The Rabana

   Distant sounds of rabana playing reach your ears. If anything is representative of folk culture of the villages, it is the urban with its distinctive rural flavor. With the raban installed on its stand, and village maidens disposed round it on low stools or sitting on their haunches, singing the raban kavi (songs) to their rhythmic drumming the Alut Awrudu Devatawa (New Year God), strides over the lives of these humble folks, filling them with hopes & aspirations of the year just born. Despite the vast range of folk sports, nothing is more impressive than the rabana New Year greetings.

 Alarge variety of outdoor & indoor sports are indulged in most assiduously. In outdoor sports, the unchillava leads. The swing runs into a number of mechanized types scarcely seen outside Ceylon. The Gus Unchillava, suspended from branches of high trees is the common type. A type largely seen in Malabar too. In the New Year season, nowhere out of Ceylon prevail such mechanized swings, as those seen in the far flung villages the island.

  During two successive years it has been my great delight to see and study two of these highly developed appliances, the Bambara Unchillawa, spinning like a huge top on its axle planted in the ground, and the Kudu Unchillawa, with its cage like structure, from which depend a number of swing. These revdve up and down with the turn of the large wheel revolving on a centre axle, the whole erected between two stout coconut plants. The swing arouse in you admiration for the folk mind that could create such technologically perfect mechanical devices.

  Alone of all festivals, the new year is distinguished as the national day. The reason is not far to seek. It is a day of days. It does not stand isolated. A day of celebration all over south India & Ceylon. It is the astronomical New Year day when the sun passes from meena rashi (pisces) ti mesha rashi (Aries) not only it is the first of the Sinhala month a bak (April), it is also the first of the Malayalam month of medam (Mesham) & the first of the Tamil moth of chittrai.

In Ceylon as in Malabar, it used to be the custom of the astrologer to pay a round of visits to the households of his village with the avrudu sittuwa as it is known in Ceylon or the Vishnu phalam as known in Malabar, a strip of palm leaf inscribed by the stylus giving a forecast of the year, the prospect of the harvest the weather the favored dress & the general economic outlook. In both the lands, the practice is dying out or has already disappeared replaces by the annual calendar, the panchanga.

The last few hours of the last days of the old year are the sankranthi, the interval of the passing of the sun from one rasi to the other from the old year to the new. This interval of time is nonagathaya. Folk belief in Ceylon have associated this interval with all that is inauspicious.

The Chena

A

n integral part of the dry zone is the Chena, the primitive fugitive cultivation of clearing in the jungle. The peasant here selects a plot in the jungle & clears it of all standing shrubs & under growth. The very large trees are left intact. The clearings are set fire to mostly at night. Lines of flaming jungle tracts are a familiar fight in the jungle areas, lighting the night sky with the crimson tongues of flames. The charred remains of jungle bushes are used as stakes to fence off the clearings, which have to be safeguarded against the visitations of the wild animals.

Cutting down the undergrowth & preparing the ground, is a laborious process. The process of the firing enriches the soil with rich deposit of ash, which fertilizes the ground & prepares it to receive the seeds, the chilly, the kurakkan (ragi) & tubers- the manioc, taro & sweet potatoes, gourds & pumpkins.

A Chena soon gets exhausted of its fertility after a few years, when it is abandoned & another opened. Abandoned Chena plots of the sort, overgrown with thick grass, tell a tale of destruction of jungle lands, occupied & left to the wilds. In large Chena, a conspicuous feature is the watch hut, erected on the forked branches of a high standing tree. The hut is reached by a rope ladder of the cane and jungle creepers. The peasant take turn and keep up a steady watch all through the night, when wild animals prowl in search of food- the wild bears, deer & porcupine & elephants, attracted by the luscious plants growing on the Chena.

During the day, the growing crops have to be saved from the depredations of birds. A variety of devices are installed to keep them away. Among the commonest is the turning bambaraya fixed on tree tops. Spinning like a miniature windmill, the arm turn with a continuous whirring sound and scares away birds. A reed whistle attached to one of the arm of the turning bambaraya is an additional appliance. The blowing causes the whistle to produce the droning note, scoring away, the predatory birds. A series of empty tins strung on a long line, with a tongue fixed inside the tins acting as a clapper & keeping ringing, is another contraption largely adopted in dry zone paddy lands & grain plots. One end of the long string is held in the hands of a boy who sits in a covered shed & constantly pulls the string. This sets the tins clanging which combined to the “shoo” shouts of the boy, keeps the birds at bay.

