The Blue Lotus

A Blue Lotus photographed in Arankelle

The Blue Lotus, also known as the Red and Blue water lily, Blue star water lily and Star Lotus is native  to the Indian subcontinent. It has now spread to many countries and is valued as a garden flower. More images and info after the jump.

 
A Blue Lotus photographed in Kandy

The Nymphea nouchali is a non-viviparous plant that has submerged roots and stems. Part of the leaves are also submerged while others rise slightly above the surface. The leaves themselves are round and green in colour. The leaves usually have a darker underside.

The flower of the water lily comes in a variety of colours, ranging from violet blue to white, purple, mauve and fuchsia. The flower has 4-5 sepals and and 13-15 petals which make the flower look like a star when you look at it from above.

A Bunch of Blue Lotuses photographed in Anuradhapura

The Blue Lotus is the national flower of Sri Lanka and is referred to as Nil Manel. The flower has been mentioned in Sanskrit, Pali and Sinhalese literary works since ancient times as a symbol of virtue, discipline and purity.    

Blue Lotuses photographed in Kandy

The lotus is considered a medicinal plant in Ayurvedic medicine and is used to treat indigestion. Recent experiments are supposed to have confirmed that the plant has medicinal properties as an anti-hepatotoxic and an anti-diabetic. It's tubers can be used as food items and they are usually boiled or roasted before consumption. 

A Blue Lotus photographed in Kandy

These shots were taken with the Canon 7D and the 400D. I think I used the 50mm f1.8 lens to capture these shots.

  

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Koddiyar Bay - Sri Lanka

We visited Trincomalee, on the north eastern coast of Sri Lanka, in December 2009. 27 years had passed since my last visit and I was really looking forward to the trip. I was a toddler when we were up there last and, as a result, can't remember anything of the trip. These areas were inaccessible for a number of years due to the civil war which prevailed on the island. The war came to a bloody end in May of 2009 and since then, tourists have started traveling to these areas.  Read on for more info and images.

While we were in Trincomalee, we decided to drive down towards Koddiyar Bay which was around 12 km south of Trincomalee town. The Mahaveli, which is the longest river in Sri Lanka, flows out into the Indian Ocean at Koddiyar bay. We had no specific destination and just wanted to drive as far south as we possibly could. The road along the coast is pretty rough and progress was quite slow.

The Mahaveli flows into the Indian Ocean at 5 or 6 different points. The only bridge in the area is the Kinniya Bridge. Ferries have to be used to cross the other bodies of water. This adds a significant amount of time to the trip as the wait for a ferry could be hours long. 

Unfortunately we didn't get too far after we crossed the Kinniya bridge, as the roads had been washed away by the recent rain. We came to a small fishing village and saw that the fishermen were in the process of pulling the nets in. They told us that the road ahead was unusable so we got out of the car and walked over to watch them drag the nets in. 

Communicating with them was a bit of a problem as we knew English and Sinhalese and most of them knew only Tamil. The three men in the first photograph weren't too friendly and didn't say much as they sat mending their nets. However, they were all smiles as soon as they saw the camera. The guys in the image above had come down to the beach to purchase the catch and take it into town for sale. They were quite chatty and we were able to speak to them for sometime.

All the images on this post were captured on the beach at Koddiyar Bay.  They were captured using Canon 7D and a 400D cameras. The 7D had the 100-400mm lens on it while the 400D had 50mm f1.8 lens mounted on it. I decided to convert some of these images to black and white as I felt colour didn't really add anything to the images. The boat in the first image was a dark orange and I felt that it was drawing the viewers attention away from the fishermen.  

Indigo Dropwing

These shots of a male Indigo Dropwing were taken in Kandy. I found it flying around near the swimming pool and noticed that it kept settling in the same place at the edge of the water. It allowed me to get quite close to photograph it but I was limited by the 1.4 meter minimum focusing distance of the lens. More images and info inside. 

