MasterChef: Top 20 are in
Sri Lanka officially steps onto the global culinary stage with the launch of MasterChef Sri Lanka Season 1, the local edition of one of the world’s most recognised cooking competitions. Produced by Reality TV Productions (Pvt) Ltd, the show is presented under licence from Banijay Entertainment and brings an internationally established format to Sri Lankan [...]
The ‘very strange’ book that became a classic
Helen Macdonald is the author of the phenomenal 2014 bestseller H is for Hawk, a very British memoir set against the English countryside, about the loss of a father and how the author coped with it by training a goshawk. Helen is also a naturalist, poet and former historian of science. Here are excerpts from [...]
SLMANA brings TMS to Sri Lanka
TMS is finally coming to Sri Lanka. TMS or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, a treatment method used globally for depression, OCD, migraines and other conditions, is described as “non-invasive brain stimulation”. Using magnetic fields to activate nerve cells, TMS is a critical treatment method when mental illnesses are unresponsive to medications and psychotherapy. TMS treatment has [...]
Letters to the Editor
Some thoughts to keep Nuwara Eliya clean during the season I am a resident of Nuwara Eliya. Every year, thousands of visitors come to Nuwara Eliya during the holiday season and this beautiful town becomes polluted and dirty, ill-equipped to cope with that vast influx. I have a few suggestions to help keep Nuwara Eliya [...]
Appreciations
A great administrator and kind humanist DR. JOE FERNANDO It came as a great shock to me when I heard the sad news of the demise of Dr. Joe Fernando, former Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Indigenous Medicine and Women’s Affairs as I had been closely associated with him for more than half a [...]
Sri Lanka’s forgotten blue pantry
Step into almost any pharmacy or wellness shop in Sri Lanka and you will see the same familiar names: ashwagandha, gotukola, moringa, black seed, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and other botanicals that sit comfortably within Ayurveda and everyday home practice. Many are marketed for vitality, digestion, improving memory, healthy blood sugar or “immunity,” and consumers recognize [...]
‘Thayakam’ – much needed insights on North’s environmental crisis
How much do we really know about the environmental challenges that Sri Lanka’s northern Tamil communities face? Aside from the on-going issues with wind power projects threatening the future of the Mannar Island and that Tamil Nadu trawlers continue to ravage our northern seascapes, is there much knowledge or exposes that speak about the climate [...]
Cue theatre brings back ‘The Woman in Black’
A play within a play that draws in its characters as well as the audience is how Ranga Jayaratne describes the new play she is directing. While she and actors Lahiru Fernando and Aaron Henderlin describe the play as spooky, they assure us that it’s not all just jump scares but very believable, relatable and [...]
Dine for a cause in Jaffna
Serendip Be The Change Foundation (SBTCF), Fox Jaffna by Fox Resorts & The Quiet Chapter (Chennai) will present Full Moon Storytelling & Dine for a Cause today, Sunday, March 1 at Fox Jaffna from 5.30 p.m. South Indian storyteller Kani Thiru’s narration of Velpari in Tamil will be followed by a moonlight dinner featuring vegetarian [...]
A resounding wave of support
It was a full house for ‘Waves of Hope’, the aid concert dedicated to healing and rebuilding Sri Lanka following Cyclone Ditwah. Held on Sunday, February 8, at the Galadari Ballroom in Colombo, the concert raised a remarkable Rs. 4 million for flood relief efforts, including Rs. 400,000 in on-the-spot donations during the event. Every [...]
Vedanta talks: Ancient wisdom for modern living
The Vedanta Institute Colombo will hold two transformative events in March, led by world-renowned speaker Sunandaji, that will explore the ancient philosophical system of Vedanta, translating profound universal truths into practical principles for modern life. Vedanta, deriving its name from the Sanskrit words Veda (knowledge) and anta (end), represents the culmination of knowledge. It focuses [...]
Mangala Madanayaka exhibition at Galle Fort
Well known ballpoint artist Mangala Madanayaka, will hold his next solo art exhibition at the Galle Fort National Museum premises from March 3-10. This exhibition is called “Ma dakina galla eda saha ada”. Having studied old photographs of the Galle Fort, the city, and the surrounding areas, his collection in black and white and colour [...]
South Asian documentary film festival in Colombo
The Collective for Historical Dialogue and Memory together with Film SouthAsia (FSA) will present a documentary film festival this week, from March 5th-8th with films from across the subcontinent being screened. The films include the award winners at FSA 2024 as well as others selected to showcase the range and intensity that marks the world [...]