Vaijayantha Prasada The royal palace of king Parakramabahu- i

K

ing Parakramabahu named his palace as Vaijayantha prasadi after the abode of the Vedic God Indra. Culavamsa has a description of the palace. This says that the palace was “seven stories high & furnished with a thousand chambers. It was adorned with many hundreds of pillars painted in different colors, supplied with hundreds of akoves, radiant with ornaments of climbing plants & flowers, the height of its splendor was reached in the royal sleeping apartment, resplendent with thick bunches of pearls, white as moonbeams, adorned with a wreath of large golden lamp stands which breathed out continually the perfume of flowers & incense, the network of tiny golden bells suspended here & there giving forth a sound like five musical instruments.”

According to the above description, which is perhaps somewhat exaggerated, it would have been an immense grand building. Even today it retains three stories & if the small buildings & outhouses of the palace complex are taken into account with several stories the thousand chamber description could be basically accurate.

In the description of the palace of king Parakramabahu, the chronicle goes to say that a number of subsidiary edifices were attached to it, such as picture galleries, the alters, pavilions, etc..Which were necessary to maintain the luxury & refined life led by a great king at the time “and were calculated to engender in the minds of the people the idea with regard to the exalted and semi divine status which kingship had then acquired”

The palace of Parakramabahu & Polonnaruwa can be compared with two more palaces of the same period found at Anuradhapura & Panduwasnuwara, all three of which have the same ground plan. At Polonnaruwa, the central edifice is 150ft. square & area enclosed by galleries is of proportionate dimensions. The main flight of steps facing east leads to pillared hall which is 102ft by 42ft. we find no trace of wooden columns. But their stone bases are still visible. There would have been 36 pillars that supported the vast roof of the hall. There are also seen a series of small cells, numbering more than fifty & arranged in two or three rows surrounding the apartment other than the main hall. The upper stories of the palace were reached with the help of a broad flight of granite steps. The walls of the palace even today look thick in the central & still stand to a height of 30ft in some places. The vertical grooves on the walls, both inside & outside were meant for wooden pillars which supported the floor boards of the upper storey.

Just outside the main palace are apartments probably used by officials, bodyguards and servants. The boundary of the palace is in the south west corner of the citadel. It marked by a watch tower, the remains of which are seen even today & remind us of the strength of the fortifications. Let us now proceed towards the east of the palace to take a glance at the council chamber of king Parakramabahu the great.

 

Yatagala Raja Maha Viharaya

J

ust 4km inland from Unawatuna, the Yatagala Raja Maha Viharaya is a quiet rock temple & a fine place to go and visit  with a 9m reclining Buddha. The mural-covered walls are painted in the typical style of the Kandyan period. Monks have been living here for at least 1500 years.

 This temple is built around and within giant boulder-like rock formations. Quiet and little visited, the temple looks out over paddy fields and small hamlets. It won’t take much time to visit but Yatagala is interesting if as only a comparison to the bigger, famous temples in Sri Lanka.This temple is visible when you go to Yatagala junction via Heenatigala road in Galle and ¼ mile turning to left. Ancient caves and wall paintings can be sighted here.

2300 year old Yatagala Raja Maha Viharaya is a Buddhist place of worship that has been recipient of Royal Patronage from Three Kings of Sri Lanka. It was established during the reign of King Devanam Piyatissa of the Anuradhapura period, when one of the first saplings from the revered Sri Maha Bodhi Tree was planted here. It is said that, King Parakrama Bahu the Second of the Dambadeniya period ordered his Minister Devapathiraja to build the 18 riyan reclining Buddha astute in the cave of the gigantic rock outcrop, which infact gave the name.

During the days of the last King of Sri Lanka, King Sri Vikrama Rajasinghe of Kandy the temple was bestowed with Nindagam or gift of land and many other valuable gifts, which are todate in the custody of the Viharadipathi of the Temple. During the time of British Colonial Rule, the incumbent Chief Priest cultivated a strong friendship with Govner Marshall and one of the Buddhist Schools established then was named after him and still bears the name.

In the past eighteen temples were under the administration of the Viharadipathi of Yatagala Temple and the custodianship of Sithulpawwa Raja Maha Vihara and MagulMaha Vihara were also bestowed to Yatagala.

In more recent times Yatagala was declared a Sacred Area and development work was initiated to restore it to past glory.

Whilst the State developed the infra-structure facilities, the Dayakas of the temple came forward with donations to put up a Golden Fence around the Bodhi Tree and also installed a Samadhi Buddah statue under the majestic bo tree. The Cavern formed by four huge granite boulders was also turned into a Meditation Hall and granite Samadhi Buddha Statue was installed inside.

