VOL-02 ISSUE 10
LKR 250.00 US $ 3 SRI LANKA THE TREASURE ISLAND | MAY - JUNE 2016
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CONSULTANT EDITOR Renuka Bandaranayake SUB EDITOR Sara Pathirana
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CONTRIBUTORS FROM MAIDEN ISSUE Prof. Rohana P. Mahaliyanaarachchi Dept. of Agri Business Management of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
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Dr. Iraj Rathayake Dept. of Tourism Management of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka Chamalka Kothalawala - Taxidermist, National Museums, Colombo, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Tourism National Museums Colombo
CONTRIBUTE WRITERS Indaka Karunadasa Kalharie Pitigala Sara Pathirana Subhadra Sooriyaarachchi Mihiri N. Peiris S. V. Wijeratne
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PHOTOGRAPHY Kawya Sawmini Warna Liyanawatte Suranga Cooray Rohan Karunarathna CREATIVE & LAYOUTS MERC MEDIA (Pvt) Ltd. DISTRIBUTION AND LOGISTICS Global Media Holdings (Pvt)Ltd. PRINTING Commercial Printing & Packaging (Pvt) Ltd Opinions expressed in Sri Lanka The Treasure Island are those of writers, and may not necessarily be the view of Global Media Holdings (Pvt) Limited or its employees. Readership is advised to seek advice from specialists before acting on information published in the magazine Production and Advertising Global Media Holdings (Pvt) Limited 23/5A, Sunethradevi Mawatha, Kohuwala, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka General : (+94) 11 2 199 077 Marketing : (+94) 77 3 688 912, (+94) 77 3 688 911 Infor@treasureisland.lk | treasureisland.lk
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10 Tourism The hospitality sector is a very
12 A taste of Sri lanka 18 Hinnarangolla Vernissage of the exhibition We might always reminisce about the
important segment and foreign exchange generator for Sri Lanka and with the extensive as well as significant amount of cultural, environmental and natural phenomena that the country no doubt can boast about, of course....
“ AYUBOWAN SRI LANKA” took place on May 10th 2016 in Cracow, one of the largest Polish cites. The authors are: Alina Kręcisz, Elżbieta Oracz and Paweł Kurek, Polish photographers who have had achievements in several exhibitions.
need to visit places such as Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa if we were to witness ancient rock carvings and rock sculptures. Now, no more! Hinnagarangolla Sri Sudharsanaramaya Temple is an almost replica of what Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa offers in terms of rock carvings and rock sculptures.
22 Wanamandawa When looking into the history of
24 Gregory’s Lake Park Gregory’s Lake in Nuwara Eliya was
Ramboda Cliff Edge Cut 26 Governor Edward Barnes ordered Major
constructed in 1873 by damming the Nanu Oya brook when Sri Lanka was under British rule and governed by the British Governor Sir William Gregory.
‘Wanamandawa Wanawasi Rajamaha Viharasthanaya’ we found that according to the historical text: ‘Dambadeni Rajadani samaya’ (Reign of the Dabadeni Kingdom) a large number of caves created during the....
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Skinner to construct a cart road to Nuwara Eliya from Gampola. At that time there was a road to Kandy from Kelani Valley up to Gampola connecting Colombo.
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28 Vegetable Market As an agricultural hub, Bandarawela is
32 Kande Ela 40 Waterfalls The Educational Forest Garden at Kande Sri Lanka is an Island located south of
50 Waterfall Abseiling Waterfall abseiling is an adventure event
home to one of the most significant vegetable wholesale markets in Sri Lanka.
Ela was previously known as Mepilimanna Forest which extends to 271.5 hectares and belonged to the Department of Forests.
India on Indian Ocean and rich with numerous natural resources and natural travel spots.
which is not widely abseil in Sri Lanka or not broadly spoken about. But, Sandulella waterfall which located in Kitulgala area is famous for waterfall abseiling in Sri Lanka.
Keerimalai 52 Keerimali a name that translates to
56 Legendarya Cannonball run 60 Shangri-La Galle Face Hotel hosted the eagerly The 300-room beach front Shangri-La’s
64 Secret Garden Villa Located away from the hustle and
‘Mongoose Mound’ in Tamil: is a natural spring that overlooks the sea west of Palaly. A bathing tank is built surrounding this pool with only the walls separate the waters of the spring and the sea. The proximity of the sea in no way has turned the spring’s water to brine.
awaited Cannonball Run on 18th March 2016 in high spirits with the exclusive Colombo Gin taking centre-stage at the high-profile event, which was attended by many of the glitterati and the literati of Colombo society, corporate world and diplomatic community.
Hambantota Resort & Spa opened on a 145-acre former coconut plantation on the southern coastline of Sri Lanka.
bustle of the city, the beautiful Secret Garden Villa is located in the popular Unawatuna beach belonging to the Southern Province of Sri Lanka.
68 Peter Duncan Foundation 70 News On this remarkable sunny day, I was invited
to Great Valley Estate in Deltota a part Kandy district to witness a great initiative taken by Peter Duncun Foundation...
This is an image of a Pandanus fruit(Wetakeiya). The individual fruit is a drupe, 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) in diameter, and have many prism-like sections, resembling the fruit of the pineapple. Typically, the fruit changes from green to bright orange or red as it matures. The fruits can stay on the tree for more than 12 months. Can be seen in the coastal lines. Pix by : Mahesh Senadheera
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TOURISM
The hospitality sector is a very important segment and foreign exchange generator for Sri Lanka and with the extensive as well as significant amount of cultural, environmental and natural phenomena that the country no doubt can boast about, of course flaunting these ‘assets’ and shedding light on the country’s beauty through the utility of an enhanced and well-strategized mechanism would only bring about positive change to the country’s tourism status quo. With Sri Lanka’s next tourism target being set at achieving 2.5 million tourist arrivals by the end of the year 2016, Treasure Island decided to have an upclose and personal sit down with the Minister of Tourism, John Amaratunga for a one to one.
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second highest
Tourism set to be
foreign exchange generator
for Sri Lanka
Minister Amaratunga Text by Sara Pathirana
Q1. What is the country’s current standing in terms of branding? A1. In terms of branding, the Sri Lankan Government has embarked on the mission of developing tourism as the main source towards generating foreign exchange. This of course, would
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go side by side with our other trade sectors of tea, rubber, coconut and apparel production. Tourism will no doubt help boost our foreign exchange reserves. Many enquiries have been coming in with regards to tourism potential in the country as well as visible tourism related business demand in Sri Lanka. Our aim is to enhance our marketing strategies
whilst attending international fairs and conventions and extensively promote everything that Sri Lanka stands for in terms of tourism solutions. Whilst we strive to increase airline connectivity, we can proudly disclose that a major airline such as KLM from The Netherlands is scheduled to start operations
housekeepers etc. We have aligned with another institution in order to ensure that a minimum of 6000 individuals receive training each year. With the country having seen fruition in terms of infrastructure and development, people who have left the country to find well-paid work are now looking to come back to the country! Yes, we do have problems concerning staff retention at hotels and resorts and many aspiring youth sometimes look at the hotel industry with some trepidation. We hope to create the much needed awareness to rectify this problem.
into Sri Lanka from the month of October this year. Currently, 70 flights land each day at the Bandaranaike International Airport. Tourists can easily travel to Sri Lanka. Hotels are coming up in major numbers and many of them are even contemplating their own charters to bring down guests. Within the next three to four years, there will be a rise in high end tourists and the room inventory will also increase to about 50,000 hotel rooms. Q2. Sri Lanka faces a shortage in staff pertaining to the hospitality segment since quite a good number of them seem to be attracted towards foreign based jobs. What steps do you think should be taken in order to minimize this issue?
A2. This is true. Yes, staff shortage at hotels and resorts has seen acceleration. But one also needs to factor in the entry of new properties. These hotels usually hire experienced people at higher salaries leaving the older hotels in some difficulty. The government is looking at the staff shortage as a situation that needs to be addressed through awareness and systematic implementation of training programmes. For this, we see an opportunity through the execution of crash courses to help aspiring youth especially in rural areas of the country to come forward and embark on a career in the hospitality industry. There will be one month, three month and six month courses on offer that will help boost the number of trained personnel to fill job positions as barmen, waiting staff,
Q4. What can we expect in the near future for Sri Lanka Tourism? A4. Sri Lanka Tourism celebrates its 50th Anniversary this month and of course, this would comprise of a special event to mark this historic occasion. Sri Lanka Tourism has helped raise the status of this country to one of the best travel destinations in the world today. We anticipate the participation of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe along with other pioneering personalities and international figures from the hospitality sector.
To help entice more youth towards embracing the hospitality industry, Satellite Hotel Schools have been established across the country and the Don Bosco Technical Centre in Negombo has also joined hands with us in order to conduct skills training for students.
Apart from the celebration, we look forward to hosting around 400 representatives from French Travel Agencies who chosen Sri Lanka to be the venue of their annual congress. This is a high profile event where the movers and shakers of the French travel industry will be participating.
Q3. A strategized marketing plan was set up to enhance the future aspirations of Sri Lanka Tourism after the current government came into place. What are your views on that?
In addition the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Conference is scheduled to take place in Passikudah from July 11 – 14 this year. This will be followed by the much anticipated International Surfing Championship which is set to take place in Arugam Bay. Events of this caliber will not only focus the spotlight on Sri Lanka but also showcase the immense potential for tourists and investors alike.
A3. We have formed an alliance with relevant agencies to assist us with our marketing strategy as well as formulated an extended communications plan dedicated to major markets such as India, China and the EU. A lot of work is also being done by the Promotion Bureau in order to ensure that we reach out to potential tourist markets as well as untapped ones. For this we have plans to participate at a good number of international fairs and travel conventions where we would extensively portray the tourism potential of Sri Lanka.
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EVENTS
A taste of Sri lanka text by Alina Kręcisz
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Vernissage of the exhibition “ AYUBOWAN SRI LANKA” took place on May 10th 2016 in Cracow, one of the largest Polish cites. The authors are: Alina Kręcisz, Elżbieta Oracz and Paweł Kurek, Polish photographers who
have had achievements in several exhibitions. This time a journey joined them and the result is this exhibition. The guests invited included people interested in photography, friends and those who would like to visit Sri lanka one day.
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“ AYUBOWAN SRI LANKA� is primarily a record of emotions and sensations of the 14 day stay on this amazing island and an attempt to show the beauty of the country and the life of its inhabitants. There are many portraits of Sri lankan people in who are warm, open, friendly and welcoming. At the exhibition also includes photographs showing extraordinary
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landscapes and wonderful nature. At the opening of the exhibition the authors told about their journey, about well- known historic sites and many interesting facts about the everyday lives of local people. Complementing this was a slide show, presentations and short films. Then the guests were able to try a few Sri
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lankan dishes prepared by the hostesses of the evening , they acquired recipes and preparation skills from a real Sri lankan housekeeper. You could try Dall, vegetarian curry, pancakes with coconut, coconut cookies and smoothies with fresh fruit. The treat was exceptionally warmed received, many guests fell in love with Sri lankan cuisine and would like to learn it.
The guests enjoyed stories regarding Srilankan culture, customs, nature and people. The rest of the evening was filled with conversations about photography, travel and world cuisine.