The Indigo Dropwing (Trithemis festiva) is an Asian species which is found near flowing water. They are frequently seen on rocks or on vegetation near water ways guarding their territory. Mature males are entirely dark overlaid with a fine whitish pruinescence. Young males look similar to females sporting extensive yellow patches on their abdomen. Females have dark patches at the wing tips and lack the amber spot at the base of their hind wings.

The Indigo Dropwing is often mistaken with the Restless Demon (Indothemis limbata) because both of them are dark blue in colour and they are both similar in size. The orange streaks on the abdomen distinguish it from the Restless Demon which also has dark wing tips.

 

All the images on this post were taken with a Canon 7D body and the 100-400mm lens. It's a good lens for macro work but the only drawback is the nearest focusing distance of 1.4 meters.

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Embekke Devalaya - Kandy

Embekke Devalaya (temple), which is famous for its elaborate wood carvings, was built in the 14th century during the reign King Wickremebahu III who ruled in Gampola from 1357 to 1374. UNESCO has identified these carvings as "the finest products of woodcarvings to be found in any part of the world". Many of the carvings depict legends which describe the origin of the devalaya. More images and info after the jump.

The temple was supposed to have been built by queen Henakanda Bisobandara in association with a drummer named Rangama. This temple, dedicated to Kataragama deviyo (god), is supposed to have been housed in a three story building which no longer exists. Currently, only the drummer's hall and the dancing hall remain besides the temple itself. Each of the 32 columns in the drummers' hall, shown in the first image, have square carvings on all four sides. The columns end in a carving designed on a leaf (second image above). Every carving on the columns is different and it is believed that they were created by an artisan named Devendra Mulachari. Some of the square shaped carvings found on the columns can be seen below. Click images for larger versions.

 

 

The carvings found on the roof are also in good condition and the intricate details are still visible. The shot below is of one of the beams which appears between the two rows of columns on either side of the drummers' hall. The midday light helped define the detail in all the carvings. 

 

The roof of the Embekke Devalaya is a masterpiece in classic carpentry. The "Madol Kurupuwa", a wooden pin, is used to hold together 26 rafters at the hipped end of the roof. The pin is shown in the image below. 

The doors which lead into the main devalaya itself have two big brass locks. The first door is made of a dark heavy wood. The inner door is covered with a painting. 

  

The bells of the devalaya can be found between these two doors. I was unable to photograph the inner sanctum of the devalaya as it was closed when we got there. 

Legend of the Embekke Temple

In 14th century Sri Lanka there was a small village named Araththanna which was famous for producing dancers and drummers. In this village lived a drummer named Rangama who had a skin disease. He tried every possible medicine to try and rid himself of the skin disease but was unable to do so. He then decided to make the pilgrimage to Katharagam, in the southern part of Sri Lanka, to ask the god of Katharagama to cure him of his illness, promising to make the pilgrimage annually if he was successful. His illness was then cured and, as promised, he made the annual trip to Katharagama for several years.

After many years Rangama realised that he could not physically make the long journey to Katharagama and on his last pilgrimage, he prayed that he could no longer make his annual journey as he was too old. The god of Katharagama then spoke to him in his dreams and told him that in a few days a miracle would occur and gave him instructions on what he was to do.

There was a flower garden named Ambakka which belonged to queen Henakanda Bisobandara. A few days after Rangama returned from the south,  a gardener was trying to remove a "Kaduru" tree from the garden and he noticed that a stream of blood was flowing from where he had cut the tree. When Rangama heard of this, he went to the garden and started performing the rituals as instructed by god Katharagama. Rangama built a small temple around the tree and ever since it has been referred to as the Ambakka (Embekke) Devalaya.

When the King heard of this, he built a three story temple on the land and gave land and elephants as gifts to the temple.  Some of the queen's jewellery was also give to the temple as a gift.

To this day, the drummer's descendants are said to perform rituals at the temple.  

