in Grade 11, then he/she is in a race to get the most number of As. The funny thing in Advanced Levels is, that getting three As is not the trend, what everybody needs is the highest Z score.

There is a good side of this competition too. It gives a push to those who can really do well. However, there should be a limit to it. A child who is talented in other things rather than studies will suffer a lot by this pressure. Sending for tuition will not improve his studies, because his talents are different. He might end up losing both sides. This is a pathetic situation.

In every stage in school life, students have become competitors of this big race. In this race not only students, even their parents and teachers also take part. Along with the students, they also work hard. Parents take their children for tuition all over the country and any time of the day. However, do those little ones have time to relax or even study what they learnt at the classes? They miss their childhood.

In my opinion, tuition classes do play at least a little role in spoiling children. If you pass a town at a time when usually classes are over, you will understand what I mean. Children are all over the road, shouting and teasing one another, it is a total mess. Sometimes passers-by also become victims of the pranks played by these students. Children are always on the lookout for some freedom to do whatever they desire.

Naturally, they tend to abuse the freedom they get in these classes. Moreover, the aggressive marketing campaigns of these tuition stores have been ruining public property with posters and whatnot. Education is not just about subject matter. It is a much wider paradigm, which should touch all other aspects of a child’s life.

Whatever said and done, students will go for tuition forever. With the current education system that is something very difficult to change.

However, there should be a limit. If the purpose of going for extra classes is to get some help for schoolwork, the school should always get the priority.

Children should have some time to play and enjoy their freedom. Burdening them with loads of tuition classes will never bring the result you expect.

You can also read this from here.

The dawn of a New Year!

2011-01-01T20:08:00.000-08:00

It is the season for new resolutions, firecrackers and wishes. A brand new episode of our life is starting. It is astonishing to see that the year 2010 has already become a year in history and 2011 is the promising year ahead. Life moves on at a thundering speed. The dawn of the 2010 was like yesterday. Many things happened since then.

Making a year worthwhile is all in our hands. Think about the year you just passed. Was that a happening year for you? Did you do anything sensible? On the other hand, did you just eat, drink, and sleep? Life is short. We hardly have time to think. With the busy lifestyle we have today, time wasted is gone forever. We will fret for the lost time one day.

Making New Year resolutions is one of the fool-proof methods to avoid this. It has become a habit for many. What matters most is keeping the resolution. A New Year is a new beginning, a great opportunity to initiate good things in life. Today we are going to guide you how to make some worthwhile resolutions. Make a change in your life today, and most importantly keep it up.

Making resolutions at the end of a party on New Year’s Eve is very common nowadays. If the person is a smoker, most probably ‘I will stop smoking’ will top his list. A person who has an unhealthy lifestyle will resolute to exercise a lot more, stop eating junk and eat healthy. All these seem to be very good. However, weaknesses in these are they are not specific.

When you are planning to do something, you should have a clear idea of how to do it. As an example, let us consider the resolution to stop smoking. It is not practical to get rid of an addiction overnight. Even if the person determinately tries that, it will not last longer.

Overcoming an addiction should be done in a systematic process. Else, he will deprive himself for some time and will get back to his usual routines, back to his comfort zone. We all like to live in our comfort zones, which most of the times have many bad habits. Therefore, getting out of that needs some serious thinking.

In addition, a resolution such a exercising lot more needs to be specific. The amount of exercise needed should be compared with the present level. Then by setting a goal, we know exactly where we should go. It can be walking few kilometres, or workout in a gym for an hour.

As the common belief, keeping resolutions or attempting for a change is not hard unless we have realistic plans to back up them. The easy way to do this is, make sure your resolutions are SMART. So, what do we mean by smart? Let us have a closer look.

S- Specific M-Measurable A-Attainable R-Relevant T-time

Specific - Always make sure, you know what you are doing. Be specific in what you need to change. Many resolutions fail, because they are not specific enough. Know what you want, and plan the resolution that way. Having a clear view of what you want is getting the first fifty percent of the process right. Write on a piece of paper exactly what you want to achieve and tell a friend too, who will motivate you to achieve that.

Measurable - It is important that what you gain from your resolution is measurable. Refrain from having one ultimate goal. Have a few smaller goals in between. That way you can easily see achieving those ones, and will be always motivated.

