The Island feature

Sigiriya - the breathless wonder

by Namini Wijedasa
Struggling up the steep stone steps of the magnificent Sigiriya rock at a little past noon on a Sunday is not one of life's most enjoyable expeditions. Tide after tide of crowds scramble up the steps, vying to reach the top as soon as possible. Little children, wedged between hordes of people, howl for mercy. The sun beats down on heated heads relentlessly. Gangs of boys pass rude comments and groups of holiday-makers pose for photographs in the centre of the narrow passageways, ignoring the queues piling up behind them.

But reach the summit, behold the awesome ruins of a powerful bygone era and all the suffering seems worth it. The Kashyapa experience makes the pain of aching feet seem insignificant.

Constructed in the 5th Century (BC), the Sigiriya rock fortress is a breathless wonder today as it is sure to have been then. Studies of the ruins indicate a mastery of archaeological skill and minute planning that some local experts today liken to those employed in the construction of the Pyramids. And many today are pushing towards having it declared the eighth wonder of the world.

Standing on the summit where the ruins of King Kashyapa's palace are today trodden on irreverently by the thousands of people who flock there, a person is transported to the past. Strolling among the crumbling red stone, one can envisage the king in his palanquin, supported on the shoulders of his vassals, making the same rounds. Sitting on the stone seat he occupied while watching dances executed on his orders, one marvels at the power he must have had over his subjects. How many labourers would have toiled for the eighteen years of his rule to build the palaces, pavilions, moats and stairways? How many artists would have spent days decorating the rock with paintings, only a few of which are today remaining?

The wind at the summit is rough, almost violent, at this time of the year. It threatens to whip a man clear off the rock. But the view is breathtaking. A white dagaba glistens in the distance, rising out from miles of green tree cover. Pidurangala, the rocky hill to which Kashyapa relocated the monks who occupied Sigiriya, rises in the near distance. A little lower, birds struggle against the wind to reach some unknown destination. And down below, the perfect symmetry of Kashyapa's water gardens and baths fascinates the beholder.

Two guides from the Cultural Triangle recently took a group of journalists to the top of Sigiriya, enriching each step with a morsel of history. Gamini Dodam-wala and Chandana Weerasena explained that the left side of the fortress' gardens were left unexca-vated for the benefit of generations to come, in the anticipation that advanced technology of the future would yield better results. The right side, however, has been unearthed and re-constructed — as much as is possible — by the Cultural Triangle.

Ingenious drainage
The water gardens, the baths and pavilions, the summer palace and other ruins have been cleared of weeds and labelled neatly. Standing in the 'kuda jala udyanaya' (small water garden), the guides pointed out the ingenious drainage that took water from the gardens into the moat outside; they showed how natural forces had been utilised to push water up through tiny holes, creating the foun-tains in the 'garden of fountains'.

Many were intrigued by Kash-yapa's method of defence, particularly his moats. A deep moat of mud provided out defences, followed by a deep moat filled with water. These moats were built so that one could climb down steps on the inside and actually enter it - however there was no hope of climbing out of the other side. The depth of the moat and hungry crocodiles made it impossible.

Many other tactics were employed to baffle the enemy, our guides explained. For instance, certain walls set up as defence were layered on the outer side with brick. A hopeful enemy would break through this layer in great anticipation but would only be frustrated by another hard layer of granite underneath!

While climbing up the stone steps at the bottom of the rock, Mr. Dodamwala noted that the steps had been fashioned so that a man at the bottom of the stairway would think the path to the top was a piece of cake. It would appear like a simple and straight, albeit steep, flight of stairs. However, upon commencing the climb, one would find that the flight is broken up into layers where short walks are involved. "These were all time consuming methods intended to exhaust the enemy", he said.

Vandalism
The crowds are thick on a Sunday and the climb to the top was tedious and enervating. There was little time to enjoy the magic of Sigiriya on the way up; a jab with an elbow or a push from behind would remind one that the idea is to reach the top, not dilly-dally along the way. The climb is also marred by signs of destruction and vandalism. The mirror wall is scribbled with names of lovers and line drawings. Scraps of paper litter parts of the road. And the crowds do not seem appreciative enough of the historical value of Sigiriya. Upon climbing up the iron spiral stairway to the scene of the Sigiriya frescoes, most viewers were heard exclaiming, "Aiyo! Mekatada mechchara neggey!" ("Is it to see this that we climbed so high?).