Alina Kręcisz
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ARCHAELOGY
Hinnarangolla Sri Sudharsanaramaya Temple
A retreat of rock carvings and sculptures Text and Pics by Indaka Karunadasa
We might always reminisce about the need to visit places such as Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa if we were to witness ancient rock carvings and rock sculptures. Now, no more! Hinnagarangolla Sri Sudharsanaramaya Temple is an almost replica of what Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa offers in terms of rock carvings 18
and rock sculptures. Hinnarangolla Sri Sudharsanaramaya Temple is located in the Hinnarangolla village in the Uva province, Badulla district under the Welimada divisional secretariat division. Sri Sudharasanaramaya temple
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is a very unique temple when compared to other temples in the area. This uniqueness is due to the stone sculptures and stone carvings which the temple has to offer. After the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa eras, the stone carvings and stone sculpture embellishments began to deteriorate. But, in this temple
there are many rock carvings and rock sculptures belonging to most current of times. When you visit to the Hinnarangolla Sri Sudharsanaramaya temple, at a glance you will notice that this temple resembles a modern age rock sculptured museum.
temple. King Ravana’s flying machine, the “Dadumonaraya” can be witnessed sculptured onto a square rock slab. In a special hut the “Sripada Maligawa” is where a rock carved imprint of Lord Buddha can be found. In order to reach this foot imprint one has to climb a few steps. In this temple there are many moonstones which are different from one another. A statuette of Sir D. B. Jayatilake, the Sri Lankan educationalist, statesman and diplomat can also be seen here. As well as a statue of Norman Goonatilake, who was the founder of the potato cultivation project in the area during the end of the 18th century and who passed away on December 5th, 1895, can also be witnessed and a statue of Mr. Wimalasoorendara, “the father of Sri Lankan hydroelectricity” are also among the most important statues that can be found in this
All baluster stones in the temple are different from one another. Stone carved replicas of Sigiriya frescos can be seen here. Not only King Dutugemunu’s (161-137 BC) statue, King Parakramabahu the Great’s (1153-1186 AD) statue and King Walagambahu’s (103102 BC and 89-76 BC) statues are also carved in stone here. Saliya and Asokamala, the “Isurumuniya lover’s” replica is even more artistic than any other sculpture replicas and this too can be viewed in this temple. Indian prince Dhantha and princess Hemamala who brought the Tooth relic of the Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka also have their figures carved on a stone. Rev. Sangamitta theri, who brought the scared Sri Maha Bodhi tree’s first branch to Sri Lanka during King Devanampiyatissa’s
(307-267 BC) time, and had planted this in the Maha Mewuna Park in Anuradhapura, still exists as the oldest religious tree in the world. Bringing down the Sri Maha Bodhi tree by Sangamitta Theri was sculptured on a rock and this can be seen in the Hinnarangolla Sri Sudharsanaramaya temple premises amongst other stone carved sculptures. The figure of Vihara Maha Devi, the mother of King Dutugemunu (161-137BC), has also been carved on a rock. Narilatha Mala (Lady Flower) is a traditional decorative flower, also carved on a rough stone incorporating an eye-catching engraftment. Among other sculptures are lady dancers, drummer, flute player, guitar player, God Vishnu, God Kataragama and Goddess Pattini all carved in stone.
Inside this temple, a seven and a half foot high stone doorway was the first stone carving which had initially taken place aeons ago. This was an idea by Rev. Vijayakoongedara Sumanatissa Thero at the time. In 1860, Rev. Hewanakumbure Devarakkitha maha nayake thero was the founder of this Hinnarangolla Sri Sudharsanaramaya temple. To construct this temple at that time Sedaman Ganapathi had donated a plot of land. Not only had this but Liyanoris Appu also donated a land to expand the temple. Rev. Hewanakumbure Devarakkitha thero, Rev. Gampaha Ganarathna thero, Rev. Rathne Dharmarathna thero, and Rev. Wijayakoongedara Sumanatissa thero are the theros who developed the temple. Rev. Ratane Dharmarathna thero was popular among the locals as the Thero
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was also engaged as a Sinhala Ayurvedic Physician.
big image house was made with wall paintings and murals.
In 1860, this temple had consisted of a large image house, living quarters for monks, a preaching hall, dagaba, and a bodhi tree shrine room. The Bodhi tree was been planted in 1865. In 1909 a
But, when time elapsed the bodhi tree was cut down due to its large size. This largeness, due to large barks and large roots of the bodhi tree, was cracked and ended up destroying the surrounding walls,
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wall paintings and murals made out of clay at the image house. Today, the temple has a bodhi tree from a branch of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura. In 1927, the dagaba was built and in 1972 it was reconstructed with four small dagabas. In 1978, the
ancient image house was removed from the temple and constructed a new image house. But, the ancient recumbent Buddha statute and Samadhi Buddha statute stall present at the new image house, with a large size rock carved Samadhi Buddhas statue.
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HERITAGE
Travelling in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka, in the direction of Kuliyapitiya, ‘Wanamandawa Wanawasi Rajamaha Viharasthanaya’ is located in a scenic environment about eight kilometres from the Hathpattu Madapattu Korale Giriulla Kuliyapitiya main road.
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Wanamandawa Wanawasi Rajamaha Viharasthanaya Text and pics Courtesy of Sri Lanka Tourism
When looking into the history of ‘Wanamandawa Wanawasi Rajamaha Viharasthanaya’ we found that according to the historical text: ‘Dambadeni Rajadani samaya’ (Reign of the Dabadeni Kingdom) a large number of caves created during the reign of King Wasabha was presented to the monks for their use and as a shelter in a latter period. The text says that ‘Wanamandawa Wanawasi Rajamaha Viharasthanaya’ too belonged to the Dabadeniya kingdom. It can be believed that King Wasabha like his predecessors King Vijayaba, the pure; who began the ‘Abhayagiri vehera’, the great Parakumba who created heavenly wonders, sought to beautify and develop the ‘Wanamandawa’. (Dambadeni Rajadani Samaya, U.A. Thennakoon) While there is no historic text that records the history of ‘Wanamandawa’, the ‘Sangaraja Saadu Charithaya’ written by Aynna Kiyadderala during the Kandyan era mentions the ‘Wanamandawa Wanawasi Rajamaha Viharasthanaya’. In attempting to reinstate the degenerating ‘Buddha Sasana’ during his reign, King
Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe of the Kandyan Kingdom, it is said that ‘Wanamandawa Wanawasi Rajamaha Viharasthanaya’ was considered a point of focus and it is further mentioned that a ‘Poya day limit’ was imposed in this historic place at that time. While all the paintings and carvings that can be seen at ‘Wanamandawa Wanawasi Rajamaha Viharasthanaya’ seem to belong to that of the paintings done during the Kandyan Kingdom, there is reason to believe that the image of the kingly figure found painted at ‘Wanamandawa Wanawasi Rajamaha Viharasthanaya’ is that of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe. It is believed that the beautiful ‘Vihara mandiraya’ that you come across at the location may have been a place of meditation for monks during the time it was simply a natural cave. During the time of the Dambadeni kingdom, (13th Century B.C) after the fall of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom, monks from the ‘Dimbulagala Aranya’ (temple) may have used these caves as a place of shelter and as a place to consume the food and nourishment provided by people in their travels of ‘pindapatha’ Alms begging.
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LEISURE Gregory’s Lake in Nuwara Eliya was constructed in 1873 by damming the Nanu Oya brook when Sri Lanka was under British rule and governed by the British Governor Sir William Gregory. Gregory’s Lake is located 2 km away from Nuwara Eliya town along the Nuwara Eliya-Badulla (A-5) main road.
Gregory’s Lake Park
in Nuwara Eliya Text and Pic by Indaka Karunadasa
Gregory’s Lake Park is one of the most visited attractions in Nuwara Eliya. Whilst booming tourist attraction in the Nuwara Eliya area, recently Gregory’s Lake surrounding beach area was uplifted as a recreational area by the Municipal Council of Nuwara Eliya. An ideal time to visit Gregory’s Lake Park is during the evening. Gregory’s Lake Park is most popular as a water sports recreational area as well as a popular promenade. With water sports, boats rides are made available at the lake. If one likes to ride one by themselves, then it’s a Yes! There are two seated swan peddle boats as well. Groups can Boat House
A wooden bridge at the promenade
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Wooden seats and tables
A boat and ferry
enjoy a motor boat ride or other peddled boat rides. There are small water helicopters also for recreational enjoyment. On Gregory’s Lake Park there is a boat house where one can refresh themselves with a taste of mouthwatering food whilst taking a boat float on Gregory’s Lake or during a boat house ride in the middle of Gregory’s Lake.
Water helicopter
The Promenade is carefully maintained by the Municipal Council of Nuwara Eliya and along the promenade there are wooden seats and tables where one can sit on and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding mountain ranges namely the Pidurutalagala mountain range which is the highest mountain range in Sri Lanka, Kikiliyanamma mountain range and Hakgala mountain range.
The opposite side of Gregory’s Lake Park is the famous motor bike and motor car track ‘NEM Racing Complex’. The April holiday season is very active and busy with motor bike and motor car racing events at the Racing Complex. When evening falls one can enjoy the sunset through Kikiliyamanna mountain range and the Gregory’s Lake Park is lit with artificial lights.
Now the park has been changed into a heaven of colourful neon bulbs. The Gregory’s Lake Park is open to the public until midnight. There are many small vendors where one can buy souvenirs, clothes, fresh and instant food, fruits and vegetables. Vehicle parking facilities and pony rides are also available at the park.
Gregory’s Lake
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HISTORY
Ramboda Rock Cut - Present
Governor Edward Barnes ordered Major Skinner to construct a cart road to Nuwara Eliya from Gampola. At that time there was a road to Kandy from Kelani Valley up to Gampola connecting Colombo. So, Major Skinner started to build the cart road from Gampola and the road was very difficult with wild elephants and with thick jungles and with a lot of cliffs. A-5 main road started from Peradeniya and ended at Chenkaladi at Batticaloa district. It is 275.64 km in distance. Gampola to Nuwara Eliya road part was constructed in the 19th century by Major Skinner. The Ramboda Pass is located 45 km away from Peradeniya and near the Divituru Oya brook there is a sub stream from Kotmale Oya Excavation has made a rock canopy above the road known as the “Ramboda Rock Cut” or “Ramboda Cliff Edge Cut”. At the Ramboda cliff edge cut the road was limited to a width of 3 meters and 3.8 meters in height, at the time of construction.
by concrete columns. Part of the road was covered by the concrete columns, and the road is one way at a time. Ramboda tunnel was made near by the Ramboda Cliff edge cut because by the Ramboda rock cut the road is not wide enough for modern heavy vehicles to pass through. The Ramboda tunnel was opened for the public on 24th February, 2008. Construction work had commenced in 2006. Ramboda tunnel is 225 meters in length and is the longest highway tunnel in Sri Lanka. This was constructed through Japanese government funding. However, the “Ramboda Rock Cut” historical land mark along A-5 main road can be seen even today, but today this has gone forgotten and unseen by many travellers.
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Ramboda Rock Cut, Late 1800s (Photo courtesy - Victoria Memorial Museum, Nuwara Eliya)
Ramboda Cliff Edge Cut Text and Pic by Indaka Karunadasa
Ramboda road tunnel
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AGRO
Vegetable Wholesale
Market at
Bandarawela Text and Pic by Indaka Karuanadasa
Bandarawela is an agricultural hub and ranked as the second healthiest resort area second to Nuwara Eliya. Bandarawela lies 210 km along the main (Colombo-Badulla) highway and 257 km along the main rail road (Colombo Fort – Badulla rail road).
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As an agricultural hub, Bandarawela is home to one of the most significant vegetable wholesale markets in Sri Lanka. It lies along the Bandarawela – Etampitiya road and along Visaka road a few meters away from the Bandarawela esplanade. (One can walk along the colourful vegetable wholesale markets, but almost all visiting tourists are missing out on this vibrant market offering. It lies a few meters away from the city centre and from major tourist resorts as well).
Cucumber, ash plantains, okra, pumpkin are bought from dry areas such as Wellawaya and Thanamalwila for the market. Leaks, potatoes, beet root, lettuce and carrota are bought down from the cooler parts of Nuwara Eliya and Welimada. Tomatoes, beans, brinjals, cabbages, pepper and capsicum are grown around Bandarawela and beans are a very popular entity for cultivation in Bandarawela.
