 It was news to me! With no scientific background to speak of, I’d never heard the word `pheromones’ before and the introduction I had to Professor Neelakanthi Ekanayake-Gunawardena from my son who had met her in Australia, mentioned only that she had carried out some interesting research into chemical signals given out by insects. Unprepared as I was for the “unprofessor-like” appearance of the youthful, sweet-faced woman who greeted me I was fascinated by her explanation of the phenomenon of `pheromones’ .
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At the crack of dawn, dozens of men – young and old – roll on the ground outside this famous Hindu temple in northern Sri Lanka, reciting verses or just praying to the deities. Cries of ‘Haro Hara” or “Muruga” rend the air as the womenfolk go through the ritual of bowing, kneeling, before walking a few spaces to bow/kneel again outside the temple wall.
The 25-day annual Nallur festival is on and drawing crowds not only from all over Sri Lanka but the rest of the world, mainly Tamil expatriates and their families.
