Explore Sri Lanka

04/10/2024

Explore Sri Lanka October 2024

This issue of Explore Sri Lanka features articles on: Discovering Arugambay Beyond Surfing: Why You Should Visit from October to March; Meaningful Freedom derived from Esala Poya Day; Pekoe Trail: Stages Six and Seven; Fiddler on the Roof: Telling a Tale of Humor, Warmth and Honesty; and Foster + Partners Completes restoration of iconic Transamerica Pyramid Center.

Cover photo: Capture the beauty of the sunrise at Whisky Point.

Photo: BT Images.

04/10/2024

Discovering Arugambay Beyond Surfing: Why You Should Visit from October to March

Arugambay, located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka, is famous as one of the world’s premier surfing destinations. While it draws surfers from all over the globe during the peak season from April to September, the months from October to March reveal a quieter, more peaceful side of this coastal gem. From October to March, Arugambay transforms into a tranquil retreat, offering rich cultural experiences, extraordinary wildlife encounters, and serene natural beauty that go far beyond the surf.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/discovering-arugambay-beyond-surfing-why-you-should-visit-from-october-to-march/

04/10/2024

Meaningful Freedom derived from Esala Pōya Day

When we talk about women’s emancipation, we must take into account the 2,500-year-old history of the Buddhist era. Binara Day holds immense significance for Buddhist females due to the establishment of the Bhikkhuni order on Binara or August. This day is widely celebrated in all Buddhist countries, including Sri Lanka.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/meaningful-freedom/

04/10/2024

Pekoe Trail: Stages Six and Seven

The Pekoe Trail is synonymous with Ceylon Tea, but it is also a journey across territories that offer new discoveries and spurts of history. Stages six and seven are trails through the rails, a grand view of the country’s railways that began serving the tea industry. The upcountry railway line in Sri Lanka is considered an odyssey in traveling through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country, and to imagine that one can actually cross this iconic upcountry railway line in stages six and seven is mind-blowing; it was once so integral to the burgeoning tea industry. Today, it stands for providing a memorable journey through the estates.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/pekoe-trail-stages-six-and-seven/

04/10/2024

Fiddler on the Roof: Telling a Tale of Humor, Warmth, and Honesty

A Jerome de Silva production is always a most awaited event in Sri Lanka’s annual theater calendar, and on October 4, he returns with his theater group, The Workshop Players, to offer a spectacular performance of one of the greatest stage musicals of all time, The Fiddler on the Roof.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/fiddler-on-the-roof-telling-a-tale-of-humor-warmth-and-honesty/

04/10/2024

Foster + Partners Completes restoration of iconic Transamerica Pyramid Center

Foster + Partners has completed the restoration of the Transamerica Pyramid Center in San Francisco. The biggest renovation in the building’s 50-year history, the project gives a new lease of life to one of the city’s most recognizable landmark towers and revitalizes the historic Transamerica Redwood Park at its base. The practice was appointed by SHVO, the luxury real estate development and investment firm.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/foster-partner-completes-restoration-of-iconic-transamerica-pyramid-center/

04/10/2024

04/09/2024

Explore Sri Lanka September 2024

This edition of Explore Sri Lanka features articles: Podi Hamuduruwo: A Colossus of his Times; The ‘House’ according to Barefoot: Keeping Barbara Sansoni’s Values; How can we rewire our brains?; Pekoe Trail Stages 3, 4 and 5; The Chamber Music Society of Colombo Presents a Magical Evening with Pianist Sujeeva Hapugalle and Dear Children Sincerely’ staging 7 Decades of Sri Lankan History.

Podi Hamuduruwo was an embodiment of courage and benevolence.

