That taste of home
There is an intricate bond between memory and food, finds out Adilah Ismail Last year, food blogger, recipe developer and graphic designer Shashi Charles took on the task of making Sri Lankan Christmas cake – a food she closely associated with her father who passed away in 2014 and who loved eating and making the [...]
He’s got fashion in his DNA
With the 14th edition of Colombo Fashion Week round the corner, its founder Ajai Vir Singh talks of his driving passion By Tarini Pilapitiya Setting the bar high is a concept Ajai Vir Singh knows only too well. Indian by birth, Ajai has become a Sri Lankan in every sense and is totally committed to [...]
Letters to the Editor
Sri Lanka’s Malays – not dwindling but abandoned “Ask not what the country has done for you; ask what you have done for the country”! With apologies to whoever said this I must say, ‘Ask not what Malays have done for Sri Lanka, ask what Sri Lanka has done for the Malays?’! This is the [...]
Appreciations
To a wonderful nephew who brought so much sunshine to our lives P. Nilanka Fernando The young life of P. Nilanka Fernando, the second son of late Dudley Nihal Fernando and Nilanthi Fernando was snuffed away a few months ago leaving a permanent void in the hearts of everyone whom he came into contact with. [...]
Take a sentimental journey with the “Wandering Minstrel”
‘Country Roads 2017’ returns on March 19, with new artistes, old favourites and its mission to help children’s charities By Tarini Pilapitiya Originating in the southern states of the US, country music is a genre that warms the heart, encompassing the blues and folk with simple yet powerful harmonies. Revelling in these well-loved sounds and [...]
A night of all nights in the spiritual calendar of Hindus
By Udumbara Udugama Maha Shivaratri which was celebrated on Friday, is the worship and expression of devotion to Lord Shiva. Along with Hindus in Sri Lanka, Maha Shivaratri or the ‘Great Night of Shiva’ is celebrated on a large scale in India and Nepal. Chief Trustee for the past 35 years of the well known [...]
Lord Buddha, the great physician who dispensed practical advice
By Bhante S. Dhammika of Australia During the Buddha’s lifetime he was given numerous epithets in recognition of his outstanding qualities. Some of these include the Happy One, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Lord of Creatures, King of Truth, Teacher, etc. One of the most interesting of these epithets, found in the Itivuttaka and several [...]
Unfolding untold stories as Ferguson High School marks 100!
Ferguson High School, Ratnapura celebrates a proud milestone as she turns 100 this year. One hundred years ago, by the pledge of the Ceylon Baptist Missionary Council of British Ceylon, a school was born in the vestry of the Baptist church, Ratnapura. There, three girls sat together to learn their ABCs from the pastor’s daughter, [...]
Getting together to rekindle fellowship and remember the departed
50 years as Medical Doctors By Dr. Lakshman Abeyagunawardene It was on May 30, 1962 that 166 young men and women walked into the main Administration Block of the Colombo Medical Faculty on Kynsey Road to register themselves as medical students. To celebrate 50 years as doctors, it is coincidental that exactly 50 of them [...]
Art as a Place: The unassuming modernist
By Jyoti Dhar It takes several studio visits to get to the core of Dr. H. A. Karunaratne’s practice; not just because of the gentle and impressive octogenarian’s prolific artistic output, or because of the range of abstraction his canvases, sculptures and prints seem to embody, rather because each piece in his oeuvre aims to [...]
Shani to perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in first concert with SOSL
“Shani Diluka, her brilliant personality, and her capability of squeezing out the music to its last essence, is rare and beautiful” commented ARTE, a European channel on culture and the arts. In Sri Lanka, too, Shani has delighted many appreciative audiences, with her virtuoso playing and vibrant personality. Born to Sri Lankan parents, Shani lives [...]
Let’s talk about Sarachchandra’s plays
Theatre Chat House at Punchi Theatre An Evening of Theatre Appreciation is scheduled for this month’s Monthly Theatre Chat House on Tuesday, February 28 at 4. 30 p.m. at the Namel Malini Punchi Theatre at Borella. Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra’s plays come up for discussion with special emphasis on his scripts prescribed in schools. The panel [...]
‘Outside my window’: Canvas of changing scenes
‘Outside my window’ – an exhibition of water colour paintings by Champika Nuwan Gunawardhana will be on at the Lionel Wendt Gallery (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) from March 3-5. The young artist who specialises in water colours says the natural environment, buildings and human behaviour have been the focus of his paintings for a [...]
From south to north, friendship and trees take root
The Zoology Departments of Colombo and Jaffna universities launch an initiative aimed at combating climate change and strengthening bonds across the country By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Seated cross-legged on the ground with kehel-kola as ‘plates’ and ‘pantippay’, a long narrow mat as the ‘table’, they were overwhelmed by the feast they were being lavished with……..hot, hot [...]
