Thuppahi's Blog

Michael Roberts, presenting an old unpubd article drafted in the 1990s ….with highlights being Today’s insertions

It is feasible to suggest that leisure activity blossomed in Europe in the course of the nineteenth century. As European society was re-ordered by the Industrial Revolution and the bourgeoisification of civilization (e.g. Elias 1978 and 1982), the aristocratic and popular pastimes of the previous centuries were taken over, modified and added to.  Pastimes proliferated. In England, of course, these pastimes bore the imprint of class: one can speak broadly of working class pastimes and upper-class pastimes.

Continue reading →

Michael Roberts

Beauty and Brilliance are not always combined. BUT in Ramani Bartholomeusz these qualities were indelibly combined. Her upbrining in Gampaha and schooling had provided her with a mastery of the Sinhala language in a manner that enabled her to star in  Sinhala films. But, THEN.her lover aand partner chose to murder her with a car as the cruel strike weapon.

    She was only 21 …. Such talent, such indelible beauty ….. destroyed.

Continue reading →

Krishnan Srinivasan, in review of Prof GL Peiris’s New Book on the Events, in Daily Mirror, 17 August 2026… with highlights imposed by the  Editor  —with explicit hesitations expressed regarding the degree to which he is in command of facts and situations

G.L.Peiris has been a minister, was a member of parliament, and led the Sri Lanka Government’s side during the talks with the Tamil LTTE from 2002 to 2004 to end the civil war. Accordingly, his narrative is authoritative and invaluable.

Starting in 1994 with Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka and continued by Ranil Wickremesinghe, the process begun in 1999, facilitated by Norway, went through six discussions in 2002/3 in Thailand, Norway, Germany and Japan. These discussions terminated after the tsunami of 2004 and civil war resumed until LTTE was defeated in 2009.

Continue reading →

Item  drawing on Lindy Warrell’s Work …. circulated by Kumar Kirinde

Tomorrow, 18^th August, is the first day of the Esala Perahera, the annual religious and cultural festival held in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This historic procession is conducted to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, which is enshrined at the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic).  Accordingly attached is a copy of an interesting article by LINDY WARRELL, entitled ‘Historicising the Cosmogony*: Naming the Asala Perahara in Buddhist Sri Lanka,’ published in the Australian Journal of Anthropology in 1990.

Continue reading →

Nick van der Hoeven, ... with highlighting imposed by The Editor Thuppahi

Continue reading →

Michael Roberts

It is not only the  location of this Win by Bangladeshbut the comprehensive character of the triumph in all departments that stuns the cricketing world. Well done Bangladesh…..

Bangladesh trump Australia for historic win in Darwin after Mehidy five-for

Visitors needed just 57 to win on day four even as Cameron Green scored 104 for Australia in the second innings

Mohammad Isam …..  Aug 16, 2026, 2:48 PM (14 mins ago)·Published: Aug 16, 2026

Mehidy Hasan Miraz finished with five wickets in the second iinings iGetty Images

Bangladesh 426 (Tanzid 101, Shanto 84, Mehidy 65, Hazlewood 6-89) and 57 for 1 (Mominul 30*, Shadman 25*, Hazlewood 1-5) beat Australia 198 (Smith 71, Mahmud 6-55, Ebadot 2-39) and 284 (Green 104, Smith 44, Mehidy 5-56, Mahmud 3-66) by nine wickets

Continue reading →

A WEB Item sent by Riyaz  Aluher

Every morning, half a million schoolchildren in Singapore stand with their right fists over their hearts and recite 38 words.”We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.”

Those words were written by a man who was born in Ceylon, raised in Malaya, spent 12 years in London, married a Hungarian woman, and didn’t call Singapore home until he was in his thirties.***

   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>      >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He wasn’t born Singaporean. There was no Singapore to be born into.  He had to help build the country first… and then write the words that would teach its children who they were.

His name was S. Rajaratnam. He was born on February 25, 1915, in Jaffna, Ceylon. But only because his father wanted him born there for auspicious reasons… his elder brother had died prematurely, and the family believed a birth in the ancestral homeland would protect the second child.

Continue reading →

Continue reading →

ITEM in The ISLAND Newspaper, August 2026

The International Masters Cricket Over-60s tournament got underway in Toronto, Canada, yesterday, with a strong Sri Lankan side hoping to make its mark against some of the best Masters teams in the world. Sri Lanka have been drawn in Group ‘A’ alongside defending champions Australia, Pakistan, South Africa, Wales and hosts Canada.

Group ‘B’ comprises England, New Zealand, India, USA, Zimbabwe, West Indies and Scotland.

Continue reading →

Danny Byrne, … presenting an article entitled ““Grit and determination keep Bangladesh on track for a possible famous victory; Day 3 in Darwin”

In 2006 the Australians played a Test match in Fatullah and won despite conceding a lead of over 150 in the first innings. In that game Bangladesh batted first and scored 427 with Nafees getting 138 and Stuart MacGill taking 8–108 from 33.3 overs while Warne went for 0-112 from 20 overs. Australia made 269 in reply with Gilchrist scoring 144 batting at 6. The first innings lead was 158 in favour of Bangladesh. The home team scored only 148 in the second innings and the Australians knocked up 307 for 7 to win by 3 wickets with Ponting as captain scoring 118 not out. Most Australians I have spoken with in the ground are completely convinced that a similar recovery will take place in Darwin. Many of them cannot contemplate that this great Australian side could possibly lose a five-day Test match to a country like Bangladesh. They need to wake up, and they need to wake up quickly.

Darwin 2026 4

Continue reading →