Ayubowan! Sri Lanka № 5’2014 |February 05, 2014 1

Celebration of the 66th Independence Day in Kegalle

The 66th Independence Day Celebrations took place in Kegalle on

Tuesday under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. A tri-forces military parade comprising 1,400 Army Officers, 250

Naval Officers, 250 Air Force Officers, 250 Police Officers, 250 Members of the Civil Defence Force, 325 Cadets of the National Cadets Force and 300 Members of the National Youth Corps were the highlight of the celebrations. There also were 16 cultural dance acts as part of the cultural pageant which showcased the cultural diversity of the country.

A total of 110 students from schools in the Kegalle district sang the National Anthem while 25 students representing four schools in the district, were selected to recite the Jayamangala and Prarthana stanzas to bestow blessings on the country.

Arrangements had also been made to hold all religious observances in the Kegalle district in keeping with the National Independence Day.

Accordingly, Buddhist religious observances were held at Wewaladeniya Temple, Kegalle, Hindu religious observances at Kadirawelaudam Kalie Kovil, Kegalle, Muslim religious observances at Muhiyaddeen Jumma Mosque, Kegalle, Catholic religious observances at St.

Mary’s Church, Kegalle, and Christian religious observances were held at Sri Lanka Christian Reformist Assembly, Meepitiya and Kegalle.

Night shopping bazaar for Magampura

A night shopping bazaar with 300 boutique stalls will be constructed opposite the Magampura Ruhunu International Convention Centre (MRICC). The Urban Development Authority (UDA) has drawn up the plan for the proposed project. The construction work will be monitored by the Hambantota Municipal Council, Hambantota Assistant Government Agent Y.K. Shiromi Jeewamala told the Sunday Observer.

She said that a flyover will also be constructed along the Mirijjawila-Sooriyawewa road close to the Mirijjawila Botanical Garden.

The Government has developed all facilities including a road network in the district. Some development projects which were launched last year are progressing, Jeewamala said.

She said that the Mirijjawilaa-Sooriyawewa road (Adi 100 road), Meegahajangura-Gonnoruwa, Chithragala alternative road, Pitathara Roundabout road and the airport entrance road are being widened. Lands are being acquired by the RDA to widen the roads.

A large number of people lost business when the Hambantota harbour project was launched as it was within the project area along the Tangalle-Tissamaharama road. They will be given lands in close proximity to the shopping complex.

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SriLankan expands reach in Central Asia with Siberian Airlines

SriLankan Airlines’ expands its reach in Central Asia with its

latest codeshare agreement with Siberian Airlines (S7) which came into effect on 17th December 2013.

S7 Airlines, has its headquarters in Novosibirsk, the 3rd largest city in the Russian Federation, and is a member of the leading oneworld alliance. S7 has a wide network of destinations in Russia and in other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as well as in Europe. It has the largest domestic reach in the CIS region.

The codeshare will allow SriLankan Airlines’ (oneworld member elect) passengers to Moscow to access key cities such as Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Irkutsk, Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk in the Russian Federation, as well as to Kiev – the capital of Ukraine, utilising S7’s strong network. Similarly, S7 Airlines will place its code on SriLankan’s flights between Moscow and Colombo. S7 Airlines will also code share on SriLankan Airlines’ flights to Bangkok and Male via Colombo.

Highlighting the importance of this agreement, SriLankan Airlines’ Chief Executive Office, Kapila Chandrasena said “The Russian Federation and the Ukraine are very important markets for us and we are very excited at the prospect of accessing key destinations in this region together with S7 Airlines, a highly reputed airline serving a global network, particularly many destinations in the CIS region. We believe that this partnership will be of great benefit to both airlines.”

Vadim Besperstov, S7 Airlines’ Deputy CEO for Strategy said: “We are glad to announce this partnership with SriLankan Airlines. S7 Airlines’ passengers will discover new travel destinations on our code-share flights. We are looking forward to welcoming SriLankan on board of the oneworld airline alliance and offer even more benefits for our passengers and members of frequent flyer programs.”

The city of Novosibirsk is the administrative capital of Siberia and S7 Airlines operates from the Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport (OVB) located in western Russia.

SriLankan Airlines network has expanded to 73 destinations in 36 countries.

Conservation of Dutch Fort in Jaffna to be completed in four years

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage will resume the conservation activities of the Dutch Fort in Jaffna this year and expects to complete the project within the next four years.

Department of Archaeology commenced conservation work of the Dutch Fort in Jaffna in 2009 with financial assistance from the Government of Netherlands and the first phase of the project was completed in

2012. The Cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal put forward by the Cultural Affairs and National

Heritage Minister Dr. Jagath Balasooriya to complete the balance conservation activities in the Fort. The conservation project will be completed within the next four years at an estimated cost of Rs.200 million.

Jaffna Fort, built by the Dutch in 1690 is the second biggest Dutch fort built in Sri Lanka.

