Articles Archives

Home ⁄ Articles (page 342)

“Kok Doowa Island” – paradise for avifauna aficianados – By Arundathie Abeysinghe A small rocky island located in the enormous *Parakrama Samudraya Reservoir in Polonnaruwa constructed by *King Parakramabahu (1153-1186) is a paradise for birdwatchers. During the nesting season of birds (from February to May) that coincides with the start of the monsoon, this tiny island turns home to thousands of nests, a birdwatchers’ paradise, a mesmerizing site… “Kok Doowa” meaning the ‘island of storks’ due to large numbers of birds, especially, storks (Ciconiidae) nesting on the rock, the island is visited not only by birds, but by elephants, especially those crossing Parakrama Samudraya. During the dry season, when the water levels of the reservoir decreases, visitors can walk across the water towards the island. Yet, when water levels are high, services of a fisherman’s boat to reach the island is necessary. The island has two summits, approximately 200 meters ...

Apr 20, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Anuradhapura Kingdom, King Parakramabahu, Kok Doowa Island, Parakrama Samudraya, Polonnaruwa

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES ANTI-RACISM ROADMAP FOR MELBOURNE’S SOUTHEAST EMBARGOED UNTIL THURSDAY 20 April 2023 Victoria University released a report today recommending effective ways for residents in Melbourne’s southeast to speak out against racism and find support services in their local areas. The study was conducted in partnership with the rapidly growing Cities of Casey and Greater Dandenong – where nearly two-thirds of residents are born overseas and more than 200 languages are spoken. Through surveys, focus groups and workshops conducted over 18 months in 2021 and 2022, the project uncovered residents’ experiences with racism, views on reporting, and anti-racism support services. It found: ...

Apr 19, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Victoria University

Continues to light up the Melbourne Scene Esric and Sandra: Rocked the scene with Replay 6 Source:Island I had an interesting conversation with one of Melbourne’s senior musicians – Esric Jackson.We touched on his early days in the Sri Lankan scene, with the group Pioneers, etc., and his rise to stardom, in Melbourne, Australia, with his late wife, Sandra, and hissolo projects.I know for sure readers would love to know more about Esric and, with that in mind, I got the man-about-town, in Melbourne, Trevine Rodrigo, to do the needful. And, this is his story about Esric Jackson… Strength, resilience and a God given talent is what personifies Esric Jackson, one of Sri Lanka’s outstanding vocal talent. And there’s no sign of his love for entertainment waning – not in the near future, anyway.His sojourn into music began at a tender age in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.Trying to help a stranded Colombo band ...

Apr 19, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Esric Jackson, TREVINE RODRIGO

Athugalpura Negam Waruna 2023 | ඇතුගල්පුර අවුරුදු නෑගම් වරුණ Lyceum Kurunegala and Boyagane School Successfully Organized Collaborative Sinhala and Tamil New Year Celebrations, Uniting International and National Education Systems”. Lyceum International School, Kurunegala, in collaboration with Boyagane School, successfully organised a Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebration on Sunday, 2nd April 2023. This event was the first of its kind, where an international school collaborated with a national school. ...

Apr 19, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Mrs. J.A.M.D Jayathilake, Sinhala and Tamil New Year

“SPORTS MADNESS” – by Des Kelly If ‘Sports Madness’ is prevalent anywhere, the Capital of this World of insanity would be right here, in this huge brown Continent of Australia. NEVER DOES A DAY GO BY, without some sport, either on land, or in water, being carried out. (There would be more swimming pools here, in Australia than anywhere else in the World), and I am quite certain of this. The reason for this brief, but important article of mine, is simply to ‘touch’ on the ‘Madness’ I write about when it comes to Sports in general. A Sport like Swimming is safe enough, I would suppose. Even ‘water-polo’ is hazard-proof, as the ball tossed around, would have to be less ‘felt’, having its impetus lessened by the water it emanates from. It feels very good to say that ‘swimming’ as a whole, is a safe, necessary Sport. Teaching children ...