Every day except on Mondays the market is open for vegetable transactions after 12.00 pm until 6.00 pm. The whole sale vegetable market has more than two hundred whole sale vegetable vendors. Vegetable buyers from all over the country come to purchase vegetables from here and visit relevant areas and sell
their ware during weekly and daily fairs. All the vehicles which enter the market are filled with loads of freshly picked and farm fresh beans, tomatoes, carrot, beet root, brinjals, potatoes, cabbages, pepper, capsicum and many other varieties of fruit and vegetables.
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The wholesale market has one or two retail vegetable vendors where one can buy vegetables in as cheap as wholesale prices. The unloaded vegetables are weighed in by the wholesale vendor and placed inside or outside the relevant stall by the vendor for a prospective buyer. When a buyer comes he inspects the products and marks his initials on the poly sack bag. A Nattamis will then carry the sold product and load this to the buyer’s vehicles.
When a fresh load of vegetables are received from the vegetable gardens to the market they are unloaded to a whole sale vegetable stall or vendor and the intermediate vender sells these products to other vendors who arrive from other destinations. By then, the cash is handed over to the farmer, but the intermediate vendor will be taking some money from the transaction as a
commission; this tends to come around Rs. 2.00 to 5.00 per one kilogram of any vegetable product. Only tomatoes are packed in wooden boxes as well as plastic boxes. Other products are packed in poly sack bags. To unload the products there are “Nattamis” there in the market, who will unload the products for the relevant stalls.
A dark-skinned man wearing a white sarong and a shirt with a ticket book produces a ticket for the vegetable load. The ticket is known as the “Fair Price”- “Pola Kuliya” in Sinhalese. The Fair is bought from an auction once a year. (A fair auction is done by Bandarawela Municipal Council). He has to pay the relevant taxes to the Municipal Council.
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If the vegetables are not sold, all the remaining products are sent away to the Colombo Manning Market, Meegoda WholeSale Market, or to Dambulla Wholesale market as they function during the day and night.
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EDUCATION
DIRECTIONS TO THE SITE The Educational Forest Garden at Kande Ela is located at the district of Nuwara Eliya along the Nuwara Eliya-Ambewela-Horton Plains (B-512) road, at Ambewela, Mepilimanna near the Kande Ela reservoir. It’s 12 km from the town of Nuwara Eliya and 15 km from Ambewela Railway Station.
Educational Forest Garden At Kande Ela Text and Pic by Indaka Karunadasa
The Educational Forest Garden at Kande Ela was previously known as Mepilimanna Forest which extends to 271.5 hectares and belonged to the Department of Forests. Later during the month of April 2006, part of Mepilimanna Forest was developed and converted into an educational park and was opened for the public on 10th April, 2006 by the then Conservator of Forests.
The educational forest garden has a wide range of living and nonliving entities. For educational purposes the garden is divided into a seed section, seed beds section, composting, eucalyptus and pine cultivation, forest degradation, wood technology, ferns section, orchid section, minerals section, bamboo and rattan section and chena display section.
Kande Ela Educational Forest Garden is a plot of land which is a mountain forest with rich biodiversity encompassing cultivated mixed forests (a cultivation of pines and eucalyptus species).
After obtaining a ticket from the ticketing counter one can enter into the Educational Forest Garden. The Information Centre has a photo collection of plants and animals that survive in the forest garden, pressed and dried leaves, bones of animals and food chain, nitrogen cycle, and a water cycle system constructed out of clay. After entering into the garden one can see the seed room containing a wide range of seed collection. Seed beds section has a display of seed beds and a cross section of seed beds.
The educational forest garden has been established to educate school children and general public about the aftermath of the destruction of forests, which is the main cause for environmental disruptions and how to protect forests and to utilize these forests in a sustainable manner.
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Sita Pera (Guava) - Rhodomyrtus tomentosa
Ticketing Counter
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Start of the nature trail
Dried leaves
Skull of an animal
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Water Cycle
Wld mushroom
A seed collection
A cross-section of a seed bed
A giant seed
Composting
A soil conservation method
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Composting section has a display of methods of composting. Soil conservation section has a display of methods of soil conservation. Forest degradation and wood technology sections are very interesting as well. Forest degradation and wood technology section is a segment with eye catching models made out of fiberglass and cement. These models showcase the manner that trees are felled, how the felled trees are bucked, how the timber logs are transported by tractors to
the nearby way side and how logs are sliced into portable sizes.
kitchen and authentic Sinhalese agricultural instruments.
Due to illicit gemming, illicit gaming, illicit timber cutting and chena cultivation a vast amount of destruction of these forests has been done. These are also displayed by models as well as through other depictions.
Ferns and orchid sections are interesting sections to look out for. Mineral section has a collection of minerals. In a circular building which resembles a bamboo, a display of bamboo and rattan production and the story of the bamboo and rattan can be witnessed through photographs.
While walking along the nature trail one can encounter a traditional mud house with a traditional and authentic
Felling of tree
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Bucking - Cutting the timber into logs
A camp site is available at the forest garden near the Kande Ela reservoir. Contact numbers: Educational Forest Garden: 052 3534222 District Forest Officer Nuwara Eliya: 052 2222329 Range Forest Officer, Nuwara Eliya: 052 2234091
Way siding - Transporting timber to a way side
Illicit gemming
Mechanical saw
Traditional method of sawing
Wooden bridge at the forest garden which enhanced the beauty of the park
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A traditional Sri Lankan mud house with Sri Lankan traditional agricultural instrument display
Illicit hunting - Traditional animal trap
An authentic Sri Lankan kitchen.
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Illicit hunting - By wired gun
A rattan made basket
A model - Collecting fire wood
A model - Obtaining pine tree milk by cutting farrows on pine tree
A bamboo product - “Pittu Bambuwa”
Mineral section
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NATURE
Waterfalin Srils lanka Text and Pic. By Sri Abeywickrema
Sri Lanka is an Island located south of India on Indian Ocean and rich with numerous natural resources and natural travel spots. Among these natural travel spots; wonderful beaches, mountain peak vantage points, natural water pools, natural forests and waterfalls are prominent.
Sri Lanka can be named as the country of waterfalls, as a small country Sri Lanka has more than four hundred waterfalls, scattering around the country. A waterfall is a flow of water which fallen from an un weathered and un eroded bed rock to form a water cascade. Out of 26 districts in Sri Lanka 13 districts has waterfalls. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
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Ravana Ella Badulla Bambaragama Ella Badulla Dunhinda Ella Badulla Bomburu Ella Nuwara Eliya Ravan Ella Nuwara Eliya Mana Ella Badulla Surathali Ella Ratnapura Bambarakanda Ella Badulla Lanka Ella Badulla Diyaluma Ella Badulla Laxapana Ella Nuwara Eliya Aberdeen Ella Nuwara Eliya Mohini Ella Nuwara Eliya Sri Pada Ella Ratnapura Peak Field Falls Nuwara Eliya Yaka Andu Ella Ratnapura Olu Ella Kegalla Wee Oya Ella Kegalle Nalagana Ella Kegalle Rikili Ella Kegalle Rukmal Ella Kegalle Diyangiri Ella Kegalle Suramba Ella aka Punahela Ella Bopath Ella Ratnapura Dodan Ella Ratnapura
(23m) (30m) (63m) (30m) (40m) (23m) (60m) (241m) (32m) (171m) (129m) (98m) (30m) (25m) (40m) (60m) (127m) (20m) (30m) (40m) (10m) (90m) (15m) (30m) (15m)
Ravana Ella Located off Kital Ella Sub Railway Station, this is one of the falls originated from the Nayabedda Mountain. She’s also known as Upper Ravana Ella due to the sister falls’ location below about 4km from Ella Town towards Wellawaya. Many people call that one as the Ravana Falls but that in fact is the Bambaragama Falls. Some may even call her as Ravana Lower Falls due to her location below the original Ravana Falls at Kital Ella. Coming by train, you can get off at Kital Ella Sub Station and walk 100m or so towards Ella passing a railway bridge to view the falls. Alternatively, you can even use the bus or a private vehicle to reach Kital Ella along Kumbalwela-Ella
Road. The view point near the railway bridge nevertheless gives you only a side angle view. If you continue walking along the rail track towards Ella Railway Station, the complete falls can be seen but in the distance. Many tourists, especially the foreigners, walk along the railway track to see the falls and then climb the Ella Rock just beyond the falls. Falling among the jutting out rocks, she makes a beautiful picture with the lush greenery surrounding. She’s well over 80ft height yet not as popular as her younger sister off Ella. The Ideal time for a visit is from December to February during the monsoon season or just after to see her in full flow.
Bambaragama Ella She’s also known as Ravana Lower Falls due to her location below the original Ravana Ella at Kital Ella. She’s one of the most popular waterfalls in Sri Lanka. Falling well over 100 feet above between a massive rocky gap creating many cascades along the way, she is also one of the mostly visited falls in Sri Lanka due to her location right by the Ella-Wellawaya Main Road. Many people however have died trying to climb to the top of the falls which is extremely dangerous . Originated from the Nayabedda Mountain, the stream feeds her elder sister Ravana Ella in Kital Ella before creating this gorgeous falls. It’s easy to travel using either private or public transport and can see this with a bridge about 5-6km from Ella. Enjoy the beauty of her from a safe distance as getting closer climbing the slippery rocks are bound to be fatal at the slightest mistake. Ideal time to visit is from Dec. to Feb. during the monsoon season or right after to see her in full flow. SRI LANKA THE TREASURE ISLAND | MAY - JUNE 2016
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Dunhinda Ella & Mini Dunhinda Falls Dunhinda Ella is one of the most enchanting falls in Sri Lanka and one of the most popular among the tourists, both locals and foreigners. One needs to go along Badulla-Mahiyangana Road for about 6km to find the visitor centre to the right. From there
it’s a walk about 1.5km through a well-maintained footpath to the falls where there’s a viewing platform. Along the way, you’ll also see her young sister, Dunhinda Mini Falls in the distance and far below the footpath. Unfortunately getting closer to her is simply not possible due to the steepness of the valley
she’s located and the thick forest patch. The top of the falls with the Badulu Oya feeding her can be seen about 200-300m into the footpath. Originated from the Badulu Oya, Dunhinda falls down nearly 200ft to the rocky base pool creating a cloud of water vapour thus giving this breath-taking waterfall her
Bomburu Ella Bomburu Ella is one of the most beautiful and wide waterfalls in Sri Lanka. Located about 15km from Welimada along WelimadaAmbagasdowa-Perawella Road; one needs to walk about 1km along a well-paved footpath to reach this breath-taking falls. She’s located amid lush greenery surrounded by rocky hills creating this mysterious look about her. Falling well over 100ft with a similar width over rocky boulders making two prominent segments, she’s fed by one of the tributaries of Uma River. Villages of Uva Paranagama are heavily 42
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name, Dunhinda. This is one of the most attractive falls as well and visited by hundreds and thousands of people annually. Ideal time to visit is from Dec to Feb after the monsoon but as the whole Badulu Oya Falls making this waterfall, one will find enough water to satisfy their eyes throughout the year.
dependent on her for their farming and drinking water supplies. The number of people that visit her is ever so increasing as she’s being unveiled to the world a little by little having been hidden among the thick forest for so long. There’s public transport up to Perawella aka Bomburu Ella from Welimada and you can even use private vehicle. Ideal time to visit this gorgeous lady is during the monsoon between December and February or right after. However the water levels will drop dramatically in the dry season due to the diversion of water for various projects.
Ravan Ella This one is located in Uduhawara and so close to the beautiful Bomburu Ella, about 6-8km away from her. Coming from Welimada, one could take the Korandekumbura Bus or Even Bomburu Ella Bus to reach the falls. There’s a walk for about 1km if you use the public transport. However, by taking a tuk-tuk or even your own vehicle (not recommended for low clearance ones though) one could go all the way to the base of the falls very easily.
for about 120ft, she makes an awesome picture when in full flow surrounded by the lush greenery. Like many other falls, she too is the lifeline of the farmers in Uduhawara area providing them with water all year around. Visit during or after the monsoon time between December and February for a healthy view of this gorgeous girl.
