“When I saw you, I was afraid to meet you…..
When I met you, I was afraid to kiss you…..
When I kissed you, I was afraid to love you…..
Now that I love you, I am afraid to lose you!” ~ Famous Quote (Author unknown)
It was a cloudy Sunday evening. People gathered at the Batticaloa lagoon to take a boat ride. A few boats float in the lagoon, and waiting for the visitors for a boat ride. The boat riders negotiate for a price and take the visitors along the Batticaloa lagoon.
The visitors were politely asked to walk through the water and get onto the boat, as the water is shallow and sandy the boats are anchored a few kilometers away from the shore. “It is not deep, it is not deep” the boat riders kept saying, and waited for more visitors, and took them for a delightful boat ride.
The fishermen are still busy trying to catch some more fish, before the night falls. Some fishermen are seen sorting out and sharing fish among them. The ice cream sellers gathered at the site.
Taking a boat ride at dusk
Serene ride at sundown
A view of the Light House from the lagoon
Cadjan rest houses for the fishermen
The Light House and forever inviting littoral
Charming scene in Batticaloa
Evening sky in Batticaloa
Indigo splattered evening sky in Batticaloa. The lighthouse was refurbished recently with USAID assistance.
The sky began to change its colour from Blue to Light Orange. The light house stands still and tall. The sky behind the light house suddenly changed from Blue to Indigo, the colour remained only for a few minutes.
in Batticaloa at nightfall
The mild breeze blow through the Palmyrah leaves, the leaves began to float in the air and make noise, and the crows which sat on the edge of the Palmyrah leaves started to swing to all sides. Other birds fly across the sky.
Fishing at the Batticaloa lagoon at nightfall
Fishermen at the Batticaloa lagoon at nightfall
Another view of the light House from the Batticaloa lagoon
A fisherman goes home after work
It was an exquisitely beautiful evening to remember in Batticaloa.
Hear the enchanting toll of the bell, vedic chants, drums, thavil, recital of Mahabharatham, the wind and fire pit at Udappu ~ Aug 4-5, 2009:
Bell tolls Aug 4
Drums Aug 4
Priest Aug 4
Rituals Aug 4
Bajan – Aug 5
Bell Aug 5
Fire pit Aug 5
Priest Aug 5
Song in the compound I Aug 5
Song in the compound II Aug 5
Thavil Aug 5
Thevaram Aug 5,
Recital of Mahabharatham I
Recital of Mahabharatham II
A special pooja is performed at the Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam, Udappu, Sri Lanka – to invoke blessings from the Lord Veerapaththirar to have the fire walking ceremony without any interruptions.
“Whatever I am offered in devotion with a pure heart-a leaf, a flower, fruit or water- I accept with joy” ~Bhagavath Gita
As the Sun began to spread its rays towards Udappu, people of this small hamlet began to bustle, devotees thronged the temple. The roosters were still crowing while mild breeze blows, trees dance for the mild breeze. It was 4th of August 2009-Tuesday, a day before the fire walking. Certain rituals take place on this day.
A special pooja is performed at the Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam to invoke blessings from the Lord Veerapaththirar to have the fire walking ceremony without any interruptions. The special pooja is called “Veerapaththirara Pooja”, which takes at the crack of dawn, before the Sun rises. At the same time, men begin to make the four guard deities around the fire pit.
Watery sand is used to make the guard deities. The East end is guarded is Lord Veerapaththirar, the West end is guarded by Lord Iyanaar, the North end is guarded by Goddess Kaali, and South end is guarded by Lord Vairavar. Four devoted were selected by a lot to be the guarding deities of the fire pit.
Once the special pooja is over, beautifully decorated Lord Veerapaththirar is taken on a procession y the male devotees and the idol is placed in front of the Kodi Thambam of the temple till the end of the festival. Then the devotees rush an gather at the Sri Maha Muththumaariyamman temple in Aandimunai which is afew kilometers away from Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam to witness another event. The event is named as “Akkini Kunda Kaaval” (guarding the fire pit).
The selected four men are taken on a procession from Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam to Sri Maha Muththumaariyamman temple in Aandimunai. They are given a well water bath, and the water is not supposed to be wiped. These four men get into trance as the first bucket of water is poured on their bodies. The devotees continuously chant the holy words such as “Arohara”, “Amma” “Thaye”, “Govintha” and “Naarayana”.
They are purified with Sandalwood, Holy Ash and Vermilion by the fellow men from the village. Fresh flower garlands decorate their necks, wrists and angles. They are brought to the Sri Maha Muththumaariyamman temple in Aandimunai, where each of them is given with a decorated wooden stick. The wooden sticks are known as “Kambu”. The fellow men encourage these four guarding deities to dance to the tune of the drums.
“Aadu”, “Aadu” – dance, dance the words kept flowing from the fellow men, and the four guarding deities keep dancing along the way from Sri Maha Muththumaariyamman temple in Aandimunai to Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam. They visit the small road side shrines on the way while dancing and bearing the scorching Sun.
