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Post by lugg on Apr 12, 2012 15:09:24 GMT
Hello New to posting on Any Port so please excuse any errors etc. I thought by way of introduction I would share some of my recent (too brief) visit to Sri Lanka. I am struggling to find a way to post pics quickly so the whole post may take some time to complete. The reason for our visit was to attend a wedding in Colombo, but then we took the opportunity to travel a little before flying home. The ceremony, although in a modern hotel, followed traditional Sinhalese traditions with the bride and grooms’ families entering separately led by Kandyan drummers and dancers. The secular ceremony (but with Buddhist blessings) was conducted by a Shilpadhipathi and takes place for the most part on the Poruwa. lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VuHT0hlrOWs/T3vs1nhgUII/AAAAAAAAGqc/dAj8cLG1wiI/s400/P1000129.JPG [/img]ecapz lh6.googleusercontent.com/-v7foBMRUWuw/T3vtEWTlzII/AAAAAAAAGrI/LdVcwGsa2zE/s400/P1000145.JPG [/img]ecapz On the base of the Poruwa are some green Betal leaves which are a significant part of the ceremony symbolising the respect paid to previous generations . Also significant are rice and a coconut which is blessed, set alight and then is split by a male family member The poor guy is under a great deal of pressure to split it into two equal parts as this brings good luck to the couple. Fortunately he did a great job. The couple also listen to the Jayamangala gatha songs that describe Buddha’s victories achieved in a wise and non-violent way… the couple are meant to apply these principles to their marriage. ecapz ecapz
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Post by tod2 on Apr 12, 2012 15:29:44 GMT
Great photos Lugg! Beautifully sharp and wow those colours! The bride in her beautiful sparkling sari , and the groom, all look so very young. It definitely must have been a very elegant affair as everyone looks so wonderful in their smart attire!
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Post by lugg on Apr 12, 2012 15:35:42 GMT
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Post by lugg on Apr 12, 2012 16:32:43 GMT
We then travelled onwards to our first stop at a hotel on the shores of the huge Kandalama tank . The hotel was fab, and fairly eco-friendly no mossie spraying to upset the local eco-system at the lake. A few photos of the hotel grounds.. lh5.googleusercontent.com/-l7M6Y0fea_Y/T3vyEYfgKWI/AAAAAAAAG4g/jNkshD5Tl8I/s400/P1000375.JPG [/img]ecapz linen by oxen delivery An early am rise was needed to climb Sigiriya ( Lion Rock) before the heat became too much. This is our goal in the distance looking at it across Kandalama tank And now a lot closer , walking through the gardens/ ruins at the base
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Post by lugg on Apr 12, 2012 17:55:23 GMT
Sigiriya is a World Heritage site – a volcanic rock about 370m / 1200 ft high with an ancient place/ fortress on top which was built in 5th century AD, however the caves in the rocks are thought to have been occupied from 3rd century BC by monks and by prehistoric cave dwellers before this. To get to the base of the rock you have to walk through the ancient landscaped gardens which once housed summer palaces. They are amazingly beautiful still, with fountains that still work when the water table is high. Unfortunately it had not rained for a month when we were there in March so we did not see them working. A few pics…. The moat as you first enter one of its occupants out enjoying the sun The garden has both water features and has also incorporated natural boulders into its design , this one known as elephant rock ecapz This one...Cobra rock ! Heading towards the base of the rock with the sun getting hotter the climb looked quite daunting but it was so worth the effort lh4.googleusercontent.com/-c-l6ViFx_sU/T3vv_hBmYyI/AAAAAAAAGzQ/SGFnzcPf2ug/s800/P1000291.JPG [/img] About one third of the way up you reach one of the main attractions, “ the cloud maidens” – just a few remains of what were once thought to be over 500 frescos the rest were thought to have been destroyed by monks when the rock reverted to use as a monastery lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UUtN1FRDpDs/T3vwIQEGhAI/AAAAAAAAGzk/2DShrL3bKPg/s400/P1000296.JPG [/img] ecapz the view down at this point looking down on the water gardens and elephant boulder next stop is the mirror wall which was once highly polished but now is covered in graffiti , some ancient ( the darker section in just above the middle thought to date to 7th century And on upwards we continue past one of the soldier’s bases and some of the ancient defences poised should the enemy arrive ecapz Finally reaching the last section of the climband had a seat in the shade, a swig or two of water as we looked up.. The lions feet at the base of the last section (At one time a gigantic brick lion sat at the end of the rock, and the final ascent to the summit was between the lions paws and into it's mouth. Today the lion has disappeared, only the paws and the first steps are visible.) I am not great with heights and i did try not to look down too much , however failed here Finally the top lh4.googleusercontent.com/-T72JfFI7Gsk/T3vwigo6bVI/AAAAAAAAG0o/RWt4ZmM47rQ/s400/P1000313.JPG [/img]ecapz Enough for now, more of Sri Lanka to follow.
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Post by lugg on Apr 12, 2012 20:55:26 GMT
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Post by lugg on Apr 12, 2012 21:41:43 GMT
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Post by hwinpp on Apr 13, 2012 4:17:34 GMT
Welcome!