Archeologist believe that the great granite boulders that stand guard around the Bo tree in elephantine stature are infact a kind of rocky garden, the reason why who ever planted the bo tree may have chosen this place for that purpose.

Ranmasu Uyana (The Royal Gold- Fish Park)

P

arks were a definite feature of city planning in ancient Sri Lanka.Thus; we have the names of several royal parks in the ancient capital of Anuradhapura before the dawn of the Christian year. The Mahamegha Park was founded by king Mutasiva in the third century BC. So were the Nandana Park & the Jotivana. All these were however, donated by the pious king Devenampiyatiss to the community of monks. These parks were located within the boundaries of Mahavihara. Therefore the need to find an alternative place for a royal park was felt to be an urgent matter & the place was found just outside the boundary of the great monastery & to the south of it. The Vessagiriya inscription of Mahinda iv in the tenth century gives the name of this park as Ranmasu Uyana meaning the Gold Fish Park.

Today, as it is the area covered by this park is about forty acres & the park itself is a fine example of garden architecture in ancient Sri Lanka. This park previously covered by the jungle was discovered at the beginning of this century by H.C.P Bell in the year 1901 & conservation work commenced in 1940. The characteristics of this park are worth comparing with those ancient parks of India as described in literary works.

The royal parks in ancient India had several features. These were the bathing ponds & ponds for growing water lilies. There were artificial mountains, caves, flower beds and also creeper pavilions called latha mandapa. Also, there was the Kadaligrha- the planting arbors, dola mandapa- the swing pavilions, citrasala- the art galleries, silapatta- the rest houses etc. There was a seperatr park for the royal maidens called pramadavana.

We have a historical reference to king Vasabha of the second century who carried out a program me to beautify the capital city of Anuradhapura by creating artificial ponds with swans in them. Unfortunately we have no records in history as to who created this Mangul Maha Uyana, the great royal park which is named the Gold Fish Park. As said above, this is the name found in the vessagiriya inscription of Mahinda IV (956-972AC). It is mentioned there in that the water of the  Tisavawa that is let out through the royal sluice must first be allowed to go into the Ranmasu Uyana, the royal park & from there to kelageya ( kadaligrha), the plantain arbor and to uyanteya, the park ponds and to mahanel- teya, the water lily ponds and finally to the rice-field around the( isurumuni) vihara

It is believed that Helloligama, the Candala village of Asokamala, the beloved of Saliya, son of Dutthagamani was situated in the neighborhood. It was probably between the Dakkhina Vihara and Issara Samana Vihara. According to legend it was in this beautiful royal park the youthful prince first met his future bride & princess to be Asokamala. If this is true, then we can safely say that the Gold Fish Park was founded in the third century BC immediately after King Devenampiyatiss donated the royal park to the community of Maha Sangha. But the legend of Dutthagamani began to echoes in the second century BC suppressing every other story.

The rocks scattered all over the area were used by architects in designing the rock garden. Two boulders lying in close proximity have been bridged with stone slabs & a building constructed on them. There is nothing much left of this building now. On either side of these boulders are three baths. The largest of these is to the north & is 34 feet by 25-29 feet. On the western side is a stone cave- like room measuring 7 feet by 6 feet with a seat in it. On the bed rock above is a bas-relief of elephants sporting in a lotus pond. They are beautifully sculptured.

Small steps cut on the boulders of the southern side of this bath lead to a trough scooped out the boulders. The holes round the trough indicate that wooden pillars were set up in them. This trough may have been the place where the Gold Fish were located.

The bath at the southern end of the boulders comprised two parts forming one unit. Beyond the bath on the side of the boulder is a chamber. This may be a dressing room. The baths are square in plan, each measuring 20ft. at ground level with a projection on the south for the flight of steps leading into it. The channel system which fed these baths & emptied the water in it shows the skill of the ancient irrigation engineers.

The park also has smaller ponds. Once upon a time, these may have been filled with flowers, fishes and aquatic birds. Mr. Paranavithana believed that this smaller bath & the attached chamber together formed a dhara-grha a shower- bath. There is another pond which is on a higher level that the main- bath at the site, and measures 24 feet by 2 feet. In ancient times, this park must have been a beautiful place with many flowering trees.

In one of the four caves at this site is incised a diagram circumscribed by two concentric circle. The large of these has a diameter of 6 feet. In the square area at the centre are seven concentric circles. The remaining of the space within the circles is divided into rectangles, each of which contains some symbols. We have not identified these. Some call it a map of the universe and others call it a diagram or a mantra.

