Many flavours of Palmyrah in the heart of the city
Mix Palmyrah fruit pulp and wheat flour in proportionate quantities. Add a bit of sugar and salt for taste and a pinch of baking powder and mix well. Deep fry small globes of this saffron-hued mixture in oil. Offering freshly fried panangai paniyaram, a signature delicacy of the Hindu New Year table, for us to [...]
Bittersweet kithul tale
Be it konda kevum, unduwel, peni aluwa or weli thalapa, kithul treacle or kithul peni is the signature sweetener in all our Avurudu delicacies on which the Lankan palate has feasted since time immemorial. No avurudu breakfast table is complete without a cup of ginger tea and kithul hakuru. And despite fancy desserts invading the [...]
Dawn of Bak and its religious and cultural significance
Bak Full Moon Poya falls on April 10 and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year on the 14th. Good Friday is also on April 14. Therefore the coming week is very significant for Sri Lankans. It was on a Bak Full Moon Poya that the Buddha visited Sri Lanka. Buddha with his divine eye surveyed [...]
‘According to Matthew’ awaits its public jury
Clad in a black cassock with a cross prominently hanging down from his neck, nestling on his chest, he emerges from the shadows, to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. A simple gesture but one that would epitomize a scandalous relationship flaunted within the heart of Colombo that would end in nothing short of [...]
Laughter and lessons: From schoolgoing days to principal
“You may not find all the answers, but you do find many, many questions,” quipped author Ashok Ferrey talking of the book “It’s the ‘Principal’ of it” at the launch at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on March 29. “It’s the ‘Principal’ of it” is a book by Goolbai Gunasekara, well known educationist and the [...]
Celebration of tradition and harmony
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year or the Aluth Avuruddha goes deep into the roots of Lankan history. With astronomy and astrology tied to rituals that touched the lives of Lankans, the Aluth Avuruddha has survived. And withstanding foreign conquests, it has emerged as Sri Lanka’s premier national festival. According to anthropologists, the Aluth Avuruddha [...]
Fragrant Thai to beat the hilly chill
When the menu was handed to me I was amused — and vaguely comforted — by the concern for diners indicated by the note: “Reading glasses available.” It suggested inspired thinking by the restaurant’s management. Even more concern was demonstrated by the display of the calorie content and cholesterol count of some dishes. This was [...]
Get your fill of whales and good food on board a yacht
The smell of freshly caught fish, and the sight of fishing boats anchored close together, meets the eye, as you make your way into the Mirissa fisheries harbour. November to April being the peak season for whale and dolphin watching, the Matara district is famous during this time of the year, with sightings occurring off [...]
Savour GFH’s brunch buffet on the verandah
If Sunday brunch sounds like the perfect way to wind up the weekend and catch that final R&R before the work week starts, then the Galle Face Hotel shares your sentiments. For the past four months The Galle Face Hotel (GFH) has been hosting a brunch buffet at its verandah restaurant from 12.30 p.m. to [...]
Tiesh adds new sparkle with Italian filigree jewellery
Tiesh, one of Sri Lanka’s leading contemporary jewellers celebrated the quintessential Sri Lankan woman with the launch of a dazzling range of imported Italian filigree jewellery with intricate and exquisite craftsmanship. The exclusive champagne soirée at its flagship showroom at 253, RA de Mel Mawatha was an exclusive Ladies-Only event, to mark International Women’s Day [...]
Toast to EU at 60
Diplomats, politicians and other personalities gathered in the gracious confines of the ballroom of the Galle Face Hotel to drink a toast to the European Union celebrating 60 years of European unity last month.
The brothers never disappoint their fans
They kept their music classic and simple, leaving the crowd asking for more. Their charm and elegance on stage has been well honed with eight years of experience. ‘The De Lanerolle Brothers’ certainly know how to work a crowd and they proved so last Sunday, April 2. A full house at the Hilton Colombo, Grand [...]
Don’t see us as disabled and others as abled
I am glad that the idea of inclusion is taking hold of society finally. However, there is scant understanding of or willingness to provide the supports and accommodations that would make inclusion meaningful. The presumption of competence and the provision of alternative or augmentative communication (AAC) strategies for people with speech impairments are two of [...]
