The imposing triangular shadow of Adam�s Peak at sunrise is quite a sight

Location: Adam�s Peak�s shadow, Sri Lanka (6� 48' 41? N, 80� 29' 59? E)
Date: 3 March 1997; 6.15am
Camera: (analogue) Minolta compact with negatives and scanned

Adam�s Peak is the 4th highest peak in Sri Lanka. It is revered as a holy site by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. It has a 1.8m rock formation at the summit that resembles a footprint- the Buddhists regard that to be the footprint of Buddha, the (Hindu) Brahmans as that of Lord Shiva, the Muslims as that of Adam and the Portuguese Christians have conflicting claims that it is the footprint of St Thomas and the eunuch of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia. As such it is a popular and important pilgrim site. There are several routes to the mountain, involving walking up thousands of steps. Pilgrims normally starts very early in the morning so that they can be at the summit at sunrise to see the distinctive shape of the mountain casting a triangular shadow on the surrounding plain which can be seen to move quickly downward as the sun rises. In fact the walk up the summit during the wee hours of the morning itself can be quite a sight with the zigzag path leading up to the summit lit up by the lights of pilgrims.

Technorati Tags: Adam's Peak,Sri Lanka

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Lights & fireworks during Sri Lanka�s �Festival of Lights�

Location: Central Colombo, Sri Lanka (6�54'58.10"N 79�51'18.61"E )
Date: 17 May 2011, 7.40pm
Camera: Samsung Galaxy Mini phone camera

Vesak Day is a Buddhist holiday commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha. It is celebrated on different days by different countries due to the diverse nature of Buddhist cultures around the world. In most South East Asian countries, it is a public holiday. On Vesak day, Buddhists will visit monasteries to offer their prayers and to attend sermons. In Sri Lanka, a Buddhist-majority country, Vesak is celebrated over a week, though there are only 2 days of public holiday. Here, it is not only a religious holiday but also a cultural festival, dubbed the �Festival of Lights�. Alcohol and meat are not sold for at least 2 days (the public holidays) during this period. There will be brightly-lit pandols called toranas erected all over the major cities such as Colombo and Kandy. One will often see long queues of people at food stalls called dans�las, set up by Buddhist devotees providing free food and drinks. There will be fireworks in Colombo. The week is the brightest-lit and most festive everywhere in Sri Lanka.

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A Baroque-style mosque that looks more like a church, Galle, Sri Lanka

Location: Meeran Jumma Masjid , Galle, Sri Lanka (6� 1' 28.27" N 80� 13' 8.16" E )
Date: 12 October 2010, 4.40pm
Camera: Canon 500D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

Galle has some quite interesting architecture gems. The majority of the older buildings- residences, warehouses and so on- are built during the Dutch colonial period. Many of these buildings are being preserved and refurbished into boutique hotels and art galleries. One of the most impressive building in the walled city that is still alive all this while is a Baroque-style mosque, Meeran Jumma Mosque. From the outside, the mosque looks just like a church. The only giveaway are the crescents atop the mosque in front instead of crosses. The mosque originating from 1750s and rebuilt in 1904 had been in continuous use. It is a white building but I reckon it looks cooler and more fun with this HDR rendition.

Technorati Tags: Meeran Jumma Mosque,Galle,Sri Lanka

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Fun carvings in Gangaramaya temple, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Location: Gangaramaya, Colombo, Sri Lanka (6�54'58"N 79�51'22"E)
Date: 14 October 2010, 2.10pm
Camera: Canon 500D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

Gangaramaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Colombo. It is not just a temple, place of worship, but also a recognised learning center. Within its compound are residential hall, museum and education rooms as well as a huge collection of Buddha souvenirs, precious artworks, statues, carvings and gifts from devotees around the world. The collection of statues is rather interesting- as they are from different countries, one can see the influence and depiction of Lord Buddha in the different ethnic and cultural forms. Chinese influence seems to be strong as there are carved jades and tusks from China and even huge statues of Chinese deities. However some of the more interesting carvings are those outside and carved around the Relic Chamber with kids in different postures as if they are supporting the base of the Chamber.