Compared to others, she’s narrow but get considerably rotund during the heavy rains. Falling straight down along a rocky slope
Mana Ella The 75+ft high Mana Ella is also known as Mawanella Ella. She’s set among the lush tea plantations off Lunuwatte along WelimadaUdupussellawa Road. One can take the public transport or use private vehicle to reach the falls with ease. She’s about 1-1.5km from the Lunuwatte Town along Luckyland Road. On the top of her are seven stone basins where people believe King Walagamba’s Queens bathed. The twin cuts above the rock where he apparently sat on a rocky seat symbolize a makeshift roof built onto the rock. However, villagers believe that this is some kind of an entrance to a treasure cove which it really is not. Additionally, there’s even a symbol of a crown carved on the rocky surface close to this. Having fallen majestically she then flows along the Welimada Plateau before joining the Uma Oya. Ideal time to visit is as usual during or after the monsoon between December and February when she’s in full flow. SRI LANKA THE TREASURE ISLAND | MAY - JUNE 2016
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Surathali Ella This beautiful falls is named after a Sinhala Movie (Surathali - The 37th Sinhala Black & White Movie produced in 1956) which was shot in and around this area thus giving her the name Surathali. She’s the only one in Sri Lanka to be named after a movie. She’s a uniquely shaped beauty falling at an angle similar to a backward slash around 100ft before changing directions and
falling somewhat straight downhill for another 20ft or so. Originated by the Ellamana Mountain, inside the Sri Pada Forest Reserve, she flows before joining the Weli Oya. She’s located about 50m off the Colombo-Chenkalady Main Highway (A4) passing Belihul Oya. The exact location is the 168/3 bridge. As usual it’s always best to visit her during the rainy season between December and February or even in May-July.
Lanka Ella The shape of the base pool of the waterfall is the main reason for her name. It’s almost like the shape of Sri Lanka thus giving it her name Lanka Ella. The credit of naming her should go to one of the planters and naturelovers, Mr. Mayakaduwa, the late husband of the current owner of Bambarakanda Holiday Resort. It’s only about 1.5-2km hike passing the Bambarakanda Ella to the base of the falls through pine forest and then an open terrain full of tall grass. To the left are the mountains of Wangedigala, Bala Thuduwa and Gon Molliya and beyond them lies the serene Horton Plains. She’s being fed by the streams coming from Horton Plains and joins Weli Oya at the end. With 44
Bambarakanda Ella
a height of close to 100ft, she’s one of the hidden beauties in Sri Lanka, largely eclipsed by her elder sister Bambarakanda Ella. Ideal time for a visit is from December to February during the North-East Monsoon season.
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She holds the proud record of the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. With a height of well over 800ft, according to Wikipedia, she also ranks 299th in the world list of waterfalls. However, the list of waterfalls in the world is far from comprehensive and these rankings will no doubt change if and when a comprehensive study is made. Located off Kalupahana along the A4, one needs to go along the Kalupahana-Ohiya Road for about 7-8km before coming to see this gorgeous and tall lady falling majestically. Bambarakanda Holiday Resort is an ideal place for
accommodation and meals should you be tempted to spend some time close to this sensational beauty. Unfortunately, diversion of water upstream has caused her serious trouble greatly reducing her flow of water. Except in heavy rainy season that is from December to February, it’s so hard to see a lot of water in her. Generally, it’s just a thin streak of water falling down but when the rains come, she fattens up and falls majestically showing her true colours. She’s originated thanks to the Kuda Oya, one of the tributaries of mighty Walawe River.
However the Wikipedia wrongly declares her to be the 2nd highest in Sri Lanka and 361st in the world ranking showing the lack of comprehensive studies of the waterfalls in the world. She’s also known as the “Jalaja Pahana” (Water Lamp) and the “Wishmitha Ella” (Amazing Waterfall of Sri Lanka) by the locals. Falling more than 700ft in height, she’s fed by the Punagala Oya, a tributary of the Kirindi Oya. Couple of youths had successfully descended from the top of the falls using ropes but unfortunately a tragic accident occurred when another fell to his death while attempting to climb down.
Laxapana Ella She ranks 5th among the waterfalls in Sri Lanka and once again Wikipedia has got it wrong. With a height of 400+ feet she’s a result of the Maskeliya Oya that joins after creating this sensual waterfall with Kehelgamu Oya to form the Kelani River, one of the four major rivers in Sri Lanka. She’s situated about 16km off Maskeliya along Norton Bridge Road in a village called Kiriwan Eliya. Going from Avissawella, take the Hatton Road (A7) and then turn towards Hangarapitiya at Kalugala Junction. There are four prominent hydro power plants (Laxapana, New Laxapana, Canyon & Polpitiya) located close to the fall resulting a certain amount of water depletion.
Diyaluma Ella This is yet another very tall and beautiful waterfall in Sri Lanka. When you go along the Beragala-Wellawaya Road (A4),
she can be found off Koslanda right by the road resulting this to be one of the most popular falls. She’s the 3rd highest falls in Sri Lanka after Bambarakanda and Kurundu Oya respectively.
The name Diyaluma has originated from the Sinhala words “Diya Haluma” or “Rapid Flow of Water”. As of many waterfalls in the Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces, she comes alive during the North-Eastern Monsoon season from December to February.
She plunges straight down to a deep and rocky base creating a massive cloud of water drops that envelopes the whole area. Laxapana name comes from “Laxa” meaning one hundred thousand and “Pahana aka Pashana” meaning rocks. According to the folklore, The Lord Buddha stopped here to mend his saffron robe on his way to the Sri Pada Mountain to preach Dhamma to God Saman. Visit her during the SouthWest Monsoon season (MaySeptember) to see her in full flow.
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Aberdeen Ella She’s located closer to Laxapana Ella along Norton Bridge Road and needs to travel along Kalaweldeniya Village road for about 4-5km to reach the trail head. From there it’s a walk about 1km downhill along a well-paved path to the viewing platform of the falls. She’s more than 300ft tall and rich even though in the dry season. Unfortunately, there are plans to build mini hydro power plants upstream that will virtually kill this breath-taking falls. She’s been named after the third largest city of Scotland, Aberdeen due to the influence of Scottish Planters who used to plant during
the colonial era. Kehelgamu Oya is the contributor to create this picturesque waterfall and later joins the Kelani River. Ideal time to visit is during or just after the South-West Monsoon that’ll increase the water levels dramatically making her simply irresistible for the waterfall lovers. Despite being very beautiful with a perfectly formed rocky wall around her, there have been many deaths due to the adventurous travellers trying to bathe in the base pool. Therefore, it’s advisable only to appreciate her beauty from the viewing platform and not attempting to bathe, not only in this falls, but at most of them.
Mountain, she can be found right be the road about 2-3km before Del Housie. She flows underneath the Del Housie Road and then joins the Maussakelle Reservoir along with the Seetha Gangula that springs from Sri Pada Mountain. Visiting her during the Sri Pada season from December to May will not pay dividends as she’ll be largely devoid of water. However due to unreliable weather patterns now it’s hard to gauge a proper time to pay a visit. The South-West Monsoon season would be ideal for a visit though.
Mohini Ella The cascading Mohini Ella is said to resemble flowing locks of a woman’s hair. The superstitious beliefs of the villagers have led to the name Mohini as it’s a name used for a female devil. Most of the villagers, especially Tamil folklore, are scared of going anywhere near the falls after dark saying the place is haunted. Going from Maskeliya towards Del Housie aka Nallathanniya along the Hatton Route to the Sri Pada 46
Sri Pada Ella This is largely a misunderstood waterfall by many because she’s been called by Rajamale Ella but old documents and elderly people claim that this is to be the real Sri Pada Ella. She’s located along the Hatton Trail to the Sacred Mountain Sri Pada passing Del Housie. One would have to walk along the trail on foot for about 1km until the famous landmark “Makara
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Thorana”. The falls can be seen to the left of the pandol amid the tea plantations less than 200m from the trail itself. Falling among the lush greenery close to 100ft, she makes a grand picture for the tired and exhausted pilgrims to the Holy Summit.
She comes alive during the South-West Monsoon which is technically the off season to the Sri Pada and missed by many travellers.
Peak Field Falls
Yaka Andu Ella
This is yet another waterfall that is confused with the name. In fact, she had no name like many waterfalls but someone came up with the name Moray Falls misunderstanding her to be located inside the Moray Estate nearby. The norm carried on from then on using that name without giving it a second thought.
This mysterious waterfall is located in the Sri Pada Range off the Japanese Peace Pagoda. If you take the road from Maskeliya to Del Housie, it’s a walk of about 1.5km to the falls along the Hatton Trail to the Sri Pada summit. You can even see the Sri Pada Ella along the way. You’ll find the rising Peace Pagoda, one of the many located in Sri Lanka, and the falls can be seen just beyond it falling along the gigantic rocky surface.
However, we found out recently that her real name was Peak Field Falls. The reason being her location not inside the Moray Falls but the adjoining estate called Peak Field. So her real name is, if we can call it that, Peak Field Falls. One would have to travel along Maskeliya-Del Housie Road passing Mohini Ella to Mulgama Junction about 2km before Del Housie. Take the Moray Estate Road till their factory for about further 6-8km and you’ll have to ask your way to the Peak Field Estate nearby. Further 8001000m walk will take you to this beautiful Peak Field Falls that falls straight into the Maussakelle Reservoir having flown through the Sri Pada Forest Reserve.
Unfortunately, most of the time during the year, she’s nothing but a tiny trickle sliding along the rock but during the heavy rains, especially the South-West or even North-East monsoons, the water levels will go up dramatically. The way she got her name is quite interesting. There are two folklores related to that. One says when the falls is in full flow, the upper part of her resembles a face of a crying demon. The other is when Lord Buddha visited Sri Pada and left is footprint on the summit, the demon who owned the area cried so hard having lost his land and those tears had created the waterfall.
There are three segments to the falls but when in full flow, they all become one and falls straight onto the base with a roar that can be heard miles away. Falling like a pristine white silky saree into the Maussakelle, she’s one of the best looking falls in Sri Lanka but known by very few due to her location.
Olu Ella According to local waterfall information, she’s the 6th highest in Sri Lanka with a height closer to 400ft. She falls across the Yatiyanthota-Seepoth Road about 16km from Yatiyanthota. She’s like many others can be reached very easily using public or private transport. There are many parts that comprise the complete
waterfall but it’s hard to take a complete view of the full package due to her separation by the road.
passing the wooden bridge. This lower section is the most beautiful part out of the whole falls.
The wooden bridge that runs across the waterfall is the oldest in Sri Lanka which was built during the colonial era to facilitate the transport of tea from upcountry to the Colombo Harbour. To see the lower section below the road, you’ll have to go downhill through a private property to the base after
Having fallen all the way, she joins the Wee Oya that later joins the Kelani River at Yatiyanthota. According to the records, she’s the highest waterfall that joins the Kelani River. Ideal time to visit would be during the South-West Monsoon from May to September.
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Nalagana Ella
Wee Oya Ella When you’re travelling along A6 passing Avissawella towards Yatiyanthota, you can see the point where Wee Oya joins Kelani River. Taking the Yatiyanthota-Seepoth Road for about 6-8km, you can see this beautiful falls falling amid the lush greenery about 1km to the left which is a typical estate road in bad condition. She too
got her name due to her location inside the Wee Oya Estate. Fed by the streams coming from Dombepola Forest, she later joins the Wee Oya. With a height of closer to 50ft, she looks more beautiful if you take the trouble to get close enough. South-West Monsoon is the ideal time to visit this beauty.