At the northern end of the park is a mooted rectangular site on which are remains of three buildings. The eastern side of this may have been a part of the ancient park. The channel system starting from Tisaveva led water ti all the ponds and baths of the royal park. The open channels flow around the natural and architectural contours exhibiting the skills of ancient irrigational engineers. The channel which brought water to the cistern to feed the baths, runs westward to a distance of 30feet, and then turns northwards, parallel to the toe of the Tisaveva embankment. This embankment of the Tusavava formed the western boundary of the park. Of the walls that enclose it on the east and the south, the foundation is still traceable in the gardens and the rice field and was surveyed to a distance of 1260 yards.

Mr.Paranavithana who carried out a major portion of the conservation of this ancient and historic park, says that "of Sinhalese architecture meant for secular purpose the most notable examples arr found in this royal pleasure garden by the Tisavavs. Ha says that “in addition to the remains of summer houses, pavilions and baths, we have an rxample for a shower bath ( dhara grha) wherein were stone couches on which royal personages reclined while jets played

The ruins at the royal park that we see today belong to the 10th century. From here let us proceed further south along the bund or take the main kurunegala road until we come to the so called

Birds Watchers Paradise

I

t takes the visitors only a few miles of travel or perhaps only a short walk in town or country, to be convinced that Sri Lanka is a paradise for the bird watcher. There are more than 400 species found here, indigenous varieties as well as migrants.

Among the birds inhabiting the more urban and populated area is the stockily built crow, inevitably the first bird to great new arrivals with its loud raucous cawing. The little house sparrow in found in most homes, nesting among the roof tiles or in little post kept especially for this purpose by residents who consider it luckily. The chocolate colored mynah, an intelligent and aggressive bird, and the black and white magpie robin, a beautiful songster, also seems to prefer the Calmar, or town and village to the quite of the forest.

Birds that are equally at home amidst humans or in the lonely jungles are the Kael, coucal or crow pheasant, broad- billed roller, black- headed & golden orioles, barbet, many types of parrots, parakeets and lorikeets and ( if one has a large pond) the kingfisher, red-watt led, lap wing and pond heron. The vast majority of birds, and also the prettiest, prefer the wooded regions. Most of them are widely distributed, spreading from the lowlands to the foothills and on to the mountains.

Beautiful peacock and the flashy jungle fowl, short- flighted primary birds, are both confined to the low country & foothills. A few birds found in this region are the haunting whistler, the elusive yellow- green Ceylon are, the wedge-tailed drongo, the paddy bird, and that classic song bird, the orange and black long tailed shama. Among the birds of prey are the brahiminy kite, the serpent eagle and the majestic white- bellied sea eagle.

Some varieties are confined only to the hills. These include the pretty little bush chat, the dusky- blue flycatcher & azure flycatcher. The mountain hawk eagle Sri Lanka’s finest bird of prey, is also confined to the hills.

The best time to watch birds in the island is between the months of September and April, when thousands upon thousands of migrants arrive. A large number of migrants are water birds. Among them are the flamingo, whimbrel godwit, plovers & sandpipers of many varieties, duck, teal and some herons. Land birds include the chestnut headed bee-eater the beautiful paradise flycatcher the pitta, the eastern peregrine & the shabin falcon 

The Moonstone and the Lotus Petals

T

he elaborate moonstone at its base is in itself a distinctive element of ancient sculpture in the island. These semi-circular slabs of granite or gneiss acquired increasingly complex bonds of decorations over the years. They range from the near abstract-tongues of five and bands of creeper vines to symbolic interpretations of the four perils of life. The latter consists of the elephant a symbol of birth, the bull, indicative of decay. The lion, representing disease and the horse, a symbol of death. Some also have a band of geese which represent the distinction between good & evil. To some, the moonstone is symbolic of transcending wordly temptations & achieving “nibbane”

At the heart of many moonstones is a lotus petal. Buddhist regards the lotus as a sacred flower, a symbol of the male and female creative forces that prevails throughout Sri Lankan art, architecture, sculpture and literature. It figures in the legends attached to the birth of the Buddha, when seven lotus sprang into bloom at his feet as he looks the first seven steps in his life. The lotus bloomed again in profusion at the moment he reached the state of Enlightenment. In the moonstone, the lotus usually represents the central crowing seat of success. The total effect, then, of mounting the stairs begins with the devotee at the lotus, his back to the world, preparing to ascend to the shrine of wisdom & insight.

