March 31, 2025 · 5:39 pm

Reflections on Gananath’s Wide-Ranging Corpus of Work

Professor M.W. Amarasiri de Silva, about 3/4 years back in … … where the full title of the essay reads thus: “Sinhalese Society Through The Prism Of Religion: An Appreciation Of Gananath Obeyesekere’s Work On Sinhalese Buddhism”

This article celebrates the remarkable scholarly contributions of Gananath Obeyesekere, specifically in the field of popular Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Obeyesekere, now aged 93, embarked on his anthropological career at the University of Ceylon (now University of Peradeniya), where he earned his undergraduate degree in English. Subsequently, he served as a lecturer and professor in the Department of Sociology from the 1960s to 1972, before moving on to the United States. He was Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University from 1980 to 2000.

 

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March 30, 2025 · 11:24 am

Financial Restraint: Sri Lankan Government’s Initial Measures Applauded

Jehan Perera  

The government’s commitment to cut down on waste and corruption so that resources can be saved and added to enable economic growth can be seen in the strict discipline it has been following where expenditures on its members are concerned. There is a need, however, for new and innovative development projects that require knowledge and expertise that is not necessarily within the government. So far it appears that the government is restricting its selection of key decision makers to those it knows, has worked with and trusts due to long association. Two of the committees that the government has recently appointed, the Clean Lanka task force and the Tourism advisory committee are composed of nearly all men, and men from the majority community. If Sri Lanka is to leverage its full potential, the government must embrace a more inclusive approach that incorporates women and diverse others from across the country’s multiethnic and multireligious population, including representation from the north and east.

Younger Srilanka _ The winning combination – AKD & Dr. Harini. Sri Lanka gets a new leadership! ❤️_🔥🇱🇰 _ Instagram

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March 29, 2025 · 11:32 pm

Pitch Invasion when South Australia Claim Sheffield Shield

Alex Malcolm in ESPNcricinfo, 29 March 025

South Australia 271 and 270 for 4 (Sangha 126*, Carey 105, Steketee 3-40) beat Queensland 95 and 445 (Wildermuth 111, Clayton 100, Labuschagne 61, Steketee 51, Doggett 5-109) by four wickets
Stunning centuries from Alex Carey and Jason Sangha have helped deliver South Australia their first Sheffield Shield title in 29 years after they beat Queensland by four wickets at Karen Rolton Oval. The pair produced a brilliant rearguard 202-run stand to help the hosts run down the highest fourth innings chase in Shield final history, 270, on the fourth afternoon with Sangha finishing unbeaten on 126 while Carey was dismissed for 105 with 40 runs still required. Carey’s innings was a masterclass in rotating the strike under pressure. His 105 came off just 132 balls with only nine fours and a six.

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March 29, 2025 · 11:28 am

Launching the Book THOMIA … in Colombo

IN  PICTURES   

     the author speaking ….. and signing books

… with Suresh Navaratnam in this  picture

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March 29, 2025 · 12:07 am

Nationalisms in Sri Lanka: A Bibliography Cast in 2014..

bull-mascot-team-logo-design-longhorn-133746227 Presented here at ……………………………………………………….. https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/nationalism-the-past-and-the-present-the-case-of-sri-lanka/…. & thus in need of updating.; while being dedicated to a Peradeniya University buddy -alas deceased– with whom I shared notes and thoughts during undergraduate days and thereafter in the 1970s & 1980s in Chicago: namely, Ananda Wickremeratne …

Amunugama, Sarath 1979 ‘Ideology and class interest in one of Piyadasa Siris­ena’s novels: the new image of the “Sinhala Buddhist” nationalist’ in M Roberts (ed.) Collective identities, nationalisms and protest in modern Sri Lanka, Colombo:: Marga Institute, pp 314-36

Anderson, Benedict 1983 Imagined communities. Reflections on the origin and spread of Nationalism.  London: Verso

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March 28, 2025 · 7:10 pm

Donald Friend’s Acid Readings of the Sri Lankan Scenario, 1957-1962

EXTRACTS From The DIARIES Of DONALD FRIEND, Volume 3** …. The Ceylon Diaries cover the period 25th January 1957 to 22nd July 1962 and run into 180 pages in small print. During this period Donald Friend, the gifted Australian artist, based himself at Bevis Bawa’s ‘Brief’, Bentota.

