Trailing a royal gift and a warrior-ancestor
Tales of battles passed down the generations she had heard as a little girl while seated on Ath-amma’s knee and a yellowed and dog-eared paper clipping left behind with a passionate plea in a letter by her Achchi…..all centred round a warrior-ancestor and an exquisite but handy gift to a king. Then followed a visit [...]
A literary path to healing
The Routledge Companion to Sinhala Fiction from Post-War Sri Lanka is not coloured in the carmines, purples and blacks of a paradise blighted. If it has trauma, it is not hateful but comes as a stand against exclusivist nationalism. The stories were chosen because all of them are post-war, and manifested resistance to the divisive [...]
Letters to the Editor
The forgotten pensioners who suffer in silence I’m a retired teacher who draws less than Rs 50,000 as a pension per month. I’m 78 years old and have to feed four members of my family from this income. Every month I have to set aside about Rs 15, 000 at least for my medical bills. [...]
Shani Diluka/SOSL concert: A class act
Beethoven wrote his fifth and final piano concerto in 1809, the year that Vienna was besieged by Napoleon’s armies. The bombardment was so relentless that in August the composer wrote to his publisher: “Since May 4, I have produced very little coherent work, at most a fragment here and there. The whole course of events [...]
French Film Festival: A treat for movie fans
The French Film Festival was a highlight of the recently concluded French Spring Festival and took place at the National Film Corporation. It was a treat for movie fans as the six French films shown encompassed many genres from comedies to documentaries and animated movies. Stars of the silver screen and an enthusiastic audience joined [...]
Baring her bear fascination
It is feared by one and all……..but for ecologist Dr. Shyamala Ratnayeke it is a fascinating creature and she is a staunch believer that sloth bears, the only bear species found in Sri Lanka, are “a unique national treasure!” For Dr. Ratnayeke who has wide experience as a scientist in many fields which include algae, [...]
CGPSL holds 48th Annual Academic Sessions
The 48th Annual Academic Sessions of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka (CGPSL) were held on July 1 and 2 in Colombo on the theme ‘Emerging trends in General Practice: Healing amidst crisis’. The sessions were held under the guidance of the college President Dr. D.K.D. Mathew and the chief guest was Professor [...]
Rooftop fare from W15
Headquarters by W15 which opened last week is all about capturing the electric energy of the city, from the lively alleys of Pettah to the breezy Galle Face Green. Located in the heart of Colombo on T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Headquarters by W15 incorporates a rooftop observation deck which offers a panoramic view of Colombo’s city, [...]
Reviving interest in Kolam drama
On July 22, a traditional kolam drama ‘Kolam Natya Prasangaya’ organised by the the Kolam Art Gallery will be staged at the Rupakannutilleke Stadium of the Ananda Central College in Elpitiya. About 15 items will be performed including popular dramas such as ‘Jasaya saha Lenchina Kolama’, ‘Singha Kolama’, ‘Anabera Kolama’ and ‘Kepiri Kolama’. Two shows [...]