Taking on the Mahaweli in a rudderless bamboo raft
Even as a seven-year-old I regarded the KonTiki expedition of the Norwegian anthropologist-historian Thor Heyerdahl and his crew sailing in 1947 from the South American coast to an island near Tahiti as an inspirational event as did so many of my generation. Scrutinising the original raft at the Maritime Kon Tiki Museum, in Oslo, Norway [...]
Retracing a lost empire’s links to Ayurveda medicine
Professor Suriya Gunasekera set himself an arcane quest after retiring from the Sri Lankan Administrative Service. His initial hunt to establish the authenticity of the Ravana legend would lead him to Atlantis, Lemuria, old Mu and Egypt, and finally to the portal of the lost Hela Empire- a Sinhalese superpower that claimed the entire tropical [...]
Letters to the Editor
The way forward: Let’s start by casting our votes wisely We need leaders; leaders who can decisively address burning national issues and get Sri Lanka out of the woods. After enjoying 70 years of independence, Sri Lanka is in more trouble economically, politically, culturally and religiously than ever before. A quick research, shows that on [...]
Appreciations
A noble human being who did much for the people RAJA SALGADO The Panadura District recently lost a much loved noble being in M.Raja Salgado, the only son of the late Richard Salgado, who was a ‘Father Figure’of the District. Raja who was a cousin of mine passed away peacefully at the ripe age of [...]
Poems that open endless doors
‘Goodbye, we are not the first children of bitterness. Let lotus bloom in the ponds. I will go a little further, blowing away everything.’ Lines from ‘A Journey’ (1998) I first met Packiyanathan Ahilan some years ago, as an Art Historian and one of the extraordinary teachers in the Department of Fine Arts at the [...]
Santali’s world in its myriad colours
Figures of women in delicate lines and curves are Santali Wimala-singham’s favourite creations on canvas. The beauty she finds in every woman is exquisitely featured in her colourful paintings. Santali’s first solo exhibition “An Odyssey in Colours” will be held on October 19 and 20 at the Lionel Wendt Gallery, Colombo where she will exhibit [...]
Fauré’s Requiem: A gift of peace and solace in remembrance of Easter Sunday
Six months after the tragic events of Easter Sunday 2019, the Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC) and conductor Gregory Rose will seek to bring peace and solace to the survivors and those affected through the message of music. Choosing Gabriel Fauré’s exquisite requiem, the free concert will be held at All Saints’ Church, Borella, [...]
EWC awards distribution
Winners of the English Writers Collective (EWC) Literary Competition 2019 for poetry, drama and short story will receive their awards on Friday, October 18 at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies, 2 Kynsey Terrace, off Kynsey Road, Colombo 7. Capt Elmo Jayawardena, winner of the State Literary Award for the best English novel 2018: Kakiyan [...]
All things traditional take centrestage
Traditional paduru woven in vivid patterns, lacquer pots in bright shades, exquisite masks and puppets, delicate wood carvings and many more were among the array of handicrafts at Shilpa Abhimani 2019, the Presidential Handicrafts Competition and Exhibition held from October 3 to 6 at the BMICH. The creative platform for Sri Lanka’s traditional and contemporary [...]
ICCB’s generosity reaches far and wide
The annual International Christmas Charity Bazaar held last December at the Galle Face Hotel drew in the crowds who enjoyed products from all over the world from culinary delicacies, homeware to lucky dips and raffles. Due to the massive and generous response to ICCB, all the charities they support also benefited. The Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation [...]
A gourmet treat on at Cinnamon Lakeside
Cinnamon Lakeside unfolds a host of dining experiences this October. Whether you’re looking for a late-night feast with friends or a more elegant gourmet experience, coupled with an all-you-can-eat dim sum experience and Colombo’s most talked about Sunday brunch, you can find what fits your taste at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo. Smörgåsbord evenings on the lake [...]
Zonta’s grand celebration
It was quite an international gathering as Sri Lanka hosted the 2019 Zonta District 25 Conference. Pictured here are guests at the grand dinner held at the Galle Face Hotel Ballroom on October 11. Zonta International is a global organisation of professional women working to uplift the status of women and children world-wide. District 25 [...]
Metho past pupils come together to refurbish school auditorium
Methodist College, Colombo has maintained an exemplary record and standard in the arts. Its school choir rated one of the best in the country has won several international awards in Vietnam, China, and more recently at the Asia-Pacific Choir Games and Grand Prix of Nations in Colombo in 2017. The choir competed in the Youth [...]
CBB dinner to support ELT programme and honour Sanga
The Council for Business with Britain (CBB) of the Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel on Thursday, October 24 to raise money for its English Language Training (ELT) programme-which is run in conjunction with the British Council in Sri Lanka. Sarah Hulton, the newly appointed British High Commissioner to [...]