‘Bad boy’ of Lankan lit is no more
Having spent the last chapter of his life in his eyrie up in Kandy, ensconced in his beloved den of books, Carl Muller, the literary enfant terrible of Sri Lanka, is no more. On December 2, the first Sri Lankan to be internationally published breathed his last, surrounded by family. With gimlet eyes behind horn-rimmed [...]
Letters to the Editor
Reflecting on a farcical episode not to be repeated we hope There is an utmost necessity to curb this trend of an innumerable number of candidates contesting the presidential election. Presently, according to the constitution, any Sri Lankan citizen can apply to contest the election and there is no eligibility criterion stipulated for such person [...]
Appreciations
Exemplary public servant, diplomat and gentleman par excellence Dharmasena wijesinghe It is one year since the demise of Dharmasena Wijesinghe, former Senior Administrator, who held a number of senior positions in the public service, as Government Agent, Secretary to a number of Ministries and finally as Secretary to the Cabinet of Ministers, before being posted [...]
Park Street gets festive
Colourful chandeliers replaced the fairy lights at the Park Street Mews with star cricketer Mahela Jayewardene switching on the lights on December 3 to herald an evening of fun, food and music to usher in the Christmas season. Pix by Nilan Maligaspe
Green and bright: Christmas tree lighting at Galadari
The Galadari Colombo held its annual Christmas tree lighting on December 1 with guests enjoying mulled wine and mince pies in the beautifully lit up Lobby. A special cocktail was hosted by the General Manager, Sampath Siriwardena for guests and media at the California Grill.
Pop-up carts and more at Hilton
Christmas festivities began at the Colombo Hilton last Sunday as December dawned with Christmas pop-up carts and the Christmas tree lighting done by a group of children from the Voice Foundation.
Christmas cake at Earl’s Regency
Earl’s Regency held their annual cake mixing ceremony in preparation for the festive season with Resident Manager Buwaneka Bandara and Executive Chef Davinda Basanayake together with his crew and guests. Earl’s Regency will be hosting festive events to celebrate this Christmas, including a grand Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas lunch and New Year’s Eve dinner dance.
A bowlful of memories and Christmas cake
In late November prior to Christmas, a sojourn to Pettah is a must for me. My destination is the connecting lane between the entrance to Sea Street and a part of Bankshall Street, with its profusion of stalls selling dried fish. This was where Colombo’s Fish Market was once situated, before it was shifted to [...]
The oldest coffee bean in the world and Sri Lanka’s pre-colonial coffee trade
Way back in 1996, an international archaeological team made a discovery that ought to have changed the history of the coffee trade in the Indian Ocean, if not worldwide. As the planet’s most valuable trading commodity after oil, you’d think that a rare historical discovery in that world would merit some attention. But, after a [...]
The saga of the Burmese Chudamanikkaya
At a ceremony in Anuradhapura on November 26 organised by the Ruwanweli Chetiyaramadhipathi Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Nayaka Thera, the old ‘Chudamanikya’of the Mahaseya was replaced. The new crest gem on the pinnacle with a gold base on the Ruwanwelimahaseya was unveiled at the auspicious time of 10 a.m. The Most Ven. Mahanayake and Anunayake Theras [...]