Where Ravana is God and the Buddha is Lord

One more country off my bucket list, I wrote on Facebook as we were driving to the aerodrome on our way to the Emerald Isle. We were all spruced up as a family for an ecstatic experience that was coming our way. The 55 minute Sri Lanka airlines flight landed us in Colombo the capital of the stunning island country.

We had a whole week to explore and assimilate the varied experiences Sri Lanka had to offer. As we mostly do, we decided to drive. This time from Colombo to the untouched east. Though it was a long drive it was an exhilarating experience. The coconut palms, the lush green paddy fields and the lakes made us feel exuberant. Nature’s abundant beauty !

Dambulla was one first stops which is known for the monastery of the  Golden Buddha and a cave temple that dates back to the 12th century. We were there at midday and the golden Buddha was dazzling in the sunlight. Indeed a visual marvel.

From Dambulla, we headed to Trincomalee on the East Coast, the land of the turquoise green ocean. En route we pulled up for a few pictures of the resplendent, lake at Kantalai. Very picturesque and serene with a fishing boat lazily bobbing up and down against the fading glow of an alluring sunset. A photographers delight !

If your intent is to spend a delightful beach holiday on an unspoiled seashore with soft sands, gentle waters, and balmy weather; it is Trinco for you! It has two prominent beaches Nilaveli and Upuveli, besides of course the Pigeon Island. We decided to stop over at Nilaveli. The suite we stayed at the hotel was indeed a room with a view! It faced the ocean on three sides and was ethereal. Gazing at the sea with changing  bands of blue and green depending on the suns rays was divine. The sea was a shimmering blue at day as though the stars were taking a walk on the water. It changed colors so rapidly from blue to green and aquamarine. Fort Frederick is a historical old Dutch fort in Trinco with the Sea cocooned on three sides. The cool waters lashing against the rocks and breaking into a froth added to the beauty of this ancient fortress.

From Trincomalee we headed towards Kandy. It is the religious and cultural center of Sri Lanka. The secret tooth relic here is believed to be that of the Buddha which was supposed to have been smuggled into Sri Lanka by a princess hidden in her tresses. The world-famous Perahera festival is held here once a year. The sacred tooth is placed in a golden casket that is placed on a brilliantly caparisoned elephant. Many decorated elephants form part of this revered procession which is heralded by thousands of drummers and masked dancers. This procession goes all around the beautiful city of Kandy. It is an opulent sight to behold. Kandy also happens to be one of the oldest cities of Sri Lanka.

Kandy to Sigiriya was a charming journey with enchanting landscapes. Sigiriya is  an ancient rock fortress with a citadel, moat and murals A silent spectator to the vagaries of time. It is indeed a stunning edifice that makes you wonder how it could have been ever constructed at such a height with such finesse during such primeval times. The topmost part of the fort had a huge lion head with the four legs replete with huge claws below. Unfortunately, the head  according to locals had fallen off but the four legs still remain. A mesmerizing piece of art.

Our final destination was Colombo the capital of erstwhile Ceylon. It is surrounded by natural wetlands and lots of greenery. Short trips to GALLE & BENTOTA is worth every penny spent. Galle is famous for the old Dutch fort which is a UNESCO heritage site. Bentota has sandy stretches of beach with white sands, restful with a tangible sense of serenity. Sunset at Bentota is like a kaleidoscope transforming from pinks to orange and gold slowly melting into the deep west. It is ideal for swimming with the scintillating salty sea breeze blowing against you.

In case you are interested to carry home souvenirs, there is a variety you cannot keep off your itinerary . Though I must warn you that the cost is pretty steep. You will be spoiled for choice. Sri Lankan tea is excellent in case you are an avid tea drinker like me. 

Noritake, the famous crockery manufacturer, is worth a visit. Batik is another item worth putting into your shopping basket. Precious and semi precious stones are also a hallmark of Sri Lanka. Like in South India, oil lamps called Pahan are famous and also available for sale.

