TV Times

TV Times

Rupavahini gets ready for New Year
By Susitha R. Fernando
National Rupavahini in its special telecast for the festive season has prepared a series of cultural and traditional programmes to celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New year.

The live telecast titled 'Avurudu Udanaya’ will be aired from three locations Kuliyapitiya, Rathgama and Rupavahini station premises throughout New Year's day from April 13 to April 14.

The opening programmes from 3 pm on April 12 will be a live telecast from Kuliyapitiya. Kuliyapitiya located in the first Sri Lankan kingdom Paduwasnuwara was once called 'Bath Koralaya'. It is also an area with an intrinsic beauty and beautiful landscape. "Entertainment and educationally instructive programmes are the highlights," said Newton Gunaratne, the chairman of Rupavahini Corporation at a recently held press conference.

The second celebratory location for the New Year is tsunami affected Rathgama where a number of aid programmes organised by Rupavahini will be telecast. First there will be a special felicitation for the oldest grandfather and grandmother, survivors of the devastating tsunami disaster. In addition to educational needs, clothes and gifts will be presented to children in this area. Community projects like presenting spectacles, fishing equipment, self-employment incentives and conducting medical clinics will be the awareness programmes conducted by Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.

Throughout April 14 panel discussions will be held on the Sinhala and Tamil traditions related to the New Year festival. These discussions will be a source of knowledge shared by the experts in the field. Highlighting the rituals and customs and traditions of the New Year, Rupavahini has also taken steps for an awareness programme in which traditional games long forgotten will be introduced and presented.

The highlights for the season will be the beauty contest to select the 'Avurudhu Kumari'. The beauty queen will get two tickets to India while the others will be given valuable gifts In addition the damsels who make it to the final rounds will get opportunities to become announcers and teledrama actresses. The application for the Avurudhu Kumari contest will be issued with our sister papers 'Lankadeepa' and 'Irida Lankadeepa'.

"We have not forgotten our loved ones abroad and New Year programmes organised by them will be telecast during the Sinhala New Year period," Rupavahini chairman said talking about the New Year celebrations held in the Middle-East.

Eye to attract English, Tamil audience
The innovative programme by Rupavahini Channel EYE will be a promotional to attract English and Tamil viewers. While priority is given to sports events, films, Tamil miniplays and other programmes will be telecast on Channel Eye, the second channel of Rupavahini.

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