When we think of traditional Sri Lankan furniture, our thoughts often go straight to the wooden chairs and storage chests that harken to the old colonial days when Sri Lanka was called Ceylon. In pre-colonial Sri Lanka, seating above floor-level was uncommon; the ancient kings would sit on seats carved out of rock, while the masses would be seated on ...
Every year, millions of Buddhists across the world celebrate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha. In Sri Lanka, where Theravada Buddhists make up around 70% of the population, the celebration of Vesak is particularly exuberant, with lanterns, Buddhist flags, and pandals adorning every street corner. In fact, it was Sri Lanka who played a key role in bringing ...
Vesak, the festival celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Lord Buddha, is celebrated with great fervour by the country’s majority Buddhist populace. This year Sri Lanka will be hosting the United Nations’ International Day of Vesak for 2017. While Buddhist nations have celebrated this festival for generations, the United Nations only adopted it in 1999 on the initiative of ...
Ella was once a quiet village in the Uva Province. In recent times however, the town has transformed into one of the island’s upcountry hotspots. The influx of tourism has seen Ella morph into a backpacker hub, effectively positioning itself as the “Hikka of the Hills”. Travellers flock here for the cool climes, stunning views, and adventurous hikes, but many ...
Upon further scrutiny of Romeo and Juliet, instead of the superficial perspective the commercial world has chosen to capitalise on, it can be seen that Shakespeare has skillfully disguised a Marxist prophecy foretelling the suffering that mankind will incur by the Capitalist State-experiment. A prophecy that embodied the class struggle and the ethos of the Haymarket Affair, which is now ...
The saree is one of the oldest forms of women’s clothing, which is believed to date back to 5,000 years ago, when cotton was first cultivated and used to produce cloth. It is also one of the most common and most popular forms of women’s attire in the South Asian region, with different styles in various regions of the Indian ...
Sri Lankans had, and still have, some strange traditions that are thought of as indigenous. However, much of these have their origins in other parts of the world, especially in India, and, to a lesser extent, in the Middle East. Here are three such local beliefs and customs with exotic origins: Dola-Duka (Pregnancy Craving) Sri Lankans, and especially the Sinhalese, ...