Once they reach the compound and take their respective places as their guarding points in front of the Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam, the Chief priest of the Sri Veerapaththirakaali Amman temple Muththiah Paranthaaman whips the four guarding deities, and they faint, and carried by the fellow men to the backyard of the temple.
“I am an ardent devotee of the Goddess. I began to worship her when I was five year old child, and I have surrendered myself to her. She has helped me to overcome many difficulties in my life including a life threatening trouble. I will be humbly serving her for the rest of my life” said Kathirkaama Muthiah Rajendran who got into a full trance.
The four devoted men who depicted as the guarding deities are:
Lord Veerapaththirar- Chandran Ingaramoorthy
Lord Iyanaar-Maariyappa Vishnukumaran
Goddess Kaali-Kathirkaama Muthiah Rajendran
Lord Vairavar- Navaneethamoorthy Muththuvairan
Sunrises in Udappu
Fresh bunch of Banana at the main entrance
An early morning scene in Udappu
A special pooja for is being performed to invoke blessing from Lord Veerapththirar
A dedicated child devotee
Various musical instruments being rendered
Lord Veerapaththirar is kept in from of the sanctum
Lemon rice is being served to devotees
Curd rice is being served to devotees
Lord Veerapaththirar is being taken on a parade
On the way to Udappu
A view of the Peace Kopuram of the Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam
Kids playing around a tree at day break
Making the guard deities in sand is in progress
Lord Veerapaththirar is placed in front of the Kodi Thambam
A kid stops and watches the men making the guard deities in sand
Nallavairan Sellamurugan takes part in the rituals annually
Veerapaththirar Madai
Crows in the vicinity
Iyanaar Madai
Checking on the wellbeing
Kaali Madai
Udappu has produced many craftsmen
Vairavar Madai
An overview of the four guarding deities
The villagers consider that Lord Veerapaththirar is one of the most powerful guarding deities
Four guarding deities take part in pooja
Kids taking their positions
Drummers at the site
Traditional musical instruments are being played during the procession of the deity-Lord Veerapaththirar
The main entrance of Sri Maha Muththumaary Amman temple in Aandimunai
Four guarding deities are being accompanied
Four Kambu are kept in front of Sri Maha Muththumaary Amman temple
Mild breeze in Aandimunai
Kathirkaama Muthiah Rajendran gets into a trance as he enters the temple compound
Cadjan alley in Aandimunai
“Thirisoolam” or Trident in the temple
Well water bath for the four guarding deities
Visitors for the festival
Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam. It has 900 million followers worldwide. This is 13% of the world’s population
Guarding deities are being decorated
Hindu shrine where prayers are said and offerings are made
Eternal devotion towards the Goddess
It’s believed that Hinduism is the oldest living religion
Getting ready for the rituals
“Kaappu Kattal”- it means tying a holy thread on the wrist of the four male devotees. It is meant to ward off all evil spirits, which symbolises protection.
The four guarding deities are involved in prayers
Most Hindus believe that the spirit or soul, the true “Self” of every person is called Ātman, which is eternal
Hindu scriptures are the most ancient religious texts
Bhakthi or devotion signifies an active involvement by the devotee in divine worship. A male devotee in this spiritual path is called “Bhakthan”, and the female devotee is called “Bhakthai”
Fresh flower anklets for the guarding deities
The four guarding deities begin to dance
The word “Bhakthi” is derived from “Bhaj”, which means “to share”, “to belong to” and “to worship”
They keep on dancing
As the Sun reached the top and the sand became hotter, the deities kept their barefeet straight
Guarding deity Vairavar at Sri Maha Muththumaary Amman temple
Dancing along the way
Another musical instrument used at the temple
Hindu practices generally involve seeking awareness and blessings from God and Goddesses
Colourful carvings at Sri Maha Muththumaary Amman temple
There is nothing superior than worshiping God in pure devotion
More importance is given to the symbols in Hinduism
Many devotees accompanying the guarding deities
Hindus believe the soul moves from one body to another
Hinduism is an ocean of nectar
Deities dance around the fire pit
Deities dance around the fire pit
Hindus believe in birth, death and rebirth
Whip on the wrist
A statue of Bodhiraj is kept on the left hand side of the sanctum of Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam
Deities being carried away from the site
A statue of Prithviraj is kept on the right hand side of the sanctum of Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam
When the soul comes out of the cycle of impurities, the result is eternal bliss
The God is worshiped in multiple perspectives
Whip is worn around he neck of the priest
Divine vehicle of Lord Vinayagar-Mouse is parked in the temple compound
Udukku is being played
Beautiful sculptures have architectural elements and decorative details
Idol worship is a simple way of expressing faith and devotion to God
Sounds of Udappu:
Bell tolls on Aug 4
Drums Aug 4
Udappu priest ~ Aug 4
Udappu Rituals ~ Aug 4
P. Susheela on PA !~ Guruvayoor song ~ Hear the winds at Udappu shore
The scene of five Paandava Princes and their common wife Thiraupathai going into exile with Vyasa Munivar and an Anuman was depicted in drama form by the people of Udappu on 2nd of August 2009, the 15th day of the “Aadi Vizha Mahotsavam” of Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam.
