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Sea Cucumbers: Sri Lanka’s Lesser-Known Seafood Export

Sea cucumbers are soft-bodied, slow-moving creatures very much like starfish or sea urchins. Although not part of the local cuisine, Sri Lanka exports them to other Asian countries. Sea cucumbers are considered one of the most over-exploited marine resources in most countries. In an unregulated environment, can the Sri Lankan industry survive in the future?

Who Is The Lady In Red?

On 12 December 2021, the curators of the National Art Gallery and conservation expert Jennifer Myers made a curious discovery.

Behind what was thought to be the portrait frame of Ananda Samarakoon, who famously composed the national anthem, was a mystery painting, hidden for over 90 years.

The curators believe that the ‘Lady In Red’, painted by Mudaliyar A C G S Amarasekara in 1928, could be an unidentified social elite of the ’20s — a wife of a politician, a daughter of an ambassador, or perhaps another artist.

She wears a wedding band on her right hand, prominently displayed in the portrait.

But discovering her true identity is proving to be a nearly impossible task.

Electrical Needs: How Sri Lanka Consumes Its Electricity

The Sri Lankan public has become very familiar with power plant breakdowns, transmission failures and resulting power cuts no matter which government is in power. But do we know how we generate electricity in the country and how much we generate in a given year? Here’s a breakdown.

Colombo: The Lost Garden City of The East

Colombo was once nearly named the ‘Garden City of the East’, after an European architectural concept, which sought to create cities with the best qualities of rural life.

‘Lakmahal’: Colonial-Era Abode Turned Into A Community Library

Here is a house that once hosted galas attended by Colombo’s elite; where artists mingled with politicians when Sri Lanka was ‘Ceylon’ and under colonial occupation. Lakmahal, at number 8A, Alfred House Road, Colombo 3, has undergone many changes since. The black paint on the doors is replaced with a modern brown varnish. The once polished, red floor is now cool cut cement.

There’s A New Bird Wintering In Sri Lanka

From early August through April, more than 200 migratory bird species visit #SriLanka to escape the winters of the northern hemisphere. This time around we have a new visitor: the Asian house martin, who was spotted for the first time in Sinharaja last December.

In Retrospect: 2021 In Photos

2021 rolled in hot on the heels of the year that gave us the pandemic, lockdowns, curfews, work-from-home, Zoom sessions and so many other experiences that no one would have anticipated. In many ways, this year was a continuation of catastrophes that began in 2020; interspersed between the difficult, the bad and the ugly, however, were a number of good moments, too.

Snakes On A Motorbike

Snakes have a bad reputation. But this man is out to change that. Meet Sampath Thushara Chandrasiri, also known as the ‘Snake Guardian’, who rescues unwelcome reptilian visitors and releases them back into the wild.

Taking The ‘High’ Road: Can Hemp Exports Save Sri Lanka From The Forex Crisis?

It is believed that the controversial cannabis plant — kansa, ganja, marijuana; call it what you will — was cultivated by our ancestors over 6,000 years ago, and used for medicinal purposes. In his magnum opus, the Thriloka Wijayapathra, Wasantha Sena Weliange — Sri Lanka’s leading scholar on weed — who holds a PhD in natural sciences, claims that his research of ancient texts uncovered the fact that as far back as in 341 A.D., King Buddhadasa wrote the medical pharmacopoeia ‘Sarartha Sangrahaya’ describing the medicinal properties of cannabis.

Rock Doves That Rock Borella

For as long as we have thriving cities, pigeons will seek them out. But where did they come from? Take the massive flock of pigeons at the Borella junction: For the longest time, no one could figure out how these birds came to the city. So we went in search of answers.

How One Bookshop Is Trying To Revitalise Sri Lanka’s Love For Russian Literature

Sarath Lal Kumara was about 27, and newly married, when the Sri Lankan government began hunting down socialists in the country. This was during 1987 – 1989 — a period later described as “the years of terror” — when the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), today a political party, then an armed rebel group, launched its second insurgency against the government.

Jayawewa! The Story Of A Lottery Ticket Seller

The COVID-19 pandemic struck the lottery ticket business an immense blow. But this one man is trying on something different. D L Anura Kumarasiri has been part of the industry for almost 15 years now and brings a uniqueness to the profession that goes unnoticed by many of us. This is the story of ‘Jayawewa’.

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