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Grand pageant in the city

Every year in the month of February, a pageant depicting Sri Lanka's age old religious and cultural traditions are revived in the capital city, Colombo. This year the cultural pageant is scheduled for the 14th Friday and 15th Saturday of February.

While local crowds gather in their numbers to witness the spectacular festival, it is also an event that is rarely missed by foreign visitors. The pageant is planned and executed by the Gangaramaya Temple situated close to the well-known Beira Lake, under the personal supervision of its energetic and dynamic chief incumbent, Venerable Gala boda Gnanissara Nayaka Thero, fondly addressed as Podi Hamuduruwo,

who organised the Nawam Perahera in 1979 for the first time. The pageant is popularly known as the Nawam Perahera-the procession held in the month of

Nawam, as February is referred to in the Buddhist calendar. Nawam full moon poya day commemorates the acceptance of Arahants, Sariputta and Moggallana by Lord Buddha as His two chief disciples. Arahant Sariputta was renowned for his profound learning and wisdom (pragna) while Arahant Moggallana was known for his exceptional spiritual powers (irdhi).

In Sri Lanka, the elephant and its majesty adds glamour to any ceremony and is used on occasions linked to religious and cultural events. Being very much a part of Sri Lankan culture, elephants always form a vital part in Sri Lankan processions. However, around 75 elephants parading the city streets is indeed a rare sight and that is exactly what one will see in the Nawam Perahera.

Usually, Buddhist monks do not walk in a procession. In the Nawam Perahera hundreds of monks clad in saffron robes, each carrying a ‘vatapatha'-the traditional fan, solemnly march in the procession providing a colourful and inspiring sight. They represent the Maha Sangha, the Buddhist clergy who form one of the three refuges-'tisarana'- that a disciple of the Buddha abides by, the other two being the Buddha and Dhamma (His teachings). The pageant signifies the ‘tisarana'. As such Buddha is symbolically represented by the Buddha relics enclosed in a gold casket and carried on an elephant's back while Dhamma texts are taken in the procession to signify the presence of the second refuge.

The Pageant Is Popularly Known As The Nawam Perahera—The Procession Held In The Month Of Nawam Drums and dances also form an integral part of the procession. The traditional dancers taking part in the Nawam Perahera come from all parts of the Island. They represent the numerous forms of dance ranging from ‘udarata netum', Kandyan dances in the hill country, to the ‘ruhunu netum', dances of the South. The vast array of dances varies in their form and style and the dancers, clad in colourful costumes, perform throughout the procession. They keep to the rhythm of the drummers who are also in traditional dress.

Auspicious times are selected for any important activity in Sri Lanka and when it comes to the Nawam Perahera, there is no difference. The procession starts as dusk falls. The relic casket is handed over by the chief monk to the chief devotee of the temple who then takes charge of it to be carried on the back of the gaily decorated senior elephant, to whom the honour and privilege has been bestowed upon. The elephant is flanked by two other elephants keeping him company.

Apart from the saffron robes worn by the monks and the colourful costumes of the dancers, white is the predominant colour seen in the procession as the lay officials and other staff marching in the procession wear white. Most of them have their own style of dress. Young men dressed in white carrying 50 Buddhist flags, 50 national flags and 50 provincial flags lead the procession. They are followed by 50 torch bearers carrying ‘pandam', a traditional form of torch lights. Next is a bevy of 25 hewisi drummers.

After the lay custodian and his assistants, in their conventional dress, march ahead of the elephant carrying the relic casket, dancers and drummers follow.

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What the Portuguese Left Behind: The Cultural Influence of the First Colonials

The Portuguese presence in Asia was generally limited to urban areas

but Sri Lanka was an exception. The institutions that defined the matrix of social interaction with the local context were extended to non-urban areas. The Portuguese have left their stamp on Sri Lankan social administration, society, fine arts and language.

Roman Catholicism Roman Catholicism is the main form of Christianity in Sri Lanka, having been the first to be introduced by Portuguese missionaries. However, the over-zealous nature of the conversion is the least tasteful aspect of the Portuguese cultural imprint. But they were more successful in retaining their converts than the Dutch missionaries who tried to spread Protestantism after the Portuguese were expelled.

Surnames Many Sinhalese adopted Portuguese surnames-although most were modified to a degree-but this practice did not necessarily denote conversion to Roman Catholicism. Such names (and their Portuguese form) include Corea (Correia), Croos (Cruz), De Abrew (Abreu), De Alwis (Alves), De Saram (Serra), De Silva (Da Silva), De Soysa or De Zoysa, Dias, De Fonseka or Fonseka (Fonseca), Fernando (Fernandes), Gomes or Gomis, Mendis (Mendes), Perera (Pereira), Peiris or Pieris (Peres), Rodrigo (Rodrigues).