“His diary entries are pithy, sarcastic, self-critical and wonderfully observant of people, places and events. I dare say he was a better writer than a painter. One can only look on aghast at how little things have changed in Sri Lanka in nearly 50 years of turmoil. ….”  .… (the author of this ASSESSMENT remains unclear; while the highlights are interventions on my part: Michael Roberts).

26th January 1957: Time drifts through all this…. carrying on his back, like a turtle, a weight of the idiotic likes and dislikes….

4th February: Who like Bevis, is a hypochondriac. They both make a fascinating hobby of pills and injections …

19th March: The horrid old guide jibbered on endlessly, telling whopping lies.

24th March: Ratnapura Resthouse – nauseatingly loud Americans and a rabble of Ceylon drunks.

11th April: Orientals fortunately regard madness as something allied to holiness.

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March 26, 2025 · 10:05 pm

An Epitaph for Gananath Obeyesekere

Chandra R. De Silva, … with highlighting emphasis added by The Editor, Thuppahi

I write to add a few words to the outpouring of appreciations of Gananath Obeyesekere, a scholar whose research in anthropology, religion, myth, and cultural practices  has won him accolades across the world. I will not comment on the advances in knowledge and the discussions he provoked by his many scholarly works of which among the best known are Land Tenure in Village Ceylon, The Cult of the Goddess Pattini, Buddhism Transformed (co-author), The Work of Culture, The Apotheosis of Captain Cook: European Mythmaking in the Pacific, and The Doomed King. There has been much written on this world renowned scholar, and there will undoubtedly be more comments by experts in the years to come.

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March 26, 2025 · 1:34 pm

Deeply Lankika: John De Silva

Responding to a Request from An Aloysian Schoolmate and Friend named Roberts, John de Silva, aka “Johnny,” provided these fascinating genealogical details…… Michael Roberts

 UNIQUE FAMILY CONNECTIONS

I am not too sure if I had sent you details of where I came from! In other words, who were my parents and who were their parents. This is often a mundane Family Tree exercise and bears not much significance in the scheme of things. However, I feel that my family connections are unique when it comes to the Island of Sri Lanka.

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March 25, 2025 · 8:48 pm

Sheffield Shield Final Showdown in Adelaide Evaluated

Liam O’Loughlin in NineSport.com, 25 March 2025, …with a title that is far too long

It often flies under the radar, but this week’s Sheffield Shield final could be one for the ages and have ramifications for a number of players. While all the talk has been around Usman Khawaja‘s hamstring injury – or lack thereof, depending on who you ask – plenty of other big names will be in action.

South Australia have been the dominant team all season in the Australian first-class competition and boast a well-balanced squad that has proved tough to beat.

Alex Carey has been the form player of the competition when available, with an average in the 90s and three centuries in just four matches to his name.

Alex Carey has been in red-hot form in Sheffield Shield.  Getty

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March 24, 2025 · 7:18 pm

Wed Firm: Gregory Peck and His Veronique

An Item in Facebook presented by Nimal Dias Jayasinha

It was October 1955 when Gregory Peck, already a Hollywood icon, married the elegant French journalist Veronique Passani. Their love story began in Paris, where she interviewed him for “Roman Holiday.” He had been married before but found himself drawn to Veronique’s intelligence, warmth, and the quiet depth in her gaze. Within a year of meeting, his first marriage ended, and he followed his heart. Their wedding was intimate, surrounded by close friends and a future neither of them could have fully imagined.


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