It was a Sunny Sunday, August 2nd 2009, in Udappu.
As time ticked on turning into a scroching hot day, performers and the make-up artists began to make their way to Sri Veerapaththirakaali Amman temple, situated right near the ocean.
Eleven Performing artists and four make-up artists gathered under one roof, to get ready for the elegant parade.
“Udappu” is situated between the Dutch Canal in the East, Indian Ocean in the West, Poonaipitty village in the North and Pinkatti village in the South.
____________________________________________ HumanityAshore.org ~ Email: dushi.pillai@gmail.com
“When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace, love, prosperity, happiness…..all the good things” ~Maya Angelou-Poet, dancer, film producer, television producer, playwright, film director, author, actress and autobiographer. (b: April 4th 1928-)
Peacebuilding and Development Institute in Sri Lanka (PDISL) successfully conducted its second year training session on Integrating Conflict, Gender and Development and another parallel course Frameworks and Skills in Peace building. The core courses were held at Blue Oceanic Hotel in Negombo from 24th of August 2009- 28th of August 2009. Both courses comprised participants from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal and United States of America.
The first ever training session was conducted in April& May 2007. The core courses were Youth & Conflict: Integrating Youth in Peacebuilding Training, and the second week course was on International Training in design, Monitoring and Evaluation for Peacebuilding and Conflict Sensitive Development.
I was offered a full scholarship by the Peacebuilding and Development Institute in Sri Lanka in 2007 and 2009. As a recipient of the scholarship, I had the pleasure of meeting the peace builders from the region, who shared their experiences and networking.
The natutre too, set the scenes for peacebuilding: Fresh flower-sheath of a coconut tree in Negombo shore
Peacebuilding plays a unique role towards moving towards recovery from conflict.
The Peacebuilding and Development Institute in Sri Lanka (PDISL) was inaugurated in 2007 in Sri Lanka. It is the first institute which provides training and learning opportunities on conflict, peacebuilding and development in the region. It provides a regional and local perspective to peacebuilding and development. The institute is supported by the Peacebuiding and Development Institute of American University, Cordaid and International Alert.
“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest source. I salute the Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love”. ~ Mahathma Gandhi-Non- violent activist and leader. October 2nd 1869-January 30th 1948
Participants of Integrating Conflict, Gender and Development – 2009
Participants of Frameworks and Skills in Peace building – 2009
After an interactive panel discussion
Squirrels looking for munch in the morning
Rainbow in Negombo
Created by participants, which explains how Gender, Conflict and Development are intergrated
Participants during an interactive session
Catamaran boats are specially used for fishing in Negombo
Moondraam Pirai (Third day of the new moon) in Negombo
As per Joseph Joubert-French Moralist and Essayist’s quote “To teach is to learn twice”, it was another new and energising experience for me to train a bunch of budding journalists from the Eastern part of Sri Lanka. I was motivated as the demand was high, and I had to deliver.
Group photo of the trainers and participants in Ampara
There were 15 journalists including two females. They were from Batticaloa and Ampara districts. It was encouraging to see that all of them were keen to learn, and willing to make a difference in their journalistic work. They showered their interest to be more responsible while they report stories. There was a collective spirit to learn and make a change.
“Doing Ethics,” a training session was conducted for the young journalists recently in Ampara. It was conducted by Sri Lanka Press Institute and INTERNEWS Network in Sinhala and Tamil languages. The aim of the training was to encourage journalists to be ethical in the stories which they cover, and to be aware of ethical issues related to their career . The training session consisted of elements of ethics- Truth and Accuracy, Fairness, Minimising Harm, Independency, and Accountability, importance of sources, and role plays. The group was a blend of print and electronic media.
According to a survey which was conducted in 2004 by the International Federation of Journalists, half of the journalists in Sri Lanka have the knowledge in ethics, while 11% of them have the copies of Code of Ethics. And only half of them have got training in ethics.
50% of the journalists use only one source for their stories, while 80% of the journalists think that their source is not accurate. On the other hand, Sinhala and Tamil newspapers use only selected source for the stories. There are no current figures available after 2004 survey.
Surprisingly, only one journalist had a copy of the Code of Ethics, which he showed me from his wallet, when I asked the group whether any of them had seen the Code of Ethics and had a copy for them. A pocket size Code of ethics was printed in English, Sinhala and Tamil and distributed to the journalists in Sri Lanka by the International Federation of Journalists.
Similar training session was conducted in Ampara last year in June for the working journalists.
The participants of last year’s training session have been working as journalists for more than five years. But none of them has got the training in ethics. A few senior journalists pointed out during my conversation with them that “we have been working as journalists for forty years, but this is the first time that we are being trained in ethics”.
I hope more and more journalists will be trained in ethics to perform their duty better.
Group photo of the trainers and participants in Ampara
A role play by the participants
Group preparation
An interactive session
“Doing Ethics” a training session was conducted for the young journalists, from June 27th-June 29th 2009 at Monty Guest House in Ampara
____________________________________________ HumanityAshore.org ~ Email: dushi.pillai@gmail.com
