In 2015, then Minister of Power and Energy, Patali Champika Ranawaka, stated that Sri Lanka had embarked on a mission to enter into a new energy era, and was striving to become a nation self-sufficient in energy by 2030. Currently, Sri Lanka’s largest source of energy comes from hydropower at 21.91 Prescott Joule (PJ). However, in a country like Sri ...
Bellanwila Esala celebrations are held every year around August or September at the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya. These celebrations showcase a number of peraheras, including Devadootha Perahera, Kumbal Perahera, Mal Perahera, Paawada Perahera, Ransivii Perahera and the Randoli Perahera—which is the final and the biggest perahera. This year, the 67th Annual Bellanwila Perahera took place on August 26. The following ...
Be it the Kandy Perahera, an Avurudhu celebration, or a traditional Buddhist wedding, almost every social, cultural or religious occasion in Sri Lanka highlights different forms and styles of dance that are indigenous to the country. For both ritualistic and aesthetic reasons, dance plays an important role in Sri Lanka’s culture. According to W. B. Makulloluwa’s book Dances of Sri ...
Education is the cornerstone of civilization. Formal schools have been around since the Classical Era, but the system of education has changed significantly through the ages. In past centuries, acquiring knowledge was a luxury that the poor and lower social classes could not afford to expend time or money on. What began as an elite privilege has given way to ...
In a quiet private street in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, is a large and spacious old house, enclosed by a sliding metal gate. It is quite an ordinary house for such an upmarket area, only a short walking distance from the town hall. It’s not until you enter that you find yourself somewhere quite extraordinary—the home and private office of Sir ...
Sri Lanka is a massive hothouse of plants and vegetables that nobody else in the world has ever heard of, let alone consumed. These include an incredible array of edible green leaves that are chock-full of nutrition. Not only do these greens have a wide variety of health benefits, but they can also be made into highly appetising dishes which ...
Sri Lanka is ranked the fourth biggest exporter of cinnamon in the world, with 8% of the global exports according to a 2014 FAO database. Cinnamomum veru, also known as the Ceylon cinnamon tree, is native to Sri Lanka and considered to be more aromatic than other species. Almost 90% of the world supply of this cinnamon is exported from ...
We continue our survey of Old Colpetty with this sequel on More Colpetty Places and their Stories to take our readers on another trip down memory lane. The Colpetty of the roaring sixties and seventies was simply wonderful to be in. Life then was so easy and carefree. Those were the days when a group of playful lads known as ...
Arugam Bay, once a quiet fishing village, is today one of the world’s top surf spots, attracting surfing enthusiasts from all over the world, and with many restaurants and guest houses scattered along the coast to cater to the inflow of tourists. Although the surf culture is what seems to dominate, the surfers, tourists, and up-and-coming entrepreneurs co-exist with the ...
The Nallur Sri Kandaswamy Kovil, one of the most significant Hindu temples on the island, is located in the town of Nallur in the district of Jaffna. The Nallur festival is Sri Lanka’s longest festival, spanning 25 days of processions and rituals, all carried out in honour of the god Skanda. During the festival, Jaffna town is completely transformed—roads around ...
After renowned journalist, actor and poet Richard De Zoysa was abducted and murdered, his mother, Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu, famously called herself the “luckiest mother in Sri Lanka”, because unlike thousands of others, she was fortunate enough to see her son’s body. De Zoysa was one of approximately 65,000 people who have been forcefully disappeared during Sri Lanka’s short but bloody ...
The recent months have brought home Sri Lanka’s energy crisis like never before. In the last week of July alone, the country experienced a technical failure at the Kerawalapitiya power plant, a petroleum union strike, and a three-hour power cut warning. Worse yet, the drought still continues, in spite of a few spells of heavy rainfall in mid-August at certain ...
Like Star-Lord dancing to the tune of “Come and Get Your Love”, Asus Lanka Comic Con sauntered into the weekend of August 26-27 putting a smile on many a geek culture aficionado’s face. Organised by the Geek Club of Sri Lanka, this is the third time Lanka Comic Con happened. The Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Center played host to ...
Colombo’s rapid growth has taken everyone by surprise. The once languid city that was content with its thé kades and terrible roads is now on the cusp of being a modern metropolis. Nowhere is this more visible than in Colombo’s fast-changing skyline. Where once growth was always along the ground, now, the veteran World Trade Center and Bank of Ceylon ...