Seafood lovers, this is a one-stop destination where you can relish different kinds of culinary fare. Without a visit to the Ministry of crab, their flagship restaurant, your seafood cravings will never be satiated. It is a must visit not just for the delicately flavored food but also the ambience and the personal touch. The old Dutch hospital premises has been converted to house this premier restaurant to give it an old world charm. They have retained the structure with very few modifications.

Do pay your tribute to the fallen soldier of the Indian peacekeeping force (IPKF). The monument etched with names of our valiant martyrs whose blood fell on a foreign land, makes your heart thump in muted silence. A reverence beyond compare!

As usual, this was another enchanting holiday. Lived and relived every moment, creating lots of memories for posterity!

Vardaan - the Boon!

When life throws some grey moments, you can also expect some beautiful surprises to follow. Though these may be far and few, they leave an indelible stamp on your inward eye forever!

The pandemic brought untold misery to the world including our family and is still weaving its black veil across the globe. Yet I had something to thank God for - the birth of our first grandchild. Even though none of us could go across to help my daughter , she was blessed with a ‘work from home’ for the entire 9 months of her pregnancy, had plenty of rest and was able to have nourishing food and attention from my son. She enjoyed the 9 months without any stress, not even morning sickness.

The first scan I saw of my little grandie, was just a small dot. And instantly, I started calling him ‘Dotto’ . Soon Dotto started filling up the womb and became quite a busy and active baby. We would wait each day for his news and would keep imagining what he would be like. 

Months galloped and soon we had a virtual baby shower with the entire family. We started looking out for unusual baby names. One thing for sure was that we wanted a traditional Indian name with a strong meaning specially since the probability of him living in a different continent was high. Soon the purchases began .The registers started filling up with names and so did the registry . 

Ah! Those were such interesting days - so much to look forward to! We suddenly realised that time was closing on us and there was still tons to be done, especially since he was coming in the middle of a huge pandemic. Finally, the new furniture moved in , the nursery was done up and the bags for the hospital were packed and ready near the door, just waiting for the baby to press the alarm.

We were trying to fit into the shoes of the most coveted role of our lives - as grandparents. Eventually the countdown began. Since no alarm bells rang, our daughter was taken to the hospital. Video calls kept coming in one after the other and our perpetual question was - do you have any pain? I almost thought that the little one would be born on my son’s birthday . But he was born a day later almost at the same time as his father.

A little angel who lights up our lives like the first beam of the sun’s rays that spills its gold through the skylight - The cutest and sweetest grandson I could have ever wished for, an absolute Vardaan to our family, as his name suggests. 

At last we were able to meet our bundle of joy in the third week of June when he turned 9 months. While our children worked from home, the little boy kept adjusting to his new environment, just as we were trying to handle him with kid gloves. It seemed like redrafting the babyhood of my son. The feeding bottles, little toys, the baby gurgles and cries, the bathtub and the baby wipes, all seemed to have re-visited our home after taking a full circle. 

I realised how different each child is, even though they may belong to the same zodiac sign as one of the parents. While he kept learning , he was teaching us many a lesson too. Our little man is a huge bag of fun and laughter. He keeps us amused with his dancing, his little actions. He notices every little thing like he has magnifying glasses. He babbles a lot now and has his little vocabulary of 3-4 letter words, which he generously shoots at us. Such a marvel of God’s creation! 

By the blessing of God, we have been lucky to have him with us for four full months, again thanks to the pandemic. He came to our home wheeled in a pram and now he is running all around at supersonic speeds. He knows every nook and cranny and our day is made when he swoops into our arms. Our life these days unconditionally rallies around this lovely child.

He will be leaving soon and I know we will be in the doldrums once again without his captivating demeanour. We will miss the pitter patter of his soft feet all over the house, his gurgles and innocent looks. I guess a bane of the nuclear family system and the distances in between. I have already started wondering what he will be up to when we see him next.

Good luck my darling Varu, till we meet again! Know that as you are growing up, we are growing younger to keep pace with you and your pranks!