The highway from Colombo to Matara is virtually the avenue to the world. The road blossomed into a picturesque and charming seaside drive shaded by coconut trees towards the town of Matara. Matara is a nature canvas of fertile valleys with smiling luscious green paddy fields. The women, however, wear a short jacket covering their breasts. Men wear white banians and cloth called the patasarama - a shawl folded as a petticoat around the waist and worn by the gentry.