With thousands of people visiting the rock fortress, there has been a tendency towards commercialisation. Tickets sell fast. Men and women with trays of ice palans and fruit, extravagantly priced bottles of water and other snacks canvass vociferously to sell their wares. Apart from a never-ending cacophony of voices that threatens to arouse the hornets, there is little noise around Sigiriya.

Our guides pointed out to us where ancient stones have been worn away by the pressure of feet. Feet that do not obey signs telling them to keep away. What is sadly lacking is a reverence in the treatment of this great historical wonder.

On the way down, Mr. Dodamwala showed us the remnants of paintings on the nai peney - a large rock in the form of a cobra's hood. But even two experienced guides could not tell us all we wanted to know in one afternoon. The extent of their knowledge was vast and excavations and studies continuously unearth new findings about the life and times of Kashyapa.

There was a queue to descend the fortress. Again, an impatient thronging and desperate push - this time to reach the bottom. But for a few among the crowd, at least, Sigiriya left a lingering sense of awe and stupefaction about the power of one man who spent eighteen years creating a historical legacy.

A machine that could pluck coconuts

By Azhara Raban
Niranjan Weerakoon, a young talented university graduate has probably solved the problem of people falling off coconut trees. He is the proud inventor of the first ever coconut plucking machine which was demonstrated at the Falk Art Centre, Battaramulla last Wednesday.

While still a student of the University of Jayawardenapura, Niranjan had experienced climbing a coconut tree one day and realized the dangers could be faced while climbing such a tall tree. It is as a result of this experience that Niranjan had thought of inventing a machine to pluck coconuts which would make life much more easier for coconut pluckers.

Using only an electric grill and a bench vice, he had worked solely on his own in a workshop at his home town in Baduraliya in Mathugama. The machine had taken seven months to complete and he had spent about Rs. 75,000 to build it and the machine is the result of many experiments.

This butterfly shaped instrument has two sets of wheels and works on electric power, batteries, generator and solar power as well. It is adjustable according to the size of the tree in order to hug the trunk of the tree. Thirty watts of power is supplied to the motors installed in the machine which helps it to travel up the tree, operated by a remote control. A long plucking tool with a curved edge is the object which makes the plucking possible. It is held in such a way that the coconuts could be pulled off the tree. An electrode at the edge helps the plucker determine what coconuts are mature before plucking.

It takes about 10 minutes for the machine to travel up the tree and Niranjan says once the machine is improved by reducing the weight and with a higher power supply, it will be able travel up the tree much faster and will be able to complete the plucking in seconds.

This is Niranjan’s seventh invention and he hopes this machine would solve the problem faced by coconut cultivators as they find it difficult to find manpower for plucking. This is a universal problem faced by other coconut cultivating countries, he said.

Financial assistance for this machine was given by National Youth Services Council (NYSC) under the directives of Samurdhi Youth Affairs and Sports Minister, S. B. Dissanayake.

Niranjan who graduated from the University of Jayawardenapura with is a Physics degree, a Samurdhi animator at present.

Bridging the gender gap

By Lishanthi Siriwardena
Bridging the gender gap in education as well as the dysfunctionality of education was the main focus of the work- shop organised by the SAARC Federation of University Women (SAARFUW) held on the 23rd and 24th at SLIDA.

This workshop was held as an adjunct of the SAARCFUW general meeting in Colombo. Exchanging of ideas and information by members representing National Chapters of SAARCFUW, regarding gender parity and gender stereography especially in the education curricula in the SAARC countries — root causes and strategies for overcoming them — conspired at this workshop. The foundation, for a regional program to combat the factors that causes polarization in the education curriculum, was drafted at this meeting.

