Guardians of Mother Nature
A strong thread, nay an unbroken rope, running distinctly through the tapestry of environmental gains and conservation battles had as its simple origins a meeting announced back in 1894. Titled ‘Game Preservation’, the Times of Ceylon of May 7, 1894, published the notice: “It is proposed to hold a Meeting at 2 p.m. on [...]
#WEAREFROMHERE: Getting to know Slave Island and its people
Slave Island is changing. The old buildings have disappeared, paving the way for new apartment complexes, office spaces and roadways. It was under these circumstances that artist Firi Rahman began collecting stories of the neighbourhood which he grew up in, from oral testimonies, to mapping the alleys and taking photos of disappearing landmarks. The [...]
Letters to the Editor
Our people at large do not seem to understand the meaning of democracy I must congratulate the writer of the letter, “Didn’t his life matter? Shameful silence over death of Borella OIC” to the Sunday Times of March 31 wherein reference is made to my article the previous Sunday in the Sunday Times “Roads, Sri [...]
Appreciations
Everything about her personified beauty Lily Pushpam Edward On March 26, Lily Pushpam Aiyathurai Edward moved on to glory. She was a simple yet amazing lady who pursued God’s purposes for her life and those around her. In her own way, Lily Pushpam was a great champion of faith and prayer. By example, she taught [...]
Waste management from a people angle
There are few people who know their way around a Sri Lankan garbage dump as well as Dr.Randika Jayasinghe. However, while you might expect the research scientist to be studying landfill composition or whether toxins are leaching into the groundwater, Randika is actually more interested in talking to the communities in the area. “I look [...]
Ancient manuscripts from around the country under one roof
Ancient palm leaf manuscripts neatly tied up, treated with citronella oil, a natural insect repellent and laid on cotton cloth are stored in a wooden cupboard. Carrying the secrets of Sri Lanka’s indigenous medicine which had been passed from generation to generation, this valuable collection is safely housed in the Lanka Room of the [...]
Remembering what lies at the heart of Easter message
If one were to describe the thrust of the Christmas message as the unseen God entering time and space in the form of a human being, one could then describe the Easter message as God’s expression of love in order to save and redeem the human family from eternal death and destruction. Easter is not [...]
Tracing the Pharaoh of Exodus through history
Christian Easter is a syncretic development of the Jewish Passover (Pesach in Hebrew). It celebrates the liberation of Israelites from the slavery of pharaohs in Egypt to freedom in the ‘Promised Land’ as given in the book of Exodus of the Bible. After the ten plagues that Moses brought down on Egypt by the [...]
Symbolism of Easter
Christ said, “Except a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abideth alone; but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit” and in these simple words, summed up the fact that life depends on death and resurrection. The story of Easter in all its glory has been told and re-told countless [...]
LGBT community needs to tell their own stories as human beings
In our new fortnightly series, Yomal Senerath-Yapa talks to the writers shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize 2017 dawned with a sharp double-pronged epiphany for Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke. The new year was washed with the grief of a breakup with his ex-boyfriend. Three weeks in- the news also came of the Cabinet refusing a human rights action [...]
If these walls could talk!
It has history, a story and its own identity. The 200-year-old ancestral home of a prominent business family, Fox Jaffna in Kokkuvil, offers a new dimension of accommodation in the northern region. The latest addition to Fox Resorts which prides itself on crafting personalised experiences for discerning guests who wish to step away from impersonal [...]
Paris gets a taste of Ministry of Crab
Taking the Ministry Of Crab experience to Europe for the first time, the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants conducted a five-day pop-up at the Shangri-La Hotel, Paris from April 9-13. The team from Ministry Of Crab led by chef-restaurateur Dharshan Munidasa put together a three-course dinner, which featured signature dishes of the restaurant for some 300 [...]
A search for Vijaya’s origins
“Finding Sinhabahu”- Dr. Ajith Amerasinghe. Vijitha Yapa Publications. Price: Rs 1100. Reviewed by Tissa Devendra. In this fascinating book Ajith Amerasinghe , a practising paediatrician, has ventured into a field that does not seem to have greatly interested many other historians. Most studies have focused on the date and location of the landing of Vijaya [...]
EWC holds workshop on short story
The English Writers Collective (EWC) will conduct a workshop on the short story on Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies [ICES] 2, Kynsey Terrace, off Kynsey Road, Colombo 7 with Dr. Prabha Manuratne , Head/ English Dept. University of Kelaniya as Resource Person. The fee [...]