King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe Archives

Discovering Ehelepola’s tomb in Mauritius-by Capt. Elmo Jayawardena Source:Island The SIA jumbo turned for the final approach on Plaisance International Airport. The night was cloudy and listless, the sky was demanding with a stratocumulus overcast. There was moderate rain over the airfield. My copilot who was flying the aeroplane was an experienced operator and he landed the big Boeing 747 with professional skill that received applause from the passengers. We taxied and parked in front of the terminal. It was almost midnight; I’ve arrived in the island of Mauritius, not merely as a pilot but to start another one of my wild goose chases.This one was a peach. I was going to look for Ehelepola’s grave. The first Prime Minister of the last King of Kandy, who I read somewhere, was buried in the island of Mauritius. The story of Ehelepola is a tragedy that Lankans are familiar with. King ...

Colombo National Museum: Our heritage, our pride-By Shaluka Manchanayake and Gayan Narandeniya Source:Sundayobserver A national museum is truly a mirror of a country’s historical, cultural and biological heritage as well as a place where a country’s pride is enshrined. A national museum educates the people about their past heritage while awakening the feelings about their country. This is the story of the Colombo National Museum which brings the proud history of Sri Lanka closer to the next generation. Sir William Henry Gregory of the United Kingdom (UK) took over as Governor of Ceylon on March 4, 1872. He was a keen observer of museums during his stay in the UK. Due to his extensive knowledge of works of art, even the British Museum had collaborated with him at the time. Having arrived in Ceylon for a five-year term, he was shocked at the cultural heritage that was lurking in the ...