The members representing local chapters of SAARCFUW expressed concern and the need for rethinking to remove the myriad barriers preventing the overall development of women. A majority of women in South Asian countries still struggle to break free from traditional shackles that crush their aspirations, despite a dynamic minority who have blazed there way to recognition in every field traditionally denominated as male bastions.

Inequalities
A national action plan to quell inequalities that marginalise women in the education sector will be formulated by 1999, said Ms. Jesima Ismail, the outgoing President of SAARCFUW. Ms. Ismail said that the role of girls are still stereotyped in Sri Lanka the content of the syllabus should be developed with the aim of cultivating the totality of the girl child.

Dr. Sarus Bharati of the Indian Chapter of SAARCFUW said that the literacy rate of women in India is about 48%. Poverty and traditional beliefs are contributing factors although the traditional stereotype model of the Indian women is evolving towards greater equality, she said. However the ratio of Indian women pursuing professional studies in the institutions of higher studies races up to 60%, she said.

A part of this national plan is the quota system for women introduced to improve participation of women in the fields of administration and decision making.

Saleena Khalique, the newly elect president of SAARCFUW said that there are many loopholes in the education system in Bangladesh that creates a gender bias. Girls are unable to complete their education due to social constraints — the girls are pushed into marriage at the cost of their education, economic insecurity of girls also creates early drop-outs, she said. Among the perks for girls in the education system include free scholarships given in many rural schools to the only girl child of a family — a part of the national action plan for the advancement of women in Bangladesh. One of the aims of this national plan is to increase the literacy rate of women in the country to 50% by year 2000.

Ms. Rahimunmsa Azeez and Ms. Anwar Shafi representing the Pakistan chapter of SAARCFUW said the private sector and the NGOs including PFUW are initiating changes in the traditional education system due to their advocacy and lobbying role in helping go advance legislation and other mechanisms to promote the progress of women. They expressed concern over the old examination system in Pakistan that has to be changed. Pakistan girls also face many problems in pursuing an education with many children compelled to travel long distances to get to schools and parent still clinging on to the belief that educating boys is a better investment and the overall development of the girl child is overlooked in many cases.

Discrimination
Since its inception on 17th July 1995 National Chapters have raised strong voice against prevalent discrimination against women and efforts to quell handicaps and disadvantages suffered by womenfolk. The Sri Lanka chapter of SAARCFUW has commenced a counselling programme from July ’97 with the University of Colombo for a group of undergraduates to complement the learning process of the undergraduates to prepare them for post university life especially with regard to employment.

Apart from advocating equal rights for women in every sphere SAARCFUW members give priority to discussing core areas affecting society and human life — family planning, gender fair distribution of home chores, equality for the girl child — the woman to be, violence against girls and women especially during armed conflict. Gender partnership in all activities of the SAARCFUW to strengthen efforts nationally and regionally and to allay fears of it being a women stronghold.

Children
The workshop in Colombo would enhance the activities carried out by the national chapters for the benefit of underprivileged women and children. Some of the members play a frontline role acting as advisors to governments. Scholarships for undergraduates, seminars and workshops are organised at national level with the collaboration with other organisations to improve the lot of women. The commitments of each member would be reinvigorated and their knowledge enriched from sharing thoughts and first-hand information on the education system of each country. The deliberations of the SAARCFUW workshop held in Colombo will be forwarded for integration into national education agendas to improve on the dysfunctionality and gender parity of the education system.

People and Events
Impressions II

by Nan
We Sri Lankans are bomb-scared, bomb-conscious and sometimes get bombed from here to eternity. A parallel in the USA is court cases. For every imaginable reason - a crime or otherwise - legal hawks hover and cases go to courts. Zipper trouble leads to the courts; sexual harassment is a sure fire reason to seek prosecution; and now a teacher who led her class in prayer and was dismissed, is pressing for legal redress against the school authority and the Board of Education. It looks to me like it is more the lawyers that press, not the victims themselves.

Teachers who pray
Reading about Ms Rosario, a substitute public school teacher in the Bronx who led her sixth graders in prayer, asking "if anyone would like to accept Jesus as their Savior", brought to mind nutty teachers we've come across who were praised , not reprimanded.

