The Hindu festival of lights, also known as Deepawali or Diwali, usually takes place late October or early November. It falls on the month of Karthikai (which, according to the Hindu calendar, is somewhere between October and November). We headed to the city of Nawalapitiya in the hill country to find out how the festival was celebrated away from Colombo. ...
With the final notes of Rag – The Musical still ringing in the alcoves of Colombo’s Wendt Theatre, the emotive subject of ragging has been bought once more into the public conscience. Deaths, suicides and serious abuse make up a long list of “major incidents” in this enduring black mark on university life in Sri Lanka. This year, there have ...
Travelling along the Colombo-Kandy road, you may have heard stories of bandits from days of old. Narrated in awed tones, the storyteller would have pointed to a monolithic hill—Utuwankanda—in the distance, and told you of Saradiel, the highway-man who robbed coaches at gunpoint and then distributed his stolen goods among the poor, before disappearing into his hide-out in the forest ...
The budget for 2018 was presented by the Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera, last Thursday (09). Called the ‘blue-green budget,’ the Minister noted that the government now intends to utilise the “full economic potential of ocean related activities” and build an economy based on environmentally sustainable development strategies. According to the government, the budget is also heavily ...
When Roar Media started the #CelebrateSriLanka competition, we wanted it to be about more than just good photography: we wanted it to be a snapshot and celebration of Sri Lanka’s very essence. Whether it is lifestyle, culture, tradition or landscape, what sets these six photographers (and winners of Roar Media’s #CelebrateSriLanka Photo Competition!) apart is their keen eye for unique ...
Brought to you by CFA Though revered internationally, particularly in developed countries like the United States of America, the Chartered Finance Analyst Program, abbreviated as CFA, has yet to truly take off in Sri Lanka. CFA Sri Lanka Advertising and Branding Chair, Rahul Hundlani, explains that this could be for a number of reasons. While CFA is considered the highest ...
Little is it known that the Arabs of old were a great maritime trading power. Their influence was far-reaching both in East and West. They played a very important role in the maritime silk route of the East that connected Africa with Asia, while their role in supplying prized merchandise to Western markets impacted European culture in more ways than ...
Male-dominated Sri Lankan colonial society looked upon European women as, essentially, adjuncts to the White male administrators, planters and soldiers who ran the show. However, a rare cookery book, available in the Colombo Museum Library, gives us an insight into their lives. The year 1917 was not a good one for the British Empire. The First World War had dragged ...
You may have noticed Hela Bojun food courts when travelling out of Colombo. Spacious, with open kitchens, serving quintessentially Sri Lankan food at subsidized prices, these particular food courts scattered across the island were founded with two intentions in mind: promoting local produce and empowering women. Stereotypical though it may be for women to be empowered through cooking, this idea ...
In the 18 months since Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala returned from Mount Everest, she has completed close to 50 interviews at home and abroad. Not wanting to join the ranks as just another number, Roar Media promised Jayanthi a conversation only about the future, without a single mention of Everest. Well, maybe just one… What has surprised you most about your return ...
The Wolvendaal Church, also known as the Christian Reformed Church,celebrated its 375th birthday on 06 October this year. With walls that are nearly 5ft thick, the church is constructed in the form of a Greek Cross. Its original dome had a crowned lion mounted atop, holding a sword and seven arrows in each of its front paws. Each arrow was ...
