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Colourful blossoms for the Gods The scenic Muriyakulama Wewa in Puttalam dotted with blooming water lilies is a sight to behold.
Planted years ago by Jayaweera Gamage, Transport Board bus conductor, they have become a source of income for people in the area.
The vividly coloured lilies have become a lucrative business and are brought by flower sellers to sell at the Ruwanweli Maha Seya and Sri Maha Bodhi.
People earn their daily living by selling flowers to devotees and pilgrims who throng to worship at religious sites.
The few lily plants that have been planted in the Muriyakulama tank 21 years ago have added nearly Rs100,000 a year to the Muriyakulama Farmers’ Association.
Mr Gamage, who was the Superintendent of the Puttalam SLTB Depot at the time, said: “When I was working as a conductor in 1998, I planted a few red lilies and today it is filled with flowers. Seeing the flowers offered by the devotees gives me a sense of happiness as a mark of respect to the Buddha.
Chanaka Sandaruwan, a florist, used to pluck flowers with the help of tubes at the risk of drowning. “ I sold them to people living around the temple who in turn sold them to the devotees who came to worship in the temple. The red lilies are rare so there is a high demand in the market. Even though we sell flowers for a living, we hope we also acquire some merit.”
“It’s not easy to pluck flowers from lakes. I’ve been doing this job for more than 10 years at great risk. But life with flowers can also be a wonderful experience,” he added.