Dragonflies and Butterflies

We at Jetwing Eco Holidays, are always finding ways and means to keep you entertained and to give you the best experiences possible. We are very proud to say during these hard times our guides/naturalist have spent their lockdown period in a more productive way in trying to be more closer to nature and its surroundings.

The best example would be our guide Suchiththra Hettiarachchi

                                             

Living in the Minuwangoda palawatta area he has converted his backyard to attract butterflies and Dragonflies, he had been landscaping and doing the necessary changes for a couple of month now, but this lockdown period had given him more time and opportunity to invest on this beautiful project. His main goal is to make his backyard a place for observing and identifying butterflies and dragon flies to our dear guests. Being a passionate nature and wildlife lover he believes that it is a way of giving back to nature. Suchithra is a pro at birding and wildlife, he has always had a good rapport with our guests by going the extra mile to spot bird and wildlife species, not just to make the guest feel happy but also to give them memorable experiences to take back home. His undying knowledge and passion about Dragonflies and butterflies have made him upgrade his home backyard into a memorizing place for these species. 

A walk with a leopard

It was my recent visit to the beautiful Wilpattu National Park which lies on the West Coast and is mainly a thick secondary forest. We started our journey to the park around 06.00 hrs. The morning hours seemed to be quiet and calm. We were travelling between Maradanmaduwa and Walaswala area on the main road. My only desire was to look for a leopard in this morning light. But I couldn’t complain as the first sighting was a big sloth bear, a very rare sighting early in moning. He was on the move searching for some insects for his breakfast very close to the road.  The jeep driver stopped, so I took a few captures and then moved forward. We had spent a good few hours by now trying to spot a leopard and the anxiety was building in me like no other. Along the way, with my eyes wide open and giving good ear we managed to spot a few pugmarks but no leopard sightings were to be seen. There had been a leopard close to the road, but unfortunately, he had escaped to the jungle very quickly. 

Right after our lunch, we decided to explore the Kokkariya road in search of the big leopard named ‘Nelumwila Superstar’. During the past few months, he had been mating with another beautiful leopard named ‘Cleopatra’ and another one named ‘Kuruttupandi’ female. Our jeep driver was very slow as we were moving forward down the road. At this time we were the only jeep on this route. As we took a big bend it was a mesmerizing sight as we found the beautiful and big ‘Nelumwila’ male walking towards us. We suddenly stopped the jeep as the Leopard was making the scent marks of his territory. He walked more than 800 meters along the road with us. At this moment there was no other jeep and I started to press my shutter button continuously to capture this beautiful moment; the one I was waiting for from the time I entered the park today. The Leopard walked 30-40 minutes with us before he bid farewell to us by escaping to the thick jungle. 

After this, we were really lucky to spot another wonderful sighting of Cleopatra. She is known to be one of the girlfriends of Nelumwila Male. She was quite quick as she crossed the road and walked into the jungle giving me yet again some beautiful photographs.

This game drive was a memorable one for me and it holds a special place in my heart. The experience of walking alongside a leopard for a long time without any disturbance had truly a stroke of luck behind it.

Vesak Festival

Vesak is celebrated once a year and is one of the most important days among the Theravada Buddhists. A religious festival where devotees commemorate the three glorious milestones of the life of Gautama Buddha, which are believed to have happened on a Vesak Full Moon Poya day - the birth of Gautama Buddha as Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who renounced all worldly pleasures to seek the true meaning of life; his enlightenment, ending his search and becoming the Buddha or the enlightened one; and his passing away into nirvana, thus ending samsara (the cycle of rebirth). The event is observed on the full-moon day of the lunar month Vesakha, which falls in April or May. This year, it falls on Thursday the 7th of May.

Vesak is significant in the modern-day as it reminds all Buddhists of the importance of the life of the Buddha. While it is a time of festivity, it is also a time for reflection. An opportunity to ruminate on the knowledge and insight Lord Buddha believed to have gained on the night of his enlightenment. Reflecting on his teachings with reverence, such as the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the Five Precepts.

The day is marked by special devotional services and numerous endeavours intended to be meritorious, such as the presentation of alms to monks or the release of captive birds. Many Buddhists will visit temples to take part in chanting and meditation, bring offerings to the temple and take part in colossal dansal stalls to share food with people. 

Families decorate their homes with lanterns, take part in processions, and wear special white clothes to mark the occasion. Temples and streets are adorned with vibrant pandols portraying the countless Jathaka stories (tales of Gautama Buddha’s past lives) and melodious bakthi gee (carols) sung venerating Lord Buddha. 

The light and wisdom that radiated beneath the legendary Bodhi Tree at Buddha Gaya over 2500 years ago, is now of utmost significance to human life. It illuminated the path by which mankind could cross, from a world of fallacy, abhorrence, and fear, to a new world of light, of true love and contentment.