World music strikes again!

I'm not going to lie, there are some things that I just can't appreciate, and I mean no offence to anybody, this is just my own shortcoming.  

I love photography, but dislike paintings. 

I love songs, but truly appreciate only a small handful of poems. 

I love world music, where I can't understand the lyrics, but have often looked up the overall meaning of the song. But I've found it difficult to stomach some languages and sounds, such as those from the far East and Germany.

But whatever sounds that do resonate with me, and sound pleasing to my ear, I will appreciate. And this is what I came across a couple of days ago in a short tiktok cooking video: 

Such a fun beat!

I have a feeling that I will have the lyrics committed to memory, even though I can't understand a single word of it. 

As usual this led me to look for more Tamil movie songs, and I came across this high-octane number: 

I can only imagine what it must've been like to be part of that audience. 

My poor child is going to do a Gonzo and stick two bananas in her ears, I'm sure **grin**. 

Being the queen of one-thing-leads-to-another, I remembered the fabulous drumming concert that was hosted by Musaeus College a few weeks ago, where one item brought in one of my favourite drums - the dhol. 

Which then led me to look up the Dhol Foundation, a British-Indian troupe that I was nuts about back in 2005 after seeing them perform at WOMAD Sri Lanka, at the Galleface Green. OMG what a show! 

If you were there on the last day of WOMAD, you may remember that the finale was a fusion of drum beats from most of the participating musicians of the whole event. There were the Singaporeans, the Burudians, the Indians, the Japanese, the Sri Lankans......and the impromptu result was magnificent. 

Which leads me to this notion that I explain to my daughter, time and time again, about the power of music. It's a universal language that can unite all manners of diversities across the globe. 

I love that modern pop music encapsulates many aspects of traditional music, such as their instruments, their styles, their voices, their costumes and their dances. At least for me, this leads to a voyage of discovery of the more fundamental roots of these cultures, which I find to be enlightening and enriching. 

World music has got to be the best genre out there! 

On the trail of Dutugemunu — 3 things to look out for at Dematamal Vihara

The backstory

Based on archeological evidence, the Dematamal Vihara is thought to predate the christian era, and is perhaps the oldest non-cave temple in the kingdom of Ruhuna. Prince Tissa sought refuge under the bed of the chief prelate at this temple after having lost the battle for the throne with his brother Prince Gemunu at Yudaganawa. 

The victorious prince had the temple surrounded , but didn’t touch his brother, but ridiculed him as he was carried away in the guise of a deceased monk from the premises.

Dematamal Vihara

This ancient temple is located in Buttala, in the district of Moneragala in eastern Sri Lanka. It is right by the side of the main Buttala-Okkampitiya road. It dates back to the 2 BC and is surrounded by lush paddy fields, which were originally 6 acres in extent. 

1. The stupa

The unplastered brick stupa is upon a platform that is 2.35m high. It is unusual to see a cheitya rise this much above the other buildings in a temple complex, but it is presumed that it was positioned thus so that it will be visible from afar in the completely flat environ that the temple is on. 

The stupa of the temple has been constructed on a raised platform, so that it will stand out in the surrounding flat plain.

2. Guardstone with two figures

The foundation and ruins of a small building is to be found in the paddy fields beyond the ancient chapter house. While the entrances of all ancient buildings in the country have guardstones placed on either side of the entrance, the guardstone to the left of the entrance to this structure is one of just 4 that have a female figure carved in to it, in addition to the usual male naga figure. The nagini stands to the right of the naga figure and is a few inches shorter than him. 

The remains of a building beyond the main temple, close to the paddy fields, where the rare guardstone with 2 figures is to be found. 

The Nagini on the left, and the Naga guard on the right. Only 4 such guardstones have been found in Sri Lanka.

3. The new chapter house

Only the tall foundation of the original chapter house remains to be seen today. It is believed that the infamous bed of the chief prelate of this temple where Prince Tissa hid underneath was to be found in this building. 
A new chapter house has been constructed upon this same stone foundation since then. But based on the pillars, statues and other stone items found there and in its vicinity, there is little doubt about the original structure that stood here. 

