Where are we today? Sri Lanka

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Today, we took a Tuk Tuk tour of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The process of connecting with our pre-arranged guide was chaotic, but we finally connected amid the tumult of traffic and hordes of freelanceTuk Tuk operators . 🛺  

Our first stop was the Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka, also known as the Wolvendaal Church. It was completed in 1757, when Sri Lanka was governed by the Dutch. At that time, it was in a wilderness outside the city, and tunnels were built from the port to the church building. The governors were buried in the floor, similar to the tombs in Westminster Abbey, and those who died of a historic plague in Sri Lanka were marked by a skull and crossbones on their stones. The church building is still in use. 



We stopped outside of a red and white mosque. The red symbolizes the inside of a pomegranate.



We stopped by a Hindu Temple, 🛕 






People were worshipping within. There is an ancient temple and a newer temple side by side. The temple is dedicated to the gods Shiva and Ganesh from the Hindu pantheon. 

In Yogic culture, Shiva is worshipped as the destroyer as a way of annihilating yourself so that the atman within can unite with the Brahmin/Atman. Hindus largely believe Shiva was the first teacher of yoga. 

We visited a Buddhist temple. 


I was surprised to see this statue of Ganesha, the elephant headed idol. I think of him as a Hindu concept.  It turns out though that some Buddhists and Jains also show devotion to Ganesha. Sri Lankans believe that Buddha visited their island country and traveled around on an elephant. 




Every temple or mosque we have toured (And some churches in Europe), requires that both men and women cover shoulders and knees. Most also require that you remove your shoes. No one seems to complain. Is it only Americans who get in a huff about being asked to dress respectively? On the other hand, some Jainist monks aren’t allowed to wear clothes at all, which I imagine is why Jainism hasn't caught on in the US. :)
Here's a picture of our Tuk Tuk guide and driver, Sham and Giyan. They treated us to the juice from Sri Lanka's "pink" King Coconuts and red-skinned bananas.  Both fruits were good.  Sri Lankans generally drink the liquid from one of the coconuts every day to stay hydrated in the tropic heat.


Loving this verse today:  "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5

Love to all!


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