At the End of the Ratri

After the all-night colour and sounds of Mahasivaratri, the approaching dawn brings time for quiet reflection. And a selfie. Kaileswaram Temple, Captain’s Garden, Maradana. March 2024.

^{• 14mm • f/4 • 1/40 • ISO1250 • Canon R6 & RF14-35/4L •}

Light in the Darkness

Mahasivaratri, amongst its many significances, is seen as a triumph of light over darkness and ignorance. Kaileswaram Temple, Captain’s Garden, Maradana. March 2024.

^{• 14mm • f/4 • 1/60 • ISO800 • Canon R6 & RF14-35/4L •}

^{• 14mm • f/4 • 1/60 • ISO4000 •}

^{• 14mm • f/4 • 1/60 • ISO2500 •}

Divine Privacy

Behind a curtain, offerings of food are made to Lord Ganesh on Mahasivaratri. Kailesvaram Temple, Captain’s Gardens, Maradana. March 2024.

^{• 14mm • f/4 • 1/60 • ISO1250 • Canon R6 & RF14-35/4L •}

The Great Night of Shiva

Mahasivaratri, Sri Lanka. March 2024. Kaileswaram Temple, Maradana.

^{• 14mm • f/4 • 1/60 • ISO1000 • Canon R6 & RF14-35/4L •}

^{• 35mm • f/4 • 1/50 • ISO1250 •}

^{• 35mm • f/4 • 1/80 • ISO640 •}

Special Feature – IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN OF A GOD: a Visit to the Temples of Saman

The legends disagree on the exact method in which Sumana Saman became a god, but what is clear is that Adam’s Peak, or Siripada, is believed to be his earthly home, and the centre of his influence and protection.”

The Mountain of Saman, Sumanakuta, also known as Siripada and Adam’s Peak, as seen across the Kuru Ganga Valley, close to Ratnapura.

Special Feature — THE FORGOTTEN TEMPLE: Dakkinagiriya & the Other Kaludiya Pokuna

A thousand-year-old ‘mountain monastery’, lost in the Kaludiya Pokuna Forest, east of Dambulla; forgotten by the tour guides, and seemingly by time itself. For the visitor seeking something literally off the beaten track, the Dakkinagiri Viharaya is an intriguing but serene detour away from the well-trodden sites of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle.”

The stupa of the 9th century Dakkinagiri Viharaya, with Erawalgala behind it.

Pleas to the Uncaring

Prayer flags flutter below the bo tree (Ficus religiosa) of the 18th century Padeniya Buddhist temple. Sri Lanka, May 2022.

^{• 18mm • f/3.5 • 1/640 • ISO100 •}

Pavivakà

The abandoned Maduwegala Aranya Senasanaya, a Buddhist forest monastery, close to Konwewa, in Maho. February 2022.

Waiting for a God

Devotees queue to enter the main shrine room of the Mahiyanganaya Maha Saman Devalaya in eastern Sri Lanka. On the wall above them are the lines to a Sinhalese pilgrim’s chant. While most of the shrine was built in the 1950s, portions of it are thought to be over 2,500 years old, venerating a deity that straddles two religions; Saman, once a disciple of the Buddha, now worshipped as a god in the Hindu tradition. Shot on assignment for ‘Serendib‘, the inflight magazine of Sri Lankan Airlines. My piece, ‘In the Shadow of the Mountain of a God‘, appeared in the April 2016 issue.

Blurred Gods

The line between Buddhism and Hinduism in Sri Lanka: a shrine to the Buddha is flanked by shrines to Vishnu and, the Sri Lankan Hindu deity, Kataragama. Sri Sumana Saman Devalaya, Deraniyagala. Shot for my photo story ‘In the Shadow of the Mountain of a God‘, which ran in the April 2016 issue of ‘Serendib‘, the inflight magazine of Sri Lankan Airlines.