Monument to all things Kandyan
Ear droplets adorned with the most exquisite gems tell a tale of love, lust and tears. A gold-laced goblet once held captive between the royal lips may have stolen moments of meaningful glances exchanged over its rim. The palanquin of Molligoda Nilame waits patiently till the next destination is ordered by its aristocratic master. The [...]
A quiet refuge for the old and blind
It is a routine day. The morning begins with the chanting of gatha at the shrine of the little Budu Medura followed by twos and threes making their way in an orderly manner to the large hall in which they take their breakfast, lunch and dinner. That morning, the breakfast is kekulu buth, paan and [...]
Art as a Place – Where the site becomes the city
A man walks through the city streets of Lahore. In many ways he is unremarkable. Dressed ordinarily, in a white linen shirt and denim jeans, he sports a deadpan expression simply outlined by a trim beard. As we watch him stride past concrete buildings and flyovers, patches of greenery and parks, major intersections and slip [...]
Trio to perform Russian Masterpieces
May 2nd will see the Lionel Wendt Theatre resound to the strains of Tchaikovsky’s monumental Piano trio—a work which the composer himself doubted would ever be written. Russian pianist Maxim Puryzhinskiy, who thrilled Colombo audiences with his performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 last year, returns to make up one third of the trio [...]
Winds Behind The Willows- The Full Monty to cricket
One has to know something about cricket to enjoy this magnificent book. Suited me ideally as I do not know much about cricket matters but like almost all Sri Lankans I too am connected umbilically to international cricket and especially when the home country is at the crease. Let me try and express my views [...]
The lawyer who dons a creative cloak
To keep young Marini quiet so that her five older siblings could study, her father, the legal luminary, Dr. J.A.L. Cooray would take her to his chambers and give her the Encyclopedia Britannica to draw the flags of various countries. Surrounded by law journals, the Bhagavad Gita, the works of Adam Smith, Karl Marx and [...]
The marriage of colours and reactions
Evocative faces stare back at us in Jayantha Silva’s living room. His walls are filled with emotions – on one side a woman selling her vegetables at the Mount Lavinia pola (market) dressed in a simple jacket adorned with small yellow, pink and green flowers adding variations of tones and atmosphere to the portrait. Close [...]
Calming textures
Tell me a little bit about yourself- did you always paint? I was born and brought up here in Sri Lanka. I was educated at Ladies’ College and later went on to pursue a BA(Hons) in Fine Art at Lasalle College of the Arts Singapore. I had my first art classes at Cora Abraham’s school [...]
Animal architects
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the world’s tallest building, with 160 storeys and towering at 829.8 metres. The Manta Resort on Pemba Island has underwater rooms where guests can watch sharks and rays floating past their beds. The Haohan Qiao Bridge in China is a glass-bottom bridge that is 179.8 metres tall and nearly [...]
Who’s afraid of the rain? Not LiCC jeans
The April showers are somewhat delayed but even if they do burst through, rain need not be a damper for the Lankan wearer. The Long Island Clothing Company’s (LiCC) newly launched brand of water-proof jeans titled LiCC Liberté promises that your jeans will stay dry as the desert and fashionably so! “We at LiCC wanted [...]
Netherlands National Day celebrations
It was a relaxed evening at the Rowing Club in Colombo as the High Commissioner of the Netherlands Joanne Doorneward hosted a reception to mark the National Day of the Netherlands earlier this week.
Yves Saint Laurent luxury beauty line here
Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), the premier international fashion brand introduced its make up range here last month together with Exclusive Lines at the Galle Face Hotel. The launch commenced with a cocktail evening, followed by a presentation on the brand by Jerome Georges-Vivien, the Zone Director for Yves Saint Laurent. Initially conceived as a Parisian [...]
Memorable schooldays with our beloved GG
As I look back at my schooldays with fond memories, I distinctly recall one prominent teacher Goolbai, (or GG, as affectionately referred to by me), her personal warmth and our good fortune in having had her guidance. GG took her teacher’s role beyond that of just the subject matter to include transforming impressionable teens into [...]
A dedicated service that has impacted the lives of students around the globe
Fifty years unbroken service in a prestigious educational institution is a rare feat. Stella Dandeniya achieved this as the 15th Principal of Musaeus College, Colombo on May 10, 2016. She then continued to preside over the school’s quasquicentennial celebrations, which ended with a special assembly on November 10, 2016, to coincide with the launch of [...]
The launch of ‘Lalith Athulathmudali Assassination — The Whole Truth’
‘Lalith Athulathmudali Assassination — The Whole Truth’, an investigative book on Lalith Athulathmudali’s assassination, by Prof. Ravindra Fernando will be launched at 5.30 p.m. on May 3 (Wednesday) at the OPA Auditorium. The Chief Guest will be Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, while the Guest Speakers will be Dayanthe Athulathmudali, Former Deputy Inspector General Sarath [...]
Recalling guiding days that shaped their lives
Located near the busy hub of the Colpetty junction, Methodist College founded in 1866 by British missionary Catherine Scott, is a school strong in its values that remains true to its roots. In 2016, Methodist College proudly celebrated its 150th anniversary and this year, marks another milestone – its centenary of Guiding. In 1917, the [...]
Letters
Wastage mounts as more and more rot sets in Going by the statements made to the radio and TV channels by many people, it has become very clear that most are disappointed and angry that they have been misled by false promises made and ‘fairy tales’ told at the last election. In most statements they [...]
Appreciations
Ravi Jayewardene Simple, austere to the end, he would like to be remembered as the unknown soldier Ravi taught us how to die. He died like a soldier and mendicant, meditating, having renounced all worldly possessions. He gently declined all the bequests of his father and mother, valuable houses in Ward Place, Dharmapala Mawatha and plantations in Mirigama. He [...]