The age of reason, the age of marriage
In Sri Lanka, though many people believe the minimum age of marriage is 12, the reality is worse. In fact there is no minimum age of marriage for Sri Lankan Muslim girls! Currently there is a discussion on raising it to 18 to be on par with the rest of the country. This proposal has [...]
An evening of ‘Memory Loss’, ‘Short Eats’, ‘Stories’ and ‘Borrowed Dust’
Judging Panel Chair Prof. Sasanka Perera calls for separate awards for poetry, novels, short stories, biographies, memoirs etc. Last Monday, readers and writers thronged to a hall filled with books for an event revolving around books to hear the shortlist announcement for the Gratiaen Prize 2016. The shortlisted authors for the 2016 prize are Jean [...]
Danceworld invited to perform at Int’l Festival for Young Dancers
Sureka Buell, Director of Danceworld School of Modern, Jazz & Ballet attended the Dance Teacher Summit in USA last year hoping to feel re-energized and inspired. She flew home to Sri Lanka with much more. The global event with a world-renowned faculty was a gathering of dance professionals, teachers, and those in the business and [...]
Holy Week services at the Cathedral
The Holy Week services at the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour on Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7 are as follows: April 14 – Good Friday ( English service) – 8 a.m. Preacher Ven. Dr. Rienzie Perera April 16- Easter Day – Services: 7 a.m.- Sinhala, 8.15 a.m. -English and 11 a.m. -Tamil
Easter Carol Service at St. Michael & All Angels, Polwatte
An Easter Carol Service by the Choir of St. Michael and All Angels, Polwatte, Colombo will be held on Easter Sunday, April 16 at 6 p.m. at the Church. This service comprises Easter Lessons and Carols with Procession. It brings together many traditional elements of Christian worship in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. [...]
Colombo Rotary Club Charter installation event
The Rotary Club of Colombo City recently held its Charter Installation ceremony at Hilton Colombo Residences. Entrepreneur and corporate trainer Bernadine Jayasinghe was installed as the charter President along with the new board of directors. Gracing the installation ceremony were District Governor of Rotary District 3220 for Sri Lanka and Maldives Senake Amerasinghe, district officials [...]
Arie Lagoon opening soon in Negombo
Welikala Holdings (Pvt) Ltd will soon open their 55-roomed four star deluxe property, Arie Lagoon in the scenic fishing village Thalahena, Negombo. Built on a sprawling five and a half acres of beautifully landscaped lagoon-front garden with an investment in excess of Rs. 1 billion, the property offers high quality facilities and comforts. This unique [...]
Taslim Rahaman to lead Malays at Padang
Persatuan Melayu Sri Lanka often referred to as the Sri Lanka Malay Association (SLMA), the premier Malay Association in Sri Lanka held its 95th Annual General Meeting at the Padang on Saturday, March 25. Marketer, Taslim Rahaman was elected as President and will lead a band of enthusiastic Malays in its 96th year, in preparation [...]
Have a great time this Avurudu season at Cinnamon resorts
The Sinhala and Tamil New Year will be celebrated across all the Cinnamon resorts, and guests can enjoy a delicious traditional yet novel feast along with the many culturally inspired events and games throughout the day. Habarana Village by Cinnamon and Cinnamon Lodge will present scrumptious traditional and trendy Avurudu buffets in keeping with the [...]
Letters
Shall we all do our bit to help ease the economic gloom? There is no doubt that responsible citizens are quite aware of the gloomy economic situation in the country. It has become the most important issue for all communities ahead of ethnic conciliation. The ruling politicians appear to want to resolve the situation by [...]
Appreciations
Ven. Davuldena Gnanissara Mahanayaka Thera An erudite monk of rare calibre With the passing away of the Most Venerable Davuldena Gnanissara Mahanayaka Thera, Supreme Patriarch of the Amarapura Nikaya, Sri Lanka has lost an erudite scholar who was well versed in at least seven languages. In addition to the higher degrees he achieved he was [...]