Apr 19, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, DESMOND KELLY Tagged Sports Madness

Rev. Fr. BOB MAGUIRE – by Des Kelly Image Source : facebook “VALE’ FR.ROBERT (BOB) MAGUIRE, O.A.M., A SPECIALLY BELOVED CATHOLIC PRIEST, BORN IN.1934. & PASSED ON TO GLORY TODAY, THE 19TH OF APRIL, 2023. A REMARKABLE MAN, ALWAYS ‘DOING HIS OWN THING’, HE WAS INITIALLY THE MAIN PASTOR OF ST.PAUL’S CATHEDRAL IN MELBOURNE, (WHERE HE WAS BORN), FOR SOME 40 YEARS, ALSO GIVING HIS ALL, TO AID THE WAYWARD YOUTH OF THIS CITY, IN MANY WAYS, EVEN CLASHING WITH THE MELBOURNE CATHOLIC HEIRARCHY WHO WANTED HIM TO RETIRE IN 2009 (AT 75 YEARS OF AGE), ALTHOUGH HE WANTED TO CARRY ON, DOING WHAT HE LOVED TO DO (HELPING THE KIDS IN MELBOURNE TOWN, WHO ONLY KNEW HIM AS FATHER BOB).HIS O.A.M. WAS WELL EARNED IN 1989.(JUST ANOTHER ‘TITLE’ AS FAR AS HE WAS CONCERNED). NOW, REST IN PEACE, PERFECT PEACE, FATHER BOB. YOU WERE REALLY ONE OF THE BEST, & ...

Apr 19, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, DESMOND KELLY Tagged FR.ROBERT (BOB) MAGUIRE

THE MAGNIFICENT MEN OF THE 43 GROUP OF ROYAL COLLEGE – By Hugh Karunanayake I state without any fear of contradiction that the Group of one hundred 10 and l1year olds who entered the portals of Royal College in 1943, will go down in history as the most outstanding and influential batch of students to enter Royal College or for that matter, any school in Sri Lanka during the nation’s long and proud history. The 10/11 year olds entered Royal during the middle of World War 2 and attended classes in buildings temporarily made available for the school in Turret Road, Kollupitiya. The Principal was EL Bradby who the students remember with awe and admiration and to whose worthy guidance and that of the other teachers, they attribute their success in later life. The list of names of the 43 Group is a virtual roll call of the Creme de ...

Apr 19, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Hugh Karunanayake Tagged Royal College

Famous Sri Lankan artist Max Gerreyn passes away – by Douglas Jones A note from eLanka: We invite you to view the live streaming event for Mr Maxwell Gerreyn This event is scheduled to begin on: Friday, April 21st 2023 at 2:15 PM (Australia/Perth): Please see below, the Link to watch the service: https://bowraodea.com.au/funeral-search/client/?nid=5b5c9af2-4f50-4e8a-8270-59f24f062497 ========================= Well-known and notable Sri Lankan-born artist Max Gerreyn, passed away on March 10, after suffering a stroke in Western Australia. He was a schoolmate of mine at St Benedict’s College, Colombo, Sri Lanka from the late 1940s and remained a dear friend ever since. His friends were countless and he stayed in constant touch with every one of them. Although I lived in Sydney, we were in contact by telephone regularly. Max (affectionately known as ‘Maxie’ by all who knew him) was a reputed artist, cartoonist and caricaturist both in Australia and Sri Lanka for more than ...

Apr 19, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Famous Sri Lankan artist, Max Gerreyn

Jazz in Colombo today ...

Apr 18, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Jazz in Colombo today

Sri Lanka at 75 is a failed state; CBK Source:Dailymirror Despite possessing enviable social indicators at the time of Independence in 1948, Sri Lanka, at 75, is a “failed state”, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said on Sunday. “Seventy-five years is a long time for a nation to achieve considerable progress. Even after 450 years of destruction by colonial rulers, at Independence, Sri Lanka possessed some of the best socio-economic indicators. Today, at 75, Sri Lanka is a failed state,” she said, delivering the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh Memorial Lecture of 2023, in an online event, organised by the South Asia Foundation and the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ...

Apr 18, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga