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Water Lily in Bloom
Wherever you find water in South East Asia – whether it be in lakes, or ponds, or pots – you will find a dazzling array of water lilies and lotuses. (iPhone6)
When ever I think of Sri Lanka, I think of water: lotus and lily ponds, flooded rice paddies, dams and reservoirs, and rain. Lots of rain.
I was travelling solo on a trip that had been originally planned for two, and although it was November, the south-western monsoon clearly didn’t realise it was meant to be finished. Fortunately, the property where I was staying in North Central Province had great food and good internet. I had access to a kayak, and spent a couple of hours paddling on the local reservoir.
My room was also equipped with giant umbrellas, so I could enjoy my rainy morning walks around the rice paddies and lily ponds in the middle of nowhere. And, better yet, it came with a bicycle! I had a few ideas of places to visit, but the transport prices in the compendium were listed in US dollars and clearly well over local market value! There had to be a better way. I took advantage of a brief break in the weather, google-mapped the route to the nearest town, and set off on the bike to try to find a tuk-tuk driver.
The locals in town – who spoke no English – were clearly not used to tourists who weren’t prepared to pay resort-prices for over-sized over-chilled air-conditioned cars, and basically stared at me in wonder. I must have been at the only resort in the area catering to foreigners! But, I was determined. I’ve spent enough time in Asia to know that if you simply smile and dig your heels in, eventually someone will find a way to problem-solve.
Sure enough, they finally managed to locate a local tuk-tuk driver who was able to travel outside the town (I think the tuk-tuks are colour-coded?). He recognised the name of one of the places I had written down: the Aukana (Avukana) Buddha Statue (අවුකන බුද්ධ ප්රතිමාව). With a lot of sign-language and pointing at my watch, and the help of half the neighbourhood, we agreed he would pick me up after lunch.
Although he spoke the barest few words of English, and I speak absolutely no Sinhala, my driver and I managed fine (much to the surprise of the reception at my resort, who noted all his details with concern before they let me go off with him). Although the site was only an hour away, if I understood him correctly, he had last visited when his children (now grown) were small, and he clearly enjoyed the trip as much as I did.
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Rice Paddies
The rains were intermittent, and between the showers, the skies were blue and the temperatures soared. My bungalow was set among the sparkling rice paddies of Thirappane, where people were hard at work.
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Water Lilies
Every morning on my walks, I paused to appreciate the flowers. One of the differences between lotuses and water lilies is that lotus leaves and flowers rise up out of the waters, while lilies float. Even so, I think these are lilies. Like the symbolic lotus, these flowers are rising out from their muddy roots and base desires, up to the higher realms of divine awareness and beauty. (iPhone6)
Trees on the Tank
The local reservoir was a tangle of water hyacinth and other floating plants, and huge, water-loving trees. (iPhone6)
Kayaking on the Tank
In spite of the short rain squalls, it was a lovely paddle on the tank – just mind you don’t go down the overflow! (iPhone6)
Kayak and Horses on the Tank
The skies darken, as it threatens to rain again. A pair of horseriders pick their way through the water hyacinth in the distance. (iPhone6)
Tuk-Tuk Selfie
One of the things I love about using local tuk-tuks is that you feel much more a part of the surrounding countryside. On this occasion, that openness meant getting pelted with rain periodically in spite of roll-down platic windows.
Aukana (Avukana) Buddha
According to most reports, this large Buddha statue was sculpted out of the granite rock face behind it in the 5th century AD.
Standing Tall
At almost 12 meters (about 40 feet) tall, the Aukana Buddha is the tallest ancient Buddha statue in Sri Lanka.
Looking up the Aukana Buddha
It is also considered to be one of the best examples of an ancient standing Buddha statue in Sri Lanka. The graceful pleats of the robe are impressive.
At the Feet of the Aukana Buddha
It is said that the statue is so well aligned that a raindrop on the nose would fall straight down to small depression carved between the toes. We had plenty of rain, which dulled the light, but the scafolding in place for ongoing maintenance meant I couldn’t test the raindrop story!
Asisa Mudra
The hand position of the Buddha, the Asisa Mudra or “posture of blessing”, is not commonly seen outside Sri Lanka.
Visitors to the Standing Buddha
It is a quiet site – and not a particularly extensive one. Only a few faithful braved the rain to pay tribute.
Buddhist Stupa
I was the only foreigner there, and the Abbot made a point of coming out to talk to me. After a short chat – his English was immaculate – he found out I had worked in Thailand, and promptly offered me a job at the local temple school!
Buddha in an Alcove
Buddhism was officially introduced into the country in the 2nd century BC, making Sri Lanka the oldest continually Buddhist country in the world. Today, about 70% of the population practice the state religion of Theravada Buddhism.
Hindu Priest
Adjoining the site, there is a small temple to Ganesh; freedom of religion in Sri Lanka is constitutionally protected and about 13% of the population is Hindu. I paid my dues and received extra blessings.
Kala Wewa
While the provenance of the Aukana Buddha is under some debate, there is no doubt about the giant reservoir nearby: Kala Wewa was built by the King Dhatusena in 460 A.D.
Kala Wewa
Dhatusena (Datusena/Dasenkeli) was king from 455 to 473 AD. This twin reservoir complex, with a capacity of 123 million cubic meters, is one of 16 interconnected tanks built under his rule to develop agriculture in the country.
More Water Lilies (iPhone6)
After making it back to the resort safely, my driver and I were both enboldened, and with the help of a translator, we agreed arrangements for a trip further afield the next day (see: Sigiriya).
In the meantime, though, I had time to wander among the rain, the rice and the water lilies.
Until next time,
Happy Wandering!