She’s called Nalagana or Dancer in English. Even though there’s no plausible explanation as to why she’s being called that, the way she falls is similar to some sort of dancing, thus the name. She’s located some 8km from Bulathkohupitiya along Dedugala Road. One would have to walk along a small footpath for about 500-600m to reach the falls. Main source feeding her is the Ritigaha Oya and during the rainy
season, she expands herself beautifully with the rising water levels. Unfortunately, a recently built mini hydro power plant has caused considerable damage to the surrounding area resulting her lose most of the water supply. To get to the base of this glamorous falls, one would have to cross the water stream which is an extremely dangerous thing as the water levels change within a very short period causing flash floods.
locals. She separates into two falls at the top similar to an upside down letter Y confirming the name suits her. However, to see her like that, one would need to travel during the rains when the water levels are high otherwise the left side part is almost dried out.
Rikili Ella Rikili means the “Y’ shaped branch of a tree in Sinhala. Due to the shape of this falls, especially the top part, she’d been named as Rikili Ella or Rikilla Ella by the 48
She’s very tall, well over 150ft and sliding along a huge rocky boulder makes a big impression on the tourists. Travelling from Bulathkohupitiya towards Dedugala, she can be found just by the road after about 5km. She flows and joins the Ritigaha Oya which in turns merges with Kelani River helping to fatten her further more. If you travel a bit more towards Dedugala, sensual Nalagana Ella can also be found.
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Rukmal Ella Bulathkohupitiya-Dedugala Road boasts many waterfalls and Rukmal Ella is another of her proud exhibits. Travelling about 13-14km from Bulathkohupitiya, you’ll find this gorgeous yet not so tall waterfall right by the road. As of others, South-West Monsoon
brings her alive with plenty of water widening her almost up to 20ft. She too joins the Ritigaha Oya increasing its water levels that fulfils the requirements of people in Kegalle and Colombo Districts.
Diyangiri Ella She’s the tallest among the waterfalls along BulathkohupitiyaDedugala-Dolosbage Road, with a height of closer to 300ft towering above a lush tea plantation. Going from Bulathkohupitiya, travel about 20km towards Ihala Palanpitiya to reach the falls. From there it’s a short walk to the falls through a village road and then a tea patch.
is not a known thing.
She originates from the Ihala Palanpitiya Mountain and falls in two prominent parts each with a similar height. As of many Kegalle District Waterfalls, she too has fallen victim to a mini hydro project that has left her nearly dry. Only during the heavy rains, especially South-West Monsoon, you can see some decent amount of water.
Suramba Ella If you take the AvissawellaKarawanella-Bulathkohupitiya Road, she can be found at the 21st km post in Punahela passing Warawela. The name of the village has been given to the falls thus the name Punahela Ella in addition to the Suramba Ella. The reason for her to be called Suramba Ella
Bopath Ella She might be the mostly visited waterfall in Sri Lanka because nearly everyone has at least been to this beautiful and creative waterfall once in their life. Bopath means Bo Leaf (Ficus Religiosa) and the shape of the falls is very much like a Bo Leaf thus giving her the name. She’s been surrounded by the virgin forests that runs all the way to the Sri Pada Mountain Range with a rich biodiversity. Travelling along A4, you have to take a left turn off Kuruwita along Devipahala Road to visit this falls. Bopath Ella is a major tourist attraction in Sri Lanka, since it is not far from the capital, Colombo and is easily accessible. There
have been unsuccessful attempts to use the waterfall to generate hydroelectricity. The path to the waterfall is lined with a number of shops and stalls, and it is somewhat polluted because of this commercialization. With a height of closer to 100ft, she falls in three parts. The upper part is thin and long just like the petiole of the Bo Leaf and the second and third parts complete the picture. She’s formed by the Kuru Ganga, a tributary of mighty Kalu Ganga. The South-West Monsoon is the ideal time to go pay a visit. According to the researches carried out by many organizations, she’s the most comprehensively studied waterfall in Sri Lanka.
Dodan Ella Even though located only about 1km away from the Bopath Ella, very few people know or take the trouble to go and see this gorgeous girl. The main reason could be that she’s largely eclipsed by the mighty Bopath Ella nearby. Originated from the Devipahala Canal, her water stream is now being diverted for a mini hydro power plant. It will reduce her beauty dramatically leaving her at the mercy of heavy rains that come during the SouthWest Monsoon sometime between May and July.
She’s one of those falls that you can enjoy the beauty from both at the base and from the top. Even though you can see her from the main road about 500m in the distance beyond an abandoned paddy field, getting closer especially to the base will give you a splendid view of this falls. There’s the Punahela Suspension Bridge across Ritigaha Oya that’ll help you get to the base of her. There’s a nice and safe bathing place on the top if you can be bothered to get there. She joins with the Ritigaha Oya that flows nearby and ideal time is the South-West Monsoon from May to July for a better view.
Reminding of the Surathali Ella where one of the Sinhala Movies were shot, she too boasts a similar experience where another Sinhala Movie, “Inspector Champa” was shot but thankfully it didn’t pave the way for her name. The surrounding forest area has so many herbal plants used in native treatments. She’s wide but not so tall, approximately 40ft and has two prominent segments.
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EXPERIENCE
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Waterfall
Abseiling at
the Ahasbokkuwa-Sky Bridge Waterfall
Waterfall abseiling is an adventure event which is not widely abseil in Sri Lanka or not broadly spoken about. But, Sandulella waterfall which located in Kitulgala area is famous for waterfall abseiling in Sri Lanka. Waterfall abseiling is to descend an active waterfall by the aid of double rope fixed at the top of the higher elevation of a waterfall. Mr. Sachith Samuditha Perera is an energetic young person who introduced waterfall abseiling to Kalutara district as Kalutara district has many famous and non famous abseilable waterfalls. Event of the first waterfall abseiling at Kalutara district was held recently on April 12th, 2016 the day prior to the Sinhala and Tamil new year. The waterfall abseiling event took place in Ahasbokkuwa-Sky Bridge Waterfall also named as Kabaragoni ella waterfall which located near Baduraelia, Athweltota. Ahasbokkuwa-Sky Bridge Waterfall is created by Athweltota oya stream. Ahasbokkuwa-Sky Bridge Waterfall which is about 23
meters in height. There was few rock climbers who also liked waterfall abseiling were participated for the recent waterfall abseiling event. It’s said that by the waterfall abseiling activity ones self-confidences shall be gain. All the gears for the waterfall abseiling were installed (specially the double ropes) on the top of the waterfall, with the aid of natural well grown trees. For the waterfall abseiling helmets, gloves, boots, knee pads, ropes, and decenders were mainly used. There are few kinds of ropes; but, static ropes and stretch ropes are used for waterfall abseiling. A desender is used to control the load of rope (especially the boy weight). Sachitha said that any locals or foreign travelers who like adventure based activities such as waterfall abseiling can participate the coming waterfall abseiling activities around Horana and Baduraliya, in Kalutara district. Contact number: Sachitha Samuditha +94 77 4721937 e-mail: sachithsamuditha@gmail.com
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TRANQUILITY
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Keerimalai a wonder of nature Text and pics Courtesy of Sri Lanka Tourism
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Keerimali a name that translates to ‘Mongoose Mound’ in Tamil: is a natural spring that overlooks the sea west of Palaly. A bathing tank is built surrounding this pool with only the walls separate the waters of the spring and the sea. The proximity of the sea in no way has turned the spring’s water to brine. Keerimalai is positioned 50 feet above sea level and is believed that the spring gets its fresh water from the underground Fresh water spring in TellipallaiMaviddapuram.
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Legend has it that an Indian priest named ‘Nagula Swami’ (Nagula Muni) who was said to have a face of a Mongoose was cured and blessed with a human face after bathing in the springs. Of Course the tale has many versions, homespun folklore says a Pandiyan Princess named Maruthapura Veeravalli built the Hindu Kovil at Keerimalai when she was cured of her horse shaped head after bathing at Keerimali . The mysteries of the spring creates many a sensational stories, however all tales are consistent with the miraculous
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properties of the spring which attracts so many Hindus to this present date. Hindus believe that the spring’s pocess its miraculous powers due to the mineral properties of its waters. On Aadi Amaavaasai a Hindu religious day Hindu’s come in large numbers to dip in the cooling, healing water of this gift of nature carrying out their sacred rituals. This serene beauty is located in the most war torn but rapidly developing province within this
tiny island nation: the Northern Province. Taking the Palali Road from Jaffna, any of the local folks or army officers will be able to direct you to the infamous Keerimalai Springs. Although the war has ended the area is still supervised by country’s military personnel, however the presence of the spring untouched by the fiery arms of war and violence is proof of heaven on earth.
recognizing a culture, rich in spirituality. The area also has two temples: Naguleswaram temple and the other is an abandoned temple which is in ruins, yet still holds some of the most stunning carvings and statues that can still be seen today
bodies of water where warm water could be enjoyed using pails however Keerimalai resembles a large pool where you can leisurely immerse yourself into. The area comes with an open hall with a beautiful view of the ocean where you can meditate, relax and enjoy.
Sri Lanka is famous for its natural springs, which are usually small
Keerimalai in many ways provides a diverse cultural experience. It not only represents a rarity of nature but opens your mind into
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CELEBRATIONS
Pomp,
Pageantry and a nip of Gin in colonial splendour revives
the Legendary Cannonball run at Galle Face Hotel
From Left - Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs and Minister of Lands Hon. John Amaratunga, Chairman of Galle Face Hotel Sanjeev Gardiner, French Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jean-Marin Schuh, German Ambassador Juergen Morhard General Manager Galle Face Hotel Antony G. Paton at the inauguration ceremony of The Cannonball Run for the year 2016.
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This year’s Master of the Cannon was none other than the Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs and Minister of Lands Hon. John Amaratunga. The grandeur and old-world charm of the event necessitated that it associate itself with heritage spirits and Colombo Gin seemed an apt complement to the grand event. Colombo Gin is manufactured by Rockland Distillers, a respected spirits company that offers world-class beverages. Rockland stands for the values of strength, perseverance and heritage, while Colombo Gin’s logo signifies wisdom and courage as denoted by the elephant and the lion. Galle Face Hotel hosted the eagerly-awaited Cannonball Run on 18th March 2016 in high spirits with the exclusive Colombo Gin taking centre-stage at the high-profile event, which was attended by many of the glitterati and the literati of Colombo society, corporate world and diplomatic community. The Galle Face Hotel and Colombo Gin have strong synergies, both tracing their origins to the British colonial era. This event was characterized by pomp and pageantry which showcased a procession of
runners, cannonball bearers and flag bearers.
The Cannonball Run is an annual tradition celebrated on the Galle Face Green, to commemorate the extraordinary incident of a
misfired cannonball by a member of the British Artillery in 1845. The 30-pound cannon had misfired during a practice session around the southern ramparts of the Colombo Fort, crashing through the roof of Galle Face Hotel, leaving a heavy dent on the drawing room floor where it came to rest under a chair. The cannon ball is at present preserved in the museum located in the South Wing of the hotel. An annual run has been held since, which begins at the cannon on the Fort end of the Green and ends at the cannonball placed on a pedestal in the hotel. The runners are generally members of the diplomatic community, who, over the years have included the likes of the American Ambassador Robert
The Cannonball Run is an annual event that celebrates friendly rivalry, this year between Germany and France. French Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jean-Marin Schuh and German Ambassador Juergen Morhard were the two adversaries for the evening. The event ended with participants relaxing with a Colombo gin and a glass of wine amid warm camaraderie.