The “Mahavamsa” describes a step shaped like the half moon in a passage concerning a vatadage of the naga world. Some of the earliest examples of decorated moonstone can be seen on the ground of the “Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple” at Anuradhapura. Other good examples are found at the national museum in Colombo, the temple of the Tooth in kandy. And at various location in the city of Polonnaruwa. Excavations in 1983 revealed the first rectangular moonstone ever discovered, at polonnaruwa’s alahana Pirivena.

A wonderland of Reefs & Wrecks

T

he waters of Sri Lanka- salt water, brackish & fresh are as rich in undersea life as any in the world. Equipped with only a face mask, a person can dive in bracing clear green rivers in the wet forest. He can explore tidal lagoons where the crystal sea of the East-Coast floes up estuaries & reveals & new world of mangroves, oyster- covered rocks & large edible crabs.

But it is the blue water if the Indian Ocean that are Sri Lanka’s premier diving attraction. Coral reefs & off shore ship- wrecks harbor a new world of breathtaking clarity. There are sensational fish and sand- stone formations in the great & little basses reefs. And a foray off Negombo will bring about close encounters with sizeable & exciting game fishes.

It is important to know that the best times of the year to visit these spots, as clarity of surrounding waters changes periodically according to monsoon season & other prevailing weather conditions. A rewarding diving expedition to Sri Lanka needs careful timing, patient and understanding. Bu the end result, whether you are photographing, collecting, fishing or just experiencing, is well worth it.

A tour of the island

Starting from Negombo, the closest town to the international airport, we will travel counter clock wise along the coast, exploring diving spots en route. Negombo, from November till March, offers surprisingly good diving. Do not expect continuous clear water every day of the five months. The strong currents, heavy rainfall, and the nearby presence of a lagoon rich in silt and plankton, cause periodic turbidity. But this contributes to the fact that Negombo offers the finest seafood in the country. The young & energetic often spear barracudas, queen fish, caran x or hefty estuary perch without breathing gear. Lobster- grabbing can be done by night with a flashlight & strong gloves. Fir the camera, seek waters further out if the reefs are not clear enough. But if the preference is for close- up, there are a few hundred subjects to click on the reef itself.

A few miles down the coast near Kapungoada (about two hours away by speedboat) there are two shallow ship wrecks which are treasure troves of invertebrates, lobster & snappers. You may troll a line for that occasional hungry barracuda, to small (in this region) to be dangerous to human beings. A 25 pounder is considered a very big fish & he will hit a bait quits obligingly, especially in the evening.

Colombo was the very first dive site when face masks, snorkels and flippers came to Sri Lanka’s shores in the pre-world war two days. It is quite changed now, in every way. Good diving is now out at sea where the strong currents bring in clear water. Excellent spots for diving & hunting are a reef off south Colombo, where migrant schools of queen fish, caranx, barracuda & Spanish mackerel swim & another reef more than a mile offshore, where some exciting (and perfect harmless) gray sharks show up occasionally

A

 dive off the famous Mount Lavinia beach (only on the calmest days, though) will bring you face to face with a variety of photogenic fishes, the loveliest & commonest bring the blue ring angels. Further south id Beruwala, the rocky island off the Bentota hotel complex is quite an interesting dive spot with large parrot fish, snappers & other reef dwellers.

For a dive that is different, have yourself taken inland to a place called Badureliva, then to at Weltota where you can explore a lovely jungle rock pool with clear green waters, sunken long rocks, aquatic plants & some lovely little tropical freshwater fishes. Not to mention the fine rain forest around you, gentle friendly people, and an atmosphere far removed from that of a beach hotel.

Back of the coast, further south is Ambalangoda. At most times of the year, it is not absolutely clear because of a creek mouth close by. But there are some really good calm days in January & February. You will pass a headland with fringing coral reef & sea breakers about a half mile or so sea wards at Akurala, which offers splendid rock & reef diving, two ship wrecks & an abundance of fishes.

Hikkaduwa, the famous diving center of the south west coast, has unfortunately been “over dived” the fishes are nervous & confused. Using Hikkaduwa as a base, instead dive Dodanduwa further south & the marvelous rocky reefs off Gintota, Medagala & Ralagala, perhaps the greatest diving on the west coast. Medagala is not easily found, though, as the highest point does not break in calm weather. Although much can be seen & enjoyed with a snorkel, tank diving to the Malabar ship wreck, 60 to 802 feet deep on a rock reef is a welcome adventure to those who are keen underwater photographers.

