The Twin Ponds(Kuttam Pokuna)

The Kuttam Pokuna, which means Twin Ponds, is a beautiful set of bathing ponds located in Abhayagiri, in northern Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. These ponds were built in 6th-8th century Anuradhapura. If you look at these two seemingly identical ponds of Kuttam Pokuna carefully, you would realise that one is larger than the other (by about 12 m in length). Nevertheless, the ponds of Kuttam Pokuna are positioned in such a way that they appear almost the same. Although the design and lines of the Kuttam Pokuna are simple, the effect is nothing less than impressive.

The Kuttam Pokuna is one of the ancient sites that I visited together with a small group of members of AsiaExplorers when we explored the ancient city of Anuradhapura. I find that the Kuttam Pokuna is one of the loveliest ancient architectural wonder. Not only is it functional, but it was also built with an eye for beauty.

The Kuttam Pokuna was built as the bathing ponds for the monks of Abhayagiri Monastery in northern Anuradhapura. Water is carefully channelled to gush out of a lion's head, and through a sophisticated system of filtration. At the far end of the Kuttam Pokuna ponds is a system to trap mud and dirt. Water flows into a pit, where the mud and dirt sinks to the bottom. It ensures clean water flow into the Kuttam Pokuna ponds.

The monks perform their ablutions under the protective gaze of a five-hooded naga, the cobra believed to bring good fortune. Steps leads down to the two ponds while around them are shallow pools to cool off one's feet befond diving into the ponds. The Kuttam Pokuna demostrates not only great engineering feat by also workmanship and artistry of the ancient Sinhalese builders.

Sri Lanka Traditional Dance

Sri Lanka Traditional Dance

All forms of dance in Sri Lanka exhibit the lithe graceful movements of dance combined with the vigorous movements, reflecting the complex rhythms of the drum beat. The combination of the shrill melodious strains of music of the flutes and the vibrant drum beat is an ideal back drop to the performers who leap and swirl in frenzied mood of dance.

Sinhalese dance separates neatly into two main kinds of dance with a third kind also: The two main kinds are,

(a) The up country - (Kandyan) dance
(b) The low country - (Southern or devil dance) and the third kind is
(c) The Sabaragamuwa dance.

Although both forms exhibit vigorous moments common to the all dance in Sri Lanka the basic difference is in the manner in which the dancer perform their rituals, which require different dance rhythms and drum beats.

Ves Dance. (Kandyan Dancing)

A unique , typically Kandyan or up-country form of dancing that symbolizes the traditional Sinhalese dance. Since the people of Sri Lanka have always been inclined towards ritual and ceremony from the olden days, this from of kandyan dance is performed at religious processions and ceremonies and at all other kinds of occasions and ceremonies. The dancer wear elaborate head dresses while his face remains visible. They also wear sparking adornments for ears neck and arms and breast plates glistening with shiny bead and frilled cloth.

He is the typical Kandyan dancer of Sri Lanka.

The aesthetics of Kandyan dance and it's rhythmic vigorous movements and foot work can be really appreciated in it's original setting, the "Kohomba Kankariya", a Kandyan ritual dance, performed in honor of the God Kohomba of the Kohomba tree -( Margosa, a tree of medicinal value) and to invoke his blessings. There are over 30 ceremonies and over 50 dancers dance and whirl on a magnificently decorated pavilion. Attired in the traditional Kandyan dance costume. The ritual itself lasts for a week and reaches a climax in the final night and the morning after.

No women danced in the original ritual, but today, with the emergence of the theatrical women too participate in the dance, a development which has softened the masculine moves of this dynamic dance form.

Vannam Dance.

Another category of dance entertainment of the Kandyan is known as the "Vannama", which is a beautiful combination of poetry and dance. The Vannama depicts the life in nature around you, and are descriptive dances mannered after the animals and birds whose movements they mimic. The dancer moves to and intricate pattern of rhythms which marks only a superficial attempt to portray the movements of the subject of the song of poem. Movements of the subject of the song of poem. There are 18 Vannam patterns, or song - classes. Some excellent examples of this dance are,

• Gjaga Vannama - The Elephant Dance (accompanied to a slow, dignified song.

• Ukussa Vannama - Hawk dance

• Mayura Vannama - Peacock dance

• Thuraga Vannama - Horse dance

The vannamas follow a peculiar pattern. The opening rhythms imitate the majestic movement of the elephant, the trot or gallop of the horse, of the swoop of the hawk, but as the song ends, the dancer springs into action, changing into a frenzied rhythm of pure ecstatic movements.

All these subjects of nature are favorite symbols in the Sinhalese art world, and occur very often in paintings carvings and literature.

The Vannama is a very sophisticated and artistic dance, and carries with it the bare elements of a future baler suite. It is from these Vannamas that many of the theatrical creations of the modern dances of the country have emerged.

The Esala Perehera (Kandyan Dancing)

This ceremony is a procession and is one of the most spectacular pageants in South-Asia. Once a year, the holy Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha is brought out of the enshrined Palace or Temple and carried along the streets of Kandy , so that public homage could be paid. The ceremonial procession streams along the streets for 10 nights, the circuits increasing as well as the grand trappings so that in the final night it is one of the most splendid sights in Sri Lanka .

