A matter of detail
The tiny things, the little detail, mattered immensely to him. As the birth anniversary on June 23 of ‘people’s politician’ Ranasinghe Premadasa passes once again, a senior medical administrator flips back the pages of time and recalls his “encounters” with him as a young doctor. Mr. Premadasa who was killed in a May Day bomb [...]
Thanthirimale Aloka Pooja brings showers of blessings
As the bright Poson moon glows in the night sky of Thanthirimale, Wijeya Newspapers Limited (WNL) will once again hold its annual Aloka Pooja at the Raja Maha Viharaya. The three-day Aloka Pooja will be on June 27, 28 and 29, completing 15 years of this tradition. Initiated in 2004, under the guidance of the [...]
Letters to the Editor
Felicitate singing legends Latha and Sujatha Deshamanya Latha Walpola and Visharada Sujatha Attanayake are undoubtedly two living singing legends who have contributed immeasurably to Sinhala films since the 1950s. They have dominated playback songs to such a degree that the collection together by far surpasses other film songs sung by all other female vocalists combined. [...]
Appreciations
A son’s tribute to “wonderful” parents Bernard Aluwihare, MP and Dr. Florence Ram Aluwihare This is to pay a belated tribute to wonderful parents and a reminder of their values and what they gave us. It is provoked partly by the current general chaos in the country and the increasing age of the writer. A [...]
Dog-killers & CMC’s bungling bureaucrats
‘Rosy under fire for trying to destroy stray dogs,’ was a recent news headline that would have gone unnoticed, if not for alert animal welfare activists. Around the same time, another headline, ‘Rs. 5.7 mn to refurbish toilets at Mayor’s house’, attracted wide publicity where the newly-elected, first female Mayor of Colombo, received severe criticism.One [...]
Britisher who unearthed Buddha’s relics at Sarnath
At the founding of the Archaeological Department in Hyderabad in 1914, Anagarika Dharmapala, the Lankan Buddhist revivalist and Founder of the Maha Bodhi Society, paid a fitting tribute to Sir John Marshall, Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1902 to 1928. “The Imperial Archaeological Department under the directorate of Sir John Marshall is [...]
Healing through singing
Clad in white, the students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Sri Jayewardenepura University recently played a different role – instead of sticking to their daily routine of talking to patients and assisting in medical procedures as part of their clinical training, they went around the wards of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, [...]
Let the ‘Pillowman’ lead you to the dark side
There is a certain level of expectation when it comes to Martin McDonagh’s artistic direction – and it tends to continuously lead us to a dark place. ‘The Pillowman’ which won two Tony Awards and an Olivier Award for Best New Play is no different. StageLight & Magic Inc., who brought to us comedic gold in the form of [...]
Seeing life’s journey through a lens
For photographer Ravindra Ranasinghe, no enduring metaphor fits life better than that of a journey. Whether it is two small figures walking along a mist-wrapped mountain path with looming alpine trees (black and white), a pretty girl hanging on to a bus in Rajasthan, vibrant North Indian streets with all the world milling together or [...]
Audacious but wearable
Fashion Week Colombo, presented by Olu Tropical Water, makes its way back this July, showcasing swimwear and resort wear under a responsible fashion theme. This season, four international designers Aviva, Heidi Klein Swim, We Are Handsome and Hot-As-Hell will take to the ramp at the Shangri-La Ballroom from July 4-7. Heidi Klein Swim is a [...]
Stability in crises
Awareness of the spiritual dimension guides us to use our powers and privileges with an eye on the common good. It makes us humble and inclusive. Spirituality is at the root of Sri Lankan culture and if this inherent potential is tapped into, it can make a big difference to the situation in the country. [...]
All about rice and bananas
A Lecture on ‘Primary steps towards civilization in Sri Lanka – through the origins of rice and banana agriculture’ by Dr. R. Premathilake, organized by the National Trust – Sri Lanka will be held at 6.30 p.m. on June 28 at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB Towers, 479 T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10. In [...]
Educating youth for 18 years
The Colombo Academy of Language Skills and Dramatic Art (CALSDA) has made great strides in educating the country’s youth for 18 years. Beginning with preschoolers, the CALSDA syllabus gradually takes learners through a comprehensive study of the English language and various aspects of speech in performance. Through a graded series of examinations, CALSDA focuses on [...]
Exhibition on Adare
An exhibition of photographs titled ‘Adare — Smile with Children’ will be held from June 26-28, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily at the J.D.A. Perera Gallery, Faculty of Visual Arts, University of the Visual & Performing Arts, Colombo 7. The photographs on exhibition have been taken during a workshop which the students of the university’s Visual [...]
Health Run & Walk
The annual Health Run & Walk of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) with the theme ‘Eat Wise — Drop a Size’ will be held today (June 24) at the BMICH. Beginning with a health check for runners at 6.15 a.m. followed by warming up exercises at 6.45 a.m., the run will kick-off at 7 [...]