Thuppahi's Blog

Lokubanda Tillakaratne

 This past November and December, Ditwah showed us how dark, eerie, and haunting cyclones can be.  Past generations have suffered: per PWD records, in 1834, the Mahaweli rose 60 feet above its usual flood level at Gampola, and the Canberra Times reported in 1911 the great flood of Ceylon on December 30 of that year. It killed 200 people and left over 300,000 homeless. Half a century later, on December 25, 1957, a nameless cyclone brought severe rain to the North Central Province (NCP). The Nachchaduwa reservoir near Anuradhapura city breached, releasing its full volume into Malwatu Oya, a mid-level river flowing through the city, nearly washing away its colonial-era bridge near the Lion Tower.   A cyclone paid a visit to the Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka on November 17-23, 1978.

Half a century later, Ditwah came with swagger.

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Professor Sandagomi Coperahewa …. in  Facebook 

Happy 89th Birthday, Professor J. B. Disanayaka

I first met Professor J. B. Disanayaka (fondly remembered by his students as “J.B. Sir”) during my first year, in his Introduction to Language course at the University of Colombo in 1992. That initial encounter left a lasting impression on me, as his teaching combined clarity, scholarly depth, and a remarkable ability to make complex linguistic ideas accessible to undergraduates. Since then, we have worked together on many occasions in the field of language studies in Sri Lanka for over 33 years. These professional engagements have further strengthened my respect for his intellectual contribution and his enduring role in shaping the study of linguistics and Sinhala language in the country.

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James Phelan  in USA **

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Colombo — The evening of 11th April 2026, marked the launch of Professor
Sivasubramanium Pathmanathan’s groundbreaking research, Glimpses of an Ancient
Civilization, Society and Culture in Jaffna 300 BC–AD 500. Distinguished academics,
legal luminaries, and members of civil society gathered at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel for an evening of celebration of the seminal new book. The event was graced by President’s Counsel Mr Kanag-Isvaran, who served as the Chief Guest and Dr J.M. Swaminathan, Dr B.A Hussainmiya and Dr Jehan Perera who participated as the distinguished speakers.

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Jehan Perera, reviewing the new book by Professor  Pathmanathan … entitled Glimpses of an Ancient Civilisation: Society and Culture in Jaffna (300 BC to AD 500)  SSSR Investments Pty Ltd, Australia, 2026 ,,,, 370 pp……

In reflecting on the work of Professor S. Pathmanathan, my mind goes back to the difficult years of war, when fear and mistrust had entered almost every sphere of national life. Those were times when it was easier, and often safer, to remain on one side than to reach across to the other. Yet what I remember most about him from those years is not only the depth of his scholarship, but the steadiness of his convictions and the generosity with which he engaged those who differed from him. At a time when history was often invoked to divide, he remained committed to using it to illuminate and connect. It is with that memory in mind that I read his latest work, Glimpses of an Ancient Civilization.

Pathmanathan- Glimpses of an Ancient Civilzation Book Cover

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Lauren Zitsch, in an article entitled “Mingalaba Myanmar! …Or is it Burma?”

Let me begin with a disclaimer (I’m a law student, after all):  Some of you may be wondering, as I did, how to appropriately refer to this country—Is it Burma or Myanmar? Technically, its official name is the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. In an effort to cut colonial ties, the military junta changed the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989. It also disposed of a number of city names including Rangoon (now Yangon) and Pagan (now Bagan). To this day, the name change is a politically contentious issue.

ETHNO-LINGUISTIC

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Colombo …. The evening of 11th April 2026, marked the launch of Professor Sivasubramanium Pathmanathan’s groundbreaking research, Glimpses of an Ancient Civilization, Society and Culture in Jaffna 300 BC–AD 500.

Distinguished academics, legal luminaries, and members of civil society gathered at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel for an evening of celebration of the seminal new book. The event was graced by President’s Counsel Mr Kanag-Isvaran, who served as the Chief Guest and Dr J.M. Swaminathan, Dr B.A Hussainmiya and Dr Jehan Perera who participated as the distinguished speakers.

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Desert Wanderer

Trump has posted an image of himself as Jesus Christ, and another of himself as the Pope.  He believes he is God’s messenger on Earth doing divine work when in fact he is the Anti-Christ.

Meanwhile a new lego music video called the “Hormuz Hustle” has emerged with better artwork than Dickhead Trump’s  presetation of self. Watch it at:  https://x.com/RyanRozbiani/status/2043526369854820442

                                       &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Michael Roberts

A recent exploration via statistical criteria of the best cricketers in recent centuries*** has drawn the meaningful note that we may be wandering into terrain that compares incomparables!! Errol Fernando has inserted this useful set of thoughts.

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Dr. B. A. Hussainmiya,  Text of a  book review talk delivered by Dr B. A. Hussainmiya during Professor Pathmanathan’s book release ceremony held at the Ivy Room at the Colombo Cinnamon Grande Hotel on the evening of 11 April 2026… with highlighting emphasis by the Editor, Thuppahi

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed scholars, and honoured guests,

It is both a privilege and a profound pleasure to stand before you today to reflect on a work of remarkable scholarly depth and significance—Glimpses of an Ancient Civilization: Society and Culture in Jaffna (300 BC – AD 500) by Emeritus Professor S. Pathmanathan.

This volume is not merely a book; it is the culmination of decades of meticulous research, intellectual discipline, and an unwavering commitment to uncovering a continuum the early history of the Tamil people. Spanning over 366 pages and enriched with an impressive array of archaeological illustrations—inscriptions, monuments, and numismatic evidence—it represents a landmark contribution to South Asian historiography. First published in Tamil in 2023 and now thoughtfully expanded in English, this edition brings new insights and a broader scholarly reach to an already foundational work.

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