30 December 2006

08 Sri Lanka

Every year, with students of my class (Asian Architecture, which I co-teach with Aj. Wonchai) we will have a trip together in Asia. Last year, we went to Angkor Wat. This year (2006) the students chose to go to Sri Lanka. We were there in early May: the weather was perfect. :)

A market a long the West Coast of Sri Lanka where we stopped for a break.








People in Sri Lanka are very religious. They seem to be Buddhist in a real sense...The flowers they offer to Buddha could tell.



We were they a few days before Visaka Bhusha Day, which is the day when Buddha was born, enlighted and died. People were busy preparing lanterns to be lit on the night (we left before then). These are one of very very interesing, simple, light structure they use for lanterns.



Another very cute thing: in Sri Lanka, people would send each other a card on Visaka Bhusha Day, not New Year's, not X'Mas, not Valentine's. being a Buddhist, I am a bit ashamed of not being so aware of the day at all. The colorful flag is the flag of Buddha - I just learned that there too. :O



Some Buddha images in a small famous cave (I forgot the name).



A roof of a small temple in Kandy. Very cute tile pattern - how come I have never thought of such a simple thing!



Besides all these traditional architecture and life, we were there to see some of the works of the father of modern architecture of Sri Lanka, Geoffrey Bawa. (Here is the link: http://www.geoffreybawa.com/geoffreybawa.html) The construction and materials are very simple, but very strong.

His first hotel:





Light House Hotel, one of this masterpieces.





Other nice architectural details:











1 comment:

arc said...

I might be very late in replying to this post..but only accidentally I came to this site...the budhist festival ur talking about is actually called "Vesak Festival" which commemorates the Birth, Attaining budhdha hood and Death of Buddha.
and the "small famous cave" is actually the "Rangiri Dambulu Cave"
Im a buddhist as well as an Architect here in Sri Lanka. :)