White and bright stands CMC’s four-petalled edifice
The new Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) building fills up its space so organically, a tourist could be surprised to learn it was placed there just a few years back- and not built with that original grand dowager- the main Capitol-style pile- in the 1920s. The stark white building which now houses a good part of [...]
In the shade of the Tamarind trees
It has been just over a decade since Ayesha and Nalin Perera built Tamarind Gardens— a dairy farm and guest house in the Central Province of Sri Lanka that produces scrumptious cream cheese, clotted cream, double cream, cottage cheese, Neufchatel cheese, butter and baked goods. The plentiful yields of tamarind from their property’s aged tamarind [...]
Letters to the Editor
The saga of Thalakotuwa Gardens: Are authorities waiting for a disaster to act? The residents of Thalakotuwa Gardens Colombo 5 are undergoing immense inconvenience over the past few years due to many obstacles we have had to face. Firstly the road has been inaccessible – in a horrible state with crater like potholes and many [...]
Appreciations
He took small & medium industries to new heights Aloy Jayawardene Those who pass by the Vihara Maha Devi Park in bustling Cinnamon Gardens, stop awhile to gaze at the serene Samadhi Buddha statue within the park’s manicured gardens replete with fountains. It was back in 1972, within a brass-casting foundry away from the city [...]
A pilgrimage of the self through the tortured mind of a young artist
“How easy it would be, he thought. The splash, the swirl of water closing over him.” These are the thoughts of Shannon, a young man on the brink of suicide, whose journey to a safer sense of self and psychological well-being make up the fabric of Chandani Lokugé’s new novel, My Van Gogh (2020). Abandoned [...]
Diving into an adventure with Fishing Cats
The booklet came to my hands when I was laid up in bed and instantly transported me to the rural beauty of Sigiriya, where lingers a cat similar but at the same time different to the pet felines we see so often. Small and handy, ‘The Fishing Cat – Elusive Feline in the Wetlands’ by [...]
A trove of knowledge for all those interested in our history
I read with great interest the newest addition to knowledge on art, architecture, literature and general subjects of interest to Sri Lankans titled, ‘String of Archaeological Sites on the East Coast and Other Articles,’ containing essays on archaeology, history, traditions and other subjects by Dr.P.G. Punchihewa, the well known civil servant and writer. It encompasses [...]
The one that got away – Dylan Seedin
The youngest of three tech-enthusiastic brothers, from his teens Dylan Seedin had always had an interest in smartphone photography. But while he was at uni (Business Admin.), one of his siblings bought a camera proper, which Seedin promptly borrowed to take portraits of his classmates. People began to ask if he would shoot their birthdays, [...]
One person’s trash another’s treasure
Where most people see trash, Chaminda Lorence sees trinkets – elegant rings, bracelets and necklaces, and decorative utility items for the coffee table, and perhaps even a coffee table itself. In old magazines, he sees delicate dangling elephant earrings and striking table-top clocks; in rusting copper wire, exquisite bracelets, arm bands and pendants. Chaminda has [...]
Cyber safety online project for schoolchildren
LEADS, Save the Children International, and World Vision Lanka, as non-profit organisations working with vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka, have come together as a consortium to work towards ending online violence and exploitation against children in Sri Lanka. The consortium has joined hands with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women and Child [...]
‘Humanity & Earth’: The fruit of a two-year project on documentary photography
An exhibition of photography titled ‘Humanity & Earth’ featuring Tashiya de Mel, Munira Mutaher, Shehan Obeysekera, Ramanathan Parilojithan, Sandranathan Rubatheesan and Tharmapalan Tilaxan will be on from September 4-13 at the Harold Peiris Gallery, Lionel Wendt Arts Centre. The exhibition will showcase documentary photo stories that explore the environmental and climate crisis, culture, and humanity. [...]