January 15, 2021 · 2:35 pm

Overseeing Cricket: Galle Fort and Its Charm

International Cricket at Galle from the Fort ramparts 

Photo by David Colin-Thome and Dilmah Cricket Network

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January 15, 2021 · 10:36 am

Galle Cricket Grounds: Tsunamied……. !!!

 

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January 15, 2021 · 10:24 am

Galle Fort and Cricket Grounds: Overviews and ‘Ancient’ Views

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January 14, 2021 · 1:07 am

Atherton on Testing Times Ahead under the Fort in Galle

Michael Atherton, in The Times, 13 January 2021, where the title runs thus: “Sri Lanka v England: Sultry contest offers a beautiful distraction”

There will be a wistful feeling for those looking on during the early, dark, dismal hours in England. The venue for the two Tests in Sri Lanka is Galle, the delightful city on the southern tip of the island, and home to one of the most atmospheric cricket grounds on the international circuit. Of all the touring destinations, it remains among the most cherished for England supporters planning a winter break.

Spectators look on from the fort during the 2001 series between the sides
Spectators look on from the fort during the 2001 series between the sides
STU FORSTER/ALLSPORT

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January 13, 2021 · 2:32 pm

Market Engines and Corporate America Cancel Trump

Derek Thompson, in The Atlantic, 13 January 2021 …. where the title reads “The Meaning of Trump’s Mass Cancellation” ….

This is how the president’s term ends—with the GOP dithering and CEOs swashbuckling, spared by the “deep state” but impeached in the free market.

Six days after the Capitol riot, it seems unlikely that President Donald Trump will be removed from office before the end of his term, either by the invocation of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment or by conviction in the Senate.

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January 13, 2021 · 1:51 pm

Galle Fort built on the Backs of African Slave Labour

Jeevan Thiagarajah in Daily News, 25 March 2019,  with this title“Slaves built Galle Fort” … …. with highlighting emphasis imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

The topic of the piece today was triggered by a conversation with the current High Commissioner in Colombo from South Africa, Ruby Marks, who has also posted on her Facebook page this passage, “Calvin Gilfillan, Head of Die Kasteel, affirmed what we suspected-the Dutch conceptualized and supervised, but it was the labour of an estimated 15,000 Africans brought from Portuguese and Dutch colonies, that did the back-breaking work of actually building the Fort and the other ones scattered across Sri Lanka. I was shocked by how little was known in Sri Lanka about this. I visited the cramped quarters where the slaves were kept, the dungeons where they were imprisoned, and the cemetery-now a car park where they were buried. And my heart wept.

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January 13, 2021 · 10:53 am

When A Whale Shark ‘Bites’ A Helicopter

Courtesy of Nihal Rajapakse

Apparently NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC paid millions for this video clip

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January 13, 2021 · 7:14 am

Mannar and Its Surrounds: Stunning Wild Life and Landscapes 

Nadika Hapuarachchi, Tamara Fernando, Thilak Jayaratne, Janaka Gallangoda in MANNAR UNBOUND 2018

Mannar Unbound is a photographic documentation of wildlife and archaeological ruins of Mannar. The book is the result of over five years of fieldwork stretching across various seasons during which places were visited and then revisited in order to get the perfect shot……………………. .Dec 16, 2018

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January 12, 2021 · 9:39 am

The Moonstone that graced a Garden in Sussex …. and then Sold for $767,000

An Item in ba-bamail edited by Natalia J.

Bronwyn Hickmott took a beautiful garden paver from her late parents’ home and installed it at her own home in Devon, England. In an interview with BBC, Bronwyn said she had been fascinated with the beautiful detailing and the curious shapes of the stone ever since she was a child, which is exactly why she decided to keep it. Little did she know, the curious stone was one of the only seven existing Sri Lankan Sandakada Pahana, which are temple moonstones that date all the way back to the late Anuradhapura Period (10-11th century).

The Moon-stone found at the entrance of Uda Viharaya of Ridhi Vihara Sri Lanka Image Source: Reddit

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January 11, 2021 · 1:39 pm

The Looming Death of Kulams in Mannar … and Thus ….

Jeremy Liyanage

Mannar is a sand island perched on a limestone base. The hydraulic pressure of the groundwater in the kulams keeps the sea water from intruding. As significant areas of Mannar Island are targeted for mineral sand mining, working to a depth of 12 metres, the result will be widespread sea water intrusion which will then contaminate the groundwater supplies –promoting the destruction of agricultural livelihoods.

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