From murder to stealing mudcrab pots, Sri Lankan-origin law-breakers have been active in Australia for a long time. Some were exiled there as punishment, and became model citizens. Others were incorrigible reprobates. Sri Lankans have been part of Australian history since the early 19th century. However, with the “White Australia” policy in place from 1901 to 1973, only those who ...
Galle face might be your first inclination to look for street food in Colombo, but there’s a whole other world out there beyond its borders. Don’t believe us? Swing down to Pettah—the true ground zero for street food. Pettah is the heart of the city. Workers, labourers, drivers, shopkeepers, and every other kind of denizen in the city will go ...
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 ...
On the fourth of July of this year, amidst the celebrations of the US Independence day, a large steel sculpture, composed of two concentric cylinders—one silver and the other gold—was unveiled on at the Santa Monica Boulevard in the city of Los Angeles. Named the Freedom Sculpture, it was gifted by the Farhang foundation—a non-political, non-religious, non-profit organisation that promotes ...
When stamps were first introduced to Ceylon by the British, our ancestors probably never thought these little pieces of paper would one day become so valuable. Our stamps are unique and interesting in their own way; a glance at a stamp—or better yet, a whole collection of them—can give one a glimpse into Sri Lankan culture and history. The most ...
In March 1896, in the San Francisco suburb of Oakland, the Sri Lankan Buddhist revivalist and missionary Hewavitarne (Anagarika) Dharmapala, on a lecture tour of the USA, met Countess Canavarro. Seeking spiritual sustenance, she struck him as determined and forceful. According to Tessa Bartholomeusz, four months after meeting her, Dharmapala proposed that she travel to Sri Lanka and establish an ...
If you’ve been on the internet lately, you might have seen pictures of Spiderman in Bambalapitiya waiting for a bus, or Batman at a children’s home. You might remember a lot of these characters from around this time last year at an event called Lanka Comic Con, where many fictional characters came to life right here in Sri Lanka. If ...
Kandyan dances may steal the spotlight on many occasions, but Low Country dances (pahatha rata natum) that date back to the days of the Ruhunu Kingdom are performances that are unique on their own right. A few people in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka still practice many of these ritualistic dances, and it is not out of the ordinary ...
“සුද්ධිට අගෞරව කරන්න හොඳ නෑ (we mustn’t disrespect Suddhi)” is an oft-repeated motif in Prasanna Jayakody’s third outing, 28. The irony that this respect is demanded for the dead body of a sex-worker, is at the heart of this deceptively light-hearted road-trip adventure. The filmmaker succeeds, for the most part, in highlighting it in a way that thankfully doesn’t feel ...
Sri Lanka has been celebrating its long and enduring love affair with one of the world’s most iconic cars, the Mini. More than 100 Minis, representing 21 different types and models, dating back nearly 60 years were put on display by their proud owners at the Colombo Racecourse last Sunday (May 28). Some of Sri Lanka’s best-loved cars lined up ...
Ever woken up at the crack of dawn and thought to yourself, “I am about to head off to an enclosed space, passive-aggressively stand behind other sweaty people doing their reps, and then lift inanimate objects till I am as sweaty as they are and have the worst wedgie ever. I’m going to have so much fun!” No? Yeah, me ...
Growing up in Sri Lankan school systems, we learn about great ancient kingdoms and brave struggles for independence. History stops abruptly, though, around 1948, with gaining independence. The alternative sources of information we are left with are the stories told to us by our elders, personal tales of violence experienced, brave attempts at solidarity and care, of fruitless searches of ...
Black hair is the most popular type of hair found among humans, but that doesn’t mean it has no traits that make it special. One of the biggest misconceptions about black hair is that is unique to only those living in Asia and Africa when in reality, black hair is found in those living in all parts of the world. ...
Famed as the largest ironwood forest in Asia, the Jaathika Namal Uyana, an ancient forest sanctuary close to Dambulla, leads to the rose quartz mountain range. The latter also claims to be the largest in Asia, a claim which is neither substantiated nor disputed. Despite this, mining at the rose quartz mountain range in Sri Lanka is illegal, and the ...
With the internet taking over as the primary source of information in the world, devices that access this information superhighway have also become relatively commonplace. Someone had the bright idea that you should also read on these devices. Why not create a device specifically for reading, that could hold thousands of books? Released by Amazon in 2007, the Kindle has ...
Pregnancy is a truly wonderful and exciting time, if you can overlook the endless puking, constant nausea, back pain, varicose veins, swollen ankles, pregnancy cramps, and not being able to see your own feet for two whole months. No really, childbearing is nothing short of a miracle and to pull through it requires superhuman effort. In Sri Lankan communities, pregnancy ...
Two questions in, before we could even calibrate as interviewer and interviewee, Shehan Karunatilaka’s daughter marched into the room, with her two-foot high smile of superiority, and had this settled for good: Elmo, as well as the herd of stuffed animals on Karunatilaka’s sofa, was hers. After placating her (he just betrayed Elmo into her custody), Karunatilaka closed the door ...
For a miniscule country dotting the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s stories—the myths, legends, and urban histories intertwined with factual history—stand tall. From Adam’s Peak to the legendary Ravana caves, from Ritigala to Jungle Beach—the mountains, forests, and beaches are all dipped in local folklore. Sometimes, it’s the origin stories that make a place worth visiting. Ussangoda is one such place. ...
Devol madu shanthikarmaya, also known as the gammaduwa, is a tradition that invokes the blessings of the goddess Pattini—known to both Buddhists and Hindus as the goddess of fertility and health. Practiced predominantly in the low country, these rituals are performed by a kapurala (spiritual leader and healer) to ensure the well-being of the village and a plentiful harvest. The ...
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 ...