Photo: BT Images

Visit: https://exploresrilanka.lk

04/09/2024

Explore Sri Lanka What's On

Visit: https://exploresrilanka.lk/whats-on-september-2024/

04/09/2024

Podi Hamuduruwo: A Colossus of his Times

Venerable Galboda Gnanissara was the face of the Gangaramaya Temple. The Temple and the chief priest were inseparable for a long time; their identities were fused. The Temple was a staid-built environment that sheltered a man full of life. Podi Hamuduruwo, meaning junior monk, as he was fondly known, brought with him an endearing and charismatic quality, a persona of a go-getter who could be anywhere and everywhere, all at once. He was the inspiring chief priest of the Temple whose persistence and commitment catapulted the Temple into the national spotlight. He was the spotlight. At his passing, there’s so much to be remembered. Of everything we knew about him, we miss his friendship most.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/podi-hamuduruwo-a-colossus-of-his-times/

04/09/2024

The ‘house’ according to Barefoot: Keeping Barbara Sansoni’s values

Barefoot Gallery has always spun its distinctive version of creativity for years, unifying the island’s legacy of the decorative and fine arts to reimagine its unique oeuvre of masterpieces for people and spaces in the daring installation of colors. Celebrating sixty years of Barefoot, its directors, and designers are taking Barbara Sansoni’s legacy forward with an exhibition titled ‘house’ which runs till September 29, 2024 at the Barefoot Gallery from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/the-house-according-to-barefoot-keeping-barbara-sansonis-values/

04/09/2024

How can we rewire our brains? Part II

In the previous article, we delved into the benefits of meditation. Now, we’re excited to guide you through the practice of meditation, focusing on Ānāpāna Sati and Vipassanā techniques.

The art of meditation has a rich, ancient history dating back to over 2,500 years ago during Lord Buddha’s time. Even prior to that, there were methods for mind training, such as yoga and Prānayāma, devoid of religious associations. In that period, numerous ascetics, including Ālāra Kālāma and Uddhakarāma, achieved elevated mental states through Jhāna or self-realization.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/how-can-we-rewire-our-brains-part-ii/

04/09/2024

Pekoe Trail Stages 3, 4, and 5

The Pekoe Trail is all about nature and adventure. Advancing into stages three, four, and five is a hike into more adventures. Nature continues to offer the same glorious vistas from near and far, and the walk gets more exciting and daring as the trail passes through wildernesses and leopard territory. The recurring landscape of nature’s lushness coheres with a conspicuously spiritual territory.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/pekoe-trail-stages-3-4-and-5/

04/09/2024

The Chamber Music Society of Colombo Presents a Magical Evening with Pianist Sujeeva Hapugalle

When Sujeeva Hapugalle plays the piano, she unlocks and delivers a world of mystifying harmonies. The keyboard is like her personal palette, where she paints an enigmatic canvas of maestros’ music, creating an aura where listeners are transported into a consciousness that is both prayerful and meditating. This Sri Lankan-American pianist with an exceptional repertoire has captivated a worldwide audience for several decades. Following a five-year hiatus, she returns to her home country to mesmerize an eager audience of music aficionados as she plays for the Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC).

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/the-chamber-music-society-of-colombo-presents-a-magical-evening-with-pianist-sujeeva-hapugalle/

04/09/2024

‘Dear Children Sincerely’ Staging 7 Decades of Sri Lankan history

With a decisive presidential election fast approaching, it seems appropriate to reflect on the turbulent political history of contemporary Sri Lanka.

Stages Theatre Group, one of the leading contemporary theatre companies in the country, brings back to the stage one of its most acclaimed productions – a tour-de-force of 70 years of post-colonial Sri Lankan history, truncated into one and a half hours. Directed by the international award-winning Sri Lankan playwright and director Ruwanthie de Chickera, the play ‘Dear Children, Sincerely – 7 Decades of Sri Lanka’ is an ensemble performance that takes the audience through seventy years of Sri Lankan history in seven gripping scenes.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/dear-children-sincerelystaging-7-decades-of-sri-lankan-history/

02/08/2024

Explore Sri Lanka August 2024

This edition features articles on: A Spectacle of Tradition: Experiencing the Kandy Esala Perahera, Dilshi Thathsarani: The Magical Writer, Dancer and choreographer Naomi Rajaratnam presents Epic Black, How can we rewire our brains?, Meta Real by Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Finding Healing at Le Lily, Pekoe Trail: Stage One and Two – The Start of a Journey, and Samula 2024: The Heritage Festival.

