Green cover again for this corner of Sinharaja
Veddagala’s hills may no longer harbour the Veddahs, but they stand in the eternal shadow of the Sinharaja adaviya. This is where Ruk Rakaganno, the Tree Society of Sri Lanka, is working to bring a new lease of life to the denizens of the forest and to compensate for human greed that has dwindled our [...]
When Lankan dancers wowed Ladakh
They stepped in tandem with the geta bera drumming and thalampata; evoking the majesty of a divine pachyderm, or the regal splendour of a fabled eastern king – all rapturously received by the audience – one ancient civilization bowing to another… Waves of applause greeted the Nilan Creative Dance and Drama Academy at Ladakh when [...]
Retracing their steps 200 years after
Commemorating 200 years since their arrival to Ceylon, the plantation community – the Malaiyaha community – is retracing the journey of the first groups of women and men brought to Ceylon/Sri Lanka to work in the plantations in the hill country. From July 28 to August 12, the Maanbumigu Malaiyaha Makkal walk which began in Thalaimannar and is [...]
Big win in Bali
Four golds!! That was the proud achievement of the Soul Sounds Academy Choir including soloists Shenuk Wijesinghe and Rakitha Widyapathige at the 12th Bali International Choir Festival. The Bali International Choir Festival 2023 was held from July 25-29, and the Soul Sounds Academy Choir conducted by Shivanthi Subramaniam and directed by Soundarie David Rodrigo won [...]
Letters to the Editor
Land bridge: Consider the potential health issues I am writing with reference to the article ‘A bridge too far’ by Don Manu in the Sunday Times last weekend, about the proposal to reconstruct a land link (bridge) from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka. While I concur with the major issues brought up, I would like [...]
Appreciations
It can’t be adios, my old friend NALIN VITHARANA Nalin Vitharana will not fall into the class of the ‘Greats’ going by today’s social standards. He was of another class. He possessed that rare quality: humaneness. In my association with him since the early sixties, I had not heard anyone speak ill of him nor [...]
New home for Casa Serena
Artist Nisansala Karunaratne Rajapaksa opened the doors to her Casa Serena gallery’s new location with an exhibit of not one, but three different collections on Friday, July 28. Initially located in Colombo 5, the art gallery and boutique space is now located on D.S. Senanayake Mawatha in Colombo 8. The first collection on display titled [...]
An invitation to Zinufa’s own treasure trove
On August 12 and 13, Zinufa Razik will display a collection of her paintings, 72 in all, done over the years, at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery. This is her second solo exhibition and is titled ‘An Artist’s Treasure Trove’. The paintings on canvas encompass a variety of media ranging from acrylics to oil paints [...]
A poetic debut
It is 1997 in Sri Lanka, and Kavi is your average 10-year-old, fangirling over Shah Rukh Khan and studying hard for her year 5 scholarship exams. Only, she is also coming to terms with the recent loss of her father, and even more recent re-marriage of her mother to a man she intends to despise [...]
Past times in a different Lanka
Like any mother, Maryann Ferdinands-Grigson shared stories of her life with her children. Having lived more than three score years and ten, she had countless stories to tell. Her tales spanned more years than she has lived, starting from the times of her grandparents in colonial Ceylon. She had gone through the mill of life [...]
A festival for peace and harmony
Going beyond mere entertainment to promote unity, understanding, and acceptance among individuals from diverse backgrounds, the Sama International Choral Festival, under the auspices of the Muslim Choral Ensemble successfully wrapped up a week-long series of performances, workshops, and discussions which had begun on July 24. A highlight of the festival was Voices for Peace, an [...]
Indian expert to talk on leopard conservation
Between 2010 and 2020, no less than 102 leopard deaths were recorded at the hands of humans. Many more may have died; unseen. Estimates place their number at being between 600 and 1,000 for the whole country. Unless something is done, and soon, the Sri Lankan Leopard faces the threat of extinction. Dr. Vidya Athreya [...]
The Alpha and the Omega
The choir of St. Francis of Assisi, Mount Lavinia celebrates 20 years of musicals in “worship, praise and thanksgiving” with ‘The Alpha and the Omega’ on Saturday, August 19 at 5.30 p.m. at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Mount Lavinia. The musical is interspersed with worship narrations, a compilation of God’s word in [...]