The ponds of the lodge in April 2012

Preparations to feed 300+ guests for dinner on 30th March 2012

All hands on Deck! 20 helpers to cook for the night's guests


Oh What a sight?


The cooks surround the pot


What scrummy dish is that I see?


Akila and Issanka


Mahesh after a long drive the previous day coming to Ratmale only at 9.30pm in the cab.


As usual only imbibing and not working!


Pol Kiri for the curries


Cooking in progress





The pose


Fried fresh lake fish


Leela at work


Akila and Sagara pretending to work


Who is pouring the oil?


Women at work and the men at play


Pouring the coconut oil into the huge wok!


Tell me who bends down more than a cook in rural Sri Lanka


Cooks X 20!!


End of the cooking


Unloading stuff from the cab


At the well towards the evening


Clearing and cleaning at the well


Final supervision by Leela (Shashika's Mom)


Final Preparations for serving the dinner


Food Served on a Nelum Kolaya (Leaf of the water plant Nelum)


At nightfall with the reflections over the ponds

The Bon Fire from the beginning

Setting up the action stations

The Early part


The bulk of the work almost complete








Across the pond with the reflection



Another angle


Near the end but not quite, it went on till the early hours of dawn!

Meeting the main people from the Village

Two of the oldest UNP supporters of the area who came especially to greet DRW



DRW with Mr Liyanage and Mr Herath Hami Vidana Mahatthaya


DRW with Nisal and Mr Ranatunge a die hard UNPer

Scenes from the March 30th Party at the Lodge - dinner for 250 people

Meeting the crowd, mainly Youth of Minneriya


Nelum Kola for the serving sans plates


The Table from slices


Eating out by the pond


Comfortably on the mat


Singing and Dancing


Paduru Party



Reflection in the Night on the water in one of the ponds