* Pictures © Radhika Wijesekera, 2018 (Buttala, Sri Lanka)

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#DematamalSeya #Buttala #DutuGemunu #Saddhatissa #SriLankanHistory #Moneragala #SriLanka 

The Enchanted Vehicles of the Wizarding World

RoyalMail recently issued a series of special stamps dedicated to the celebrated Harry Potter books. This is certainly not the first time that J.K. Rowling's magical world of wizards and muggles has been featured on postage. This series, however, caught my eye particularly since they feature the most memorable objects of the stories. 

Enter the Hogwarts Express, boarding from platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station (which was first immortalised by the Monopoly board game) in London; 

Hogwarts students were free to choose their prefered method via which to get to their magical school in the highlands of Scotland. While some chose to fly in on their broomsticks, others used carts and carriages. A few tried apparation, but this generally had disastrous effects given that the school is shrouded in anti-apparation charms. Then there were attempts at getting there using floo powder or via portkeys. The latter had resulted in as many as 30% of children not showing up, mainly because the children either couldn't locate them, or some unsuspecting muggle had walked off with them!

In the early 18th century, the strong willed Ottaline Gambol, the Minister for Magic at the time executed a daring plan to procure a gleaming red steam engine bearing number 5972 from "somewhere". Thanks 167 memory charms and the largest concealment charm ever performed on British soil, the Hogwarts Express made it's appearance in Hogsmead.

Coincidentally, perhaps, the Crewe railway workers appeared to have misplaced a train at the same time. 

Though many a parent had initially showed skeptisism regarding traditional muggle transportation for their children, these concerns were quickly laid to rest when the Ministry declared that the children rode the train, or didn't go to school at all. 

Arthur Weasley's Ford Anglia 

A faithful worker at the Ministry of Magic, Arthur Weasley loved the curious items produced by muggles. He often took them and performed unauthorised magic upon them. The flying Ford Anglia was one of these; the use of which went comically wrong when three of his sons decided to drive/fly it to school! 

Bearing licence plate number 7990 TD, the light blue Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe was produced in the Ford factory in UK in 1962. But when it ended up with Mr. Weasley, he performed a number of enchantments upon it, including giving it the ability to fly, making it invicible to muggles and making it spacious enough to accomodate his entire family in spite of it's modest size as seen from the outside. 

The last time that this car was in the news, it had been driven erratically by his son Ron and ended up getting a thrashing from the Whomping Willow in the grounds ajoining Hogwarts Castle. While the wizards landed in all manners of trouble, the tree and the car remained in surprisingly good condition after the collission. 

The Knight Bus

How nice to have obstacles jumping out of the way of a vehicle. The triple decker Knight bus, is a modified, purple hued AEC Regent III RT bus which was the standard busses one found on the streets of London in the 1950s and 1960s. This particular vehicle though was manufactured in 1865. 

The Knight Bus, which plows the street at alarming speeds, provides transport for standard witches and wizards. Stan Shunpike explains the Knight Bus to Harry when he first encounters it, and tells him that muggles can not see the bus, because they "Never notice nuffink, they don". 

I couldn't help but draw parallels between this bus and the tuktuks of Sri Lanka which somehow manage to squeeze their way in between any two vehicles that are on the road. The bus comes out unscathed, and continues thundering along the streets of England. (I certainly can't always say the same for the tuktuks though!)

Hagrid's Motorbike

It would just not be right if Rubeus Hagrid didn't have something extraordinary in his possession, and his enchanted motorbike is one which Royal Mail thought fit to immortalise in a stamp. 

This bike is modelled after the British-made classic, the 1959 Triumpt T120 Bonneville. Originally owned by Sirius Black, the bike makes its first appearence in book 1. Harry's godfather lent it to Hagrid to help transport Harry to Privet Drive, where he is delivered to the Dursleys. 

The 2nd time the bike appears is in the last book, where Harry rides in the sidecar in an attempt to escape an ambush as he leaves the house on Privet Drive for the last time. By this time, the bike had received some modifications from Aurthur Weasley. 

In real life, the side car comes from Watsonian Squire, a company that has been manufacturing them since 1912 and maintains the classic vibe, which is clearly needed for the Harry Potter movies. 