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Views from the verandah

I hadn't been up to our place near Kandy, in central Sri Lanka, for over three years and I was determined to go up there for a couple of days in January, when I was last at home. Read on for more images and details of how they were taken.

Our place is up in the hills beyond the Peradeniya University. It's fairly high up from the nearest village and  therefore we don't have too many neighbours (thank God). Above us is a forest reserve which is home to Black Eagles, Wild Boar, Muntjac Deer and an abundance of bird life. Needless to say, I love getting up there and spending a few days away from the city. 

From the house we see layer after layer of mountain ranges stretching away for miles. Some of the prominent land marks that you can see include Adams Peak, Bible Rock, the Mahaweli and the Kotmale power station. I've been planning to create a panoramic image of the view but I don't have a decent wide angle lens to capture the required images... yet. The best time to photograph the view, in my opinion, is very early morning or at sunset. Mist rolls into the valleys during the night and early morning, and at these times, only the peaks of the mountains are visible. The early morning light is great for photography. The whole place looks like a chain of islands in a massive, swirling sea. During sunset, the sky is stained with shades of orange, pink and deep purple-blue. The light at that time of the day defines and separates the different mountain ranges.      

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the best while we were up there in mid January. It either rained in the evenings or was just very gloomy. The clouds were fairly low and as a result the sunsets were not as vibrant as usual. However, the dark clouds with the sun shining through did make an interesting sky line. Since the light didn't really add anything to the images I decided to convert them into black and whites. 

I'm still not sure if these images "work" or not so please let me know what you think of them in the comments.

Both images were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

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Indian Roller

The Indian Roller is a stocky bird measuring around 26-27cm in length and can only be confused within its range with the migratory European Roller. It is found in open grassland and forest areas ranging from Iraq to Thailand. More images and info after the jump.

These birds are usually seen perched on telephone wires or bare trees and descend to the ground to catch prey. They usually feed on insects, small reptiles and amphibians. The Indian Roller is not known to be shy of man and can even be found on cricket pitches in Colombo. They have been known to follow tractors in order to capture disturbed invertebrates. 

Because of its brown breast and dark blue wings it can look "quite dull" when it is perched. However, when it takes flight, the primaries and secondaries show vividly banded light and dark blue. In Sri Lanka, it is found throughout the lowlands and up to the mid hills but it is a lot commoner in the dry zone. Records show that the Indian Roller has been found at a density of 50 birds per square km in agricultural areas in southern India.

During the mating season, the male is known to perform aerobatic displays with lots of twists and turns. It is this behaviour that has led to its English name. The breeding season is from March until June and they nest in a lined hole in a tree or a building laying about 3 - 5 eggs. 

Since the  Indian Roller is very common in India, it features in several legends. Its local name is neelakant (which means blue throat), a name associated with the deity Shiva (who drank poison which resulted in a blue throat). In the past, captive Indian Rollers were released by local rulers during festivals. The Indian Roller has been chosen as the state bird of a number of Indian states.

While I was in Sri Lanka and traveling in the dry zone to Anuradhapura and Trincomalee, I saw this bird very very regularly. Every 2km stretch of the Habarana - Trincomalee road saw an Indian Roller perched on a telephone line. 

These images were captured with a Canon 7D and a 100-400mm lens.   

   

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Plain Tiger

The Plain Tiger, also known as the African Monarch, is a common butterfly found throughout Asia and Africa. It belongs to the Danainae subfamily of the brush footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. It is also supposed to have been one of the first butterflies used in art. A 3500 year old fresco in Luxor features this butterfly and is the oldest known illustration of the species.  More images and info inside.

The Plain Tiger is a medium sized butterfly with a wing span of around 7-8 cm. The male Plain Tiger is smaller than the female but is brighter in colour. This leads me to believe that the butterflies in the first two images are male.