My second son was in a seventh grade class where the teacher was weird. He'd start the day for the boys with prayers - prolonged chanting that took the entire first period, in front of an elaborate shrine he'd set up in the classroom. Taking flowers was mandatory and when it was my son's week I had to run to the florist, not having even greens growing in our flat.

I wonder now what the Christians did during the prayer sessions. Were they by chance made to feel second class as the Buddhist boys were gathered around the shrine? We parents spoke among ourselves disparagingly but never thought of lodging a protest with the teacher nor reporting him to the

headmaster. I suppose each of us were afraid to bell the cat in the sure knowledge that our offspring would be at the receiving end of the religious nut's abuse and cane.

A current case
Ms Rosario's case, according to the New York Times, is a cause celebre, gathering political interest and drawing the attention not only of parents and the church but even Newt Gingrich's and that of the conservative

Rutherford Institute which underwrote Paula Jones's suit against President Clinton and is offering to do the same for Ms Rosario.

Her dismissal was due to the fact that the Board of Education saw her action as a violation of the separation of church and state and schools being secular.

The prayer started soon after the principal of the school called over the intercom for a moment of silence in memory of a student who had drowned. A child had asked where the dead boy now was. The Pentecost, Ms Rosario, had replied that he was in heaven and gone on to explain what heaven was. This led to prayers and the calling for followers of Jesus.

Some parents defend the teacher, particularly since they point out the abuse that is prevalent in schools, the lower grades included - sexual, drug, alcohol and the offer of condoms and needles to students. Why not

prayers, for goodness sake? Others probably see the spectre of conversionand undue influence here, while the school authorities say they had found Ms Rosario unsatisfactory as a teacher. Hence the dismissal.

Too Censorious Too
America seems to go too far in censorship too. There are enough groups, lobbies and individuals to protest. For instance a still-in-production play "Corpus Christie" by Terrence McNally is being decried by a Catholic League for the play's gay Jesus. Black employees are perceived to be behind

the tearing down of an exhibit on slavery in the Library of Congress; so also the postponement of an exhibition on Freud, supposedly for budgetary reasons but really because of a campaign against it led by anti-Freudians such as Gloria Steinem.

And in the face of all this, Americans shout in protest about the derailment of the Kunque Opera Company's production of "The Peony Pavilion" at the Lincoln Center in July by the Cultural Commissar of Shanghai. The director of the opera - Chen-Shi-Zheng - an American citizen, is naturally perturbed. "It reminds me of the Cultural Revolution when things that have no relevance to artistic debate take over, like ideology and politics."

Atlanta - Big, Bold and 21st Century
A new release of "Gone with the Wind" - the original film starring Clarke Gable and Vivienne Leigh - is just out in the cinemas in the USA. Hence interest in Atlanta is renewed and justified.

Atlanta, according to a future architect studying there, is the city of the future, unlike say New York which leans back to history. Atlanta however is historic too - slavery, the Civil War, the preserved home of Margaret.

The University at Buffalo, School of Architecture and Planning, seeks nominations and applications for the position of Chairperson for the Department of Architecture.Atlanta also has, among many other greatnesses:

* CNN and Coca-Cola which make the city rich. The headquarters of the two giants are in midtown Atlanta

* a black mayor and as we all know hosted the 1996 Olympics which unfortunately was commercialized, shown up further by the specially graceful Winter Games in Japan.

* the biggest airport in the world. It actually has 40 airports, and is a hub for connections. Delta Airlines headquarters itself in Atlanta.

* culture - many museums, the most interesting of which are the Martin Luther King and Carter Museums.

* a colossal supermarket - "the largest , most sophisticated food hall in the world". Each day it receives three cargo planes of fresh products from Holland, four from Paris, two from SE Asia. So gourmets abound in this southern city.

* the Georgia Institute of Technology - the MIT of the South

Finally, "Atlanta does not have the classical symptoms of a city; it is not dense; it is a sparse, thin compact of habitation. Its strongest contextual givens are vegetal and infrastructure: forests and roads. Atlanta is not a city, it is a landscape."