Colombo Jazz Festival
The rains did not dampen the spirit of the crowd as they came in their weekend best for the Colombo Jazz Festival held at Galle Face Hotel
The blues reigned in spite of the rain
By Shakya Wickramanayake Jazz and blues artists from different parts of the world had landed in our little island, the festival layout was mapped, and Colombo was abuzz over the two-day Jazz Festival that was set to unfold at the Galle Face Hotel. And then, with the ominous roll of thunder, the heavens opened up. [...]
Cameo performances in a maiden film effort by two brothers – Kala Korner by Dee Cee
Exactly two years ago I had a sneak preview of ‘Premaya Nam’ directed by the Ariyawansa brothers – Kalpana and Vindana. It was their maiden effort at filmmaking. I enjoyed the film very much. A rather unusual theme is well handled. A bold effort particularly by two newcomers. Good acting all round, even by the [...]
Don’t miss the indefatigable Rukshan
For the seventh straight year, Rukshan Perera is ready to entertain his fans on Sunday, March 5, with his annual concert, “Rukshan Perera Live In Concert VII” at the Bishop’s College Auditorium. Rukshan’s concerts are always for a deserving cause, and this year he has partnered with the Royal College Union to organise the concert [...]
Paranormal experiences, her companions from a young age
Bernie Hay, whose book The Mysterious, The Mystical and The Unexplained. has created interest beyond our shores, talks to Randima Attygalle “What I saw outside the window was so entrancing that I stood still, fully awake by now. Pressed against the first window pane was a white figure….As I watched, the figure glided smoothly to [...]
History has a voice in this book, but it’s the people who take centre stage
Book facts Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran Perera-Hussein Publishing House Price: Rs 1,000 Reviewed by Keda Occasionally I find a book that makes me sob into my sofa pillows uncontrollably. For hours. I couldn’t put this book down and I couldn’t stop crying. No, that’s not completely correct. I stopped crying from [...]
Grandeur of old written in stone
Book facts Historical Data compiled from the Sri Lankan Inscriptions of 1st to 3rd Century AD by Dr. Benille Priyanka, University of California, Los Angeles. Published by Godage Brothers (Pvt) Ltd. Reviewed by Nandasiri Jasentuliyana In the era of social media with zillions of messages per second hurtling around the world which are being instantaneously [...]
Dread exams? Don’t panic, think of studying the smart way
By Tarini Pilapitiya Sanjeev JayaRatnam is no stranger to the public eye. Whether known on a professional level with his previous directorial positions held in conglomerates to his repertoire of qualifications from numerous prestigious Universities, most of them where he currently lectures, to his singing stint in the well known Revelations choir and on the [...]
Royal College Docs’ Association holds annual health screening programme
General practitioners, medical specialists and dental surgeons from the Royal College Doctors’ Association (RCDA) were part of the 150-member team which held the annual Teachers’ Health Screening Programme on February 19 at the Navarangahala for more than 350 teachers of Royal College and their family members. This was the 18th consecutive annual medical camp held [...]
A.J.M. Muzammil presents credentials to the King of Malaysia
The newly appointed High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Malaysia A.J.M. Muzammil presented credentials to the King of Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammed V at Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur on February 21. During the audience with the King, High Commissioner AJM Muzammil conveyed greetings from the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of [...]
RASSL lecture on Ceylon Moor intelligentsia in late 19th Century
Ramla Wahab- Salman, will deliver this month’s Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka’s public lecture tomorrow, Monday, February 27 at 5 p.m. at the Royal Asiatic Society No. 96, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7. She will speak on the subject of ‘Ceylon Moor Intellectual Production in the late 19th Century (1882-1889)’. The study looks at the [...]
Today, last day of “Stitch Fantasy”
Veteran handicraft and needle craft creator Indumathee Paranavithana’s single handicraft and creation show “Stitch Fantasy” will be on today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Girl Guides Association Hall (in front of the Public Library), Colombo 07. The exhibition began on Friday. Meanwhile, arrangements have been made to hold the same exhibition from [...]
Stroke walk today
The National Stroke Walk to mark National Stroke Day will be held today (Sunday), February 26. The walk will start off at 7 a.m. from the Viharamaha Devi Park in Colombo 7. The Stroke Walk is being organised by the National Stroke Association of Sri Lanka (NSASL), headed by its President and Consultant Neurologist Dr. [...]
Dr. J. L. Ratnasekera, VC of Uva Wellassa University
Dr. J. L. Ratnasekera, was appointed Vice Chancellor of Uva Wellassa University by President Maithripala Sirisena, for three years with effect from January 28 this year. Dr. Ratnasekera graduated from the People’s Friendship University, Moscow, Russia with a honours degree in Chemistry in 1988. Subsequently, in 1993, he obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the [...]