The Ceylon Times: July 2019

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Polhena Beach

District:- Matara
Typical Weather:- Warm & Sunny
Best time to visit:- March to October
Distance From Airport :- 192 Km (4.45 hour drive)
Distance From Colombo :- 162 Km (4 hour drive)

Polhena beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka. Naturally, grown coral reef softens the peak waves so that it is safe to swim in this area throughout the year. There is great thing about it is that any person can easily swim through the area as the sea water is fenced with the corals. A hotspot for colorful fishes around the reef. Located just about 2 Km away from the city center of Matara.

Polhena Beach in Matara is also a great honeymoon location as there are many amazing areas and places to visit that are very romantic due to their classic look and feel. Another great feature is that the Nilwala River flows through the city and directly then falls into the sea at the place of Totamuna.

There is another beautiful island named as the Crow Island that is directly in front of the Polhena Beach in Matara. It also adds to the aesthetic appeal of the place as it is beautifully located and gives a spectacular look to the visitors who are fantasized by the beauty of this place. The greenery and beautiful trees enhance and overall appeal of the area.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Moon Landing 50th Anniversary

50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Mission type:- Crewed lunar landing
Mission duration:- 8 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds
Operator:- NASA

We are proudly celebrating Apollo 11's 50th anniversary.....

(Left to right: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin)

50 years ago, the first humans stepped on the moon.
Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins blasted away from Earth on a Saturn V rocket on July 16, 1969. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin set foot on the moon, the first humans to do so. The three returned to Earth on July 24.

(Documenting the small steps of Apollo 11 astronauts, Buzz Aldrin took these photographs of his boot print. )

(The Apollo 17 Command Module America, which carried the last human crew to the moon, is on display at Space Center Houston in Houston. It will celebrate the Apollo program July 16-24.(Space Center Houston)

Celebrations of the 50th anniversary are planned throughout the West, many spanning July 16-24. Whether you remember that day or have experienced it only through videos and stories, it truly was “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Fifty years ago astronauts walked on the moon for the first time. Apollo 11’s success just 66 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight showcased humankind’s moxie and ingenuity.

50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Thursday, July 11, 2019

World Population day

Date:- July 11
Frequency:- annual

World Population day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989.

World Population Day, which seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, was established by the then-Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, an outgrowth of the interest generated by the Day of Five Billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.

At the time of the first World Population Day, about 5.25 billion people trod the Earth. Now, about 7.7 billion of us share the globe, and the number is expected to increase to 8.5 billion by 2030. By 2100, it is projected that the population will be above 11 billion, more than double the population on the first World Population Day 30 years ago.

This year's World Population Day calls for global attention to the unfinished business of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. Twenty-five years have passed since that landmark conference, where 179 governments recognized that reproductive health and gender equality are essential for achieving sustainable development.

To identify the countries with the fastest growing populations, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the 2018 World Population Data Sheet produced by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB).

Today’s largest countries in population – China, India, and the United States – are expected to remain among the most populous, though their growth rates are not among the fastest. According to data recently released by the population data-gathering organization Population Reference Bureau, that distinction belongs to 20 countries in Africa and Asia, where populations have surged in recent years. The rapid population growth is expected to continue into 2050, fueled by increased life expectancy and declining mortality and high fertility rates associated with a largely youthful – and booming – population.

See Also

List of countries by population

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Esala Festival in Sri Lanka

Importance of the Esala Festival in Sri Lanka

The noteworthy events connected with this day include the night in which the bodhisattva was conceived in the womb of his mother Queen Maha Maya and later she gave birth to Prince Siddhartha who went on to attain Enlightenment and become the Buddha.

Suddhodana Shakya King’s, wife Queen Mahamaya the womb to conceive Gautama Buddha

It was on a esala Full Moon day that Prince Siddhartha, at the age of 29, renounced his royal title along with his luxurious lifestyle and left his father's palace seeking truth and searching for a means to end universal suffering.

Prince Siddhartha left from the palace.

It is the day that Prince Siddhartha renounced lay life in search of 'truth' and also the birth of Prince Rahula. After Englightnment, the Buddha preached his first sermon, the Dhammachakkappavattana Sutta, to the five ascetics at the 'Deer Park' near Benares on such a day.

Conducting the first sermon after enlightenment by the Gautama Buddha.

The other factors of the Esala Full Moon Poya Day.

Conducting the twin miracle, tree root at Gandamba, to control Theerthaka.
Went to the Thawthisa heaven and conducting Wijam Bana to Maathru god.
Three months after the Buddha’s death, conducting a first Dharma Sangayana at Rajagahanuwara Wehara rock mountain, with contribution of Ajasath king, By Mahakashyapa arahath and 500 of arahath monks.
In BC 847 at Kithsiri Mewan Kings period, early first ceremony held to display tooth relic of buddha, brought from Kalinga country by Hemamala princes and Dantha prince.
By King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe, get Upali thera and other monks from Siam country, held a higher ordination in Sri Lanka first time.
Kataragama, Devinuwara, Kandy, Ratnapura, Ambekke, Alutnuwara Bellanwila, holding processions.

