Penelope Gan | Photo Blog just some cl!cks by me …
Tsunami Photo Museum – a visual memory
After 7 years since the Tsunami devastated the coast of Sri Lanka taking over 50,000 lives with thousands more injured, displaced and left to reconcile with their memories and nurse their scars, businesses, infrastructure and lives have been rebuilt. However, the signs of destruction that had taken the nation by surprise are still there … none more prominently showcase than the Tsunami Museum in Telwatta, Sri Lanka.
Stilt Fishermen – Tsunami Survivors
Situated 144km from Colombo, Weligama is famed for its stilt fishermen and the islet of Taprobane which houses the dream house of the Frencg Count de Mauny. A poverty stricken belt of the Southern coastal line of Sri Lanka, 15% of Weligama was destroyed during the December 2004 Tsunami. Jaya and his father are the only survival of their family continues with life and tradition as a fisherman and coconut plantation owner in this idyllic town.
Polonnaruwa Vatadage
The most famous of the ruins in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, if not the most most famous vatadage (circular house of relic) across Sri Lanka, is the Vatadage in Polonnaruwa. With four Buddha images facing the cardinal directions circling around the centerpiece stupa created from white marble and gilded with gold leaf during the city’s heydays in the 12th Century, Polonnaruwa was ravaged by invasions and later replaced by Kandy as the next administrative centre of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s Dagoba or Stupa
Stupas: a dome-shaped form created over sacred relics of Buddha on spots consecrated as the scenes of his acts are found around the world. However, Sri Lanka’s stupas are the largest brick structures known to the ancient world and have evolved over time into varied refined shapes with later ones covered with lime plasters made from a combination of material that includes egg whites, plant resins and the saliva of white ants!
Dambulla Cave Temple
The largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, the Dambulla Cave Temple was built by King Valagamba upon his return to the throne in Anuradapura kingdom as a gratitude to the monks of Dambulla who protected him from enemies during his 14 years in exile at the caves. With a total of 160 statues and murals covering an area of 2,100 m² the Dambulla Cave Temple has a rich history that dates back to the 7th century BC.
The Whirling Dervish
In the Whirling Dervish dance, dancers spinning incessantly, is done in devotion to Allah and the organic powers of the universe. The leader stands in the middle, representing the sun, while other members dance around him in imitation of the cycles of the planets.Their conical hat symbolizes the need to seal off one’s ego to connect to God and the universe, while the bellowing skirt represents a shroud and sky.