The Cart | 5% to SL Charity
Have you ever ridden on a bullock cart? I haven't. It is hard even to see a cart unless it is put on to the show in some public place. However, I captured one today at Ambalangoda town on the Colombo - Galle main street.
The cart was as it was in years back where carts were very common. I guess. 🙄 It had a shelter made with cadjan. The bullock cart had two white bulls and they had jingles around their neck. That was the signal of it as we have horns in today's vehicle. The bullock cart driver was very matched to the cart and had traditional look with a thalappa on his head.
Other than kids and some other people who looked at it like a never-seen thing, street dogs barked at it while running around. They may bark to its jingle sound or to two bulls. No one cared, neither driver nor bulls. They went on their way. I somehow managed to have a photograph without interrupting them or the driver's thoughts.
Before that, we saw carts daily while travelling to my Grade 1-5 school, Devananda College. At that time, there was a place near the post office where carts were halted. People used them to carry goods to their places from town. Even at that time, there were some tractors too. With time, tractors took the place of carts and carts disappeared. Even after that, there was a cart that was used to transport kerosene. Now I did not see that for years.
After coming back home, we told that to others. Then my father started storytime. He described their travels by a cart to have baths in the nearby river and sometimes to old Hikkaduwa town. Then he told us how to drive a cart. That cart own one of their friend's family who had a copra (coppara in Sinhala) business in their house. They have used that cart to bring coconut.
When the load is too much, the bull had not moved. Then they had to give a push from the back of the cart. He said that some bulls only take orders from their master's voice. And that bull who was owned by my father's friend surrendered to everyone. He called it an innocent bull.
One day that had faced with a cart accident. The cart had turned and hit the ground. 🙊 When they going to a bath, they had used to feed the bull until they were having the bath. He said, "no need for petrol, so it is easy and cheap."
Though I am not like to use another animal for our works, bulls and people have had a strong bond for centuries. It can be traced back to the time of civilization. Some religions treat them as holy things. Bulls helped people for their cultivations and other works and people treated them as much as possible. Now, we can not see that strong bond between those two parties, yet this scenery took me back to a time that I haven't even lived. 💖
Even I have seen carts several of times in Ambalangoda but never been in one. But it will be a good experience, so should try it someday.
first, we need to find a cart which we can travel on it.
We can rarely see carts in Panadura town. People use modified carts for hiring to the wedding events or pre-shoots. As you said, there had a strong bond between ppl and bulls. But in one hand, I like about reducing of using these carts in present society . Because I have a doubt that nowadays ppl will treat to bulls lovely.... 🙆
We can still see some carts as you said for functions and to attract tourists. Have you ever ridden on a cart ? I haven’t.
Yeah nowadays people are ungrateful. So we can’t thrust them. 🙁
A bit modified bullock cart but still with coconut leaf shelter. Here is also not a common scene. I feel bullock carts are limited in city limits due to traffic congestion. They are slow; they can't turn quickly, need more space, and travel along the centre of the roads.
Compare with the land masters, transport costs for the bullock carts are high.
I saw this incident live on that day. It was near a junction where 4 roads are connected together. Normally a crowded area. It took time to move and drivers without patience sounded the horns.
Really? I thought the opposite of it.
I have seen carts going in front of our home. So I guess there are a few carts in our village.
where do you live? we can't see at least a single cart here though it is a village.
A few years ago I saw carts near the Galle Fort. But I do not remember seeing such a scene recently.
that may be used as a foreigners attraction trap. 😄 we can see some carts that are used for this purpose.
This image is gave a very amazing feeling....Link
those kinds of people are rare in society today. people don't respect others. they only need to get their work done.
Yalukamen iwath karana ladi.
ita wada hoda nadda bayai qwa nm 😂
ithin gihin na. mak karannada. 🙄
oo bayaith thamai.
I don't like to see bull carts on main roads. I see it as hurting bulls. Roads are full of vehicles, horns are beeping, smoke and even sun hurt animals.
Nicely written article as always
exactly. I saw this even on that day. it was near a hatharaman handiya and driver could not control the cart with the rush there and impatience of vehicle drivers came up as beeping of horns and it might hurt the feelings of the driver too.
I remember that 🥺
then my memory is correct. mother said that it was a long time back and I said no. 😄
properly maintained cart... I don't know until when we can see this...
I too thought the same thing.
as per the comments, still there are some carts in use.