Colombo Sri Lanka Part 1 - An introduction to Sri Lankan society

I am delighted to tell to that this morning I was able to go on a shore excursion into Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. 

The weather was hot and a bit humid, but quite bearable, especially with the gentle air conditioning on our bus. And it turned out that it was really fortuitous that it was the Tamil New Year and therefore a holiday for everyone. (In this multicultural society everyone celebrates each others’ holy and other special days.)  Traffic was very light and we were able to see more in the time. More importantly, we could explore the buildings we visited at our leisure in peace and calm, without battling crowds.

I also could not believe how lucky I was to again have an excellent tour guide. He was a fount of information, and very droll. Apparently he trains other tour guides. In the course of the morning I learned a great deal about the 30-year long conflict which he said was instigated by the Tamil Tigers, a small band of young Tamils that were a breakaway extremist group who wanted their own separate state. The conflict resulted in many deaths over that time, mostly of moderate Tamils who were murdered for speaking out against their activities and viewpoints or else used as human shields. Some of their children were kidnapped and used as suicide bombers and so forth. So, it was not a religious or cultural conflict between the Singhalese and Tamils and other groups, as many think. Apparently all these groups get on very well together and everyone is relishing the peace that has now been achieved on the island. In the schools, all children learn both major languages - Singhalese and Tamil.

The first two places we visited, after a general drive around the town and market places, where some but not all of the many large and very small shops and stalls were open, were an impressive. lofty Catholic Cathedral and a Buddhist temple. At the temple, the landscape was dominated by the most beautiful large trees, which symbolise the fact that the Buddha attained enlightenment whilst sitting under a tree. We learned even more about the practices and beliefs of Buddhists, and loved the calm, reverential atmosphere as we walked around quietly in our socks. Large black birds flew around, and a small number of placid dogs just looked up at us in a dreamy state of contentment. The art works were in very vibrant colours, with very Indian-style images,  and yet they too conveyed acceptance and enlightenment - and peace with the world. Here in Sri Lanka too, Buddhism is the main religion.           

The port as we arrived.

The front of the Catholic Cathedral.

A view inside the cathedral.

A well-known store in Colombo, built in its colonial times.

Two adjacent banks - one well-maintained, the other in need of painting. 

Outside the Buddhist temple.

A close-uo p of art of the magnificent tree in the temple grounds - we saw many of these trees

One of the painted ceilings in the temple.

One of the Buddhas in the temple.