Water, the elixir of life

by Siripathy Jayamaha

Water is life. From the beginning of time water has been the most loving child bequeathed to man, all other living creatures and mother earth. Water could be fresh, brackish marine and also in any other forms. But I think that of all these waters, the most closest and blessed of waters is in the water bag inside our sweet mother's wherein we cosily rollicked for nearly 260 odd days before our entry into this turbulent world.

Sri Pada

Next comes fresh water. It can abide in nature's own receptacles such as the mighty Victoria Lake, the great lakes in the North American continent. Lake Baikal in the Siberian snow clad regions and as icebergs, glaciers, snow, wells and rain. It is only water that caress mother earth from the top of Everest to the depths of the pacific ocean. It makes man's spirits to soar when gazing of water in the form of waterfalls and springs. The snow on the Himalayas range of mountains is the beginning of the rivers such as Yamuna, Ganga and Brahamaputhra. The waters of these rivers give sustenance, mobility and spiritual happiness to millions. In our own little isle, most of the rivers commence their journey as little drops of water from near the sacred Mountain – Sri Pada.

Fauna and flora

Can we forget the fauna and flora living in our waters. The exotic multicoloured breathtakingly designed corals, the vegetation and the soothingly beautiful marine life, in our oceans. The crabs, prawns and mangroves in our brackish-water lagoons. Also, the freshwater dwelling ‘getakimbula, freshwater prawn and the mighty African hippopotamus, along with the aquatic invertebrates make our hearts to soar. Man can go on and on looking at these wonders of nature abiding in water.

Water above 100 Celsius is converted to steam. All our bygone railway locomotives and ships used steam for their locomotion. Even our power station by the Kelani River uses water to produce steam which turns the turbines at the Kelani Tissa Thermal Power Station. Water at 100 Celsius gives us the essence of the beverages of kings and the king beverages, our anytime, any place cup of Ceylon tea. Distilled water is an absolute necessity in medical science. Also in accumulator batteries.

Celestial role

In our blessed land water has played a celestial role in binding our people. The water of the Menik Ganga at Kataragama make all ethnic groups to dip themselves in togetherness while paying homage to the faiths in which they believe. Seetha Gangula where the serene Maskeli Oya refreshes many who are on their way or on their return from the Holy Mountain. Water becomes a lovely plasterer of love at the Thirukeswaran Tank during the mahasivarathri festival, the bathing facilities at the Madhu Church, the wells at St. Anne's Church, Talawila and the mighty Nuwara Wewa at Anuradhapura.

Water, Jataya Thanni comprises two parts of a sweet light gas hydrogen and one part of the life sustaining oxygen. Yes, H2o is the most blessed combination of the elements known to man, that quench a thirty world.

Poetry

The word cooperation and solidarity will lose their meanings but for water. It cooperates with us in giving us untold joy. Even in poetry. “The Brook” by Lord Alfred Tennyson. For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever” - “Little drops of water make the mighty Ocean, and S.T. Coledridge's “Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink” says the Ancient mariner marooned in the sea.

Water makes our hearts to leap at seeing little birds frolicking in tiny pools made by rain water.

Water and history go hand in hand. Water has cooperated with the ingenuity of man in producing hydropower.

As much as our gentle water is used in washing a new born babe, it is this very wonderful gift which is used in washing the remains of a mortal who has gone to eternal rest.

Water is a must in the construction of the so-called wonders of the world. Much water and also sweat, tears and blood may have flowed when building the pyramids of Egypt, the lovely Taj Mahal with its ponds in Agra, the Great Wall of China. Water to wash the blood of the unfortunate humans and animals butchered in the arena of the Collesium of Rome. They all vied for the crown “The wonder of the world No.I in the recently carried out SMS farce.

Our ancient kings left us water. It surpasses all wonders and “dayadayas” ever gifted to mankind by his own kind. Water that belongs to the past, the present and the future. We can see in our minds eye how those monarchs would have watched in raptures to see their subjects bathing, irrigating, washing and drinking a heavenly gift of water.

A sagacious king decreed that no drop of water should empty into the sea without it being harnessed for man's use. Here we look back with sadness when a righteous king took some water from a ‘Wewa’ he had constructed and told one of his sons that the wealth he had for him was water. This act of benevolence caused the son to commit patricide, water cooperated with Lanka.

In 2006, history repeated itself, when the same life giving water flowed through the sluices at Mavilaru into the embrace of a portion of our mother Lanka parched for water and peace, and again into beautiful history.

Peace

This glistening sheet of water was to be the precursor of an operation that made water to wash away the 30 year travail of blood, sweat and tears of many a Sri Lankan. Water was our hero that cascaded as glistening droplets of never ending peace.

A group of Japanese academicians had told my friend while in a hotel at Anuradhapura, “We have seen the wonderful irrigation tanks done by your ancient Kings. We think it could be the greatest wonder of the world with those canals and sluices. Please remember, we had only sand (silica) and water as raw materials in making our world class vehicles. Your country too has water. Nature and the royal water tanks. Conserve it. When the world cries for water. Only our country Nihon and your little country will be there to help the world. Look after it – It is more valuable than gold and all the lovely gems under the earth.

What a beautiful compliment. Very prophetic. But also frightening. Water is the most endearing commodity that so aesthetically cooperates with nature and all living beings to live on this planet.