** All stamps and photographs used in this post are part of the author's personal collection. 

References : 

Wizarding World

National Motor Museum

Harry Potter Wiki 

Motorious

The Ganesh Himal Mountain Range

Rising up to the heavens, paying homage to the elephant headed Hindu diety, the Ganesh Himal mountain range makes up part of the mighty Himalayas. Along with Sagarmatha (the Sanskrit name of Mt. Everest) which dominates the entire world at 8848m, many of the peaks in the Himalayan range rise above 8000m. 

While also an impressive range, the Ganesh Himal range in comparison has no specific touristic appeal, and are not often climbed. It has four peaks that rise above 7000m. The tallest of these is the Ganesh I (or Yangra Kangri), at 7424m. This Napalese stamp issued in 1979 depicts the Ganesh IV (Mount Pabil) which is 7102m high. 

Pabil is the 69th highest mountain in Nepal and the 64th most important. This is out of a total of 866 peaks in the country. The southern face of this mountain reminds one of an elephant, with a ridge that resembles a pachyderm's trunk, which perhaps was the inspiration for the name of the entire mountain range.

The Ganesh Himal range lies on the border between Nepal and China, approximately 75km north-northwest of Kathmandu, and can be seen from the Nepalese capital city. 

NB : The Nepalese currency is the Rupee, which is divided in to 100 Paisa. 

** All stamps and photographs used in this post are part of the author's personal collection.

References : 

Wikipedia

Peakvisor.com

3 Little Known Gemstones found in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is renown for the sheer length and breadth of gem stones found there. While the stunning Blue Sapphire reigns supreme among the precious stones in this country, there are a large number of stunning semi-precious stones in Sri Lankan soil too. 

The following rare and lesser known stones were recently celebrated in a series of stamps issued in 2021.

Taaffeite

Taaffeite is considered to be one of the rarest gemstone minerals in the world. It was named after the Austrian gemmolosit Richard Taaffe, who came across it as a cut and polished stone in Dublin, in 1945. This is also considered the first gem to be initially identified from an already faceted stone. Previous versions of the gem have been mistaken for spinel, which is very similar in its chemical composition. 

Subsequent chemical and x-ray analysis confirmed that the main components of taaffeite are beryllium (also found in emeralds and aquamarines), magnesium and aluminium. 

There tends to be confusion between spinel and taaffeite due to it's structural similarities. However, unlike spinel, taaffeite can be distinguished based on it's double refraction property. 

This is an extremely rare mineral, and is found in alluvial (a type of soil which consists of earth and sand left behind upon a land where once a river flowed) deposits in Sri Lanka and Tanzania. A lower grade taaffeite is found in limestone sediments in China. 

Taaffeite can be pink, mauve or lilac, or be a reddish or brownish transparent. It also occurs as colourless, purple, greenish, violet or bluish. Because of its distinction as being one of the rarest minerals on earth, taaffeite is used exclusively in the gem industry. 

Spinel

Spinel is also found in the gemstone bearing gravel in Sri Lanka as well as in Myanmar, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kenya and Tanzania. The composition of this gem is Magnesium and Aluminium. They occur in a wide variety of colours, but usually in shades of red, lavender, blue, green, brown or yellow. Many spinels from Sri Lanka are black, but the rare cobaltian variety is unique to the island. 

The 500 carat Samarian spinel is the largest ever found, while two spinels, the Black Prince's Ruby and the Timur Ruby are both part of the British Crown Jewels. 

Spinels have been used in jewellry for many centuries, often having been mistaken as corundums, especially rubies. Yet they remain popular for the same purpose today, given their strength and suitability for most settings and their comparatively lower cost. 

Sinhalite

Sinhalite was first found in Sri Lanka in 1952 and was named after the sanskrit name of the island. They are considered to be a rather rare gems, often found as small rough stones in Tanzania, Myanmar and Madagascar. 

Curiously though, sinhalites in Sri Lanka are found in rough pebble form and are often quite large, at 100 carats or more. The largest known sinhalite was found in Sri Lanka and it clocks in at 252 carats. 

These stones take on yellowish, yellow-brown, dark brown, greenish-brown, light pink and brownish-pink hues. It shares chemical similarities with peridot, chrysoberyl and zircon and is often mistaken for these stones. 

Due to it's rarity, Sinhalites are also mainly used in jewellery manufacturing. 

Topaz and Zircon are other semi precious stones that are frequently found in Sri Lanka, but these can hardly be called elusive. 

