A trip to Sri Pada

Winner:

It was on a holiday in January that we went on a trip to Sri Pada. We left home in a private coach and picked up the other family members on the way.

We were very happy. Our elders started their political discussions while we played games. We danced, sang and quarrelled. There were seven brothers and sisters in all. We enjoyed a lot.

We reached the Siddhalepa Rest in Gangulathanna at about 8.00 p.m. We heard the devotees chanting "Sumana Saman devi pihitai", invoking the blessings of God Saman. We were feeling cold,so we put on our jersies and started to climb.

Our Lokuthatha (father's elder brother) was the Nade gura. He advised us, the Kirikodu (first timers) to be very careful when climbing. He gave us very tasty, hot aggala.

As we climbed higher and higher it became colder. When we grew tired, we rested for a while and started again.

The devotees were very kind and helpful. We reached the top even before our elders. We were extremely happy. We worshipped the Sri Patula. We were lucky to see the ira sevaya (sunrise) .

It was a breathtaking scenic view. We saw the bright red Sun like a glowing ball of fire. It was a magnificent sight. The pilgrims believe that the Sun worships the Sri Patula everyday before it goes down.

I will never forget this spectacular sight.When we started our downward climb we were very tired. We came to the rest and had our breakfast. After resting for some time we began our return journey again. This was an unforgettable trip.

Anuda Pallegama,
Grade 5 C,
Lyceum International School,
Gampaha.

Vesak festival

Winner:

Vesak is the most important festival for Buddhists. It is held in the month of May every year. It marks three important events in the life of the Buddha. They are the Birth of Prince Siddhartha, Enlightenment of the Buddha and Parinibbana.As Buddhists we observe Sil on Vesak Poya Day. We also listen to sermons and other religious talks.

We decorate our houses with Vesak lanterns and other colourful decorations. We also illuminate our house with coloured bulbs and light many lamps on that day.

Pandals are erected at many public places. They display the various incidents in the life of the Buddha. We go on pilgrimages to sacred places. All these acts purify our thoughts. Special religious programmes are also organised by Buddhist associations. Vesak lantern competitions and dansals are held on this day in many places.

Let's live happily in peace and harmony on this important day and always.

K.M. Saranga Dilhan,
Grade 9,
Mo\Mahanama National College,
Moneragala.

Namal Uyana a treasure to the nation

Winner:

During the April holidays, my family and I went to Namal Uyana. It is situated close to Dambulla in the Anuradhapura district. It is important environmentally and geologically.

It has hundreds of iron-wood (Na) trees and that is the reason the place is called "Namal Uyana".

When it is the blossoming season, the trees are covered with iron-wood flowers and they give out a sweet fragrance.

The na or ironwood trees at Namal Uyana had been planted hundreds of years ago.The largest South Asian rose quartz mountains are also situated in this beautiful Uyana.

History says that Emperor Sha Jahan of India used stones from these mountains to build the famous Taj Mahal.

When we climbed to the top of the mountains, we could see three water tanks and one of these tanks is the Ibbankatuwa tank.The Namal Uyana forest is rich in endemic trees, animals, birds, fish and reptiles.

Ruins of an ancient temple too can be seen at this place.

In this enchanting forest, a spring that never runs dry is located attracting many people.

Viharadhipathi,Ven.Vanavasi Rahula Thera is the caretaker of this precious land.

I was very fortunate to be able to talk with the Ven. Thera.

I am very thankful to the Ven. Thera for his great deed in preserving this nature's wonder for the future generations.

Bhagya Pandathakoralge,
St. Bridget's Convent,
Colombo 7.

Value of sports

Winner:

Every child likes to play. Not only the able bodied, but also the differently abled people are fond of sports.

Sports play an important role in every child’s life. It is said that a healthy mind can be found only in a healthy body.

Sports develops not only the child’s physical faculties, but also his mental faculties.There are various kinds of sports in our country. Some of them are cricket, volleyball, football, netball, rugger, elle, tennis, badminton and hockey. Among them, cricket is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka. Our national sport is volleyball.

Rasika Bandara Ranaweera,
Grade 10 - A,
Beralapanathara N.M.V., Matara.
 

Music, a pleasant form of entertainment

Winner:

The world of music is very close to us. We get entertainment from music from the day we first see the light in this world. Music has a strong impact on our lives; it can make us feel happy and relaxed.

There are many types of music in the world. Some of them are classical pop, hip-hop, opera and jazz. Many Sri Lankans like classical music. There are a number of great musicians in our country such as Pandit W.D.Amaradeva and Victor Ratnayake. Premasiri Kemadasa who is no more with us was also a great musician who was dedicated to developing music in our country. There are also modern singers such as Iraj, Prihan, Bhathiya and Santhush. Most of the young generation in Sri Lanka like these modern singers.Our neighbour, India also has a rich history of music. Some of the musical greats are Pt. V.N. Bhathkande, Amir Kushru, Latha Mangeshkar and Ravishankar. The violin, serpina, flute, sitar and mandolin are some of the instruments that are used in classical music.

I like Western music. Westlife and Back Street Boys are my favourite musical bands. The King of Pop, Michael Jackson was a great singer in the world. Among his songs “Heal the world” is a very popular song. I like it very much. The piano, organ, melodica, drums and guitar are some of the musical instruments that are used in Western music.

My favourite aesthetic subject is music. I like to play the violin. I like to listen to songs of Westlife and Back Street Boys when I am free . Listening to a song or playing a musical instrument is a good way to relax. It can also help us to do our studies well.

Music is a great form of entertainment and also very easy way to relax in this high-stressed modern world.

Madhusha Karunarathne,
Grade 10,
Mahamaya College,Kandy.

Where there’s a will ...

Why do most people think that they are not fortunate in life when they cannot achieve anything? When they want to do something important they are afraid to venture into it because they don’t have the experience. As the job may need hard work and time, they feel they are unable to do it. It need not be so.

When we want to achieve something and cannot do so, we must not give up. We must look for alternate ways to achieve it.

We must read books giving information about what we want to do and also discuss it with people who know about it.

We must work with dedication to reach our goals. Then we can be satisfied. Therefore, when doing any work we have to start it with a positive attitude, not a negative one.

We must identify the faults or weak points first in order to get the best benefits out of what we plan to do.

We could achieve anything with only one ingredient, that is the will. If we have faith in our willpower we can achieve a lot.

We must remember how the work seemed hard and we felt discouraged, but didn’t give up on it when we first attempted something. It was our will to perform the work that made us gather more knowledge and use it to find a new way to solve the problems and reach our goals.

If we look back at great inventions we would learn how the pioneers of these invention went ahead with an iron will. In the modern world too there are many such examples, which proves that if there is a will, there is a way, for anything.

Husna Reyhan,
Grade - 7A
Republican International School,
Nuwara Eliya.

[Your Poems]

After the war...

No battles
No weapons
No laments
There is joy
There is cheer
There’s an innocent smile
In every face
Let’s save our motherland
Let’s bring prosperity
To our land

B.Y.B. Imaya Kavindi,
Grade 10 - C, MR/,
Beralapanathara Nawodya M.V., Beralapanathara.

My little Kitty

I have a little kitten
I feed him all day long
I gave him a box to sleep
Putting in a piece of cloth
He slept all night, softly
In his cosy little bed
It makes me so happy
Because I love my pet

Inuri Rathnayake,
Grade 5-A,
Musaeus College, Colombo.