The traditional Kandyan dancers, attired in frilled costumes and glistening beads and breast plates, dance, skip and whirl to the vibrant drum beats, their anklets and headdress sparkling in the golden glow of torches.00 in final night,

Mask Dance of the Low Country

This is another unique form of dancing with masks which are mostly wooden. It is a typical low-country dance, performed in the southern part of the island, along the coastal belt, south of Colombo .

The mask is not a mere covering of the face, but it is an elaborate head and face dress, which magically transforms the appearance of the dancer into the character he depicts in the dance.

This kind of low country dance evolved from folk rituals which eventually gave rise to the so-called devil-dancing, of the south of Sri Lanka .

In addition to pure dance movements, they combine elements of mime, dramatic dialogue and impersonations in authentic folk rituals performed to the exotic beat of the "demon-drum" quite different from the "geta-bera" drum beat of the Kandyan up-country dance forms.

Interpretation about Our motherland flag

The National flag is a symbol of our motherland, the independence and the unity of our people and is a part of the constitution of the democratic socialist republic of Sri Lanka. It take our minds back to the last king of Kandy whose Royal Standard had a lion in yellow holding a sword in it’s right forepaw and was on a crimson background.

The lion,it may be deduced, stands for the mythical beginning of the Sinhalese from a lion, as record in traditional history and the motifs of the bo-leaves at the four corners of the flag represent the religion of the majority,Buddhism. The two stripes of green and saffron represent minority communities and given an added strength to this symbol of sovereignty.

In describing the National flag Rev. Kotugoda Dhammawasa states that the sword held upright denotes righteousness and the positioning of the lion’s tail on level with the head and the shape of the tail symbolizes the rulers treatment of all citizens alike in ruling the country. The lion’s head stands for the King or the ruler while the lion in yellow denotes the desire for peace. The crimson background is symbolic of national pride. Yellow represent the desire and love for peace.

The flag is decorated with four leaves of the venerated do-tree. The four bo-leaves at the four corner refer to “Metha”,”Karuna”,”Muditha”,”Upeksha” viz : Love, Compassion, Sympathy and Equanimity on which emphasis is laid in Buddhism.

The shape of the flag is rectangular and the ratio of the width to the length is one is to two. The picture of the lion is so positioned that it faces the two vertical green and saffron stripes. The four yellow bo-leaves at the four corners of the flag and the lion are outlined in black. Each of the two vertical stripes has a width which is in proportion of one is to seven of the length of the flag excluding the vertical yellow border on the outside of the green strip. The size of these strips in relation to the entire flag is in the proportion 1:1:5. A yellow border runs round the flag.

The National flag is displayed on days of National importance, such as the National Day and on such other days as are prescribed by the Government and at all State functions.

History

shows the flag of Kandy, the Lion flag, "which was used as the national flag of Ceylon prior to 1815 when it became a British colony". It is the right part of the current Sri Lankan flag, but there are no leaves in the corners, but "finials derived from the spire on top of a Buddhist temple".

1948 Flag

~Murali~

Murali, is a Sri Lankan cricketer who was statistically rated as the greatest bowler ever by Wisden Cricketer's Almanac in 2002. He currently lies second in the list of all time wicket takers in both Test cricket and One-Day International cricket.He had also signed as an overseas player for Lancashire in 2007.

Muralitharan's career has not been without controversy, with the legality of his bowling action being called into question; his action has been cleared by the International Cricket Council after several official scientific studies.

Flag NO Other

The Sri Lanka flag was officially adopted on December 17, 1978.

Prior to 1815, the gold lion was originally the national flag of Ceylon; its four pipul leaves are Buddhist symbols and the sword is said to represent authority. On this modern version, the green represents Muslims, while the orange represents Hindus

~Our Elephant~

The Sri Lankan elephant is somewhat different to the African elephant where firstly it has much smaller ears. The profile of it's back, is convex (males) or straight and level (females), as the case may be,unlike that of the African elephant, which is concave. Thus Sri Lankan male elephants have well rounded backs which taper downwards steeply, while the females have straight flat box-shaped profiles.

Another less obvious difference between the African and the Asian (Sri Lankan) elephant is the tip of the trunk. The Asian species has two finger-like protrutions while the African has one. The long and flexible trunk can weigh up to 125 - 200 kilograms (275 - 440 pounds). Generally, the Asian elephant has more hair on its body than the African elephant, and it is especially conspicuous in the newborn and juveniles. The body colour could be anything from dark gray of different shades, to dark brown, depending on the colour of the soil and mud where the elephants have bathed and dusted.

Mature Sri Lankan elephants in particular display heavy pinkish pigmentation of the skin around the ears, face and trunk. The head of the male has large and pronounced bulges; those of the female are smaller.Only males sprout tusks rarely. (in some cases even longer and heavier than those of the African species)

Why we love Sri Lanka..?

Sri Lankan Elephant