A Journey to Mannar and the ‘Dancing Islands’ – 2 – by Nimal Chandrasena  Pearl Fishing Recording my recollections and reflections about what life would have been like in Mannar, centuries ago, I digressed. My attention was drawn to perhaps the most important and interesting aspect of life in Mannar and the north-central coastline for thousands of years (I learnt that later!). It is Pearl Fishing. Pearl oysters, from whom pearls are obtained, are a group of ‘bivalves’ (type of Mollusc), mainly of the Genus Pinctada (Familiy: Pinctodae); and several species, including the one common in the Gulf of Mannar: Pinctada radiata.  Pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a tiny stone or bit of sand gets inside the mollusc’s shell. The bivalve secretes a lustrous substance called ‘nacre’, around the object to protect its soft internal surface. As layer upon layer of nacre coats the irritant, a pearl is ...

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“TOGETHER AGAIN” – By Des Kelly “THE SAME PLACE, TOGETHER AGAIN”. sounds like a great Song -title, doesn’t it ?. This beautiful little video clip was sent to me via Valerie Weerakoon and Charmaine Phillips, and yes, ladies, the Ceylon we knew was also named Seylan, Taprobane, Serendip, by the Persians, Serendib, by the Arabs, Serendivis, by the Romans,”The Pearl of the Indian Ocean, “The tear of India”, “My Lovely Island Home” by your’s truly, & right down to the Sanskrit name  “Simhaladvipah”, split down the middle to be called Simhala (Sri Lanka),dvipah (Island), which of course, it is right now (The Island of Sri Lanka). That said, I would like to thank both Valerie & Charmaine for the message they send, a message of Peace & Harmony for every square inch of those twenty six plus, thousand square miles of what could have also easily been called God’s Second ...

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THE UNSUNG HEROES by Bernard VanCuylenburg THE UNSUNG HEROES (Part 1). To the point, beautifully written, Bernard brings to us all the poignant story of these very people, “The Unsung Heroes”, part one & two, and Bernard, I have recorded these two songs myself, BUT, nothing but the BEST, to provide the musical background for your BEST, regarding the BEST of the “Unsung Heroes” of ancient Sri Lanka. Here he is, Ladies & Gentlemen, the BEST “Country” Singers, singing two beautiful songs, relevant to the superb article by Bernard VanCuylenberg. Please listen to the lyrics & the way he sings every song he has ever recorded. They might be love-songs, but, to me, he is singing of everyone we have chosen to forget. Pardon me, but this is for all our “Unsung Heroes”   Desmond Kelly.   Star of eLanka.   (Editor-in-Chief) When Wilhem Geiger translated The Mahavamsa and The ...

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