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A truly unique Sri Lankan tradition�. stilt fishing

Location: Ahangama, Sri Lanka (5� 58' 40 N, 80� 22' 28 E)
Date: 12 October 2010, 6.10pm
Camera: Canon 500D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

One of the most iconic images of Sri Lanka is that of men fishing while perched precariously on poles in the middle of rushing waves.The fishermen sit on a cross bar called a petta tied to a vertical pole planted into the coral reef. They hold the stilt with one hand while fishing with a rod using the other. The poles are about 3-4 m long with about half a meter driven into the reef; so the fishermen is about 2 m above water at high tides. The fishes they catch are small herrings, sardines and mackerels that hang around the shallow reefs. Any fishes caught are stored in a plastic bag tied around their waist or the pole. This is stilt or pole fishing, a tradition that is uniquely Sri Lankan; but a dying tradition with dwindling practitioners. Most stilt fishermen are found on the south and eastern coast of the island. However these days near the tourist resorts along the south coast, there are more so-called stilt fishermen who will pose for a fee for tourists to snap their photos.

Technorati Tags: Sri Lanka,Ahangama,stilt fishing,pole fishing

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A living Dutch-style walled city in Sri Lanka

Location: Fort Galle , Galle, Sri Lanka (6� 1' 53.19? N, 80� 12' 58.78? E)
Date: 12 October 2010, 6.10pm
Camera: Canon 500D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

I first visited Galle in 1996 and spent less than 2 hours there. I did not do much research about the place then and went there because it is one of the tourist destinations touted by travel publications on Sri Lanka. I was a little disappointed with Galle then as there was really nothing to see apart from some old style Dutch buildings which are in various state of disrepair. Later I realised that it is a UNESCO Heritage Site. Lately I have read some travel guides that described the place with flowing praise, more for the so-called transformation into a shopping paradise for arts and the money spent, mainly by rich European expatriates in renovating and transforming some of the older buildings into boutique hotels and art outlets. So I told myself I must spend two days there the next time I visit- which I did recently- I specially extended my stay in Sri Lanka for this. Well, I was reasonably disappointed again. Yes, there had been some restoration of old buildings but the audience is obviously rich Europeans tourists. Most of the houses and churches are still in �original� state despite the �city� being a UNESCO site and hence, getting funds to preserve and upkeep. I guess the UNESCO inscription was for a �fortified city built by Europeans in South and South-East Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and South Asian traditions.� and in that sense it is correct. I do enjoy the fact that it is a living city with people actually living and breathing in the old houses, and for centuries for that matter. But that is also changing- many of the houses are already under renovation and soon the character of this place will change from being a living city to a commercial city.

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Youngster practicing cricket batting in Galle, Sri Lanka

Location: Galle International Stadium, Galle, Sri Lanka (6� 1' 53.19? N, 80� 12' 58.78? E)
Date: 11 October 2010, 4.40pm
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

Cricket is the most popular game in South Asia and in many other former British colonies, the most popular summer game. It is played as 5 days Tests and One Day Internationals. Test cricket is a strategic game but One Day cricket really brings the game to the mainstream, adding a higher level of excitement by capturing the audience attention with the shorter game perfectly suited to the TV era.

Sri Lanka is a relatively new player in the international cricket scene, having only obtained Test status in 1981. However it has managed to capture the imagination of the cricket world by winning the Cricket World Cup in 1996 and the International Cricket Council Champions trophy in 2002 as well as being the runner up in a few other international championships. Sri Lanka has within its ranks greats such as Muttiah Muralitharan (often referred to as simply Murali), the highest wicket taker in both Test cricket and 1 Day internationals. Most of the great cricket players of Sri Lanka and other countries such as Pakistan are in fact �hailed from the streets�. However these days cricket is such a big game that youngsters go through structured training programs to hone their batting and bowling skills. It has also become such a big money game that it is rife with corruption as big bets are placed on many small specific aspects of a game. Many talented Pakistani players are notoriously associated with cricket corruption.

Technorati Tags: Sri Lanka,cricket,Murali

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Sirigiya maidens frescoes, Sri Lanka

Location: The Mirror Wall, Sirigiya, Sri Lanka (7� 57' 0? N, 80� 45' 0? E)
Date: 26 February 1997; 10.45am
Camera: (analogue) Minolta compact with negatives and scanned
The Sirigiya complex was built in the 5th century. It was the site of an ancient capital. Its name is derived from "Sinha-giri" or "Lion Mountain". It consists of a volcanic rock rising starkly from the surrounding plains. The Sirigiya site has the remains of a palace on the flat top of the rock, a mid-level terrace that includes a Lion Gate and a mirror wall with its frescoes of maidens (above picture), a lower palace that clings to the slopes below the rock, and walls and gardens that extend hundreds of metres from the base of the rock.
A major attraction of the site is the remainder of the frescoes of maidens. There are only four left of the supposedly 500 original frescoes. The origins and nature of the paintings is still subject of much controversial debate with different theories. For a good concise read of the site, see here.

Technorati Tags: Sri Lanka,Sigiriya,fresoces

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