SHRILANKA

this is the last about Srilanka

05/09/2010

After visiting Pinnavela we left for COLOMBO - After reaching Colombo we drove past many memories like the Cargill department store Ceylon Technical college where Emmannu did his engineering the railway station at Maradana many Government offices etc..

The highlight of this trip to me as this was my birthplace & where I did my primary schooling from Ananda Balika Vidyalaya now called MAHA VIDYALAYA as it has grown so much with a hostel & degree classes too we also drove past Ananda college & the place park where I used to play truant & spend time with friends when the school closed aerly nfor some reason

This isthe 1st stop in Colombo where we reached about 4PM I was just thrilled to enter my old school & very thrilled to see that ir has grown so much The watchman kindly allowed me to go in for my tour of the place It was Sunday so did not meet anyone. 'From here I went to visit the Buddhist temple across the road where as kids we used to go & pray every full moon day with flowers

.This place too has grown so much & now is a monastery[seminary] & I could see training monks walking around The Bodhi tree alter was much better now with a marble top & many Buddha statues adorning it the same place where as I kid I used to pray I did the same & prayed he stupa was the same .

We visited fountain house lane NO 4 -where I grew up The main road has been broadened so the area of Fountain house lane has been reduced & as we enter FHL I came to my house-No 4 almost at the entrance to FHL

All the houses are changed with a garage-covered area in front of the house. The interior is also changed the partituion between the sitting & dinning area is removed & it is a long bigger room the bedrooms were the same the store room wall from the dinning room area has been broken down & is now a small dinning room So there is no old storeroom The veranda leading to the Kitchen & bath/toilet & the courtyard is the same the kitchen is now changed to a mordern version with the fridge & stoves . The toilet has been changed to a utility room with the washing machine & the bathroom which was very big is now bath cum toilet.

The courtyard is the same but has been concreted & some nice colourful plants grown at one

end

when we went out we met Shivanah who is still staying at No 5 FHL with his daughter & her family he recognised when I said i was staying here 60 yrs ago -& he immediately said BAHAT ? From him I came to know about his sister Maheshwari who was a little older to me His Older sisters etc. & also about Padmini who lived in No 7 FHL we went on a tour of No 25FHL which is empty now -where I was born & also saw some other houses in the lane which were morable to me --like ''6 finger kunubakki's'' house

It was dusk by now

from here we went to Town hall on one side & Victoria park on the other side Gall face the beach which we used to visit often as kids -the beach By this time it was quite dark so we went to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner I bought some ''kaludodol'' -a memory from my childhood Finally left for the Grand Hotel where we stayed the night

Next morning about 4am we left for the Airport -& finally home to India on the7 nth September

It was such a delightful trip full ,of memories -that i ticked off Ceylon as-things to do before I die

it was a very satisfying memorable trip

Srilanka 5[ contd ]

From Dambula-Sigiriya we left for Anuradha pura-which is the most celebrated of the ancient ruined cities of the island the most treasured are the Dagbas- monastry's consrtucted with small sundrues bricks hemisphrical in shape the most notable is the Ruvanaveli which dates back to the 2nd century BC & i9s 300 ft in diameter. The Jetavanarama is 370 ft& the Thuparama which enshrines the collar bone of of the Buddha

the cities most renowned is the sacred BO tree grown from the original branch of the tree under which Buddha gained enlightenment brought from India by Sangamitra -daughter of King Ashok

She was also responsible to introduce Buddhism to the island it was planted 2200 yrs ago but in the recent Bomb blast by the LTTE the tree got destroyed

we stayed overnight at Hotel in Anuradha pura

The Government plans to bring another branch from the original tree from India & replace it.

PINNAVALA 05/09/10

This ia a elephant orphanage established on n1975 & has more than 65 elephants grand parents children & their babies It was fun watching then having a bath in the rivers the babies are bottle fed -the visitors can feed then by buying tickets They are fed 7 litres of milk at a time 5 times a day apart from solid food too it was fun watching them

to be contd

Srilanka 4 [ contd]

Kandy -Dambula-Sigiriya

After lunch we proceeded to Sigiriya-home to the 5th century''FORTRESS IN THE SKY''the most fantastic single wonder of the island.This is also known as the LION ROCK because of the huge lion that used to stand at the entrance to the fortress. Within its triple moated defence the huge rock rises to a height of 500 ft On nits summit is the foundation of what was once a great palace & gardens complete with swimming pool On one of the stairs a painting -fresco in the form of life sized damsels in all the freshness & delicacy of their original colour

we stayed overnight at the Dambula hotel aptly called Sigiriya Hotel from where we could see the Sigiriya rock this was a very nice homely hotel where just 2 days prior the Indian cricket team stayed when they played a match at Dambula against the Srilankan team--& lost the match to the Srilankans!!