Appreciation
Dudley Dissanayake

The news of the sudden death of Dudley Dissanayake on June 2 in Cambridge, UK was received with sorrow and shock by those who knew and loved him. Dudley was a gentleman, kind, cheerful, warm-hearted and young and we who knew him grieve for his young wife Visaka, whom he left so suddenly.

Dudley attended the kindergarten at Hillwood College and then went on to trinity where he was more involved in sports than in studies. He was cricket captain in '68 and also captained the second Rugby XV. He was a school prefect and an active member of the amateur Photography association - which helped him to develop photography as a career later on while in England.

From '83 to '86 Dudley was private secretary to his brother, Gamini Dissanayake, Minister of Mahaweli, Land and Land Development. This was the time of the commissioning of the Maduru Oya, Victoria, Kotmale and Randenigala. Dudley was closely involved in these events with his brother whom he greatly admired.

In the shadow of his illustrious brother he worked in a quiet way. He had empathy with the poor, finding jobs for them, giving them a patient hearing to their problems, always working in a silent way. It is no wonder one of the people who was present when his ashes were laid to rest said 'Some people are good, some are great, Dudley was not great but he was a good man.' He was never ostentatious and lived simply.

In 1982 he married Visaka, sister of one of his good friends, Ajith, whom he had known from his school days. Theirs was a happy marriage characterised by love and understanding. They moved to Cambridge where Dudley did a course of photography in the London School of Photography at Earl's Court. This led to the fulfilment of a career which began as a pastime when he was a boy.

His photos had a professional and artistic touch. He printed them and we treasured the picture postcards done by Dudley himself. Some of the unforgettable scenes are those of 'Punts on the River Cam,' 'Claire College,' 'Mathematical Bridge of Queen's College,' and the 'Bridge of Sighs of St. John's College.'

He also started a picture-framing studio where he maintained a high standard. Besides this he was an agent for Japanese-English Language students in Cambridge.

Many a PhD student from Sri Lanka was helped by him to find their way in Cambridge and they became his close friends. He had a subtle sense of humour and the ability to make people around him happy with his dry wit. This was what most of the students who were helped by him had to say when they heard of his sudden passing away.

At Cambridge Dudley played cricket for the Madingley Cricket Club and also tennis. He enjoyed this for sports was probably his greatest passion.

Even though for a short 16 years, Visaka and Dudley led a peaceful and contented married life helping each other. Besides love there was great companionship between them. This was evident to whoever stepped into their gracious and beautiful home. Dudley was a proud homemaker who enjoyed good living. His interest in art, sports, architecture and learning could be seen in his home.

He had ample time to read in depth world history and religion. As the years passed by he lived a life of religion and found and inner peace. Contributing to this peace was the garden created by them. Roses, delphiniums, lupins, poppies grew in profusion. They were all in bloom when I visited them nine months ago. I too found solace from all troubles while I was seated beneath the shady arbour of their garden.

Both of them had studied the fora in Britain. It was a pleasant experience to have them drive me around, pointing out the splendid trees around Cambridge.

And suddenly this gentle soul passed away like a candle blown in the wind. He was cremated in the presence of family and friends at the Cambridge crematorium. His ashes were interred in the Kotmale valley at Pahala Walauwe, Maswala on June 21.

Gently his ashes were laid to rest by his wife beside those of his beloved brother Gamini, on the banks of the Kotmale river, at the foot of the mist laden Kadadora mountains and lush green paddy fields in one of the most idyllic spots in Sri Lanka. Some words of psalm 23 rang in my ears:

'In pastures green He leadeth me,
he quiet waters by.'

Friends, relations and simple country folk had their own grieving thoughts as they laid red roses and carnations on this final resting place. And as the river flowed on he seemed to say:

'Peace I ask of thee O river
Peace, peace, peace.
When I live serenely
Cares will cease.
From the hills I gather courage,
Vision of the dawn to be,
Strength to seek and faith to follow,
All are given unto me.
Peace I ask of thee O river,
Peace, peace, peace.

Dear Dudley, may you rest in peace, free from the turmoil of a troubled world.

