Final Images

Vesak

Every year on the May full moon day Sri Lankan Buddhists celebrate Vesak in commemoration of the birth, nibbana, and parinibbana (final passing) of the Buddha.  The celebration of Vesak is characterized by almsgivings (danee), temple visits and observation of the eight precepts (sil gannawa), free food festivals (dansela), colorful lanterns (pahan kudu) and bright pandols(torana).  

During a typical week, the streets of Kandy that bustle with car and foot traffic throughout the day are deserted by about 7:30 pm.  I've heard stories that before the war there was a "night life" in Kandy, but nowadays, when the sun sets, people go home and stay home.  There are of course deviations from every norm, and Vesak (along with the August Perahera) provide the exceptions to the rule which says that at night the streets of Kandy are empty and quiet.  Between dusk and 11 pm on the 8th and 9th, the streets of Kandy were even more congested and lively than on a usual weekday (and that's saying something for a very crowded, vibrant city).  

The holiday, though rooted in Buddhist tradition, has developed into a cultural celebration featuring bright, colorful lanterns.  In Kandy, the glow produced by the lanterns (both ornate and mundane) set the hills and city ablaze with color and light.

These pictures don't do justice to the Vesak celebrations or decorations, so I recommend that Vesak be experienced in person! 

 

Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals

Animals

The animals here don't show much regard for sacred spaces...

A dog lounges on a staircase at Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara

A monkey family plays at a Peradeniya's Hindu kovil.

Vegetables

...well, fruit.  Two of my favorite Sri Lankan fruits are currently in season–rambutan and mangosteen!  If I didn't know better, I would think that a rambutan was a poisonous sea urchin rather than a delicious fruit.  But the spines of the rambutan don't sting, nick, jab, or pierce–they're more like elastic hairs (hence the name rambutan which means hairy in Indonesian).  Once you rip apart the rubbery shell, you're left with a translucent, jelly-like fruit that's about the size of an apricot.  The flesh of the rambutan fruit has a texture similar to the flesh of grapes, but it doesn't pack the flavor punch of a grape.  Instead, the taste is subtle and sweet, and I find myself eating them like they're candy.

The mangosteens have a much bolder flavor–sweet like the rambutan, but tangy with a splash of citrus.  From the outside, the mangosteen looks like a beet, but after discarding the dark purple/red rind, you'll find that the fruit itself is cream colored, divided into 5 or 6 wedges, and has the texture of a very ripe peach.  Delightfully delectable.  

Minerals

I actually have nothing to write about minerals (just like I had nothing to write about vegetables), I just liked the sound of the title "Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals," but it turned out to not be very relevant...

Sunset as seen from the ISLE Center

My favorite time of day in Sri Lanka is dusk.  By 5 o'clock the heat of the day has subsided, the traffic and commotion has died down, and it feels calm.  Apart from the mosquitos coming out, dusk is an entirely pleasant time of day at the ISLE center and it is a time typically welcomed with a hot cup of milky, sugary tea.   

View of the Knuckles Range

Images of Campus (University of Peradeniya)

Images from the Southern Coast