Attainable - Avoid setting overly ambitious resolutions. You can resolute to lose 5kg from your weight and look good. However, if your resolution is to be the next Miss world, it is not easily attainable. Then the chances of not keeping your resolution are high. Always make sure your New Year resolutions are attainable.

Relevant - If your New Year resolution goes hand in hand with your daily lifestyle, you are more likely to keep it up. Whatever your resolutions are, those must get along with your daily chores as well. Therefore, going out of the daily routine and doing something extra ordinary is less likely to happen. Choose what you really want. Choose something that will uplift your current lifestyle.

Time - Your resolution should have a clear time period, in other words a completion date. It can be by next year, or within first six months or whatever the time you want. The time factor is very important in the resolution.

New Year resolutions are a great way to achieve something you tried hard, but failed during the past year. It helps to change your life. Nevertheless, do not forget to be smart when you are planning your resolutions.

the original article:

Tsunami Recollection......

2010-12-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

It was the day after Christmas 2004. The Christmas joy was still lingering in many Christian houses. On the other hand, Buddhist families were at the temple, as it was the Unduvap Full Moon Poya day. Many people travelled down south for the holiday during the season. They were out on the beaches, playing and enjoying their holiday to the fullest.

While all this was going on, something unusual was happening at the beach. Around 9 am the people witnessed something rare. The water level of the sea was falling and no outgoing tide was responsible for revealing the area that was once under the sea, now opening to the blue sky. Some sea creatures were trying their best to survive from the gazing sun. People were thrilled. They ran out to the point where the water was. The children were highly excited about what was happening. However, the joy did not last long. Within a few minutes, a huge black wall of seawater arose from the sea, covered the people, buildings and everything possible on land.

In the blink of an eye, many coastal cities in the country faced the worst destruction of the century. Around 45,000 people lost their lives, and many became homeless. This year we are commemorating the sixth anniversary of this devastating incident.

Many people still weep for their family members or their friends. They have so many stories to tell. They are ones who suffered so much from this tragic incident. Akila Niranjan, a graduate from the University of Kelaniya is also someone who has first-hand experience of the bitterness of the tsunami. He shared his story about how he lost his best friend from tsunami, with us.

On December 26, 2004, the University of Kelaniya organised a ‘sil’ campaign for their students just before the final semester examinations began. Many students and lecturers observed ‘sil’ on that day. However, Jayalanka, a first year microbiology student, from Matara had other plans. He wanted to go home and see his old parents before the examinations began.

He took the early morning train to Matara to go home, hoping to return the next day. Everything was going smoothly, until the moment his friend received a call from him. He was in a hurry. Since he did not have a phone on his own, he had borrowed a phone from a fellow passenger.

“Sea water is coming to the land. It is flooded all over. We are trapped in the train. But, don’t worry I’m fine”. He disconnected the line. Within a few minutes, the news spread among the batchmates. However, no one thought it would be something more than just a flood. Therefore, they carried on with their program.

It was around three in the evening when they first heard about the rising death toll and the destruction that this “flood” had caused. They tried their best to contact Jayalanka. Nevertheless, all efforts were useless. Early morning next day, all his friends set sail to go to Matara. The journey took almost nine hours in the bus packed with many in search of their friends and relatives.

“It was a terrible experience. Some people cried when they heard the announcements on the radio. Updates about the tsunami destruction and the National ID numbers of the dead were broadcast all throughout. The worst was when they read an ID number of a dead person; a woman was travelling on the bus to find that person. I still remember the way she cried,” said Akila. “We were depressed just by listening to those stories,” he said.

Akila and his friends checked all the refugee camps for Jayalanka. However, they could not trace him anywhere. “We didn’t know what to do.

Then we went to one of our friends, Poorna’s, house to get some help,” he recalls. “With the help of Poorna’s father we went to Karapitiya hospital. One of the Poorna’s neighbours also joined us. He was looking for his wife.” he pauses. “I was terrified, to see so many bodies at the hospital. The entire place was stinking. Those bodies were beyond recognition,” he added.

The day turned night, and they checked each carcass with the help of a torch. At one point, Poorna’s neighbour said, “Putha, can you direct the torch to that body again?” He saw, it was his wife. He recognised her from the wedding ring. The night passed without any news about Jayalanka. As soon as the next day dawned, they went to Thalwaththa, where the train was.