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O’ Blake and the British High Commissioner Peter Hayes (2008), Maldivian Ambassador Ali Hussein Didi and Russian Ambassador Vladimir P Mikhaylov (2010), French Ambassador Christine Robichon and Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad (2011), Canadian High Commissioner Bruce Levy and British High Commissioner John Rankin (2012) to name a few. The Galle Face Hotel symbolizes the grace of a time gone past and the Cannonball Run serves as a wonderful throwback event to celebrate the hotel’s rich history and heritage. In a similar vein, Colombo Gin too has its roots in 58
the colonial era. In the days of old Ceylon, British Excise Officers did not believe that a good London Gin could be produced outside of the UK. Despite this, a young Asian distiller pursued the idea of creating a gin in Ceylon’s public gardens. His efforts paid off; new regulations were drafted to allow the manufacture of gin in Colombo. Given the lack of foreign spices during the war, our distiller’s gin recipe at the time included native ingredients that were easily sourced at Colombo’s Cinnamon Gardens. The only imported
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spices in the recipe were juniper and angelica root. Once war was over and trade routes reopened, the original mix of ingredients was abandoned in favour of the traditional London dry gin recipe. Today, Colombo Gin has returned to its original wartime recipe, created through a combination of historical events and one man’s passion for a beautiful spice garden.
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LUXURY
OPENS UP A WORLD OF WONDER IN STUNNING SRI LANKA
Island nation’s newest beach front resort debuts on 145-acres with country’s first resort golf course, the largest kid’s club and most extensive wedding and event space
The 300-room beach front Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa opened on a 145-acre former coconut plantation on the southern coastline of Sri Lanka. The President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, officiated at the launch, joined by guests from Colombo and the local community to mark the arrival of a new standard of luxury in the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”.
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“We are excited to unveil the first of two Shangri-La hotels in Sri Lanka and to add a third Indian Ocean resort to the Group’s portfolio,” said Shangri-La President and CEO Greg Dogan. “This stunning resort is the perfect backdrop for guests to experience the incredible beauty, culture and warmth of Sri Lanka. We have created a destination
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within a destination where guests can discover unique experiences and find personal moments of ‘Shangri-La’.” Nestled beside the Indian Ocean and framed by swaying king coconut trees, the resort doubles as a quiet retreat or spirited getaway, with some of the world’s most captivating wildlife and exotic birds in nearby national
parks. The island nation boasts a colourful heritage, and its southern coast caters to leisurely exploration with historic temples, quaint fishing villages and secluded beaches. Showcasing the essence of the tropical setting is the resort’s open-air lobby – made of natural materials and dotted with local handicrafts. Upon arrival, guests
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are met by turquoise sea views, the sound of breaking waves and Indian Ocean breezes before they are whisked away by electric tuktuk to their private guestroom. Beginning at 48 square metres, the guestrooms feature louvered shutters and polished wooden floors that lead to balconies suited for admiring the resort’s lush garden– where peacocks can be spotted roaming the grounds – or ocean vista. Hand woven rugs and ocean blue-coloured panels complement the modern luxury style, and spacious bathrooms are accessorised with stone-clad bathtubs and rain showers. Each of the 21 suites, ranging in size from 96 to 240 square metres, provides the ultimate in privacy and butler service. Thought fully designed with a balcony and oversized rattan furniture to lounge in, the in teriorsreflect the island’s beauty through vibrant colours and look out to the emerald green hues of the fairways or Indian Ocean. All guests can stay connected with free Wi-Fi. Spa enthusiasts can indulge at CHI, The Spa, where Ayurvedic treatments are delivered using 100 per cent organic herbs and natural products after a personal consultation with the guest. In all, twelve indoor and outdoor treatment rooms are a haven for stress relieving massages, facials and body treatments, and a treat for the senses. The sun-drenched setting of Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa encourages guests to bask by one of three salt-water swimming pools, including the Sunset pool and a freeform pool, that blend with the resort’s scenic landscape of flora and leafy surrounds.
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Golfers can expect to be challenged on the par-70 course at Shangri-La’s Golf and Country Club when it opens in mid June. The resort is the first in Sri Lanka to have its own golf course. Designed by Rodney Wright, it encompasses a revitalized former sapphire mine. Players encounter three zones that present infinity ocean views, wide fairways and testing water and bunker features. Lush vegetation and birdlife can be seen along the 5,584-metre long course of salt-tolerant grass. Eco-friendly attributes include the use of degradable organic balls (filled with fish feed) at the driving rage and an irrigation system that harvests and recycles rain water for the course. With pleasant temperatures most months of the year, outdoor experiences along nature trails are ideal as is taking up one of the resort’s many recreational pursuits, including beach volleyball, mountain biking and jogging. Enhancing the already extensive list of resort activities is an on-site Health Club offering state-of-the-art fitness facilities, yoga classes and stretching. Young guests, from four to 12 years of age, will find their paradise at the resort’s ‘Cool Zone’, which is dedicated to fun and educational supervised activities. It is the most extensive Kid’s Club on the island. Primed to be popular are arts and crafts, a flying trapeze, the drone flying experience, trampolining and the water park. The resort is conveniently situated to view marine mammals off Tangalle Coastandto visit the family-friendly Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary as well as the Rekawa Lagoon and Mangrove ecosystem. Providing a first-hand window into the local culture, Kadamandiya
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Village enables guests to learn about the artistry of rural craftsmen that keep the traditions of Sri Lanka alive. Five traditional studio huts house artisan weavers, sculptors, painters and potters. Their hand-crafted creations are available for purchase in village to support the artists. In the evening, Kadamandiya Village is transformed to stage scheduled dance, music and Angampora – Sri Lanka’s indigenous martial art – performances amid servings of local cuisine and refreshments. A selection of four restaurants and bar sallow guests to experience a culinary adventure without venturing off property. Among the offerings are Bojunhala for international buffet and Sri Lankan specialities or Sera for hawker-style stalls featuring flavourful cuisines of Southeast Asia. Ulpatha or ‘Watering Hole’ is home to one of the finest selection of malt whiskies, while Gimanhala prepares fresh drinks after morning yoga, all day refreshments and cocktails by candlelight. Providing an environment for inspired experiences, the resort’s abundant outdoor spaces provide various settings for different occasions – whether it is a destination wedding set under palm trees or under the moonlit beach, or a gathering of meeting delegates. The resort’s multipurpose 2,525 square metres of event space encompasses the most extensive hotel banquet and meeting facilities in Sri Lanka. Supported by outdoor pavilions and a ballroom that host up to 1,000 guests, additional function rooms – Kandy, Hatton and Badulla – offer a combined space of 84 to 91 square metres for 100 or more guests. Smaller venues Haputale and Nuwara Eliya
span 70.5 square metres and accommodate up to 84 persons. Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka is offering a variety of opening packages, including an all-inclusive offer for two, priced at US$247 per night, valid until 22 December 2016. Room rates start at US$216, single or double occupancy, and include breakfast. The resort can be reached by air from Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport and Hambanthota Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, which is 35 kilometres away, or by car via a 240-kilometre coastal road. Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa is the first of two ShangriLa hotels in Sri Lanka with the second hotel – Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo – slated to open next year. The group operates two other resorts in the Indian Ocean – Shangri-La’s Le Touessrok Resort & Spa, Mauritius and Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 98 hotels under the Shangri-La brand with a room inventory of over 40,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services, and are located in Australia, Canada, mainland China, Fiji, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
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BOUTIQUE
Secret
Garden Villa for Located away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the beautiful Secret Garden Villa is located in the popular Unawatuna beach belonging to the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. It creates an ideal ambience to simply relax whilst embracing the best of tranquility and tropical weather. Just as its name suggests; it is a hidden botanical wonderland.
an
amazingly rejuvenating stay
This beautifully renovated 140 year old villa has a range of rooms that are decorated with antique furniture. The combined beauty brought by the touch of these art and craft makes the Secret Garden more exquisite. The views of greenery enhance the eco beauty thus creating an extraordinary environment for a romantic photo pose. The villa offers its guests an exquisite cuisine, first class service and a rich ambiance with an eco-greenery touch while making it an ultimate retreat for their stay in Unawatuna. Secret Garden is well known for its warm and personalized service. No sooner you walk in, you will be greeted by the charming smile of Simona, the lady who governs the place. She is indeed an ambitious and generous personality and her passion towards making others happy is a definite treasure to the elegance of this place. She is full of spiritual awareness and ever
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willing to share her knowledge with anyone who loves spiritual guidance. Secret Garden offers a range of delightful accommodation options. The whole villa can accommodate about 8 to 10 guests. The villa includes two large suites and two double rooms. The two other cottages can accompany one to two guests in each. All rooms are air conditioned and equipped with all mandatory requirements. The rooms consist of attached bathrooms.
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Simonetta
The white octangular dome is another unique feature at this beautiful place. The dome is meant for yoga, meditation, music, dance, therapeutic massages and any sort of healing treatments. It provides space for about 12 to 14 guests to perform yoga. You could also have a memorable gastronomic experience with a combination of traditional and international dining at the beautiful Secret Garden. Simona and her team is ever willing to offer you whatever you need and provide the best possible dining options at all times. You are sure to spoil your taste buds with its authentic culinary delights.
Daily yoga classes and Ayurveda treatments are on offer at the Secret Garden Villa. Yoga sessions commence at 9am and 5pm on all days during the season. Ayurveda healing massages and different other healing treatments are also possible with their professional Ayurveda and homeopathy doctor. Also, there is a possibility of getting treatments from one of the most sought after therapists, Prof. Sagara for backaches and related ailments. During your stay at the Secret villa, you are sure to learn and appreciate the ancient value of various artifacts whilst embracing the beauty of the nature. The botanical wonderland blessed
with numerous floras provides a serene atmosphere to this lovely location whilst making it an ideal destination for healing practices such as yoga and meditation.
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Beach is only a few steps away from the Secret Garden villa. Therefore, sea bathing and water sports are few other leisure opportunities that could be experienced during your stay. Unawatuna is an ideal place to enjoy the exotic sea breeze in the Sri Lanka’s Southern costal line. It is a place where sun, sand and the sea join together to bring about a dazzling experience on the golden sea beach. More information about this beautiful place can be obtained from http://www. secretgardenunawatuna.com/. The accommodation options 66
and the rates are mentioned on the website but, what is most important for the dedicated team at Secret garden villa is providing a memorable stay for its guests. Therefore, the rates can be negotiated depending on the number of days of your stay. The mere glance at this beautiful villa will mesmerize your eyes with its enchanting tranquility and breathtaking views. It is an ideal place to have a peaceful and a harmonious holiday.
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Simonetta
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GREENERY
PE ER DUNCAN
FOUNDATION
On this remarkable sunny day, I was invited to Great Valley Estate in Deltota a part Kandy district to witness a great initiative taken by Peter Duncun Foundation, Noble efforts of improving biodiversity, protecting and restoring water bodies for human consumption while enhancing life standard of villagers in and around the area. Being in the upper part of upper Mahaweli catchments and it is almost acts as the heart of the water flow of Mahaweli river which is considered as the backbone of Sri Lankan agriculture sector. It is obvious that these mountains started getting dryed up as soon as drought comes due to lack of ground cover trees and also due to various other willful damages done by humans. As a result villagers life is becoming difficult day by day due to lack of consumable water in the first place and their economy is getting 68
jeopardized with no water for agriculture. Peter Douglas Duncan a New Zealand national who got settled in Deltota area and got settled for his retirement life at Windloft Retreat 9 years ago started his “ Kandian home garden “forestation program and initiated planting of various plants to improve biodiversity in his land which is a part of Great Valley Estate. Peter Duncan spent his retirement bonus totally on land regeneration and for welfare of people around the area. His planting was through lots of testing, researches and trail and error basis but he was highly enthusiastic on his project and dreamt about tree canopies and beauty of the forest he was planning to create. On the 06/01/2016 Peter Duncan’s last breath was released
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and when his funeral was taken place on the 10th January 2016 at one end of the garden of Windloft Retreat, his business partner Dhammika Liyanage together with his friends made a pledge to continue on the dream of Peter Duncan, which gave the birth of PETER DUNCAN FOUNDATION. (PDF) I was fortunate to be there to witness members of PDF together with Divisional Secretary of Deltota, OIC of Galaha Police Station, Grama Sevaka officers of the area, Officials of Mahaweli Authority, Officers from JEDB, A team from Abhina Yoga Center together with our legendary actress Ms. Anoja Weerasinghe and hundreds of villagers from all communities and religions were part of the planting initative to plant for the future. I was delighted to know that most
of the plants were medicinal herbal plants and those are for villagers personal consumptions. For my surprise, harmony among people were so much evident full all along the program and it confirmed that even small children also knew that we need trees to live. Encroaching Sun was not a problem for anyone and all were working for a worthy cause happily embracing it as their prime responsibility. Dhammika Liyanage, Chairman of PDF emphasis on the followings 1. PDF has no intention to own or acquire any lands for their programs and they only need to develop green in any land in this catchments area. 2.Firstly they will educate people about the geography of the area, what weeds to be removed and what trees to be planted.
