The River of Time Flows – By Dr Gamini Kariyawasam The concept of time permeates our entire existence. Standing on a slightly elevated ground across the river, I gazed at the sky, overwhelmed by a mysterious feeling. The river flows forward, changing moment by moment, almost imperceptibly. This extraordinary sight revealed a profound truth: time, which we cannot grasp or measure, ages us and flows from distant origins, ever onward. The lyrics of a poignant song came to mind, deepening the melancholy of the tranquil surroundings: “කොළොම්තොට නැත මහලු වී අවන්හල නැත පැරැණි වී එදා හඳමයි අදත් යෞවනයේ එහෙත් අප දෙන්නා බලන් කැඩපත සොඳුරියේ – පාට වත්සුණු දෙකොපුලෙන් පිසදා පෙරුම් පුරමින් හමුවෙලා – උනුන් රහසින් බැන්ද ආදර පෙම් බලන් කැඩපත සොඳුරියේ – කුමන අරුමද නර කෙසක් නැගිලා…” (You can listen to this song by clicking the excerpt below.) This song, sung by the legendary Amaradeva with lyrics by Lucian Bulathsinhala, beautifully captures the sorrow of time’s relentless march. Amaradeva’s voice, rich with emotion, resonates deeply within the heart, creating a subtle vibration that words cannot describe. It feels as if we, too, ...