“When I saw the train, I gave up hopes about Jayalanka,” Akila said and went on to describe the scene. “The rail track was badly damaged and the engine was many metres away from the track.

If the wave was that powerful, how can an ordinary man survive?” They found the National ID of Jayalanka, but not his body. They never found it. As soon as the sea settled, some badly damaged bodies had been buried. Therefore, they assumed Jayalanka’s body also must have been among them.

They went to his parent’s empty handed and held a funeral without a body. “His parents could not bear the news about the death of their only son. Still, when we visit that house they cry a lot. Jayalanka was their only hope.” Akila said. “The year after his death we organised a ‘pirith’ ceremony in the University to commemorate the first death anniversary. He was a great friend to everyone,” Akila sobbed and concluded the story with tears.

Greet with a touch of creativity...

2010-12-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

“Hello, Shyamali!” I said to my friend.

“Hey Hi, it’s good to see you. It’s been long since your last visit to my place,” she replied.

“Yes, I’ve been busy lately, however we met often. Didn’t we?”

“Of course!” Shyamali is one of my childhood friends, who has an eye for creativity. She uses her spare time converting waste materials into gorgeous craft. Most of the time, her office room is a real hodgepodge. Even today, there is no difference.

“Some things never change,” I muttered and looked at her. She had paint stains all over her apron. Her hair is messy. I realised she must have been working for hours. A little guilt crept into my mind, “Did I disturb her?”

“What are you doing standing over there? Come and take a seat. Your favourite sofa is waiting for you,” she teased.

“Sorry about the status of the room, I am sure you are used to it.”

“Hey never mind. By the way, what are you doing today? Looks like you have been working for hours.”

“Yes I did. Just six days more for Christmas, I thought it’s time for me to make some cards,” she grinned.

“Oh! Aye! I remember your advice. However, it was too late for me to work on it. By that time, I had already posted the cards I bought.”

“Hmm... Still you can have a look on what I am doing today, so you can try these out later. What do you think?”

“I’d love to. I am sure I can use this knowledge to make birthday cards also. I spend a lot of money on them too.”

“I agree. I too save a lot of money, this way. Many admire the personal touch and the way I customise those according to the receiver.”

“That’s inspiring. Will you teach me how to make some cards? There are many handmade cards in the store, expensive though. I always wished if I also could craft in that quality.”

“With lots of patience, proper tools and a pinch of creativity, achieving that store quality is a piece of cake,” she explained. Then she sat on the chair at her working table to continue with her work. I sat next to her, hoping to get a better view.

“Alright, what are the materials needed to make a greeting card?” I queried.

“There is nothing in particular. First, you need to have something like Bristol board or coloured paper to make the basic card. For this empty milk boxes are also accepted, but you have to cover them nicely.”

“Really? So, what you are saying is, we can make a card even buying nothing at all?”

“Exactly, that’s my point. The next important thing is, folding the card. There are different ways for that. You can make a standard card by folding the paper or the board into two. You can also make different cards by folding into three. The design can be laid out in portrait or landscape. This makes the card stand out.”

“That’s true. I have seen cards folded differently and I’ve also noticed those, which have a different fold than the ordinary, are a little expensive.” “That is a possibility. Now, we are done with the first step. Next, before decorating the card, we have to finish off with the verse. Write your own verse according to the person you are intending to send the card or there are free verses available online, which can be downloaded easily. Use colour pens, gold or silver pens to write this. Write the verse with your best handwriting and clear enough to read.”

“Can’t we get a printout of the verse and paste it on the card?”

“Of course you can. Is that a thing to ask? Only thing is, be creative when pasting the paper. You can burn the edges to give it an ancient look or cut the edges using a zigzag scissor. “

“Fine, what is next?” I asked.

“Now, it’s time to decorate the card and write the greeting on the front page. Write these letters bigger, so they are prominent,” she said.

“I can understand that. So, what do we need to decorate the card?” “Again use anything. Coloured paper, coloured board, dried flowers and leaves or water colours. If you want, use all in one. Be creative. Before doing the design on the card, do a sample on a waste paper and see whether it comes out nicely. In addition, it is important that the design suits the greeting of the card.