Dhammika Liyanage
3. Will give initiatives for planting programs but PDF will never plant economically viable as timber or wood. PDF is working only to improve biodiversity and to create more water in streams. 4. PDF will work extensively to manage water streams and create consumable water through its
initiatives planned for future. 5. PDF will get people connected to the program by enabling them to produce plants and compost for projects which PDF will purchase from them at a premium price and also by getting them engaged in fields for various activities.
Now, PDF has to maintaining more than 3000 plants of herbs and fruits planted on 13/03/2016 with daily watering and protecting them from hot sun. PDF awaits next monsoon for them to initiate their projects based on schools in the area and
according to PDF officials it is so important to groom and nature students in this program to take Deltota to the world map as a Green City. We wish many more Greener patches to be added to our mother nature through initiatives hosted by PETER DUNCAN FOUNDATION.
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NEWS a route with close access to Colombo. This budding property is situated conveniently and offers tranquillity and security, privacy and safety. This development is the first of many residential properties to be developed by JAT Living. ‘77th on Fourth’ is designed by Philip Weeraratne of PWA (Philip Weeraratne Architects), a renowned and leading architect in the country. The construction of the property will be handled by a “C1” type construction company Access Engineering, while the management will be supervised by Prof. Chitra Weddikkara and her team from Qserve (Pvt) Ltd, The property facilitates a variety of 24 state-of-the-art luxury apartments, with floor areas ranging between 1386 sq ft to 2218 sq ft, and one super luxury penthouse suite of 3536 sqft. The 42,000 sqft private living space (not including common areas) provides all amenities while In a time where entrepreneurship is escalating, more investments ensue to cascade into the country and greater opportunities and promising ventures bustle with life, there is a rising demand for elegant properties that promise unequivocal opulence and irrevocable comfort … things that cannot be compromised on. A subsidiary of JAT Holdings (PVT) Ltd who are pioneers and experts in the finishing industry in Sri Lanka, JAT Living is the arbiter of ushering fresh change. The brainchild of monumental architectural complexes, JAT Living facilitates pristine real estate solutions with top notch connoisseurs breathing light, shape and life to efficiently and immaculately create residential properties ahead of its time.
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wooden floors, ALNO kitchens from Germany, custom-built doors from Spain and smart key door access along with personalised designs with facilities made for conveniences such as, 24 hour back-up electricity, lobby areas on each floor, drivers’ quarters and dorm with 8 beds and washrooms. Among the other facilities are also two high-speed OTIS lifts, garbage disposal on each floor, a waste water management system and LED lighting, central gas supply and gas water heating systems. ‘77 on Fourth’ is a bona fide haven promising chic grander coupled with majestic living conditions with personality and character that metamorphoses a quality house into a valued home. ‘77 on Fourth’ will be your silver key to unlocking the doors to fulfilment, zen and happiness with its safety, security, impeccable amenities, picturesque and perfect surroundings.
‘77 On Fourth Residencies’
an enchanting residential opus from JAT Living, to be ready by Nov 2017. Nawala is a residential city that has become a corporate and personal favourite of patrons who seek comfort, luxury, convenience and quality without compromise. 4th Lane is located at the centre of the Nawala-Rajagiriya main road and provides access from three directions, where Kirimandala Mawatha offers
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offering a myriad of common facilities such as rooftop, BBQ area and terrace, swimming pool, gym, lounge and an epic roof terrace that brandishes elegance with panache to give patrons a holistic experience. The property offers high ceiling rooms ascertaining spaciousness,
This is a residential complex that nestles evocative splendour while harnessing the spellbinding traits that are guaranteed to propel “77 on Fourth” to the very apex of the real estate industry.
FOSSIL 2016 SPRING CURIOUS SET COLOR ME CURIOUS Fossil, the iconic mid-century designer brand, launched in Colombo by opening its flagship store at Arcade Independence Square Colombo. The highlight of the launch was an exclusive in-store event celebrating fashion with the elite community of Colombo and an eclectic mix of the who’s who of the city. The brand entered Sri Lanka through authorized distributor Softlogic Brands Pvt. Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Softlogic Holdings PLC, who will add yet another world renowned international brand to their already impressive portfolio. Fossil is an American watch and lifestyle company, creatively rooted in authentic vintage and classic design. They strive to create high-quality watches, bags and more that preserve the best
of the past while updating it for today. When the clean lines of the mid-century meet the modern looks of today, the result is key items that represent the best of what we stand for: bags that pair portability with streamlined design, traditional watches created in fresh hues and materials, and timeless accessories that accompany you wherever you are traveling. Allan Yee, (Vice President, APAC – Distribution, Travel Retail & Franchise – Fossil Group) expressed his delight on The Fossil launch in Sri Lanka – “We are delighted to have you all here to join us today to celebrate Fossil’s first New Concept store in Arcade Independence Square, Colombo (AIS). We could not be happier to be located in AIS, the heart of one of Colombo most exclusive shopping districts, and
we know our brand will continue to grow distinctively here in Sri Lanka. This store will be the first of many Fossil store opportunities in Colombo and will be the catalyst for further stores into Sri Lanka. Drawing design inspiration from a wide range of American vintage influences, we think of ourselves not as a store, but as an experience. From refurbished vintage fixtures, to our famous tin wall, and our impeccably curated collection of vintage-inspired collections and props. Today we you will have been presented with our fresh and colour inspired spring collection. You will see colours being portrayed in our bags, you will see our sea glass Haven leather collection brighten up the store. We have some iconic styles for Fossil which I just wanted to highlight, for men, we have our amazing mechanical collections, these are carefully
crafted timepieces, and we also have our men Grant collection. The future is extremely exciting as is in some of stores in APAC we have put technology into these key timepieces to make smartwatches, which looks smart too. A perfect marriage of tech and fashion.” Speaking about the association, Mr. Ashok Pathirage, Chairman, Softlogic Holdings PLC said, “We are delighted to partner with Fossiland jointly open the first Fossil flagship store in the country. Fossil is a great brand, intrinsic with rich history and an immensely high customer appeal. We are confident that the launch of Fossil with its wide array of on trend bags, watches and accessories would be a perfect fit to our current brand portfolio and undoubtedly make this brand more accessible to our customers in Sri Lanka.”
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unveils the
Colours of Linen
The sarong has never looked this stylish! The humble sarong gets a couture makeover and a new lease on life under the deft hands of premier Sri Lankan men’s fashion brand, Hameedia. A first of its kind, Hameedia is proud to announce the new “Linen Kurtha, Shirt and Sarong Collection” for this year for the sartorially savvy man. The new collection comes with clean-cut and refined designs and a myriad of colours. Sarongs featured in the collection exude sophistication and simplicity balanced with comfort. The entire collection of sarongs, kurthas and shirts comes in 25 colours ranging from deeper hues to muted pastel shades and two-toned clothes – shoppers will be spoiled for choice and style. The collection will be available in ready-to-wear designs and madeto-measure for that perfect fit and an added personalised finish. Customers also have the flexibility of mixing and matching colours and styles to achieve their perfect look. With the Aluth Avurudhu season just around the corner, the collection is ideal as the perfect gift and comes in gift boxes. The new, updated sarongs have been designed for versatility and are suited for day wear, smart casual and formal. The sarong can be worn with either a kurtha top, tunic collared shirt or a regular collared shirt while selected shirts now come with pin tux design.
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Commenting on the new collection, Sri Lanka’s celebrated menswear specialist Fouzul Hameed, Managing Director at Hameedia (Pvt) Ltd, said, “The potential for Sri Lankan menswear has never been more exciting. Around the world, stylish menswear has come of age and has gained momentum. It is time for Sri Lankan menswear too to push the boundaries of style and sophistication. The sarong is an age-old garment, which we have tweaked and given a touch of sophistication to suit the taste and style of the contemporary Sri Lankan man”. “We at Hameedia have strived for decades to take worldwide men’s fashion trends, translating and adapting it to Sri Lankan sensibilities and this collection reflects our vision. Our new collection achieves the elusive sweet spot between comfort and style and is made with the highest quality of fabric,” he added. Natural, lightweight, lint free and long lasting, the linen used comes from the finest Irish yarns which are the best of the best. Its texture lends itself to crispness in design and style, allowing its wearer to look effortlessly stylish with minimum hassle. Launched at the ‘Envoy Concept 2016 Fashion Show’, the collection is especially designed fully in linen for its unique silhouette and its adaptability to any climes, attuned to Sri Lanka’s tropical climates. Hameedia has consistently focused on pioneering style coupled with comfort and the collection’s linen fabric allows for breathability and coolness in hot summers, lessening the heat and humidity for the wearer
Cinnamon TBCasia: mega destination promotion initiative with national carrier SriLankan Airlines Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, together with the national carrier SriLankan Airlines, is proud to present CinnamonTBCasia 2016 from 2-7 June 2016; a mega destinationevent that brings together 60 of the world’s best travel bloggers to Sri Lanka in a global conference that will explore and evaluate the impact of travel blogging in the global tourism industry today. Krishan Balendra, President of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts commented “Travel blogging is one of the most essential and undervalued components in marketing Sri Lanka’s tourism sector. It is in fact a necessary tool for the industry because the craft of travel writing and blogging encourages others to travel, more so than an advertisement or other forms of traditional media. It is also a far more personal way to reach audiences. Cinnamon TBCasia 2016 is the ideal platform for all travel and hospitality professionals to engage with top bloggers from around the world to be better involved in this digital revolution.” Blogging has also become a powerful tool in influencing consumer decisions and creating a strong appeal for any business or company in the current travel sphere. By the means of international exposure by sponsors and international media, Sri Lanka can greatly benefit from activities such as the Cinnamon TB Casia that garner mileage on online and digital space whilst reaching massive global audiences in a very
short span of time. The top travel bloggers visiting Sri Lanka will be hosted by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts on a pre-conference tour of the country, which will be followed by the full day conference on 7th June 2016. The tour is organized with four unique itineraries for the bloggers to explore all popular tourist locations in the island. Apart from hosting an incredible group of bloggers, Cinnamon TBCasia will also welcome many industry experts and social media gurus to speak at the conference. The eminent panel of speakers include Chuck Thompson Producer, CNN Digital; representative of NatGeo; Dr. Mathew Macdougall, Founder and CEO of Digital Jungle, expert in Chinese marketing & social media; Evo Terra-Digital Strategist; Ryan Bonicci, Marketing Director of the Hubspot APAC; Laurence Norah , Past President of Professional Travel Bloggers Association (PTBA); Halona Padiachy, Director of International Partnerships at Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA); Jens Thraenhart, Founder - Dragon Trail;Henry Barchet, Radio Journalist; Dave & Deb, The Planet D,a top travel blog with the tremendous global reach. Cinnamon TBCasia 2016 would not be possible without the support of SriLankan airlines; thereby, Chairman of SriLankan airlines, Ajith Dias stated, “We are pleased to be flying in such a prestigious panel of speakers and travel bloggers into Sri Lanka, helping them engage with all that
the island has to offer. The insights they will share with us during the conference will be invaluable to everyone in the tourism industry of Sri Lanka” This global event provides a golden opportunity for travel and hospitality industry professionals in Sri Lanka with the ideal platform to connect with award winning travel bloggers through a one day conference. The initiative will create a speed networking space for companies to meet and tie up with bloggers, helping businesses grow successfuly at the pace of online media.The content rich event will consist of a variety of discussions which are designed to inspire and to provide key insights into a rapidly evolving tourism and hospitality industry: Developing corporate content and how Bloggers can help, The use of virtual 360 in the travel industry, Experiential storytelling: communicating experiences and authenticity in the digital world, to name a few. Refer www.tbcasia.
com for registrations and further information. Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts initiated Asia’s first ever travel blogger conference in 2014; followed by its success, Cinnamon TBCasia 2016 has evolved into a significant event with its novel element of an award ceremony. With all of the above in store Cinnamon TBCasia2016 is a much awaited event amongst travel bloggers from around the world as well as travel and hospitality industry professionals. Cinnamon TBCasia 2016 is presented by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and SriLankan airlines in association with the Professional Travel Bloggers Association (PTBA) and supported by event partners: Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), TravelClick, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Four BGB, CVisit, Reap Digital and Mobitel.
