Of People and Places

At the temple of the tooth relic, Kandy, Sri Lanka  A sketch of one of the beautiful ladies outside the Sri Dalida Maligawa (The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic)  in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Dressed all in white, many of these women bought flowers from the vendors outside. The Buddhists in Sri Lanka wear white to holy sites and the whole complex looks beautiful as families dressed in white visit to pay their respects and pray.  Expecting women and women with babies throng inside, apart from regular visitors -  I read somewhere that it could be the baby's first visit to the temple, and part of a Buddhist initiation ceremony.  The women catch the eye in their white clothes - some of them have elegant flounces and frills. It's a lovely temple, definitely worth the visit.  All my Sri Lanka posts -  Kandyan Dance in Kandy, Sri Lanka In Beruwala, Sri Lanka  The Tunnel of Trees on Madu river, Sri Lanka  Galle Clock Tower in Sri Lanka  Madu River, Sr...

The illustration is of a drummer, in a Kandyan dance performance that we saw at the Oak Ray Regency in Kandy. Like the dancers, he is flamboyantly dressed, with a white turban, waistband and an ornate breastplate. The drummers' theatrics are just as interesting as the dancers, when  they give a sudden turn of the head to emphasize the beat.  This was the second day of our trip to Sri Lanka when we went from Colombo to Kandy, a lovely city surrounded by hills and plantation - the last capital of the Sinhalas. It is also famous for the temple of the Tooth Relic. Read all my Sri Lanka posts -  Galle Clock Tower in Sri Lanka The boatman on Madu river, Sri Lanka Feeding frenzy at the Pinnawala elephant orphanage Dutch canal in Wattala, Colombo In Beruwala, Sri Lanka The tunnel of trees in Madu River, Sri Lanka

The quaint town of Galle is right at the southwest tip of Sri Lanka, overlooking the harbour. The fort at Galle was built by the Portugese and fortified by the Dutch. Galle's strategic location made it much coveted among colonizers and is one of the oldest seaports in the world. The Galle clock tower is something you can't miss. Built in memory of a doctor, it was a later addition inside the fort ramparts. It was fantastic to see the sea from inside the fort. Don't miss Galle - it is worth visiting. We didn't have enough time to explore, but I think it's a great place for backpackers . 

On Day 2 of our tour in Sri Lanka, we took a road trip to the Pinnawala elephant orphanage . On the way, I was delighted to be on the canal road - where colorful boats lined up on the waterway on the right while tuk-tuks , cars and buses plied on the road that we were on. This is the Dutch canal/ Hamilton canal   connecting Puttalam to Colombo. It runs across many towns and landscapes and my only regret is that we did not go on a boat ride on the canal. It was constructed by the Dutch to be a supply route for agricultural produce and goods to be transported to the sea port at Negombo. It connects to the Muthrajawela wetlands in the Negombo lagoon, a marsh with incredible biodiversity, from what I've read. Next time I visit Sri Lanka, the canal  and Negombo lagoon are definitely on my bucket list.