“If a birthday cake is drawn on a Christmas card. That looks odd, right?”

“Yes. I understand. Thank you so much for the wonderful tutorial. Do you mind giving a chance to the apprentice to try out some card?”

“Not at all, best way to learn something is by trying out on your own. You make a card while I bring you a drink. Good luck!”

“Thank you,” I murmured while picking up materials to make a card for the first time in my life.

Kataragama, a blessed city

2010-12-17T01:46:00.000-08:00

Kataragama, Kacharagama or Kadiragama... whatever name you may call it, it's a place of worship for all. People from all religions gather here to pray to the Kataragama Deiyo or God Skanda in the belief that their wishes would be granted.

Kataragama has a great history linked with many myths and beliefs. So, we spoke to the Chief Priest of Kataragama Abhinavarama Temple, Saranathissa Thera, to learn about the history of Kataragama.

Kiri Vehera

The bo tree

Kataragama Devala

There are a large number of stories which are believed by people as the true history of Kataragama, but these are mainly legends. According to Saranathissa Thera, Kataragama has a history dating back to the time of the Buddha's third visit to Sri Lanka, in the sixth century BC, during the reign of the Provincial King Mahasen.

The Buddha is said to have visited Kataragama with 500 other Arahat Theras. The present Kiri Vehera is said to have been built at the spot where the Buddha had sat. The location had been Mahasen's garden of Kihir trees. The Buddha had given the King a hair relic and the King had built a chetiya at the place, enshrining the relic. Since the chetiya was built in a forest of Kihir trees, it was known as Kihir Vehera. Later, for easy pronunciation, it had been changed to Kiri Vehera.

The chetiya built by the Provincial King Mahasen had not been that big; it had later been renovated and expanded to its present size by several other kings including Dutugemunu. It is believed that King Dutugemunu made a vow at the bo tree, to renovate the place and build a devala, before he left to fight the war with Elara.

Some of the Kshatriya nobles who accompanied Vijaya to Sri Lanka in 543 BC settled down at Kataragama and ruled the area. These nobles were among those who were invited by King Devanam Piyatissa to grace the occasion of the planting of the sacred bo sapling, which was brought down from Gaya, India by Theri Sangamitta, at Maha Mega Uyana.

The bo tree at the Kataragama Devala premises, which is worshipped by Buddhists, is one of the shoots that sprang from the eight fruits yielded by the sacred bo tree at Anuradhapura.

There are two stories about the origin of the Kataragama Devala. One is that King Mahasen, who helped the villagers in a big way, was worshipped as a god after his death. It is said that the Kataragama Devala was dedicated to him by the villagers.

The second story says a person who came from India was worshipped as a god by the villagers due to his super-normal qualities. Valli, an indigenous woman, was known to be the wife of Lord Skanda, so it could always be argued that to marry a human woman, Lord Skanda should have been a human being.

It is said that the Sinhalese in the village built a devala in honour of him, and that these people who built the devala during the Dutugemunu era became the inherited officials or Kapuralas of the temple. Even now, the Kapuralas continue to inherit that position.

It is said that the Tamils at Kataragama did not worship Kadira Deva at the time. The Hindus worshipping at the shrine later introduced Skanda Kumar, son of Siva or Iswara of the Hindu Pantheon (a god of wars), as the reigning deity of the shrine.

Kataragama Deiyo is depicted in human form in an illustration in the front curtain of the shrine at Kataragama Devala; here, he is seen riding on a peacock, his vehicle of transport, and accosted by his two wives.

Kataragama Devala in 1950

He was once believed to be a real flesh-and-blood person, but became a mythical figure later. Thus, Kataragama Deiyo is believed to be a combination of two spiritual gods - Kadira Deva and Skanda Kumar - and is worshipped as one god.
Since the decline of the ancient Sinhala kingdoms on account of non-stop clashes among royalty and the vast destruction and ruin brought about by frequent attacks, especially by the cruel Chola invader Magha, both the Kingdoms of Ruhuna and Anuradhapura ceased to exist. The roads and byways disappeared within a short time.

The country was swallowed up by the jungle, which blotted out everything on its path, rendering the areas the abode of wild animals.

Entrance to the Devala.