Nice start, Lugg.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 13, 2012 16:33:48 GMT
Whooo, Lugg ~~ I'm blown completely away! First of all, I didn't know that Sri Lanka was that beautiful, but also you brilliantly brought off a cultural event, a travelogue, history, wildlife, & horticulture with your magnificent photos and succinct commentary. Did you know about the various components of the wedding before you went, or were they explained to you as the event unfolded? It's fascinating. An elephant orphanage! Where do the little guys come from? You must have been in heaven that hotel. From everything you're showing in this thread, it would seem that Sri Lanka has great respect for its natural resources and the environment. True? What is that lizardy animal in Sigiriya? That whole area is mind boggling. You really showcased it for us beautifully. Gad, fear of heights aside, weren't you winded going up and up? I'm assuming that partition you show part way up the rock is protecting the Cloud Maidens. Even so, they must have been uncovered for centuries. The detail and color are still so lush. The base of the rock is intriguing. Were there photos of how it looked when it was intact? Can't believe you climbed to the top of that thing, although the fort remains and the views were surely worth it. The cave temple is astounding. Is it still in use as a temple? Thanks so much for the garden pictures. Wow! It's a beautiful space with wonderful material. Is it as huge as it seems? Bring on the tea plantations! I see that the extra space directions must be confusing. For future reference: to get an extra space, type the word ecapz as many times as needed -- but replace the z with an s. Can't write it here, as it won't show up in the post. Just remember that it's the word "space" spelled backwards. To get several extra spaces together, type the word "tab" but with an extra t at the beginning & an extra b at the end.
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Post by mickthecactus on Apr 13, 2012 20:49:08 GMT
Crikey Lugg - you really know how to hit the spot.
That was stunning.................
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2012 20:55:16 GMT
Those are wonderful pictures, lugg... and yes, it is e c a p s instead of e c a p z -- I got it all wrong a number of times before catching on.
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Post by lugg on Apr 14, 2012 7:06:07 GMT
Thank you all , I am glad that you have enjoyed my post.. more to come. Thanks for the advice re the way to space, I can see where I went wrong now. I will try to answer some of your ?'s, Bixa. Our young friend , the groom, asked one of his cousins to "look after" us for the day so he was by our side during the ceremony and he explained the rituals as they took place one by one. There is so much not shown in the photos I have posted , for example two index fingers of the couple are tied with knotted thread and blessed, numerous gifts are exchanged by the families , some by the grooms and some by the brides, but they all have a symbolic meaning. The older generations are also very involved. He told us that the coconut is particularly symbolic because the time it takes to develop from flower to ripe is the same time that a woman is pregnant and then feeding her child( 3 years) yes you are right ...it was fascinating. Pinawela ellie orphanage - most originally from the wild , some of the older may have been injured in the war , or by other means, however now most of the little ones are born there. Like many of these places it has become a tourist attraction , however I am as confident as I can be that the ellies are treated well as the daughter of a friend has volunteered there on and off and raised one young ellie for her first 6 months, she still goes back to see her as often as she can. The lizardy thing is a water monitor... and yes I was completely knackered several times on the way, in fact nearly gave up at the lions feet but there was a wonderful camaraderie between a few of us somewhat overweight middle aged women, who as we met at different points encouraged each other onwards and upwards ;D If you wanted you could pay Sri lankans who were only to ready to do it for some rupees to literally manhandle towards the top. I did not go for that option as with those heights I would only trust myself to place my own feet and hands ! I did not photo an spiral iron staircase ( in fact there are two side by side) which lead up to the cloud maidens, these were originally in the London underground until the 30s , not sure how they ended up at Sigiriya. Yes the caves at Dambulla are still used and at this time are closed to tourists eg when we were there they closed at 10.30 am for an hour. The photos do not show just how many images of Buddha there are in one of the caves and we were told that the reason for this was so that all those who have come to worship have sight of their own Buddha rather than being crowded in front of one image. The guide we had there was again very knowledgeable and we learnt much about Buddhism, bringing the place alive for us. The first cave was 2100 years plus old and the colours inside were amazing some of the newer caves eg the last little pic on the left is much newer 18th century and the colours are not so beautiful, much more man-made - paints rather than pigments. ( The same type of method and pigments used to paint the cloud maidens. ) The gardens are huge,,according to LP 200 acres. We saw a very small proportion of them and I would have love to have seen more, such as areas devoted to spices, herbs, lake and water gardens etc etc It is a stunningly beautiful island, fab people and the food is fantastic Do the Sri Lankans have a huge respect for their natural resources? I am sure many do , but I suspect there is, like places all over the world, a battle between progress and preservation.
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Post by bjd on Apr 14, 2012 7:40:13 GMT
Thanks for this, lugg. I had the impression that Sri Lanka lost some of its tourist attractiveness during the long civil war, so it's good to see that you were able to go and enjoy it.
Like nycgirl climbing above Macchu Pichu in Peru, I'm not sure that I would have gone up those little metal steps to the top! Actually, I think going down is worse, so at least you get to enjoy the view.
It seems that the climate is wonderful for vegetation -- is it tropical and always hot?
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Post by lugg on Apr 14, 2012 9:57:09 GMT
Hi bjd ....the areas I have shown so far are tropical, the island has two distinct monsoons seasons one on the west and one on the east . However not all the island is hot/tropical as you will see when I post the next photos.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 15, 2012 14:05:29 GMT
Lugg, thank you so much for your detailed answers, which enhanced an already thoroughly interesting and enjoyable report. They also prompted me to go through the thread and appreciate it all over again.
From what little I know about Sri Lanka, I have the impression of enormous graciousness in the people. Your report, with the wonderfully unexpected detail of giving each worshiper a sight of his own Buddha, and of course the thoughtfulness of providing you and your husband someone to better include you in the wedding proceedings, certainly bear that out.
Must go look at part two!
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Post by nycgirl on Apr 16, 2012 1:11:34 GMT
Excellent thread, Lugg. The wedding ceremony looks beautiful. The Sigiriya hike looks fascinating, from the well-preserved "cloud maiden" paintings to the lion paws to the sweeping views. The photos of the cave paintings are lovely, as well.
It's funny what you said about monkeys, they can be cute but a nuisance. I've seen them mug tourists for their stuff.
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