Category Archives: heritage

August 18, 2025 · 3:41 pm

Reaching Across the Skies: Young Avishka

Ifham Nizam ✍️in The Island, August 2025… with this title “From Skies to Scripts: A young editor taking Sri Lanka’s stories to the world,”  Published

At just 26, Avishka Mario Senewiratne has already done what many spend a lifetime trying to achieve. A trained pilot, published author, historian, and now Editor-in-Chief of The Ceylon Journal, Senewiratne is fast emerging as a defining voice in Sri Lanka’s literary and historical landscape. But behind the titles lies a story of deep passion, quiet perseverance, and an unwavering love for history – and the written word.

 

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August 17, 2025 · 12:58 am

Reading Richard Simon’s THOMIA

Uditha Devapriya, via Thilina Walpola in The Island, 10 August  2025 …………….. Review of “Thomia: The Entangled Histories of Lanka and Her Greatest Public School” by Richard Simon. In 2 volumes. Lazari Press. 869 pages.

Richard Simon’s Thomia is a massive undertaking, though to describe it as such is to indulge in cliches hardly deserving of such books. Where does one begin with a publication like this? It is, as the author notes at the beginning, not just a history of “Lanka’s greatest school”, but a fairly comprehensive and I would say eclectic history of Sri Lanka before and after British rule. The author is at his best when he draws attention to the parallel histories of school and country. Needless to say, he is at his best throughout.

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August 17, 2025 · 12:26 am

Vale: Bob Simpson, Aussie Cricketer & Coach

Priyan, in The Island, 16 August 2025, where the title reads: “Former Australia captain and coach Bob Simpson dies aged 89”

Pix shows Simpson with Sobers

Austalian cricket has lost a giant after former Test captain and the first full-time coach Bob Simpson  died in Sydney at the age of 89.

Simpson is one of the most influential figures in the history of Australian cricket. He played 62 Test matches between 1957 and 1978, averaging 46.81, and claimed 71 wickets while being known as one of the greatest slip fielders of his time. In first-class cricket, he amassed 21,029 runs and picked up 349 wickets with his legspin.

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August 16, 2025 · 12:53 pm

A Thoughtful Assessment of THE CEYLON JOURNAL

Dhanuka Bandara, in The Daily Mirror, 15 August 2025 … where the  title reads “The Ceylon Journal III: A Review,”  while the title here and the  highlighting are  the imprint of The Editor, Thuppahi

 The third installation of the bi-annual periodical The Ceylon Journal certainly continues the success of the two previous issues. Edited by Avishka Mario Senewiratne, The Ceylon Journal was first launched in July 2024. This unique journal, which in turn draws inspiration from Young Ceylon, a 19th-century Sri Lankan journal published by Charles Lorenz Ambrose and his friends, continues to publish immensely readable, yet well-researched and informative articles on a wide range of topics.

 

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August 15, 2025 · 9:18 pm

My Decision to leave Ceylon in 1981

Sachi Sri Kantha      

Sachi examining a winged bean pod in 1981

Prelude

Willingly, I opt to use the ‘Ceylon’ word, because I was born in the blessed island Ceylon in May 1953. The place of my birth was Chilaw, solely for the reason it was the then work location of my father Sachithanantham, then employed as a clerk in the hospital services of the Department of Health. He was 30, but my mother was only 17. My parents are from Point Pedro, and it was an arranged marriage among the kin in Point Pedro’s adjacent regions.

From 1961 to 1971, I had primary and secondly schooling at the Colombo Hindu College (Bambalapitiya, Ratmalana) and Aquinas University College. I entered the University of Sri Lanka (Colombo Campus) in January 1972, at the age of 18 years and 8 months. This entry was delayed by months, due to the JVP insurrection in April 1971. Ceylon was re-named as Sri Lanka in May 1972.

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August 14, 2025 · 8:45 pm

When S. Thomas’ College Stormed into the Rugby Arena in Lanka

Sajeewa Jayakody, in  an article entitled “S.Thomas’ College ’s bold beginning in rugby,” August 6, 2025 …. with  highlighting being  an  imposition by The Editor, Thuppahi

The 1961 S. Thomas’ College rugby team captained by Tony Sirimanne….

Back Row: M.Flamer Caldera, C.R. Dickson, H.R. C . D’Silva, M.N.A. Gunasekera, H.L.C. D’Silva, C.L.Perera, G. D’Silva, S.J. P. Guneratne, B.C. Molligoda, R.Jayatileke, N.Dias- Abeysinghe.

Seated: Mr P. Perera (Coach), J. Cader, H.S.Kanagaabai, T.Sirimanne (Captain), The Warden, M.G. Koch, M.Samarasinghe, Mr L.W. Abeywardena. ….

Ground: C. Asirwatham, C.H. Weerasooriya.

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August 13, 2025 · 10:07 pm

A ‘Refreshing’ Mountain in Portugal: Pico del Areeiro

A cinematic mountain backdrop

Pico do Areeiro, the third-highest point on the island of Madeira, is located at an altitude of 1,818 metres. From this elevated spot, the ample view allows observers to extend their gaze over the unique grandeurs of Madeira’s Mountainous Massif, with the Atlantic Ocean in the background.

Besides the wide view over the central mountain range, from Pico do Areeiro you can also see Ponta de São Lourenço, Curral das Freiras and, on clear days, the island of Porto Santo.

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August 12, 2025 · 1:00 pm

Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills: German Settlers From 1839 On ….

Keith Conlon in a Genealogical Society of Queensland – GSQ’s post =deospnoStrg8 r42uti9lf3m8pgff0il26tl5f1tag2f57flti74h033aA5t · … entitled  “From Prussa to Hahndorf in South Australia. Thanks to Keith Conlon”

The end of an epic pioneer voyage:  it began in Silesia, Prussia, for the ‘Old Lutheran’ religious refugees who founded Hahndorf in South Australia in August 1839.

John Ford waterccolour    

 

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August 11, 2025 · 12:27 am

Appreciating Ravindra Randeniya’s Multi-Faceted Career

Uditha Devapriya  in SAPNnews,  August 2025, where the title runs thus: “Ravindra  Randeniya: Sri Lankan Actor, South Asian Artist”

 

 Ravindra (left) & Dilip Kumar (right) in New Delhi…Courtesy Ravindra Randeniya

In South Asia, cinema is more than an art: it is a way of life. Sri Lanka is no exception. Despite its size, the small island-state boasts of a film industry that has won renown abroad, even if it is facing a downturn today. At its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, Sri Lankan films travelled to New Delhi, Tehran, Tashkent, even Cannes and New York.

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August 8, 2025 · 6:58 pm

Sri Lankan Migrants Abroad as Productive Oysters for the Island

Item circulated by Sunil Thenabadu, Keith Bennett and  one Dee de  Silva

The Sri Lankan diaspora consists of approximately three million Sri Lankans living abroad, significantly contributing to their host countries and maintaining ties with Sri Lanka.

Demographics and Distribution

The Sri Lankan diaspora includes emigrants and expatriates from Sri Lanka residing in various countries, with significant populations in Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, Australia, and North America. An estimate from 2013 indicated that around three million Sri Lankans live outside their home country, with about one million permanently settled abroad. This diaspora is characterized by a diverse mix of ethnicities, including Tamils, Sinhalese, and Burghers, each contributing uniquely to the cultural landscape of their host nations. 

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