The View From Arthur's Seat

Not the one in Edinburgh, obviously, but the one in Kandy, I'd like to think named by a homesick Scottish colonialist.

The golden-roofed building to the right is The Temple of the Sacred Tooth, one of the most important temples in Buddhism, apparently. It houses the only remaining tooth of Buddha, rescued from his funeral pyre and brought to Sri Lanka for safe-keeping from India centuries ago. Apart from a period when it was returned to India and a spell in the hands of the British, it has been housed in grand temples in whichever city has been capital of Sri Lanka over the years. As it was here when Sri Lanka became a republic this is where it will stay.

We witnessed the very colourful ceremony I the temple this morning where a procession of monks enter the inner sanctum where the Toothis kept and receive offerings of food and flowers from a long line of people, many of whom have travelled a great distance to catch a glimpse of the casket and pay their respects.

As always, the temple is marvellous in its rich decorations.

By way of contrast, on the left you can see the traditional British church built by colonists aching for a slice of home.

We took a wander round the impressive Botanical gardens, home to fruit bats, monkeys and a very long and fast-moving snake which sought shelter in a small tree right next to us from the attentions of a stray dog. We moved fairly rapidly too!

A pre-dinner G & T is now beckoning seductively.

Thanks again for yesterday's comments.