A marvel of murals and cooperation
Near century-old murals in the main hall of the iconic Mulaghandakuti Vihara built by Anagarika Dharmapala in holy Isipathana (Sarnath, Varanasi) have come to life once again. The vihare is where the most revered sacred relics of the Buddha, discovered by British archaeologists near Taxila in colonial India in 1913-14 and handed over for safe [...]
Bowled over by cricket from a young age
The rare honour of a Lifetime Achievement Award was made to Gwen Herat at the Under 19 School Cricket Awards 2023 held on October 17. Having played a pivotal role in encouraging women’s cricket in the early days, Gwen was there at the birth of the Women’s Cricket Association of Sri Lanka under the Board [...]
Tapestry of collaborative work; Ena and her band of artists
The Barefoot Loft Gallery is currently home to a new exhibition centred on the works and collaborations of Ena de Silva, capping out the centenary celebrations of the renowned artist. Titled ‘Imagining New Natures – Collaborations with Ena’, the items on display reflect the developments in textile and batik design in Sri Lanka that came [...]
Letters to the Editor
A plea to establish well-equipped ‘Stroke Units’ in the public sector As far as minimising the morbidity and mortality of Non Communicable Disease (NCDs) on the island, cardiology units and cancer units have appeared in the Health sector hospitals. However, the other dominant NCD, i.e. Stroke care needs the public to agitate to move the [...]
APPRECIATIONS
The big brother who was friend and role model KANAGARATNAM MANICcAVASAGAR It will be one year on October 30, since my brother passed away in London. He was to come to Sri Lanka to be the attesting witness and to give away our nephew Gopiram in marriage to Tharaka De Silva. Unfortunately it did not [...]
The art of Hippolyte Silvaf
His coloured illustrations of fishes of over 400 species were considered by Thomas Huxley, Charles Darwin’s colleague and defender of his radical ideas, as the one of the best ever documentation of marine tropical fishes. Born on January 8, 1801, Hippolyte Silvaf was described in the press as a French European from Pondicherry. He had [...]
Women in repose and movement; landscapes windswept and still
An Exhibition of Paintings by Suwanitha Senanayake at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery will be on from November 2-4 The very modern house that Ranjith Senanayake, the least known of the children of Dudley Sena-nayake’s brother Robert, has built, is full of wonderful old family photographs. But amongst these are modern paintings which add splashes [...]
Unravelling our island’s many mysteries
Asiff Hussein’s latest book The Zeylonese Treasure Book of Myth, Mystery and Mystique covers a hundred oddities, curiosities and mysteries of Sri Lanka that have long defied explanation. Our island is, after all, home to some of the weirdest lore and legends handed down the generations. These stories coming down to us from hoary antiquity [...]
Young dancers eagerly await their day on stage at ‘Joy of Dance’
A year in the making, ‘Joy of Dance’ presented by the Ballet School of Colombo is a two-part concert: Hansel and Gretel in a classical ballet style and a second act showcasing diverse dance styles taught at the school including jazz, tap and contemporary. The show which goes on the boards on November 3 and [...]