A Segue to Ceylon, continued

While I was in Colombo, Columbo died. Peter Falk, the actor who played Columbo on a long-running American TV series, died of natural causes. But despite the death of their namesake, the residents of this city appeared to stoically go on with their lives as usual, not betraying any sense of grief or loss.

Actually the city of Columbo itself was a fairly upbeat place. The streets were surprisingly fairly clean and well-organized in much of the city, and there were ample sidewalks most places I went (often a luxury in India). But overall, there was nothing strikingly different in Colombo than in a random Indian city. There were still large crowds of people, who looked like they could be South Indians. Still there were trains and buses filled to the brim. Even the food, Roti and Dosa, was similar to the food I gotten to know quite well during my stay in Karnataka.

I started to become curious as to exactly what were the differences between India and Sri Lanka. I found part of the answer at a dusty but comfortable hotel overlooking a beautiful Colombo beach in a place called Mt. Lavinia. After negotiating a good price (1300 Sri Lankan rupees, or about $12 a night), Mr. Ashok, the hotel manager, and I began to have a conversation about Sri Lankan and Indian cultures. "India is our brother," Mr. Ashok said with a smile, as he poured me some of the local coconut Arak (many Sri Lankans I spoke to seemed to have a similar attitude toward their neighbor). Mr. Ashok told me that one of the key differences in Sri Lanka might be the fading away of the caste system and arranged marriages. In India, the vast majority of marriages are arranged marriages, with members of the same caste . Mr. Ashok explained to me that a generation ago, the situation had been similar in Sri Lanka, but among the new generation most people opted for love marriage. Mr. Ashok was a member of the majority Sinha population, and like most Sinhas, was Buddhist. I asked him if it was common for Sinha Buddhists to marry Hindus. He said it was increasingly so as well, and introduced me to one of his two assistants, Krishna, who was a Tamil Hindu. Krishna had married a Sinha Buddhist, and told me that his parents had come to accept this relationship. Perhaps subjective intepretations such as those of Mr. Ashok should not be given too much weight, but Mr. Ashok seemed quite well-informed, and I also noticed as I walked down the streets that there were many young women wearing skirts, not so common in South India.

My stay in Sri Lanka was a short one, so that was about as far as my inquiries into culture could go. It also meant that what I could see of the country was limited. Everyone I talked to had a long list of recommendations for places that I should see in the country, but I only managed to see a good deal of Colombo and the coastal city of Hikkaduwa. To anyone who has the chance, I would definitely recommend a visit to this island. I think there is always something enchanting about visiting lush tropical islands, and Sri Lanka doesn't disappoint.