Partners of Cinnamon TBCasia 2016
Standing L-R Mr. Krishan Balendra- President of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts / Mr. Matt GibsonPresident, Professional Travel Bloggers Association (PTBA) / Mr. Saminda PereraGeneral Manager, Corporate Communications at SriLankan airlines / Mr. Paddy Withana – Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA)
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Cavalry Supercross 2016 to flag off in June The 2016 edition of the Cavalry Supercross, one of the most anticipated events in Sri Lanka’s motor racing calendar, is set to flag off on 12th June 2016 at the Cavalry Supercross race track in Pangolla, Kurunegala in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR). Organized by theSri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC), the event will be the first of four races in the “CEAT Sri Lanka Super Series 2016” and will feature the island’s finest drivers and riders in action. The Cavalry Supercross was conceptualised by Brigadier Indunil Ranasinghe and was inaugurated in 2010 and is primarily a fund raising project with a focus on providing improvements to welfare facilities that are made available for the immediate families of Officers and men killed or maimed in battle.Furthermore, it is expected to assist in developing necessary infrastructure within the camps such as housing for serving officers and men, working environments, recreational facilities, medical, billets and dining facilities.Looking forward, the Cavalry Supercross is expected to be an event that will be a source of sustainable income to feed such welfare projects within the Corps.
Addressing the Media Briefing presided over by Major General Milinda Peiris, Chief of Staff of the Army and Colonel Commandant of Sri Lanka Armoured Corps, Brigadier Indunil Ranasinghe– Chairman of the Organising Committee stated, “We are thrilled to have the Cavalry Supercross back here again. The speciallydesigned track, which gives consideration to the surrounding environment, will push the drivers and riders to their limits and is guaranteed to thrill the thousands that are expected to witness the races. It will also serve to showcase the talents of our drivers and riders, providing them with the ideal platform to hone their skills in preparation for future local and international races.” Since inception, the Cavalry Supercross has always attracted the cream of the Lankan drivers and riders. At the inaugural event held in 2010, Pasindu Peiris and Gayan Sandaruwan became the “Best Driver” and “Best Rider” respectively. Since then, Gayan Sandaruwan has twice won the “Best Rider” award (2012 and 2013) while Japanese rider Tomoya Suzuki won the award in 2012. In the “Best Driver” category, Ashan Silva has twice won the award (2012 and 2013) with Dinesh Deheragoda bagging the award in 2011. At the last
Head Table from Left: Shehan Adhikari Best Rider 2014, Brigadier I. P Ranasinghe Chairman of the Organising Committee, Nishan Wasalathanthri – President SLARDAR, Major General M P Peiris Chief of Staff of the Army and Colonel Commandant of Sri Lanka Armoured Corps, Ravi Dadlani Vice President Sales and Marketing – CEAT Main Sponsor, Brigadier D. T Gamage and Pasindu Peiris Best Driver 2010
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Cavalry Supercross held in 2014, Shehan C Adikari won “Best Rider” and Ashan Silva was nominated as the “Best Driver”. This year too, the Best Driver and the Best Rider will be awarded “Sri Lanka Armoured Corps Colonel Commandant’s Challenge Trophy” and “Sonna Vander Hoeven Memorial Challenge Trophy” respectively. Touching upon the history of the event, Brigadier Ranasing headed, “Back in 2010, we made a proposal to have the Cavalry Supercross at Pangolla, the “Ironside Camp”, home to the 5th Reconnaissance Regiment of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps as we felt that it will provide a challenging race track to our local drivers and riders. The track was to be built in Kurunegala with the hill features “Ridiyagalla” and “Rambadagalla” in the backdrop. I am happy to acknowledge that the then Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya and then Colonel Commandant Sri Lanka Armoured Corps Major General Niranjan Ranasinghe gave the necessary guidance, encouragement and blessing to the project. Two top veterans in motor sports - Mr. Hans Ralf Karpinsky and Mr. Nishan Wasalathanthri- took on the challenge to design, plan and execute the track layout of
the Motordrome. Furthermore, then President of SLARDAR Mr. Rodney Mason, Major (Retd) Dilhan Jayawardene, Mr. Pubudu Wickrama, Mr. Palitha Ratnayake and Champion Rider Gayan Sandaruwan also gave their expert technical assistance to the project and thus Cavalry Motordrome came into being.” In keeping with the objectives of this project, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps has to date been able to construct 18 houses for its deceased, disabled and serving members. Construction of three Holiday Bungalows, funding welfare projects of Training Centre and all Regiments for the benefit of troops, purchasing of medical and other essential items for needy members, contributions to Army’s Brave Heart and “ViruDaru” projects and infrastructure developments within the Corps could be named as significant benefits/ charities of Cavalry Supercross during the last five years. After the Cavalry Supercross, the “CEAT Sri Lanka Super Series 2016” will conduct the Pannala Circuit Meet 01 (31st July), Commando Challenge (9th October) and Pannala Circuit Meet 02 (13th November) before declaring overall winners across various categories.
Sponsors of the Cavalry Supercross 2016
Cellcity introduces MEIZU smartphones to Sri Lanka Smartphone use in Sri Lanka continues to grow among consumers. There has also been a change in the popularity of certain handsets, with a marked shift towards Android based-phones, which provides for a wide range of pricing points.
Cellcity Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. recognized as one of the best mobile service providers in the country, recently launched MEIZU smartphones to cater the mid-to-high range smartphone market in Sri Lanka. The launch event was held at Cinnamon Grand, Colombo.
technology which can charge the phone up to 50% in less than half an hour. With a 21-megapixel rear camera, this phone is not at all far behind for the avid photographer. Running Flyme OS based on Android 5.1 Lollipop and the Helio P10 processor, the dual nano-SIM MEIZU m3 note sports a 5.5-inch full-HD display. With the 4100 mAh battery, power is expected to last for 2 days
under normal use. The variant demonstrates the breakthrough 3D Press technology, which allows full use of app services without even needing to open it, as well as fingerprint recognition and fast charging. Powered by the Mediatek Quad core A53 processor and a 2GB RAM, the MEIZU m2 note provides a snappy user experience while multi-tasking and impresses with gaming performance,
making it one of the best budget phablets available. It sports a 13-mega-pixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with new FotoNation 2.0 smart selfie enhancement system. The device comes with Dual SIM, and also supports 4G. “With 17 regional service centers island-wide, along with a highly dedicated after sales service team, Cellcity Lanka is committed to get the latest technology closer to Sri Lankans with the latest MEIZU Android series that come with a 2 year warranty. We believe our users will enjoy this new smartphones very much.� commented Keshan Fernando, Director of Cellcity Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.
Established in 2003, MEIZU Technologies produces smartphones created to provide a simple, intuitive mobile experience. With more than 2,500 retail stores and over 500,000 vendors, the company has built a global presence. MEIZU smartphones are often lauded for their superior design quality, with aircraft grade alloy mold and promise top of the line smartphone features such as the mTouch technology that enables fingerprint recognition. The devices come with Android based exclusive Flyme OS, which provides excellent user-interface, performance tweaks, battery optimizations, as well as other features to improve the userexperience while multi-tasking. The flagship MX5 device comes with 3GB RAM and 16/32/64GB internal memory options, and packs in a 3150 mAh battery which will account for about 2 days on moderate usage and also has the additional advantage of mCharge quick charging
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introduces itself to the world through its website Radiant Eye Hospital officially launched its unique website radianteye.lk.The launch was experienced by healthcare professionals, stakeholders and members of the media. Heading the team is the hospital’s founder Dr. Shamintha Amaratunga, an eye surgeon who has built a reputation for excellence in the field of eye care. Dr. Amaratunga has over 120,000 surgeries to his name. He is renowned for outreach programmes performing free cataract surgeries for the needy. To commemorate the occasion Dr. Amaratunga and his team conducted an eye camp completing 25 cataract surgeries free of charge on the launch day. While fulfilling the responsibilities of an eye care facility in using the best methods to enhance the vision of a patient, Radiant Eye looks further. Its aim is to enrich patients’ lives through outstanding patient care, motivation and guidance. Radiant Eye endeavors
to bring ‘visible change’ in patient’s lives, even of those whose vision cannot be restored. The hospital is a one-stop facility for everything eye related, in all its subspecialties. With friendly service at its core it serves humanity with a passion. Upon reviewing the facilities, it is evident that the comfort and convenience of its patients was at heart when plans were sketched. Creating a warm and relaxing environment, while borrowing the design language of hotels and resorts, it is a “visible change” to the typical hospital. The absence of unsightly signage is something unique around here. Coming out of the hustle and bustle of the city, the hospital is conveniently located in Dandugama in between Negombo and Colombo alongside the main road and close to the highway. It is equipped with ample parking. The greenery coupled with the hospital’s soothing colour scheme is a definite welcome to those who come to the hospital from the far reaches of this island
Reputed Eye Surgeon, Dr. Shamintha Amaratunga introduces Raman, a patient whose life has been improved by the wholistic approach taken by the doctor.
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as well as from overseas. Radiant Eye Hospital houses state of the art technology, some of which are exclusively available there. These include the latest IOLMaster and Electro physiological studies for ERG. The Modular Operating Theatre is another engineering masterpiece with its machinery, maintenance of adequate air pressure, copper Lamina Flow air filtration system, antibacterial seamless materials for walls and the epoxy floor. Radiant Eye maintains high standards in infection control, which is often neglected in the health sectors of developing countries. Strict protocols on infection control are established, based on the AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation) and the infection control manuals by Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists under the continuous supervision of a Senior Consultant Microbiologist. Lying on foundations of simplicity, the website was developed to
Dr. Shamintha Amaratunga (Chairman & Managing Director, Radiant Eye Hospital) & Nadee Gunawardena, (Director, Radiant Eye Hospital) look on as Andrew Evan (Founder, The Human Company – responsible for the website and branding of Radiant Eye) guides the audience through the website.
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be a pleasure to use. Under the guidance of Dr. Shamintha Amaratunga all technical jargon was simplified to be understood by all. While following the latest movements in international website design the rather humble looking site has much to offer. It will also be used as a platform to educate and spread awareness to the public. Dr. Amaratunga hopes to eventually develop Radiant Eye as an educational centre for both professionals and patients. “Right now, our focus is on a holistic approach to eye care that is accessible to different income groups,” he said. The launch was also attended by patients who shared stories about regaining vision after over 15 years and those that rebuilt their lives with Dr. Amaratunga’s support in managing vision impairment - a reaffirmation of the specialised eye care approach devised by Dr. Amaratunga and his team.
OZO
Colombo celebrates the most colourful event in Colombo,
the Vesak Festival
OZO Colombo lit up for Vesak with bright lights and colourful lanterns, as the lobby area became the place for a Vesak Lantern Competition. All the departments showcased their talents by coming up with attractive Vesak lanterns , and the creators of the most beautiful lanterns were awarded by the management.
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