Colombo

Fort Railway Station, Colombo. Beira Lake at right hand side.


Yes, the timing could have been better. I arrived in Sri Lanka right at Tamil and Singhala New Year, which means that everything shuts down for the best part of a week as one and all decamp from Colombo and head back to their villages for the holidays. Also the Tamil Tigers resumed terrorist activity on a large scale in a run up to the peace talks in Geneva. And the monsoon came early.

Still, every monsoon cloud etc etc...it was also the season for ceremonies and celebrations. There was a lot of temple action going on. The locals head off to the monasteries to receive blessings, and to partake in offerings. All very colourful stuff. I heard about a "rice boiling" ceremony to be held at the Hilton Hotel so I went along. Apparently this is something that happens in every Sri Lankan home at New Year. Its one of the first and an essential part of the season's activities. Mum boils up the rice and milk and then Dad feeds it to her and the kids. In the villages, folk offer the milk/rice to the harvest god first and then the family.
Kick off at the Hilton was at 10.00 am with the lighting of the fire in the foyer - a pyromaniac's dream: naked flames around highly flammable looking decorations. Anyway it was all good fun.

Here she is above, getting the pyrotechnics started.

Then the rice and milk goes in. Meanwhile the girls sit around a large drum and bang away, and the guys pretend not to notice but there is a clearly a competition going on.

Eventually after a good dose of conch blowing the noise subsides, and the solemn ritual lighting of the column oil lamp takes place.

At Left: Solemn ritual lighting of oil lamp; with gormless tourist.