President Maithripala Sirisena, in his message to mark the Thai Pongal festival, urged for peace, unity and prosperity among all Sri Lankans. "Thai Pongal festival marks the traditional renewal of links between humans, the deities and nature and the unity of people in worship and thanksgiving for blessings received, with abundant hope for success in the future." the message said. The President's full message as follows: Sri Lanka’s Hindus join their fellow Tamil religionists in most countries of the world today to celebrate Thai Pongal the traditional Thanksgiving and Harvest festival of the Hindu religious calendar. It is the tradition at this festival to offer thanks to Surya – the Sun God, for the blessings received for a successful harvest. The Pongal or the boiling of milk and rice is another important aspect of this festival, which is also referred to as the Surya Mangalyam or the Festival of the Sun God, for all blessings received for success in agriculture and all aspects of livelihood. Thai Pongal is marked by the Hindus of Sri Lanka with the coming together of families in a spirit of renewed affection and understanding, with offers of thanksgiving to the Sun God for continued blessings in the future. The second day of this festival follows the great tradition where the cattle used for ploughing, transport, to obtain milk and fertilizer are garlanded for their service to the people. This festival marks the traditional renewal of links between humans, the deities and nature and the unity of people in worship and thanksgiving for blessings received, with abundant hope for success in the future. I am especially pleased to issue this message at the very beginning of my term of office, with Metta, loving kindness and the cultivation of benevolence, for peace, unity and prosperity among our people. I wish all the Hindus of Sri Lanka a Happy and Blessed Thai Pongal.
I still remember the day of August 1947 floods, as it was the last school day at Kingswood College Kandy and the height the water soured. Water rose to the height of the Cross of the Chrurch at Getambe and the water was so high that it engulfed the Getambe Rajaponawarma Temple leaving only a few leaves of the Bo-tree visible.
The Colombo Additional Magistrate has ordered the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to investigate and submit a report over a complaint about the alleged illegal assets gained by model Piumi Hansamali.
Heritage properties are major tourist attractions world over. Sri Lanka is no exception in this matter. From Colombo, Galle, most of the mountain cities including Nuwara Eliya, Bandarawela, Hatton and Kandy and in the North, hundreds of heritage properties are spread across.
The Colombo High Court today (28) sentenced former parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra to three years of Rigorous Imprisonment over charges of the involvement of an abduction.
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