Charioteer of the Gods

Mayurapathi Sri Badrakali Kovil Ther festival. Havelock Town, Colombo. July 2023.

^{• 70mm • f/2.8 • 1/2000 • ISO100 • Canon R6 & RF24-70/2.8L •}

The Temple of War #5

Shot on assignment for Explore Sri Lanka magazine. My road trip piece, ‘The Temple of War‘, appeared in the April 2016 issue.

Flushing Away the World

Ancient carved stone urinal in the ruins of a Buddhist monastery that are over a thousand years old. While the ruins on Ritigala Mountain in north-central Sri Lanka are ascetic and mostly undecorated, these urinals are intricately carved, and traces of bright colours remain. It is thought that the adornments on these fixtures were meant to represent worldly cares; and the monastic monks were encouraged to reject these desires and things by symbolically urinating on them. In addition to the monastery, Ritigala Ruins consist of a reservoir and a hospital, all of which are dated to a period between the 4th century BC and the 9th century AD, sprawling up the side of Ritigala Mountain, the highest peak in northern Sri Lanka. The ruins are linked by an elegant stone walkway that winds up the jungle-covered slopes. Sri Lanka, January 2016.

600D+EFS18-200/3.5-5.6@18mm,1/125,f/3.5,ISO200

Posted in conservation, creations, explorations, journalism, life, tourismTagged 18-200mm, 600D, belief, black & white, Buddhism, carvings, culture, decorations, feet, history, religion, Ritigala Mountain, Ritigala Ruins, Sri Lanka, stone, travel, urinal

The Temple of War #3

The Nagadeepa Viharaya, close to Mahiyanganaya, in eastern Sri Lanka. The stupa is believed to date to the 2nd century BC, when it was built by King Dutugemunu of Anuradhapura, in gratitude for his victory over the Chola king, Elara. To the left of the stupa, is a small shrine built in 2009 by President Mahinda Rajapakse in gratitude for his victory over the Tamil Tigers. Shot on assignment for Explore Sri Lanka magazine. My road trip piece, The Temple of War: the Road to Andaulpotha and the Other Nagadeepa, appeared in the April 2016 issue.

600D+EFS18-200/3.5-5.6+polariser@18mm,1/200,f/3.5,ISO400

Posted in conservation, explorations, issues, journalism, landscapes, life, people, tourismTagged 18-200mm, 600D, Andaulpotha, architecture, article, belief, brick, Buddhism, conflict, culture, decorations, devotees, engineering, Explore Sri Lanka, flowers, garlands, heritage, history, Hoya, journalism, magazine, Mahiyanganaya, monks, Nagadeepa Viharaya, pilgrims, prayer, religion, shrine, stupa, temple, trees, war, worship

The Temple of War

Nagadeepa Viharaya, Uraniya, Sri Lanka. March 2016.

600D+EFS18-200/3.5-5.6+polariser@200mm,1/60,f/5.6,ISO400

Posted in belief, conflict, explorations, journalism, life, people, tourism, warTagged 18-200mm, 600D, ancient, Andaulpotha, belief, brick, Buddhism, dagaba, dagoba, decorations, flowers, garlands, history, Hoya, meditation, monk, Nagadeepa Viharaya, orange, people, Red, religion, ruin, saffron, Sri Lanka, stupa, Uraniya

The Line of Blood and Fire

A Sri Lanka Light Infantry lieutenant is starkly marked out from his veteran platoon by his lack of war decorations. Many of the Army’s junior officers and other ranks are post-war entrants. Funeral of Major General Gratiaen Silva in Colombo on Remembrance Sunday, 2015.

600D+EFS18-200/3.5-5.6+polariser@120mm,1/160,f/5.6,ISO100

Posted in conflict, explorations, issues, journalism, life, people, street, urban, warTagged 18-200mm, 600D, Colombo, death, decorations, faces, funerals, Hoya, medals, military, parade, people, soldiers, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Light Infantry, sword, uniforms, veterans, war