Aunty Lali
(Lalitha K. Witanachchi)

Jayah - a gentleman politician

It was on the 31st of May 1960 that Dr. Jayah passed away in Medina on the historic day of Eid ul Fitr. He served his country as an educationist, statesman and diplomat and was honoured with the conferment of the title National Hero of Sri Lanka.

In this short sketch of Dr. Jayah I wish to deal with such aspects of his personal life as are generally ignored by writers. His principal concern was for his community the concept of the abject state of the Muslim Community in Sri Lanka. He realised that the pace of education had to be accelerated if the Muslims were to progress.

Fortunately his position as Principal of Zahira College gave him access to Muslim businessmen who responded to his call for assistance in raising the level of education among the Muslims. Once he showed the Muslims that Muslims norms and customs would not in any way suffer with western education, the Muslims rallied round him. Hence he was able to establish not only Zahira College as a Grade 1 English school but also established grade 1 schools at Alutgama, Gampola, Matale, Puttalam and Slave island.

Leftists
He had a belief in the unity of mankind as set out in Islam and he did not accept any distinction between individuals on account of caste, creed, communal differences or even political ideologies. What he wanted was full co-operation from his staff. Thus he had violent leftists, strong right wing followers, teachers who did not belong to his political theories who were pulled up for their differences of opinion but who pulled their weight in sponsoring to the build up of the school. He was a strong supporter of Pakistan but he had on his staff strong Indian Congress supporters who opposed him in public. He had teachers who disagreed with him on various issues and openly expressed their views. But they had one thing in common — a determination to build up the school in every way they could. Their loyalty to the school was unquestioned.

He received from them a loyalty his successors never obtained from their staff. There were occasions when it was difficult to pay the teachers in time or fully. The teachers took it upon themselves to write to him and agree to accept in instalments so that the school could operate without a hitch.

Honourable
In the State Council days his talks on Indian labour resulted in rickshaw loads of materials being sent to his house. He had them all returned. When this was told to Sir John, later Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, he said "Jayah was an honourable man. Today if a politician is given any thing he would ask for more."

He was Cabinet Minister and mingled with Princes, Presidents, Prime Ministers but he never lost his touch as a human being. On one occasion in Colombo there was an Indian film he wanted to see. There were no prior bookings. A friend of mine and I advised him to remain in the car while we bought the tickets for him. "No", he said. "I will wait in the queue myself." The teacher was horrified to think of his standing there but we nevertheless stood in the queue with him.

Somebody in the crowd came to him and asked him for his lighted cigarette so that he could light his own. Dr. Jayah gave him his cigarette and when the man returned it he thanked him for it. The teacher was quite indignant. Dr. Jayah was well known enough for that man to know to whom he was talking. But Dr. Jayah was quite unflammoxed. "We are all human beings," he replied to the teacher. "There is no distinction between us."

A friend was kept back for dinner. As it was raining hard Dr. Jayah asked me if I could offer him a lift home. I agreed but when I was ready to go I found out that he too had dressed. I told him I would take him but he nevertheless accompanied us. He later told my wife that the weather was so bad that I would have been tempted to drop him at the most favourable bus halting place if I had been sent on the way alone.

SWRD
Neither rivalry nor political differences made any effect on him. When he was retired, Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike requested him to go on a project to Saudi Arabia to set up a pilgrims’ centre. When Sir Razik heard of it he pressed to be sent as leader. When he was asked by the Minister Dr. Jayah had no objection to going as second in command as what was important was the project and not the ramifications attached to it. To him the project was more important than the importance attaching to the person undertaking it.

In an appreciative article on Dr. Jayah in a Malay newsheet by Mr. M. A. Sourjah it was stated that a good many Malays believe that Dr. Jayah did not do as much for the Malays as for the Muslim community. The Malays must realise that they are safe and sound in Sri Lanka thanks to Dr. Jayah heading the Muslim votes for the freedom of Sri Lanka which was decided by his votes for freedom.

Had he, as a Malay voted against the need for freedom, one can then imagine what would have been the hatred of the rest of the country for the Malays , a national crisis with the Malays as victims. Little wonder that the leader of the party, Mr. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike highly commended Mr. Jayah for his statesman like action.