Sinhalese kings confined themselves to rule from Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Kurunegala, Gampola, Kotte and Kandy. The remains of the ruined cities of Anuradhapura and Ruhuna were gradually covered by the jungle and remained hidden from human view for over four centuries.

It was the last of the foreign conquerors, the British, that directed their interest towards preserving the remaining traces of Sinhalese civilization. The wild jungles of Ruhuna had by then almost approached the precincts (limited areas) of the Tissa Dagoba built by King Kavantissa.

During the dark era of Kataragama, the existence of the ancient shrine was known only to a few villagers who lived there amidst great difficulty. They continued to worship at the shrine, holding on to the faith (on God Kataragama) of their ancestors. Pilgrims of the day had to walk to the shrine as there were no proper roads.

The place where coconuts are dashed.

Some Catholics and Christians are also attracted to Kataragama by the pooja performed at the shrine. Milkrice is offered to God Kataragama at the shrine by Buddhist and Hindu devotees; they also take holy water in their cupped hands and drink it with bowed heads in utmost respect, very much like at a Catholic Mass.

However, these rituals and practices had been conducted long before Christianity was introduced to Sri Lanka.

Muslims too have their own mosque at Kataragama, where they perform religious rites, at the grave of a Muslim dignitary, Saul Palkudi Bawa. Millions worship at this multi-religious shrine, irrespective of their religious beliefs.
At this Devale, there are no arches or figures of gods and idols seen in Hindu temples elsewhere.

The Holiest of Holies, or Maligawa as it is called, is hidden by a curtain, and contains a portrait of God Kataragama. No one is allowed to go into the Maligawa except the Chief Kapurala. He has taken an oath not to reveal a word about what happens inside. It is believed that it is not right to talk about it.

Kataragama deyiyo

Kataragama is an attraction for all time. With the march of time and with modern road constructions, the place is now urbanised. Hotels, guest houses, pilgrims' rests and commercial buildings have invaded upon the boundary of the Menik Ganga, which flows close to the Devale.
The river flows placidly and is shaded by giant Kumbuk trees as old as time, on either bank. The Menik Ganga is venerated by the Hindus as well as Buddhists. Earlier, there was only a suspension bridge across the river.
Now this has been replaced by a narrow concrete bridge, which is not meant for vehicular traffic. According to Saranathissa Thera, the Kataragama Devala premises are a blessed place. Those who have faith in the god will have their wishes come true.

Looking for a puppy...

2010-12-15T05:44:00.000-08:00

I believe, a puppy is one of the best companions anyone can have. Friends might run away, will demand for things or they might argue with you for every little thing, but a puppy will never demand for anything other than your unconditional love and care. Considering all the possibilities, I decided that, I do need a puppy too, to be with me all the time. Since I was an allergy sufferer, I didn't have much options to choose from. At the same time, I wanted a fluffy bundle of joy. Then I had no choice other than going for a non-shedding variety.

As anyone might guess, I had very few options; Maltese, Yorkie and Shih-tzu topped the list. I tried my best finding a Maltese in Sri Lanka. I failed. I couldn't even find a person who owned a matese puppy. Then many adviced I should import a puppy. when I tried that option, it was evident that my savings were not enough at all and on top of that many tried to rip me off with fake offers. The same story goes with the effort I took to find a Yorkie too.

Then I thought, why not a Shih-tzu, they also complied with all my needs. Darling as ever, hilarious, and lovely. Of course they can enlighten my gloomy life. I called few places where they sold Shih-tzu puppies, but all those came with an unbelievably high price tags. I can't even think of buying a puppy for that price. Now, I'm gloomier than ever before. It kills me sometimes when I think, I might not be able to afford a puppy forever.

Can I ask you for a favour? If you know about a Shih-tzu puppy available for a reasonable price will you let me know? I badly need a lovely canine companion for my rather lonely life... Thank you loads in advance...

Save during Christmas!!

2010-12-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

All right! Don’t panic! It is just the credit card bill, another piece of paper with a few numbers in it. How can some figures scare me like this? I am sure I am stronger to look at it. I stared at the weeping woman on television, trying to make up my mind to open the envelope. Don’t panic! I commanded myself for the hundredth time.