** All stamps and photographs used in this post are part of this author's personal collection.

References: 

International Gem Society

Jewels For Me

Wikipedia

The Elusive Snow Leopard

The beautiful Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) lives in 12 countries that reach across the mountains of Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. Of the estimated 4500 - 7000 Snow Leopards found in the world, more than 60% is to be found in China. Mongolia has the second largest population of these elusive big cats. Mongolia issued a series of stamps celebrating the Snow Leopard in 1985. 

Adult Snow Leopards grow to around 2m in length, including its long, fluffy tail and just under 1m in height at the shoulder. They weigh between 23 - 41kg and live in very cold, snowy and rocky mountainous terrain, in elevations of 1800 - 2500m. 

Snow leopards have the densest and longest fur of all the big cats. Their long tails store a hearty layer of fat, and help in maintaining their balance when walking or climbing along the edges of rock faces. The dense fur on these tails also help the cats to keep their faces warm when bedding down. 

Similar to their more colourful Leopard cousins, the Snow Leopard too is also a solitary animal who only gets together with another during the mating season. Adult females give birth to 2 - 4 cubs, and take care of them for almost 2 years, at which time, they part ways forever. In the wild, they live for up to 18 years, and significantly longer when in captivity. 

These elusive cats have been listed on the IUCN red list as "vulnerable". Along with the loss of its natural habitat, they are often found to attack livestock such as Sheep and Yak, many Snow Leopards end up being the victims of the herdsman's spear. They are also poached for their skins and for their body parts which are used in various countries for supposed medicinal purposes. 

However, all countries in which the Snow Leopard lives have granted them the highest levels of security from poaching and killing. Regardless, Human/Leopard conflict remains rampant, and the species is still not out of the woods from its endangered status.   

** All stamps and photographs used in this post are part of this author's personal collection. 

References

https://panthera.org/cat/snow-leopard

https://www.britannica.com/animal/snow-leopard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard

https://ptes.org/grants/worldwide-projects/snow-leopards-mongolia/#:~:text=Mongolia%20is%20home%20to%20the,becoming%20increasingly%20shared%20with%20humans.

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/facts-about-snow-leopards/

The 4468 Mallard

The 4468 Mallard is an A4 steam locomotive built in 1938. With it's sleek, streamlined design which was very different to the engines built before, it was used primarily for the transport of express long-haul passengers at very high speeds along the east coast mainline, between Edinburgh and London's Kings Cross Station. 

The trains on the British rails were generally restricted to a speed of 90mph. But in July of 1938, the Mallard broke the land speed record for steam locomotives by clocking in at 126mph. This plaque is to be found on the side of the engine, and was fitted after the end of World War II.

84 years later, this record is yet to be broken. 

The Mallard locomotive and it's tender are 70ft long, and weighs 165T. It's painted in garter blue and has red wheels with steel rims. However, during the war, the engine was painted black. 

The engine burns 1T of coal at all times and has a water capacity of 5,000 gallons. The train's boiler is 6.5ft in diameter. The steam guage can measure a maximum pressure of 300lbs/sq. in., but at its optimum, the driver should maintain a pressure of around 250lbs/sq. in. in order to enjoy the maximum amount of power. The Mallard's tender can carry almost 8T of coal. 

True to the British quirkiness surrounding their tea, there is a small shelf right over the door to the firebox where the driver keeps oil, ensuring that the oil stays warm; along with a small caddy of tea, which also stays hot throughout the journey. 

At the point of it's retirement from service in April 1963, it had covered almost 1.5 million miles. After complete restoration at the Doncaster Works, the Mallard is now on display at the National Railway Museum in York. 

And finally, why "Mallard"? There are several British locomotives named after birds. These include the Osprey, the Golden Eagle, the Peragrine, the Kingfisher, the Falcon and the Merlin. When Sir Nigel Gresley designed this engine, he lived in a property that had a moat around it, which was frequented by ducks. 

It was also probably meant to suggest its ability to travel swiftly through the air. 

The Mallard has been celebrated in several British postage stamps over the years, given its iconic standing in the history of railways. This stamp was issued in 1988, and is one of 4 stamps which made up a series on transport and communication in the UK. 

** All stamps and photographs used in this post are part of this author's personal collection. 

References : 

https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYwFavyERsI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4_4468_Mallard