Galle harbor is the perfect take-off point to enjoy some fine diving north at Alugala, which provides a new wreck to explore. Diving off the Koggala coast is not recommended unless you are a strong swimmer. But Weligama & its surroundings can be excellent. These are several rock & coral reefs to explore, especially off Mirissa with its teeming fishermen & boats.

Matara a few miles from the southern- most tip of Sri Lanka at Dondara, Provides diving only in February and march  when drought can make the nearby Nilwala river less turbid, enabling you to see some fine fish over the reef. Tangalle, which is beautifully located, has fine diving; but too offer the sea gets over lively. One of the better spot is kupatha, a small rocky islet visible from the Tangalle rest hoose, haunted by huge schools of parrot fidh, sweetlip & snappers.

continuous clear water every day of the five months. The strong currents, heavy rainfall, and the nearby presence of a lagoon rich in silt and plankton, cause periodic turbidity. But this contributes to the fact that Negombo offers the finest seafood in the country. The young & energetic often spear barracudas, queen fish, caran x or hefty estuary perch without breathing gear. Lobster- grabbing can be done by night with a flashlight & strong gloves. Fir the camera, seek waters further out if the reefs are not clear enough. But if the preference is for close- up, there are a few hundred subjects to click on the reef itself.

A few miles down the coast near Kapungoada (about two hours away by speedboat) there are two shallow ship wrecks which are treasure troves of invertebrates, lobster & snappers. You may troll a line for that occasional hungry barracuda, to small (in this region) to be dangerous to human beings. A 25 pounder is considered a very big fish & he will hit a bait quits obligingly, especially in the evening.

Colombo was the very first dive site when face masks, snorkels and flippers came to Sri Lanka’s shores in the pre-world war two days. It is quite changed now, in every way. Good diving is now out at sea where the strong currents bring in clear water. Excellent spots for diving & hunting are a reef off south Colombo, where migrant schools of queen fish, caranx, barracuda & Spanish mackerel swim & another reef more than a mile offshore, where some exciting (and perfect harmless) gray sharks show up occasionally

Kuttam Pokuna-Polonnaruwa (The Twin Pond)

T

he twin pond is so called because the two ponds are constructed to from s single pond with two units. The name by which the pond is known now is of recent origins. We have no information either about the date of its construction or about its old name. On architectural grounds we can safely assign this structure to a period between the eight & tenth century. The conservation of these ponds was undertaken by the department of archaeology in the years 1949 & 1953.

It is believed that twin ponds were used for bathing purpose by the monks inhabiting the Abhayagiri Vihara of the two ponds before the southern on. Fine architectural differences confirm this point. It seems that after the construction of the southern pond as attempt had been made to join them. The two ponds varying in size and architectural details are harmonized to make up a composite place of artistic creation.

In the northern pond a staircase consisting of twenty stone steps with a simple balustrade is found. The southern pond has only eighteen such steps broken into three stages with an equal number of balustrades. The northern pond has only two flights of stone; where as the pond in the south has three. In size to the northern pond is smaller than the other.

The purnaghatas the pots of plenty are also different from each other. The northern pond measures 91 feet long & the southern pond 132 feet long. The width of the two ponds remained 51 feet. The depth is 14 & 17 feet respectively & the ponds are separated from each other by 9 feet the supply of water to the two ponds first floes into an enclosure built above the level of the ponds. The water then flows into the smaller pond through the mouth of a makara. The large pond in the south draws its water from the smaller through a duct below ground level connecting the two ponds.

The water of both ponds drains out from a point at the bottom of the smaller pond. The five hooded cobra figure which is seen under the makara figure is a unique piece of sculpture. The other figure of the cobra is found neat the water supply to the northern pond. The twin pond is undoubtedly the best surviving examples of landscape architectural in ancient Sri Lanka.

Sita Eliya & its Legends

T

he opinions of the few notwithstanding, that the Lanka of Ravana lies submerged in the sea, Ceylon is full of reminiscence which unmistakably link scenes and stories with king Ravana and his days, scenes places all over the central uplands of Ceylon amid the gorgeous setting of the thickly wooded hills & the glorious valleys below. Intimately associated as these are with Ravana and his deeds and with stories if Sita in her sojourn in Lanka, they leaved no doubt in the mind of the student of folk culture that king Ravana’s Lanka is essentially the Ceylon today.

Ravana Ella Cave

Among such scenes & sights, is the Ravana Ella cave, traditions relating to the cave are rife all over the highlands of the district of Bandarawela. Mystery surrounds the cave, “where elephants go to die” as the folk say. The cave, hard and arduous to reach, may well have been a secret stronghold that it is supposed to have been in the legendary days, with a rest house in the Ella pass, up the zig-zag paths of which one climbs until the rocky walls of the pass gradually close in and Ravana’s cave comes to view amidst towering mountainous primeval geologic formations.

