Mysterious Sri Lanka

The astrobiologist has claimed that fossil diatoms found in a meteorite are proof of alien life.Chandra Wickramasinghe is director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham and along with astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle developed the concept of "panspermia", the theory that life is distributed throughout the cosmos on asteroids, comets and other bodies. In this case his team is said to have discovered tiny fossils inside a carbonaceous meteoritethat represent evidence of extraterrestrial life.The claim inevitably sounds too good to be true and that"s because some of Wickramasinghe"s previous claims have been highly controversial.

"Wickramasinghe jumps on everything, with little or no evidence, and says it"s from outer space, so I think there"s a case to be made for a bias on his part," said astronomer Phil Plait. To date his claims of alien fossils within the meteorite have yet to independently corroborated. If a group of scientists are correct, tinyfossils uncovered inside a meteorite found in Sri Lanka in December are proof of extraterrestrial life.  

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UFO sightings have been reported from various parts of Sri Lanka over the years. Hundreds of people have seen UFO phenomena over Sri Lanka according to professor Chandana Jayaratne of the University of Colombo who has investigated some cases of UFO. Some predict that the Extra Terrestrials could either be on the lookout for technology that was used to construct sacred buildings or may be an attempt to locate the "Vishva Yathura" (Key to the Universe)! The UFO analysts believe that UFO lights that moves two feet off the ground could be an alien probe. "They could be doing a research," he says. "Extra Terrestrials may be seeking the 'Key' to the 'Star Gate' and thereby activate a system of travel that transcends conventional space travel to reach another galaxy."

UFOs reports from Sri Lanka: (Sunday Observer, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on June 16, 2002, by Umangi de Mel) Could the strange blue ball of light, speeding at just 2 feet above the ground near the ancient, sacred cliff of Dimbulagala, have been an alien space probe seeking the mysteries of our ancients? Sanjaya Bandara, a UFO expert claims that the "strange blue light" that has been sighted in Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura during the past few weeks, could be a probe craft of an extra terrestrial space ship. The particular "blue light" was sighted for the first time in the seed farm in Polonnaruwa on May 13, around 11.30 pm. It has also later appeared in the Anuradhapura district. "It took me three days to get this thing on video tape and when I finally did, it was around Dimbulagala, the same stretch where it was first seen," says Gamini Obeysekara, Polonnaruwa correspondent of Rupavahini. "It was about 3km away from me," he says. However, this "UFO" sighting has still not been confirmed, even though many predictions were being made. "Members of the Sri Lanka UFO Research Association will proceed to Polonnaruwa to get an on-the report on Saturday as 95% of the sightings could be fabrications," says Chandana Jayaratne, Senior lecturer in the Physics department, University of Colombo...

Archaeological Survey of Ceylon North-Central and Central Provinces. Annual Report 1901 by H. C. P. Bell C.C.S. ,Archaeological Commissioner Ordered by his excellency the Governor to be Printed. Colombo: LIII - 1907 CEYLON. Printed by H. C. Cottle, Government Printer, Ceylon

The Site of the Sakwala Chakraya on the bund of Tisavewa in Anuradhapura, Lanka. Text on this page extracted from an original copy of Annual Report. The photographs were taken when I visited the site in 1991, and again in November 1995. The site is unmarked and unknown to most tourist guides. Maybe it should remain that way until properly protected. Cave No 2 lies beneath the west face of the penultimate rock forming its back and roof and floor. It was entered by a few steps leading down from the rock ridge. A worn, and hardly recognizable asanaya of bricks rests against the rock at back. To the left (north) of this seat, or alter, is cut shallowly on the steeply projecting rock face a great chakra, or circle 6 ft in diameter, scored by rectangular divisions containing figures (mostly small circles), the whole girt, as a tyred wheel, by a band on which is displayed variant piscine and crustacean life swimming round from right to left.

The centre of the chakra is filled by a large circle comprising seven concentric rings, within a square 1 ft 2 in., to which cross lines are drawn vertically and horizontally from the encircling hand, cutting the chakra into quadrants. Further, parallel lines divide the circles vertically into ten strips, or slices, varying in width from 3 in. to 9 in., but matching to left and right of the central vertical line. All strips but the outer two are bisected by the horizontal base line and subdivided into dual or quadripartite partitions The outermost strips, unbisected, contain a single small circle, quadrisected by cross lines, and a figure of phallic suggestion. In each of the penultimate divisions right and left is a tiny circle in line with the horizontal bisection of the chakra, but nothing else. In the third pair are shown four more quadrisected circles, two and two, one in each of the upper and lower partitions left and right. The fourth strip to right contains four more such circles, bigger, and each in a separate partition. But that to left has compressed its circles into a quadripartite panel below the horizontal base line; leaving the upper panel free for four distinct diagrams - second seven.ringed circle (differing only in size from its larger counterpart in the centre of the chakra), beneath which are two umbrella~like emblems, and a pinnated three.forked figure -the whole interwined by a fret. Each of the eight divisions of the fifth strips, which meet as one broad band, above and below the concentric ringed circle on either side of the central vertical line of the chakra holds one of the small circles with cross lines ; the two left upper partitions containing also a square and a wavy diagonal line. Outside all these divisions is the 4 in tyre or band bounding the chakra...

I watch two elderly gentlemen in a sparring contest. The now famous state­ment "He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee" made about leg­endary boxer Mohammed Ali in Johnny Wakelins hit single in the 70's 'Black Superman' rings in my head. I continue to watch the two sixty something men, each dressed in a white padded skinny and traditional 'Diya Katchiya', as they size the other up; floating like butterflies. I wait for the sting...it comes...so sudden that it takes me by surprise. One throws a quick punch. The other gracefully avoids it and entangles his adversary's hand in a lock, wraps his other arm around the assailant's neck and wrestles him down to submission. The two men then get up and smile at me. I have just been witness to the oldest and probably the only form of authentic Sri Lankan martial art: Angampora.

The two men giving the demonstration are two old hands at the sport. They are master Karunapala, who runs a school for Angampora in Mirihana and Rienzie Wickremasinghe. They both have practised and taught this ancient art for over five decades, and are determined to ensure that it does not die out or is subject to distortion in anyway. Both also hold the title of 'Panikkirala', the highest grade in Angampora, equivalent to the black belt in karate. Where did this art originate? What are the fundamental principles its practi­tioners follow? What future does it have? With these questions in mind Sports Weekly inquired about the masters and practi­tioners of this ancient and elusive art. The findings amazed us.

Its History: The exact date of the origin of Angampora is not known. What is known however is that it dates back to the Anuradhapura era to the times of the ancient Sinhala kingdoms. In those days it was the fighting technique of the noblemen. Legend has it that the army that came under the command of Sapumal Kumaraya comprised fighters skilled in this martial art. Angampora continued with the Sinhala kings with the transition of the kingdoms towards the southwest of the country. However, with each new king emerged new gurus and as a result the pedigree of the gurus of Angampora got diluted...