Shedding more light on a sacred site
A heavily pregnant Queen Mahamaya was on her way to her parental home from the palace of her husband King Suddodhana at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu. The palanquin bearing her had travelled for several days covering a distance of nearly 28 kilometres from Kapilavastu when the Queen decided to make a stop at the flower garden at Lumbini. [...]
Letters
Return Cosmo to its members I left Sri Lanka in the mid-1980s not because of any ethnic problem but because of the openings that were available for Tamils in Western countries. This move was mainly for the benefit of my children’s education. All worked well but my heart yearned for the land I was born [...]
Appreciations
Rev. W.G. Wickremasinghe All wanted to send their children to Trinity when he was principal My first meeting with Rev. Dr. WGW was when I ventured in to the Principal’s office, in Trinity College Kandy in connection with my elder son’s school admission. That encounter turned out to be proverbial: “The first impressions…the most lasting”. It had [...]
Doing it ‘our way’ with toll gates
Dr. Janaka Wijesundara remembers the marshy lands, the paddy fields and the incredibly dusty and uneven planes of the terrain he was presented with. “You couldn’t imagine building anything there,” he says. Tasked with designing the toll gate plazas and office buildings of the Southern Expressway, starting from Kottawa and replicating this 26 more times [...]
A picture from the past and the memories come alive
“The events go back 82 years, but I remember them as if they had taken place only yesterday,” says Anne Ranasinghe, talking about the story that inspired the title of her most recent book: “the small chapel built of rough-hewn grey stone, the ice-cold uncarpeted floor and the huge glass window, rising from floor to [...]
Narratives and essays: An illuminating pleasurable read
This fascinating anthology of Tissa Devendra’s writing consists of some 50 narratives and essays on diverse subjects and some hilarious themes presented in six parts namely, Memories, Chronicles, Red Tape, Reviews, Tributes and Poems. These felicitous writings largely based on intense observations and personal experiences are illuminating while being a pleasure to read. It displays [...]
A blast from the 80s with Soul Sounds
They need little introduction. When Soul Sounds stepped into the choral scene in the late 90s (at the time under the banner of Holy Family Convent), they were already showing promise of great things to come. In 2004, the choir successfully competed at the prestigious Llangollen Musical Eistedfodd, while still a part of the Holy [...]
Scribbling some chaos into order
The word kurutu means scribbles in Sinhala. Scribbling is considered as a worthless chaotic form of art. But by using the medium of pen and correction fluid, artist Yohan Medhanka has recreated the same process he used as a teenager vandalising his desk in school. Scribbling on the desk played an important part in the [...]
‘Take Sri Lankan writing beyond the annual prize’
The winner of the 2013 Gratiaen Prize was announced at a ceremony held on May 24, 2014 at Park Street Mews, Colombo. Poetry predominated this year with Inosha Ijaz (This Nothingness) and Chamali Kariyawasam (A Patchwork Soul) rounding up an all-poetry shortlist and Malinda Seneviratne (Edges) taking home the prize. The judges for the Gratiaen [...]
Both personal and political
When working at a newspaper, persistently immersing yourself and constantly engaging in a world of words is inevitable. “The sum total of human knowledge is a speck of dust compared to the universe of our ignorance,” says Malinda Seneviratne slowly, explaining that the learning which takes place on a daily basis wards off any saturation [...]
Subtle sensuality
‘Come feel nude’ said the pastel-pink invitation as Triumph invited guests to come and view their 2014 collection unveiled last week at the Taj Samudra ballroom. True to their word, models displayed an alluring range of lingerie in subtle tones with delicate touches of embellishment.
Look summery with a modern touch
Avirate’s just launched Powder Pixel range derives its inspiration from the digital age—modern day interpretations of impressionist paintings through pixilation, a trend that is currently prevalent in the industry. These designs are summery and bright and the range caters to a broader age group. The fabrics are suitable for hot climates and the collection introduces [...]
Chilling out on a high!
Colombo’s newest rooftop bar and lounge, ON14, on the 14th floor of the newly opened OZO Colombo hotel on Marine Drive, opened its doors last week. With striking views overlooking the Indian Ocean and casual lounge style seating beside the infinity swimming pool, the innovative bar and lounge concept focuses on the art of crafting [...]
Sparkling evening
“Luxurious indulgence” was the theme of the cocktail evening organised by Sifani Jewellers, on May 22 at their main store on Galle Road, an evening surrounded by brilliant sparkling jewellery. The glamorous event was the second of a series of events organised by the store and was attended by a select group of invitees. Alluring [...]
A building must belong to a city not just the owner
Like his father, and his father’s father, and his father’s father’s father before him, Juan Pablo Serrano Orosco is an architect. Each generation has passed down to the next not only a knack for the work but a passionate dedication to it. “Architecture is a way of life, from the moment you start, till you [...]
William Gates! I will meet you at the gates!
Because of my age, or should I say “Bcos of mi age”, most young people assume that I am a total computer illiterate. Most of my young critics can’t even spell the word illlliterrrate let alone know the meaning of it. My favourite niece Samanmalee (Sam) who is my biggest critic, recently bought a Samsung [...]
Madrid: My favourite things
Spain has always been on my wish list of countries to visit and it became a reality last summer. My friend and I flew into the capital, Madrid, (with a population of nearly 4 million), which is in the centre of the country. One of the European countries suffering from a huge unemployment problem with [...]
‘Racism’ we should prefer over politics and sports
Sometimes, when an island-nation we know of wins at cricket or another international sport, some of us think that cricket or that other sport is our national religion. We pray for good weather and other clement conditions. We fast from mandatory work and otherstipulated responsibilities to go for games wherever possible or simply watch from [...]
Events
Photography course with Sanjaya Vithana Well known photographer Sanjaya Vithana is launching his new photography course ‘Art and Science of Lighting for Photography’ next Sunday, June 8. Those with photographic experience who would like to study the intricacies of using light in photography, particularly in lighting difficult objects, for portraits and even with a view [...]