Visit: https://exploresrilanka.lk/

02/08/2024

A Spectacle of Tradition: Experiencing the Kandy Esala Perahera

As a German tourist with a deep fascination for cultural festivals, my journey to Sri Lanka would have been incomplete without witnessing the grandeur of the Kandy Esala Perahera. Held in the historic city of Kandy, this spectacular event is one of the oldest and most vibrant religious celebrations in Asia, attracting visitors from around the globe. The anticipation of seeing the parade of colorful elephants and traditional Sri Lankan dancers had me eagerly awaiting the first night of the festival.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/a-spectacle-of-tradition-experiencing-the-kandy-esala-perahera/

02/08/2024

Dilshi Thathsarani: The magical writer

These days, writer Dilshi Thathsarani is celebrating. Her foray into movie script writing has paid off. Visal Adare, a beautiful movie about love and friendship, was Dilshi’s maiden stint as a scriptwriter. What makes the film special is its stupendous success at the box office. It collected a colossal revenue of a hundred million rupees in the shortest time since its release in June 2024, a testament to a fine blend of creativity with viewer understanding.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/dilshi-thathsarani/

02/08/2024

Enjoy each step with Epic Black

If feet could speak, they would do so in dance. And that’s what Epic Black promises, an ensemble of throbbing and exciting performances that will talk to the audiences in the most uplifting of ways. The Latin American, ballroom, contemporary, and fusion performances will come alive with gusto, a confluence of happy feet and music, an embodiment of creativity, and the pure joy of letting your body speak. Epic Black, presented by Naomi Rajaratnam and her dance production house, With My Feet, will set the stage alight as dancers weave beautiful movements with their hands and feet, unfurling an evening of energy and expression.

Dancer and choreographer Naomi Rajaratnam’s Epic Black: A Tribute to Resilience and the Power of Dance will be performed on August 9, 10, and 11, 2024, at the Bishop’s College Auditorium.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/enjoy-each-step-with-epic-black/

02/08/2024

How can we rewire our brains?

The human brain is widely regarded as the most complex and influential organ in the human body. It governs all physiological functions and serves as the seat of our thoughts and consciousness. Although historical beliefs attributed the role of the mind’s center to the heart, contemporary scientific understanding underscores the pivotal importance of the brain in this regard. In the words of Albert Einstein, “Religion without science is blind, science without religion is lame,” emphasizing the value of a well-rounded and pragmatic approach to comprehending the world around us.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/how-can-we-rewire-our-brains/

02/08/2024

Meta Real by Chandraguptha Thenuwara

Chandraguptha Thenuwara’s annual memorial exhibition ‘Meta-Real’, running from July, offers a thought-provoking reflection on the nation’s socio-political landscape since the 1980s. Significantly, this exhibition, held annually on the 23rd of July, commemorates the events of ‘Black July’, a series of Anti-Tamil Pogroms that occurred in 1983. ‘Meta-Real’ serves as a platform to bridge the gap between the past and the present, encouraging viewers to contemplate longstanding and unresolved issues that have persisted for four decades. The exhibition prompts contemplation on the potential implications for the democratic future of the country.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/meta-real-by-chandraguptha-thenuwara/

02/08/2024

Finding Healing at Le Lily

Le Lily Wellness Solutions uses one of the most ancient forms of healing to helppeople revive, restore, and discover themselves. They are committed to providing anauthentic wellness experience through massage therapy in a crowded landscape ofspurious treatments.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/finding-healing-at-le-lily/

02/08/2024

Pekoe Trail: Stage One and Two – The Start of a Journey

Stand at the edge of a cliff along the Pekoe Trail and be mesmerized by the boundless beauty of the island’s tea country. The faraway mist-streamed mountains gaze languidly, a reverie to an energetic hike along the Pekoe Trail that starts from Hantana, a winding journey through nature, communities, and livelihoods. In a series of articles, Explore Sri Lanka will discover the twenty-two stages of the Pekoe Trail and travel through the island’s unique tea country and some of the most captivating landscapes and ecosystems.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/pekoe-trail-stage-one-and-two-the-start-of-a-journey/