A Visit to Diya Bubula – Home of Laki Senanayake – July 19th 2016

My personal favorite, just something else - what expressions! strides! brilliant!

Esala Poya 2016

I had the good fortune to visit Diya Bubula, as Gihan Jayawardene, a friend who lives overseas, in Sweden now, Kenya then, and Ethiopia next was visiting his good friend Laki at his home. I got two for the price of one, as Gihan’s brother Moin who lives in New York was also visiting and though I had much about him, had never met him prior to today.

To round off the coincidences, I spoke with another friend Dr Hemal Fernando the previous day, and he said he was trying to contact Moin, but the phone numbers he had were not working, and so I gave Gihan’s number, and he was able to make contact, as Moin was leaving the following day. 

When I was on FB at 4am in Ratmale, to avail myself of the low rates before 8am on data packages, Sundari(Hemal’s wife who is in South Pasadena, California) came on line asking me what I was doing at that early  hour. So when I told her I get up early not to miss the birds singing in the forest as I was in the middle of the forest sleeping outside on the Verandah, I happen to mention I was going to Diya Bubula to meet Gihan, and so she said Moin was also there!

Later when I spoke to Moin about it, he said obviously others know his whereabouts which even he seems confused about!

                                                A view of one water villa from another

So much for coincidences, I took a few photos of the place for the pleasure of my readers and for my future recollections. I hope you like them.

Of course Laki is known to our family, being a good friend of Uncle Arj’s and Aunty Sally’s from back then! He was charming and was looking through his binoculars when I went up to the deck where he was seated. So one photo of the Cormorant on the sculpture was of him looking through the binocs, and see what you see.

He has been there since 1971 developing it through the ages, with the natural spring, DIYA BUBULA which gives the title to his place, still oozing water and cascading down from layer to layer giving it the ambience of water and forest and the natural world and the art and sculpture intertwined with various villas dotted here and there.

I began my work in progress in 2006 so I have another 30 years to develop this!

Here are a few links for the reader about Laki Senanayake and not at all exhaustive, and if interested there are a lot me on the Internet to find. A truly accomplished man.

http://laki-art.net/

http://threeblindmen.photoshelter.com/gallery/Sri-Lanka-Diyabubula-Laki-Senanayakes-Country-home/G0000tyT7KXGt1m0

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110612/Plus/plus_11.html

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/090628/Magazine/sundaytimesmagazine_00.html

http://artra.lk/laki-senanayake-an-artist-with-a-soulful-presence/

http://www.thearchitect.lk/2009/10/laki-senanayake-a-master-of-many-trades/

http://www.diyabubula.com/english/index.html

                             Laki - In animated conversation with Gihan