But the crowning glory of a beneficent and beneficial life was his funeral in Medina. The millions who came for Haj joined him in their prayers on festival day just as the millions in Pakistan and his fellow compatriots in Sri Lanka did in their own countries. He was buried in the area where the followers of the Holy Prophet were buried — a signal act of grace for a man who lived for his people.

E. Ahlip

The hot - springs of Kanniyar

By Cecil V. Wikramanayake
In recent times the famed hot-springs of Kanniyar, which had been a tourist attraction from the time the first tourist visited Trincomalee, have been in the news.

Not so much as a tourist trap but as rather a more gruesome one, for we have read in the newspapers that terrorists had been visiting this "haunt of devils" and had been playing the devil with innocent bathers.

Nearly a hundred years ago a young English subaltern stationed at Trincomalee, who was regarded as a bit of an eccentric because he showed a keen interest in the ancient history of this town and its folklore, wrote a description of what he called the "Hot wells of Konniar".

"There are seven wells" wrote the subaltern, whose name was P. H. Fawcett and who disappeared in 1925 somewhere in Brazil, "and they lie six miles within the forest, embowered in palms and fruit trees and carpetted with ferns.

"A small dagoba alongside nestles under an enormous banyan tree. A great saint is entombed on a neighbouring hill, and to the proximity of his remains is ascribed the curative property of the waters.

"More than one person has attributed to them his immunity from tropical fevers. A plentiful consumption of the water and an occasional dip in the hottest of the springs certainly does lend one a feeling of buoyancy.

"The springs vary in temperature, not only one from another, but from one day to the next.

"They say the place is haunted. Every Tuesday night a band of maidens, once dedicated to the ancient rites, bathes in them to the music of native instruments and the soft tinkling of bells. Whoever sees them will soon die, for which good reason no self-respectiing native ventures near the place after dark.

"Snakes, poisonous and harmless, abound there; for the springs make a tiny green oasis in a dense wilderness of dry strong forest. They are probably a deterrent as powerful as the ghostly maidens, even though in a land of dangerous snakes, familiarity with them tends to breed indifference."

Fawcett claims that he did what was considered sheer madness, and transgressed the awful laws of traditional behaviour by spending a Tuesday night at the hot wells, in the hope of seeing the beautiful maidens bathing -- even though it meant that he would die soon after.

Fawcett describes vividly what happened at the hot wells in these words. "The silence was utter, except for the bubble-bubble of the springs beneath the wall where I lay. And with that silence came the first qualms of dread.

"Was this to be the moment for the vision I had come to see? Was there really something standing behind me, watching me closely ?

"All of a sudden an insect struck up. Others followed suit, the frogs joined in, and in a moment the full orchestra was engaged in the second clamorous 'tutti'.

"My nervous tension relaxed and the feeling of being watched left me. By and by I became conscious of a growing drowsiness, and with it a not unpleasant feeling of expectancy. I fought to keep my eyes open and my mind alert. But it was of no avail.

"The song of the jungle took on the semblance of an exquisite unearthly music, accompanied, I can recall thinking, by a sweet tinkling as of silver bells.

"Eyelids half-opened by a tremendous effort of will left me with the impression that lights were flickering among the trees, as though a torchlight procession were approaching. And that impression was the last thing I remember -- that and the falling of another of those strange silences."

So Fawcett missed seeing the ghostly maidens performing their traditional dance among the hot springs.

"What had taken place at the wells?" he asks, after he had woken up to the chattering of a troop of brown monkeys. "Had I missed an interesting manifestation of other-worldly phenomena, or were my last semi-conscious impressions no more than imagination ? I should never know now. Perhaps it is just as well" he concludes.

This writer wonders whether anyone else, Sri Lankan or tourist has spent a Tuesday night at the hot springs of Kanniya. He did spend a night there, way back in 1946, but it was not a Tuesday night and he saw but little, being tired after a long cycling journey there from Batticaloa. It was a Sunday, and Sunday being a day of rest, he spent a very restful night, seeing nothing, hearing nothing.