Esala Poya also signals the commencement of the 'Vas' retreat for monks.

Sri Lanka is normally held in the month of July/August. During this time many religious festivals and celebrations are held in different parts of the island. Specifically for the Esala Festival, colorful processions are taken out for several nights in Kandy, Kataragama, Kotte, Ratnapura, Ambekke, Alutnuwara, Bellanwila and Devinuvara.

The finest and most famous is the Esala Perahera, held at Kandy over the 10 days leading up to the Esala Poya day (late July or early August). The sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha carried at the head of an enormous procession which winds its way round and round the city by night.

The perahera becomes gradually longer and more lavish over the 10 days of the festival, until by the final night it has swollen to include a cast of hundreds of elephants and thousands of dancers, drummers, fire-eaters, acrobats and many others.

Kuda Dunhinda Ella Water Fall

Height:- (6m / 19.6ft)
Watercourse:- Badulu Oya
Location:- Badulla
Province:-Uva
Address: Dunhida Water Falls Access Road

Kuda Dunhinda water fall is the lower part of the popular Dunhinda Falls. You will pass this fall on the trek to the Dunhinda. Badulla town pass 3.5 km further down the Mahiyangana-Badulla Road. From the last point you need to walk approximately 1.2 km’s through a mountainous track to reach the Main Dunhinda waterfall.

The Kuda Dunhinda Ella Fall can be seen about ½ way down this track. This is a safe and frequently used path due to the popularity of the fall.

Kuda Dunhinda Ella Water Fall

Development of the Palali Airport as an International Airport

Palali airport development to spur tourism in North-East.

The North East will receive a tremendous economic and tourism boost with the proposed development of the Palali airport, Jaffna.

CONSTRUCTION COSTING :- Rs. 20 BILIION
TO BEGIN AT YEAR END
(Direct flights to India, Australia, Japan, Middle-East and Europe)

The Sri Lanka Government plans to develop the Palali airport in Jaffna as an international airport at a cost of Rs.20 billion and the construction work is to begin at the end of this year.

The length of the Palali runway is to be expanded to 3,500 metres and it will have the capability to handle large passenger aircraft such as Airbus A320.

The strategically located Palali airport when developed will be capable of handling direct flights to countries like India, Australia, China, Japan, Middle-East and several European nations.

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Devil Flower

Tacca chantrieri | Bat Flower | Cats Whiskers | Devil Flower | Yaka Mal

Tacca chantrieri is one of the strangest plants on the planet. Its dark purple blossoms are a foot across, with winged petals and long stamens that dangle a couple of feet.

National Museum of Colombo

National Museum of Colombo, Sti Lanka.

National Museum of Colombo

National Museum of Colombo, also known as the Sri Lanka National Museum is one of two museums in Colombo. It is the largest museum in Sri Lanka. It is maintained by the Department of National Museum of the central government.

Address:- Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 07

Opened:- January 1, 1877
Hours:
Open :- 9.00 AM Closes 5.00 PM

Phone:- 0112 695 366

Founder:- William Henry Gregory (British Governor of Ceylon 1872–1877)

Sculpture of the Buddha located at the entrance of the museum.

Museum in 1896

Monday, July 1, 2019

Kadupul Flower

Kadupul Flowers - Epiphyllum oxypetalum

Most beautiful & rare flower in Sri Lanka, which is white-yellow colored and grows to about 10 to 30 cm in diameter with emanating pleasant fragrance. Kadupul flower plant is a Species of cactus family and its scientific name is Epiphyllum oxypetalum. Although It is a terrestrial plants, it may be grow with clinging on trees as a epiphytic but absolutely not a parasite Plants are well growth in Sri Lanka, India and South American countries.

It is commonly in Sri Lanka tropical rain forests and now grows as an ornamentation plant in gardens. Flower has different names in different countries Queen of the night, Flower from the Moon, are some of those. Sri Lanka called as Kadupul Mal or Flower from the Heaven and India called as Brahma Kamal.

Flower start blooming during 7 pm to 11 pm and continue its blooming about two hours. Almost all the buds are completely bloom when the midnight In between this process flower emits sweet fragrance to surrounding area and soon after its full bloom start to fade and completely wilt before the dawn. Flowers bloom monthly approximately full moon days and can be bloom about 100 flowers per one shrubs.

There are two kind of Kadupul in Sri Lanka

1. Epiphyllum hookeri / Thin Petals

Thin petals Kadupul Flower

2. Epiphyllum oxypetalum / Broad petals

Broad petals Kadupul Flower

What is the reason of kadupul flower is most expensive?

Conjecture is these flowers are only blossoms at night and wither in soon after the blossomed. Therefore it is difficult to plucked and bring to the flower shop so anyone cant buy this flowers even most people cannot be get experiential beauty and perfume of the flowers.