About a mile away, is the Ravana Ella or Ravana’s waterfall with a drop of 90 feet following in to the valley below. With the heavy rains that fall during six months of the year, much of the cave floor is damp. Advancing inside, the roof of the cave closes in. and crown of the head grazes the roof of the cave. The tradition of the secret passage stands discredited, recent explorations of the cave showing no way out. Whether a secret passage existed or not, Sita Eliya holds the key to the story of the days of king Ravana more than indeed any place in Ceylon.

Siat Eliya – The Plains of Sita

Redolent of stories of Sita’s life Ceylon in is Sita Eliya (the plain of sita) a charmingly undulating plain, fringed with thickly wooded hill ranges, picturesque waterfalls and silvery rivulets rushing downhill sides, dotted with rhododendron bushes tipped with clusters of crimson flowers. Beyond are the steep mountain ramparts with the thickly wooded tops, the haunts of the leopard and the sambhur. A vast amphitheatre of hills and deals, if the classic Trikuta Mount of Ramayanaya is anywhere in Ceylon, it is here, the glorious city and palace of king Ravana with its fortress, its lovely groves and terraced Gardens, a true reflection of which may be seen today in the nearby Hakgala Gardens with its charming wooded glades cleverly reclaimed & fashioned by the hands of man. A situation commanding as it does the natural approaches to the valleys on all the four sides- the Kotmale to the North East, Uva to the South East, Dambulla to the West & Uda Pussellave valley to the East, no more favorable site could have been chosen by the Rakshasa king for his fortified mountain capital.

Note worthy for the many features which find a true reflection today, is the reference in the Ramayanaya to the “little bells suspended from trees” which made music in the breeze” an appliance the various forms of which may be found distributed all over the hill county of Ceylon today. The simplest of such tree top appliances is the “ Bambraya” as it is popularly called, meaning, a “top” working as it does on the technology of a top turning on a pivot, a single noduled hollow reed within which turns a short upright stem from which branch two thin flat wooden blades set oblique on either side. This appliance is tied to the top branches of trees standing out as a conspicuous feature of the landscape as the blades turn in the wind, a whirring sound is heard. Slow at first, the sounds gains in intensity as the blowing grows strong.

In additional feature is a small reed whistle attached on either side of the blades. As it blows, the wind automatically works the whistles producing the characteristic whistling note in conjunction with the whirl and the whir of the turning blades. Rarely too, a tiny bell is tied to the Bambaraya as in a specimen collected in a Kandyan village.

These humble appliances serve the purpose today of denoting the direction of the wind as also of a device for scaring away crows and birds from vegetable and grains plots. That the early beginning of such appliances, collectively belonging to the class if Aeolian musical instruments may be traced to the days of king Ravana, is a conclusion we may justifiably draw from  the references in the Ramayana.

A Sinhalese Village

A

 Sinhalese village is not a “village” in the sense of crowded assemblage of houses. Such villagers may indeed be seen in Ceylon in the dwellings of the erstwhile tribes, the Rodiya, the Kinnaraya & the Veddha- as also the villages of the functional service communities, the Beravaya (the nekati), and the kumbalkarya, the potter. These groups apart, a Sinhalese village is territorially extensive. Each house bog or small stands in its own grounds, thickly grown with an assortment of trees and plants, notably the coconut, Jack, plantains & yams, breadfruit and other trees and plants of economic value, or of no value at all.

Every village has its highland of houses and gardens, with either a chena as in the Dry Zone grown with seasonal crops, or paddy plots as in the wet zone. The number of houses in a village varies according to its extent irrigation facilities & topography. Round each homestead is a live fence, with or without a style at the front with two or three cross-bars. One step into the premises of the house crossing the style, or by letting down one or two of the cross-bars. The house has an open courtyard. A long front veranda is a feature of most houses, big or small. This gives to the living room.

Food Habits

Food habits are more or less the same for all classes, a morning meal generally of hoppers (Appa), pittu or string hoppers, with hot fish or meat curry, or the pol sambola alternatively, kiribath (rice cooked in coconut milk) and tea, mid-day meal of rice & spicy curries & the night food of rice & curry repeated, not generally so heavy or sumptuous as the mid-day meal. Both fish & meat are generally not served at the same meal. Boiled or curried jack, bread-fruit, manioc & tubers from part of the menu of an average noon time meal. In the southern province, curds & honey, is the favorite last course. The curd is of buffalo milk and the honey, the delicious honey of coconut toddy. The making of honey of the coconut toddy, is a specialty of the Sinhalese peasant of the south.