It cannot be gigantic; I can guess the value easily. It will be roughly around Rs. 4,500 or maximum Rs.5,000. I closed my eyes and tried to total the values in my head. I bought my mother a saree as a Christmas present for Rs. 3,000.

It was on sale! How can I ignore that opportunity? It was the best buy after all! Then I bought myself a designer dress for Rs. 5,000. I should buy a Christmas present for myself too, as a reward for spending a great year. I deserve it! All that adds up to...ummm...how much? Rs. 13,000? No! I must have miscalculated. My credit card bill cannot be so much! It is important to establish credit worthiness by being up to date with your credit. LexisNexis has a great solution to make sure you have and establish credit worthiness.

“Is everything ok?” Shyamali looked at my desperate face through her reading glasses.

“Ya...umm...everything’s fine..” I stammered.

“But, you don’t seem fine. What is on your table? Your credit card bill?” she queried while inspecting my cluttered table.

I hate it when she becomes nosy like this. To stop further inquiries I grabbed the envelope and tore one end revealing the white thick papers in it. I opened the bill. It was two full pages with all black lettering.

“The bank must have done a mistake. I didn’t buy this much!” I muttered.

“Oh! Knowing you, I doubt that. Let me see!” Shyamali snatched the bill from me.

“Oh my! The business crowd must be in love with you, what are all these?”

“It’s just nothing! I did Christmas shopping,” I was innocent, and my voice displayed it.

After all, it is the season of gifting. To avoid last minute rush I did my Christmas shopping early this time.

“Those are inevitable,” I tried to justify.

“But, I thought you were in a financial crisis! With all that, why do you spend so much? See here, you have spent Rs. 4,000 only on Christmas cards.”

“Yes. That was essential. I have to send Christmas cards to my friends and relatives. Else they will think that I neglected them.”

“Yes that’s true! However, if you wanted, you could have made nicer cards by spending way less than this. What do you need, just some boards, colour papers, colour pencils and some materials to decorate the card, like glitter and stars right? I do not have to say how to make it, you know it only too well. Something like that has a value addition also than just buying a card.”

“I agree,” I nodded in silence.

“What’s next? Hey, you have spent a lot of Christmas ornaments too. Again you could have made those at home.”

“How can I make Christmas ornaments? We always buy those.”

“No. Look at this. I found these craft ideas in a paper sometime ago. I have tried those. These ideas will help you save a lot of money,” she said while giving me a yellowish old piece of paper.

“Hey, it’s time for me to go. See you later then,” she grinned and waved.

“She is right! They look simple and a lot fun too. In vain, it is too late for this Christmas. May be for the next year then”, I thought with a sigh and waved her back.

-----**************

Cat tree ornament

Materials

Wooden craft spoons

Acrylic paint

White card stock

Glue

Pipe cleaners

Seed beads

Fine-point permanent marker

Green tissue paper

Red beads or glitter

String

Instructions

1. To make each one, first coat a wooden craft spoon with acrylic paint. Paint a patch of the same shade on to a piece of white card stock and let the paints dry.

2. Cut a half-inch square from the card stock, then cut the square in half diagonally and glue the two triangles to the top of the spoon for ears. For a tail, curl a 6-inch piece of pipe cleaner and glue it to the back of the spoon

3. Glue on black seed beads for eyes and draw a face with a fine-point permanent marker. Add a holly collar by twisting two or three one-inch squares of green tissue paper around the tip of a pencil, then glue them in place, adding a few tiny red beads or glitter for berries. Glue on more beads for buttons

4. Make a hanger by tying a piece of string into a loop and gluing the knot to the back of the spoon. Let all the glue dry before hanging

-----**************

Homemade candles

Materials

Cookie cutters (choose shapes that can stand up)
Honeycomb wax sheets in various colours
Wicks
Scissors

Instructions

1. For each candle, use a cookie cutter to make 10 identical shapes from the wax sheets. Divide the shapes into two stacks of five

2. Sandwich a wick between the two stacks, starting at the bottom, and extending it beyond the top by at least an inch. Press the sheets together gently.

If they do not stick together, take the wax layers apart and use a hair dryer to gently warm each one before restacking them, adding the wick as instructed above.

3. Trim the wick to about a half-inch. Stand your candle up, shaping the base as needed to make it sit securely

Christmas for Sale!