to be contd

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

DEEPAVALI 05/11 2010

This year it was a very quiet one compared to last year with rains spoiling by its never ending down pour but at the same time maling it nice & cool ,when Jyothi was here & she wanted to spend the last Dewali in India in a grand way so it was. We had sparklers flower pots, nela chakra,rockets & the whole lot -only a few small crackers It was fun with the deeya's , candles .The food was special too with paisa-sweet sewai pudding Pullav, palak paneer & some other delicacies which I usually do not do daily It was indeed fun -I do not mean the food but I should say the company Loneliness is sometimes a bitter-sweet pill. Bitter as u do not have a single person to share what u have in mind & at the same time sweet as you are king/queen maker to do what/when u want or do just nothing & there would be nothing to catch up with No one to cater too or try to please,No one to anticipate what next from you !!

yes it is a bitter sweet experience

I would not be honest if I say that I do enjoy it -sometimes

Well life is like a coin with 2 sides- heads& tails Sometime you win & sometimes you lose

Take whatever comes on your stride-deal with it & be happy

Srilanks -3

Overnight we stayed at Hotel Kandy on 02/09/10

Here in Kandy we saw the Gem Museum

& in the evenine saw a beautiful Cukltural show -Kandyan Dancing Fire walking -a wonderful ! hour programme

Next morning we left for Dambula & Sigiriya

Dambula

here visited nthe CaveTemple dates back to the 1st centurythese caves sheltered the KingWalagamba for 14 yearsof Exile from Anaradhapura when he regained the throne he built the most Magnificent Rock temple to be found non the IslandIn the 1st cave is the recumbent image ofof the Budha 47feet cut out from the rock There are images of deities associated withBudhism -all around Frescoes on the ceiling dates back to15th -18th century In the 2nd cave the largest & finest of all there 150 life size statues of Gods from the Bhudhist religionalong with Numerous images of Buddha himself The cieling is also covered with frescos which depict great events in the life ofBuddha &landmarks in the life of the Sinhala people

to be contd---

SRILANKA [contd]

The Hotel Blue Oceanic at Negabo was on the beach & old but comfortable Hotel

Next morning we left by road to Nuwaraeliya -called little England full of tea gardens Gardens & English style houses this was the retreat for the British when they occupied Ceylon we went through beautiful landscaped saw the Widest waterfall of Srilanka =St Clair& also the Devon waterfalls

We made a stop at a tea kiosk Driving through Kithugala the oscar winning Movie ''Bridge on the River Kwai'' was filmed in this place

we did not see the actual place as it was interior

We checked in at St Andrews Hotel -A lovely Hotel with a panoramic view & beautiful well kept gardens & green Lawns

Next we visited ''SEETHALAYA'' the place Seetha was kept by the King Ravana under the Ashoka tree

here we saw the place where Seetha used to sit The river passing through Also the foot step of Hanuman when he landed in this place looking for Seetha

the temple was beautiful with statues of Seetha Rama Laxmana & Hanuman

from here we passed Gregory Lake & Victoria Gardens

KANDY

After breakfast we left Nuwaraeliya for Kandy On the way we visited the Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya -A huge bothanical garden with ever so many trees & plants -herbs Bamboo Lake with Lotus & Orchid house etc Here we saw ''Twin coconot tree'' with 2 coconuts on each branch they were Huge coconuts & takes about 5 years to mature This is the largest seed in the world & brought from Sechelles Island

In the afternoon we visited the ''tooth relic ''temple -tooth of lord Budha kept in a Golden It was very beautiful & the holiest of the Holy Places for the Bhudhist

SHRILANKA

At last I was travelling to my birthplace = Colombo my dream of about 60yrs we left on 3oth August from Bangalore by Srilanka Air & reached Negombo in about 2 hours We were met by a representative of Jet wings tour company & taken to our Hotel by the sea it was a comfortable Hotel & we loved sitting on the beach the best we were taken around Negambo by AC toyota -very comfortable

We did some shopping bread fruits cheese & lo& behold I foundGAL SIYAMBALA'' which i had tasted as a kid in colmbo this made my day -Imagine tasting it after about 60yrs Also had Mabgusteen to hearts content through out out stay in Srilanka-Ceylon as it was known before

Next day we left by road by the same vehicle for Nuwaraeliya -up country as it is called the highest place in SrilankaIt was quite cool surrounded by Tea gardens We were surprised to know that the tea gardens belonged to TATA though the brand name was kept the same & the name of the tea estate We visited one tea estate Labukelee where we were taken around & given the best tea i have ever tasted

To be continued------