Portuguese Creole The interaction of the Portuguese and the islanders led to the evolution of a new language, Portuguese Creole. This flourished as a link language between the 16th and mid-19th centuries and continues to be spoken today (there is no written form) by an extremely small percentage of the population: in 1992 it was estimated to be 30,000.

Speakers of Portuguese Creole are generally members of the Burgher community (descendents of the Portuguese and Dutch) who reside in Batticaloa and Trincomalee. In addition it is spoken by the Kaffir community (Bantu slaves brought to the Island by the Portuguese and later by the Dutch and British), in Puttalam. Portuguese Creole consists of words from Portuguese, Sinhala, Tamil, and even Dutch and English. It is considered to be the most important creole dialect in Asia because of its vitality and the influence of its vocabulary on the Sinhala language.

Sinhala words of Portuguese origin This vocabulary influence was remarkable: there was a rapid absorption of perhaps a thousand Portuguese words into Sinhala. These "loan words" as they termed by lexicographers rarely appear in the same form as the original; the vast majority have undergone naturalisation.

Examples include: almariya (wardrobe), annasi (pineapple), baldiya (bucket), bankuwa (bench), bonikka (doll), bottama (button), gova (cabbage), kabuk (laterite, a building material), kalisama (trousers), kamisaya (shirt), kussiya (kitchen), lensuwa (handkerchief), masaya (month), mesaya (table).

Music and dance Apart from Buddhism, the second biggest influence on Sri Lankan music, is Portuguese, for the colonials brought with them western instruments such as the ukulele and the guitar, and introduced musical forms such as the ballad. More significant, though, was the importation of the rhythmic instrumental dance music called baila, which was popular with the Portuguese traders and their Kaffir slaves. Characterised by its upbeat 6/8 time, baila has today become a fashionable genre of Sri Lankan music. It includes comical lyrics and accommodates modern instruments-electric guitar, keyboards and drums-and is often played during parties and weddings.

Cuisine Those who assume that Sri Lanka's hot curries were the creation of the Islanders will be surprised to learn that the Portuguese introduced chillies to the local cuisine. Until then, pepper had been the means by which curries were given a ‘heaty' (Sri Lankan English) taste. Not so surprising, considering the local lack of knowledge regarding bread revealed in the comment that the Portuguese ate "hunks of white stone", is that they were responsible for the establishment of bread-making. They also introduced the tomato. The Islanders took to Portuguese cakes, such as the bolo fiado or bolo folhado, a layer cake filled with cadju (cashews), and sweets such as boruwa and fuguete.

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Amaara Sky: Feel At Home This is a place of sanctuary even for the most discerning…

From its setting amidst Kandy’s natural havens in the hills to its impeccable hospitality, Amaara Sky is definitely one to be experienced.

Beyond the Kandy city’s world renowned sites and flurry of activity, your guarded thoughts on where to find bespoke laps of relaxation, countless immoderation and luxury, can soon be put to rest, in just a matter of minutes. Spilling into view is the region’s breathtaking sceneries of incessant green mountain ranges, silvery mists and rolling hills that seem to parade the heavens, which seem dreamy enough. Be prepared to embrace all that beauty from the comfort of Amaara Sky.

With amenities at five star levels, expect to be pleasured at this one of a kind boutique hotel. Indulge in any of the twelve distinctively spacious rooms, which range from standard to superior to deluxe and a suite, to a two storied penthouse, equipped with abundantly stocked mini bars, satellite TV, safes, complimentary surprises and more.

The multi-talented staff at Amaara Sky performs as a live band during theme nights. Upcoming additions to Amaara Sky include a swimming pool and a large parking space to further the convenience of guests

Amaara Sky’s tribute to honeymooners is the real deal by far. An unmatched welcome within the room; a bed speckled with red rose petals and wild flowers, a bottle of bubbly beside a box of premium chocolates, the pleasure of customized room service while basking in the hypnotizing views that lay forth, on the breezy patio of the room’s balcony and of course to top it all off,

the simple pleasure of privacy. There’s no exception, even as far as the hotel’s cuisine goes.

Preference of dining in at the restaurant or out on the picturesque terrace is up to you. Whether, you’d like to go Sri Lankan or Continental is also your choice. Be it what may, Amaara Sky gives you just what you need in just the way you would like it.

An à la carte menu carries many gastronomic delights to choose from. Smoked pink salmon to season the appetite with an entrée of hearty stuffed, roast chicken with a mushroom sauce to follow and might I suggest the hotel’s signature dessert—the tiramisu mousse. Or treat yourself to a conventional Sri Lankan rice and curry feast and thereafter indulge in a generous helping of fresh curd and treacle or a jaggery pudding; leaving those taste buds wanting more.

Let loose, choose ease and let your heart embrace a feel of home away from home. Let Amaara Sky take the load off, once and for all.

The Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

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