2010-12-05T07:54:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last visit to our neighbourhood supermarket. While I was pondering the implications, all of a sudden my mother remembered that she had forgotten to buy sugar in her last shopping tour. I had no option except running to the supermarket. As usual, the car park was full of vehicles and the place was crowded.

As I entered the building, the first sight was a huge Christmas tree with hundreds of little boards saying Naththal Cash (Christmas money). “Christmas? in November?” I was surprised. “Isn’t that too early and by the way what is Naththal cash?” I wondered. The word was alien to me, but I right away realised that this must be something related to their latest marketing campaign. I took a closer look.

Of course! They were encouraging their customers to buy more supplies from them qualify themselves for a raffle draw.

This Naththal Cash was the name of the contest. I must say, I was shocked to see the way they used a religious festival to promote their business. Going beyond our country’s oceanic boundaries, we can see that this type of campaigns have become very common in most parts of the world in the recent past.

The Christmas season is the best time of the year for the business community, irrespective of the business being big or small.

Even the street vendors earn their living by selling Christmas cards, masks of Santa Clause and Christmas decorations. During Christmas, selling Cyprus trees is another common sight.

Many of you must have seen these trees or rather branches, which are available mostly near Vihara Maha Devi Park. Who says Christmas is not profitable? Vendors can sell anything during this period.

That is why the marketeers spend more than half of their budgeted advertising amount during this time, expecting the biggest windfall of the year. These days even the least Christmas item is advertised by highlighting some connection to it.

If you see a mosquito coil advertisement saying ‘this is the best coil you can use while you are at the midnight mass’ do not be surprised! People do get brilliant ideas like those! Many of you must have noticed that a number of new shops pop up during the season. They know that as soon as they open they will have a considerable amount of sales to cover their initial cost.

Maria is a retired teacher. She recalls how she used to celebrate Christmas with her family. “We enjoyed our Christmas lunches a lot more than nowadays. We celebrated Christmas according to the old traditions. After the Christmas lunch, we used to break Christmas crackers, which were made by Akki and myself. Now, Christmas is like another name for shopping.” She laments. Somewhere down the line, the real holiday spirit has been lost.

Instead, the celebrity awe struck, materialistic attitudes have replaced the joy surrounding the Christmas season. Many companies advertise their products as if those are essentials to celebrate Christmas in the right manner. Not only that, some toy companies wait until Christmas to launch their latest products. As a result, children demand their parents to buy those toys as their Christmas presents. Helpless parents have no option than trying their best to fulfil the child’s wish, as they do not want to disappoint them during this festive season.

In the movie Jingle all the way, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the role of such desperate father, who tries his best to buy a newly introduced action figure toy for his son as a Christmas present. The movie shows how people stand in queues from morning, to do their last minute Christmas shopping. Though it is somewhat unusual for us in Sri Lanka, this is a common thing in the Western world.

Sometime ago it was in the news about a man who was trampled to death while other people rushed into to a supermarket after waiting in a queue for hours to start Black Friday shopping. The interest surrounding Christmas has now shifted from what the season is meant to represent. It has now become a marketing tool and a product-focused event where consumer commodities are incredibly in high demand and companies will try anything to make a profit during the holiday season.

It would be good to see the old traditions return and Christmas to be celebrated for the right reasons not as a commercial opportunity. Making these occasions more prominent would be a good way to enhance the peoples’ Christmas spirit and for them to realise the importance of the holidays.

When fires break out...

2010-12-02T05:41:00.001-08:00

This is to enlighten you about a valuable service carried out by a dedicated and courageous group of men in our country, which we normally take for granted, the service done by the Fire brigade. Let's check out what exactly happens from the moment a call goes through to them, informing of a fire taking place somewhere....

Once the emergency call is made...

Whenever someone dials 110, the call is received by the personnel at the control room of the fire brigade.

The caller's name, telephone number and the place on fire is then recorded. However, if the call is made from a telephone booth, the caller is requested to immediately inform the nearest police station about it. Then the control room personnel will call the police station to clarify if it is true.

This needs to be done because there are some who make such calls for fun. Don't ever do so and waste the valuable time of the fire brigade personnel. You may be blocking the line for a genuine caller.

Now, getting back to what happens next. Once the call is verified as a genuine call, the fire alarms are immediately set off.

There are different ring tones to indicate the type of emergency and the need.

For instance, if the alarm rings continuously, it signals a fire. If it rings twice with a pause in between, it means the call is for a rescue operation and if it goes in a sequence of three rings with a pause, the need is for an ambulance.

By this time, all the firemen are on alert and ready to go into action. Those in their rest rooms upstairs will promptly come down to ground level where the equipment and vehicles are kept, using a pole that

connects the two floors.

Time is precious, so no staircases are used. Everyone could be seen rushing around, getting into their special suits and organising the gear.

How equipment and vehicles are selected

There are different types of emergencies and it's important to have the right equipment to deal with the situation.

Now, how would the firemen know if the fire reported is a small one or a large-scale one? From the details the callers give and of course the number of calls coming through. If the control room is inundated with calls, it's a sure sign that the fire is a major one.

Then more personnel and vehicles would be needed to combat the fire and action will be taken accordingly. If the fire is taking place in a high-storeyed building, then the vehicle with ladders will be sent.

Once the initial crew, which may number four to five personnel per vehicle, go out carrying the necessary equipment and water, additional crew will be sent out on the request of the officer-in-charge.

As the water content in the vehicles may not be enough, the water bowser too follows the main crew.

In the event an electrical fire occurs, the control room operators first inform the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), especially if a transformer is involved.

Until such time the CEB personnel arrive, the firemen go into action to control the fire. The fire is usually controlled by disconnecting the electrical line and spraying of CO2.

What happens on arrival

Once the fire brigade reaches the place which is on fire, they go into action immediately, fixing and unwinding the hose pipes, extending the ladders to reach higher elevations and rescuing people trapped inside.

The OIC will request for more personnel and bowsers if the fire cannot be controlled with the initial crew.

If necessary, the 54 metre sky lift too will be called for along with assistance from the forces depending on the strength of the fire they are combating. Going into burning buildings could be dangerous but the firemen have to take the risk and go in as far as they could to douse the fire. It is their job.

They wear necessary gear such as masks and goggles and carry oxygen tanks, and various other equipment when they go into buildings to fight the flames.

Types of fires and how they are controlled

There are many types of fires involving different types of materials. While some fires could be doused by water, others need more than just water to be put off.

Ordinary fires

These are very common types of fires and the material involved is wood, cloth or paper. These fires can be put off by spraying water.

Liquid and gas fires

Fires caused by LP gas leaks is very common.

These types of fires cannot be controlled with only water. The firebrigade personnel take CO2 (carbon dioxide) gas and dry chemicals also to control such fires.

Electrical fires

For this type of fires too, water or CO2 gas is used to bring it under control. Short circuiting is the major cause of these fires.

Metal and chemical fires

Usually foam, dry powder and water are used. But the decision is taken according to the situation.

Oil fires

These oil fires cannot be controlled with only water so foam is used to douse them.

Equipment and gear

Fire extinguishers come in three colours for easy identification.

The red fire extinguishers contain water

The cream extinguishers contain foam

The blue extinguishers contain dry powder

The black extinguishers contain CO2

According to the European standards, all the fire extinguishers come in red with what it contains indicated by a stripe in the relevant colour. About 50 per cent of the extinguishers used in our country are these.

* There are four kinds of fire suits. They are chemical suits, asbestos suits, fire suits and hash pack suits.

* The rescue vehicle is equipped with all the tools needed to open doors and get through various obstacles to rescue people.

* The water curtain is used to protect the people and vehicles from the flames and the heat. This is mostly used when there is a difficulty to get through the flames.

* Dry powder extinguishers help to control fires quickly, but they leave behind a deposit. This is suitable for open spaces.

* CO2 will not leave any deposits so they are the best to be used in places such as kitchens and computer rooms.

* Asbestos blankets are used to stop the fires from spreading.

* The hose-pipes used to spray the water, foam and chemicals are about 15 m long and 2.5 inches wide.

The fire brigade conducts fire drills in offices as well as in public places to educate the people about the correct action that should be taken during the fire.

They also conduct training programmes and schools and could call them to arrange such a training session in their schools.

Don't you think the fire brigade is doing a great service, not just dousing fires and saving buildings, but also putting their own lives at risk trying to rescue others?