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Kataragama – a model of religious diversity-By Siri Ipalawatte – Canberra The Kataragama Shrine. (Picture courtesy Infolankahttps://infolanka.lk/en_US/kataragama/) Source:Island The first time I visited Kataragama, 55 years ago, I was a Uni student: I rode there on my brand-new Vespa scooter, with a pillion rider, a friend, at night. The funnel of light thrown by the scooter’s headlight reduced the darkness created by the night sky on the deserted spooky road. With the wild thorny shrub on both sides of the road, driving down in this part of the country was a dangerous experience. The feeling of awe eroded a fair bit; however, the Kataragama Deviyo was known to bless new vehicles, so it was a tradition to make the auspicious trip here. We were there before midnight and managed to log a couple hours of sleep while involuntarily feeding ravenous bed bugs in a run-down circuit bungalow owned by the ...