Mother climbs Sri Pada ... delays to return ... baby cries ... 9 mothers come forward to breast feed baby!

Mother climbs Sri Pada ... delays to return ... baby cries ... 9 mothers come forward to breast feed baby!

An 8 month old baby-girl had been in hunger fora period of close upon 10 hours till her mother returned after climbing and worshipping Sri Pada when in the process 9 mothers have come forward to breast-feed the crying child, it was reported from Nallathanniya police.

A woman who has come on a pilgrimage to Sri Pada with a group of people from Mathugama accompanying her eight-month old baby girl and members of her family last night (23) and while
travelling along Nallathanniya - Sri Pada route, the baby has felt a strong sense of cold weather when the baby's mother has taken steps to sent her child to Nallathanniya in the company of her mother and another relative woman who was in clique by asking them to remain safely inside the van in which they arrived until her  return from her climb to Sri Pada. 

Since the tiny tot's mother failed to return till this morning (24) to Nallathanniya; this baby who naturally was being breast-fed has begun to cry which resulted in the child's grandmother and other woman notifying Nallathanniya police. Officer in charge of Nallathanniya police, inspector of police. Mr. Laksiri Fernando has taken steps to announce several times through the high potential Sri Pada Samangiri loud speaker service along Nallathanniya - Sri Pada route asking the child's mother to come to Nallathanniya police station at at the soonest possible. 

It is a special feature in this incident to note that 9 milking-mothers and mothers who arrived at Nallathanniya police station have volunteered to breast-feed this baby who has been crying endlessly for so many hours in hunger. Nallathanniya police officer in charge said that Mrs. Suneetha Chandrapala of Rosangama area who was running a temporary shop during Sri Pada pilgrimage season close to Nallathanniya Naga Vihara and who was among these mothers has come forward offering to breast-feed the baby concerned with a strong sense of motherly love. 

The baby's mother has approached this baby who was being given milk by Mrs. Chandrapala only at about 8.30 in this morning and no sooner the genuine mother arrived on the scene, the baby has gone into her lap with a sense of great joy, bringing a tear into the eyes of the milking-mother and all around including police officers. 

What this baby's mother has told Nallathanniya police was that as the crowd of pilgrims were so many in number, she was unable to identify the Hatton route when on the summit of Sri Pada and has had to travel a short distance along Ratnapura route and then turned to the Hatton route once again, thus getting delayed in the process. 

Milking-mothers volunteering to breast-feed this baby with the announcement of the police when she had been in hunger for many hours without her mother is indeed something highly appreciated in this present society where true humane qualities are dissipating. How the baby is happy in the company of her mother at Nallathanniya police is seen in this photo. 

(Photo and note by Gamini Bandara Ilangathilaka --Maskeliya)