The Ceylonese gypsy: the vanishing clan?-by Dishan Joseph Image Source:Dailynews Source:Dailynews From snake charmers to shadowed memories Secrets of Sri Lanka’s forgotten nomads To many of us, one of the familiar sights around Colombo city were the sasthara women walking about with the proud proclamation of being able to tell your future by reading your palm. The women often aged between twenty and forty years were clad in printed sarees with their lips stained red by chewing beetle and wearing a mookuthi (nose ring). At times they were accompanied by males who displayed their prowess at ‘charming’ deadly snakes, including the King Cobra. Other men with a cheerful spirit would mesmerize the children using a trained monkey: the creature performed a routine of stunts and then brought forth a hat to collect his dues. The few seniors from the ‘Ceylon’ vintage I have met talk about their gypsy encounters. So ...
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Colombo Dutch Museum – Colonial Era historical monument By Arundathie Abeysinghe Constructed during the Colonial Era in *Ceylon the two storey colonnaded building on Prince Street, *Pettah among the hustle and bustle of Colombo City is a mine of information that showcases Dutch history and culture and had been constructed during the Dutch Colonial Era in Ceylon (1656 – 1796). The Museum building embodies unique architectural features of a Dutch Colonial town house. During the Dutch Colonial Era, they had built Dutch Forts, hospitals, military barracks, churches as well as residences for the governors. Dutch Hospital in Colombo Fort and Dutch Museum are such resplendent structures that are preserved well to date. Originally, the residence of Governor of Ceylon Thomas van Rhee (1656 – 1701), the building had been used for diverse purposes; an orphanage under the supervision of the deacons financed by Dutch East India Company, army ...
Apr 25, 2021
Posted by eLanka admin In
Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe
Tagged Colombo City, Colombo Dutch Museum, Pettah
Urban Forest Park in Colombo City – symmetrical manifestation By Arundathie Abeysinghe Encompassing a network of verdant vistas with trees planted sporadically, water parks and a space to dine within magnificent greenery, Galle Face Urban Forest Park and the Beira Lake Open Air Restaurant is an urban oasis adorning the landscape of Colombo City that was declared open recently. As there are plants and trees intermittently in the Urban Forest Park with vistas of Beira Lake and the cool breeze, dining is within verdant vegetation. Spread within two acres in the heart of Colombo City, the Forest Park and the Open Air Restaurant is indeed a cynosure of all eyes. Situated in Scout Road which runs across Galle Face Road, along the Beira Lake, the Urban Forest Park is a symmetrical manifestation of trees and foliage. The corridor at the center of the Forest Park made of red beams ...
Mar 22, 2021
Posted by eLanka admin In
Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe
Tagged Arundathie Abeysinghe, Colombo City, SRI LANKAN FOOD, Urban Development Authority, Urban Forest Park