Male Danaines have a number of secondary sexual characteristics. In the case of the Plain Tiger, these include, a pouch on the hind wing and two brush  like organs which can be pushed out of the tip of the abdomen. The pouch of the male is white with a thick black border and bulges slightly. It is a cluster of specialised scent scales used to attract females.

This butterfly is found in any environment including the desert (if there is food available) and up to an elevation of 9000 feet. This butterfly is probably the commonest of Indian butterflies and is a familiar site to almost everyone on the subcontinent. 

The Plain tiger is protected from predators due to the unpalatable alkaloids ingested during the larval stage. Due to this fact the butterflies fly at a leisurely pace in a straight line giving would be predators ample time to identify it and avoid attacking it.  The butterfly has a tough leathery skin to survive occasional attacks. When attacked, it fakes death and oozes a nauseating liquid which makes it smell and taste terrible. The advantage of protection has led to a number of edible butterflies evolving to resemble inedible butterflies. They are referred to as mimics. The resemblance is not limited to colour, shapes and markings but also in behavioural and flight patterns. The Plain tiger is mimicked by the Indian Fritillary and the Danaid Eggfly. The Indian Tamil Lacewing, the Leopard Lacewing and the Common Palmfly have a general resemblance common to both the Plain Tiger and the Common Tiger.

All these images were captured with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. I would have been able to get closer to the butterfly but was limited by the minimum focusing distance of the lens.

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Anuradhapura in Black and White

Here are a few more images taken in the Western Monasteries area of Anuradhapura. For more info and images on the Western Monasteries, check out  http://devwijewardane.blogspot.com/2010/01/western-monasteries-anuradhapura.html. Other black and white images of Ruwanveliseya are available at http://devwijewardane.blogspot.com/2010/02/ruwanweliseya-anuradhapura-sri-lanka.html.

More images inside.

The shot above of the Moonstone was taken by my wife using a Canon 400D and a 50mm f1.8 lens. I feel that, apart from the composition, the leaves scattered around make the shot work. The black and white processing also helps to accentuate the details that have been carved in to the stone. I really like this shot and might get it framed at some point.

This shot was taken near the Samadhi Buddha statue. From Memory, I used the 400D and the 50mm f1.8 lens to capture these images. A creeper similar to the strangler fig had grown on the tree. I converted this image to black and white as I thought it would help define the carvings on the guard stones and steps as well as the roots of the creeper. I regret not having come across this place a bit earlier in the morning when the sun was a bit lower as the light would have been better for photography. I may have also been able to cut down on the blown highlights which are visible on the right hand side of the image.

This is an entrance to another building in the Western Monasteries complex. I took this shot with the 400D and the 50mm f1.8 lens. In hind sight I should have used a smaller aperture on this one in order to get a wider depth of field. This would have meant a longer shutter speed but I did have a tripod with me at the time! I'd love to head back to the Western Monasteries at some stage and spend a few days exploring and photographing the place.

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Black-hooded Oriole

The Black-hooded Oriole is a common, widespread garden and forest bird. It is a resident breeder in southern Asia ranging from India and Sri Lanka, east to Indonesia. Read on for more images and info.

The female Black-hooded Oriole is more drab with greenish underparts. However, it still has the characteristic black hood. Immature birds are similar to the female but have dark streaking on the underparts and their hood is not completely black, specially on the throat. The black head of this species is an obvious distinction from the Golden Oriole. 

   

The bird nests in trees and clutches comprise of two eggs. They are not the easiest birds to see as they spend most of their time in the canopy feeding on insects and fruits.

These images were taken in our garden in Colombo and in Anuradhapura. I used the Canon 7D with the 100-400mm lens for all these shots.  The bird was nice enough to perch on a branch which gave me an unobstructed view. Fortunately I was upstairs and was able to shoot from a similar height to the perch. This enabled me to capture these images from a slightly different point of view. The fact that the bird was only about 20 meters away from me also helped. I wasn't as fortunate in Anuradhapura and had to shoot from the ground below the bird.