The Vesak I didn't experience

This year I missed out on VESAK ! No its not cause I wasn;t in the country, I was in Colombo all throughout but I was busy with manythings going on that I didnt take the time to expereince Vesak and leverage on it for personal growth. Since I missed out this year but wanted to refresh the experience I want to share with you a post I had made back in 2004 ...

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Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Vesak

Just felt like shring my wonderful experiences of vesak. I came home after seeing vesak at 3:00am Wed. Let me share with u, how I spent my vesak eve.

On the 3rd night we were building lanterns at AIESEC house. Ruwan, Nelum, Dommy, Azusa, Shan, Kapila, Michal, and Mirka were there for it. We made a latern together ...( Dommy made one which I'm not sure could be classified as a lantern ;) ) We left that night agreeing to meet next day to go see/experience vesak.

Vesak day...I left home around 5:00pm and it takes 1 hour to get to AIESEC office form my place. During this hour sitting in the bus I enjoyed very specail moments of vesak.

There were lot of different types of "Dansal" ( stands giving out free things for people during vesak) out of which the "Ice Creame Dansala" in my town was the favourite for me.

The next thing to notice were the ppl coming into Colombo ...youths on bicycles, villagers/familes in vans/hired busses/ back of lorrys. All coming in to Colombo from far away.

As I was passig the Prison it was the exact moment the prisoners who were pardoned for VESAK were being let out. Their families were outside waiting to meet them.

Having got to the office we got together and put the finishing touches to our lantern, hanged it in the balcony and lit it up. Also we lit lamps on the balcony.

Next was going out to see Vesak...

Participants:Dommy, Nelum, Kapila, Marinanne, Azusa, Ruwan, Tomi, Fred, Michal, Indeewara and me :)

First stop...HSBC Bambalapitiya...employees of HSBC had gotten together with children from Orphanages and the Childerns ward at the Cancer hospital to make lanterns and a competition was takng place at this branch.

Next we were walking along Bauddhaloka Mawatha enjoying seeing Vesak Lanterns of all colours and sizes. Each different from the other and mande with patiance and hard work. ( also met two company Managers...one form SLT and the other one from IDM nad made it easier for me by not having to visit them seperately)

After coming to the end of this near the cemetary we decided to lave dinner at a "Dansala", a one giving away rice. So Azusa, Dommy, Shan. Nemul, Kapila, Indeewara, Ruwan were there waiting for 1-1.5 hours in line to get our chance to sit down and eat. Finally had dinner there around 11:45-12:00.

Next plan to go to Town Hall...so we head that way but rain stars again as we go looking at more lanterns on the road side. We wait for it to die down but then when it doesn't seem to we start moving under umbrellas. We dont get far as its too much rain and we have to wait as at a temple entrance out of th rain.

After the rain dies down we walk to Town Hall stopping fora cuppa Tea on the way. Around 2:00am we get on to busses with most ppl going to Kirullapone but Indeewara and I going to Fort to catch a bus home.

Posted at 02:02 pm by suchith
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