Nadee Art Centre in Dehiattakandiya presents a visual art exhibition of local artists

Nadee Art Centre, Dehiattakandiya. The newest art gallery in the island

I experienced one of the finest moments in my life last morning at the Art Gallery run by the Nadee Art Centre, Dehiattakandiya which presents the work of local artists. Undoubtedly it is the newest art gallery in the island. I travelled from Girandurukotte toward Dehiattakandiya and then took the turn to Lihiniyagama. When Anoli first told me about the gallery, I could not visualise it properly though I understood the concept. Interesting enough, the gallery was about to open an exhibition of visual art by local artists. The opening was scheduled to take place at around 12:00pm yesterday (Saturday). I found this quite strange and inquired as to why at this time. The answer I received was quite practical. That most people come by foot, others by bus (which comes once in a blue moon) or by bicycle. After 6 or 7 in the evening there are no buses running at all. Walking or going on a bicycle at this time would not be safe as there were no street lights and you could also encounter wild animals. Hence openings happen in broad day light !!! Invitees have got to wait under trees to escape from the sun which batters with no mercy, till the ribbon across the gallery door is cut. However, there were no complaints about the heat. Everybody seemed to have accepted it quite happily and enthusiastically. Seeing the work of their mates was more important, I guess. They offered kurumba (baby coconuts) and plain tea as refreshments. I was privileged to meet the artists and school kids who had gathered for the opening.


Interior


View from the entrance to the premises




Gallery garden



Backyard


Gallery kitchen

Mahaweli Development Centre - Girandurukotte

Nice cozy place. Good food. I had a very good night's sleep.

Day and Beyond opens on 22 May

        Image (above)  by Sisira Gintotage

        Image (above)  by Sisira Gintotage

        Image (above)  by Sisira Gintotage

 

Sea turtle hatchery at Habaraduwa

Where have all the sea turtles gone? They all are in 8 ' x 6 ' tanks !!!!!!

Kanneliya forest

The entire forest of Kanneliya is spread out over 10139.3 hectares. The forest complex occupies the interfluves between two rivers - the Gin Ganga and the Nilvala Ganga, which consists of a series of ridges and valleys and an elevation ranging from 60-425M above mean sea level. The mean monthly temperature is around 27 degrees Celsius with a diurnal range of 4-5 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature has been recorded during mid May, while the annual rainfall in Kanneliya is around 3750 mm. The Kanneliya forest as a whole is amongst the most important natural forests in the Southern Province because of its role in protecting the head waters of the Gin and Nilvala, which is critically important for the socio-economic development in Galle and Matara districts. Floristically, this region is identified as one of the richest areas in South Asia. There is a high proportion of endemism among the identified woody plants, with 159 species belonging to 94 genera and 41 families being endemic to Sri Lanka. Some 220 faunal species with 41 endemics have been recorded from the KDN (Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya) and adjacent forests. Majority of the 20 endemic birds in Sri Lanka are restricted to the rain forests of the Southwest. Large numbers of medicinal plants are also found in the KDN forest complex. Some of these plants are • Weniwelgata – Concinium fenestratum • Kudahedaya – Lycopodium Squarrosum • Maha hedaya – Lycopodium phlegmaria • Kothala Himbutu – Salacia reticulate • Rasakinda – Tinopora cordifolia

Courtesy : http://www.globosapiens.net/nishantha-travelogue/Udugama.html

Note by Jagath Dheerasekara : Statistics of this write up are subject to verification by independent sources of experts.