Chewing the betel, with Arecanut, and the lime (Chunam) comes at the finish of every meal. It is indeed a habit so inherent in the villager, that there is scarcely awaking moment he is not without the quid of betel in his mouth. In this he is one with the south Indian villager. Those used to it, and to the flavor by a small quid of tobacco taken with the betel. The spittle, colored red, is spat out & seldom swallowed.

Normally cleaner that the man of the town, the villager is fond of elaborate & daily baths, in the tanks which dot the country side, running streams, or in the quiet retreat of shady pools. After the bath the hair is combed and oiled, secured in a shapely knot (The Konde) at the back of the head. Women let the hair loose to dry, before doing up the konde (hair).

The pintaliya & pahan pela

The pintaliya or the water pot is among the wayside feature of rural Ceylon. True to Buddhist traditions, it reflects concern for the weary travelers. Simple as the idea is the water vessel, its disposition & equipment, has a certain technology about it.

At nightfall the villagers in Ceylon light a coconut oil lamp on a stand in the garden, the pahan pela by the side of the house. The idea is to propitiate the “Huniyam Devatawa”. The premises are kept clean. Prosperity is supposed to follow the visit of the God of the night. In essence a ceremonial light to the Gods, in form it varies from the very simple to highly elaborate patterns.

Batticaloa

B

atticaloa was the chief town of the VOC on the Eastern Coast and lies in the middle of a lagoon which is over thirty miles long, and it navigable by small boats. The name is said to be derived from the Tamil “Matta Kalappu, meaning mud-lake: in Sinhalese, made Kalapuwa a little island on which the fort is built is called Puliyantivu or the “isle of the tamarind trees”

It was to the south of Batticaloa that Joris Van Spilbergen the first Dutchmen to set foot on Sri Lanka, landed in 1602, and then travelled to Kandy to meet the king. The Portuguese reacted their fort here in 1628. Ten years later, in 1638, it was the first fort in Sri Lanka to be captured by the Dutch. It was later handed over to the king of Kandy. It was rebuilt subsequently by the Dutch in 1665. The fort surrendered to the British in 1795 without any resistance. They garrisoned it until 1836, after which date various buildings were constructed within for civil administrative use.

In 1984 the fort was in excellence condition, except for its northern bastion which had sustained some damage from a cyclone some years previously. The main part of the town was on a small island and the position of the fort is clearly shown in the map. There have been very few changes since the construction of the 1660. The fort lies with its longer axis running nearly north-south. The belfry stands on the south-western bastion, “Colombo” which is the largest. Some of the old gateways have been blocked up. The main entrance in through the eastern rampart. This has a  flat stone lintel over which is a stone triangle inscribed with the company’s VOC monogram and the date 1682. The courtyard is now occupied by government office buildings.

The “Singing Fish” of the lagoons are sources, not only of wonderment but also of much controversy. Especially on full moon hights during April to September, a multitude of distinct “orchestral” sounds are heard rising from the depth of the lagoon. Although there are many theories, the origins of the varied musical motes remain an eternal mystery.

Fort Of Batticaloa

The fort of Batticaloa is situated in an isle in extent about two Dutch miles ( A dutch mile is a little over three English miles) and lies three miles inland of the mouth of the river of Batticaloa, which has given it is name. it was fortified with high stone walls ( Bullt Of Coral Stone) and three passable bastions, upon which were mounted eleven iron & brass cannons, besides some lesser one, with a suitable store of ammunition. We found in it rice sufficient for two months, but their fresh water being about a musket- shot without the fortress, the Dutch had made themselves masters of the spring. Recently built by the Portuguese, the fort was capture by the Dutch in 1638 & handed over to King Rajasinghe ii who demolished it in 1643

Valentijn describes the fort as standing on island three kilometers in circumference and three kilometers within the lagoons, close to the river, “it was high, strong stone walls, three strong bulwark on which are eleven metal and iron pieces, fine metal falconets & some mortars: it is generally occupied by a hundred men.

The engraving in Valentijn’s work was probably executed from the drawing in vingboons atlas. Both views are of the fort as constructed by the Portuguese: it is scarcely distinguished from the shore-line. Most of the hills in the background are illusory and it appears that the view attempts to depict Friar’s Hood, which is a prominent rocky hill 32 kilometers to the south-west of Batticaloa. It was a land mark well known to mediaeval navigators, seen from the northwest however it resembles a pyramid.