SLMC: Into the future with 100 year legacy
Handwritten, smeared and smudged it may be – but the content is proper and in order! These are the minutes of the very first meeting, a hundred years ago, of the ‘watchdog’ which safeguards the interests of the ill. It was Friday, June 25th, 1925, the time recorded as 3 p.m. and the place as [...]
Maureen Hingert and the Howard Hughes connection
Since the passing in Los Angeles, California on June 29, 2025 of Maureen Neliya Hingert, many have been moved to pay tribute to the Ceylonese woman who, as an 18-year-old, placed third (second runner-up) in the 1955 Miss Universe beauty pageant. Some of the material written about Maureen over the years, and repeated recently, is [...]
The wreck of the ‘Indus’ at Moletivoe -A passenger’s tale
It was on Saturday, the 7th instant that I was standing on the deck of the good ship “Indus” and at almost 2 p.m. took my last look at the pepper pots with which our Government Architect has made the beach so spicy, and bade adieu for a time to the land of my adoption. [...]
Letters to the Editor
How many of our loved ones were injected saline instead of cancer treatment? I am a consultant psychiatrist from Sri Lanka, currently working in Australia. I recently received the news that a WHO-accredited lab has found that Rituximab – a cancer treatment drug – contained only saline, and the Sri Lankan government has spent multi-millions [...]
APPRECIATIONS
Maritime expert and rare gentleman LIEUTENANT COMMANDER SOMASIRI DEVENDRA It was with much sadness that I received the news of the demise of Lieutenant Commander Somasiri Devendra. I had met him and his lovely wife Dayadari at their residence in Dehiwala only a couple of weeks earlier to discuss some of his discoveries such as [...]
Revival of Buddhism with arrival of Upali Maha Thera from Siam
Esala Full Moon Poya is significant in the Buddhist calendar with many important events in the life of the Buddha: the conception of the Bodhisattva in the womb of Queen Mahamaya, Prince Siddhartha Gautama’s renunciation of his lay life in search of the ‘Truth’, the birth of Prince Rahula, the yamaka Maha Prathiharya (Twin Miracles) [...]
The buzz of GLF once again come January!
Come January, the UNESCO-listed Galle Fort will be the vibrant stage for writers, thinkers, artists, and audiences as the Galle Literary Festival marks its 13th edition in 2026, celebrating stories, art and conversation in the heart of Galle Fort. Renowned for its intimate atmosphere and powerful programming, GLF 2026 from January 22-25, will offer four [...]
A challenging variety under the able baton of Harin
“The arms of the conductor, like great wings, shape the singing.” -Kim André Arnesen It was fitting that the Colombo Philarmonic Choir should return to performing at the Chapel of the Hope of the World at Ladies’ College; Harin Amirthanathan took over the baton as conductor of the Choir in 2018, had his debut concert [...]
Two Australian choirs to perform in Colombo, Galle and Kandy
In a harmonious cultural convergence, two Australian choirs – the Euphony Choir Australia and the Victoria Welsh Male Choir – will perform in Sri Lanka this July in a musical celebration titled ‘Timeless Echoes’. Presented by the De Lanerolle Brothers these concerts under the direction of the dynamic Rushan Hewawasam, promise to deliver a moving [...]
The old art of baking meets a new generation of bakers
When an unknown and self-trained Sri Lankan chef named Tharshan Selvarajah won “Best Baguette in Paris” in 2023, the news made many Sri Lankans the world over proud and a little amazed. A Sri Lankan in Paris making artisanal bread? It sounds contrary to what we associate with Lankan cuisine but are the culinary arts [...]