The hidden treasures of a sacred rock
The pilgrim’s progress in Mihintale follows a time-worn path; you walk up the grand stairway of smooth steps- 1840 of them- feeding the macaques and the giant squirrels- indolent, fussy connoisseurs of mango; you walk around the crowded Ambastala stupa; dutifully climb the rock where King Tissa met Sage Mahinda; stand with a shiver before [...]
When my grandfather aimed for the skies for a blessed occasion
The Poson full moon poya day of 1940 marked the unveiling of one of the world’s most sacred monuments, the Ruwanweliseya Dagoba. Originally built by King Dutugemunu (161-137 BC), this beautiful stupa, said to contain the most number of relics of Lord Buddha was lost in ruins in the 19th century. There was no sign [...]
Appreciations
Hulftsdorp may never see the likes of this gentleman ever again N.R.M. Daluwatte, PC Early on May 29, I received a heart-rending message of the demise of N.R.M Daluwatte, PC. I knew it was inevitable yet I felt distressed and was reluctant to accept that our beloved Sir had departed forever. N.R.M. Daluwatte, President’s Counsel, [...]
Going digital with those familiar puppets
To most, their first introduction to Sulochana Dissanayake and Power of Play would have been from the opposite side of an elaborate stage erupting with life. Audiences would watch captivated as Sulochana and her team invented unique worlds and characters keeping traditional entertainment alive in the modern world. Before becoming the founder and artistic director [...]
Let’s talk Bawa, the man, the genius
Legendary architect Geoffrey Bawa was famously silent about his work and there are only a handful of records where he opens up about his influences, routines and practice. He also rarely saved material like correspondence or sketches. The Geoffrey Bawa Oral History Programme initiated in 2018 under the Bawa 100 Centenary Programme, is part of [...]
A thorny solution to Human – Elephant conflict
The national elephant population has been recently estimated to be 7379. While they mostly occupy protected areas (PAs) covering only about 12.5 percent of the total land area, a considerable number of elephants, estimated to be about 20 percent, roam outside PAs. It is important to note that elephants do not recognize human-designated boundaries, but [...]