Roar Media Archive - History & Culture

Welcome to Roar Media's archive of content published from 2014 to 2023. As of 2024, Roar Media has ceased editorial operations and will no longer publish new content on this website.
The company has transitioned to a content production studio, offering creative solutions for brands and agencies.
To learn more about this transition, read our latest announcement here. To visit the new Roar Media website, click here.

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Three Colonial Hangovers We Unwittingly Perpetuate

That Western colonialism had a profound influence on our little country there can be no doubt. Tea, the roads and railway system, a vibrant parliamentary system and the use of the English language are part of Sri Lanka’s colonial legacy. However, colonialism also had its ill effects. The suppression of national freedom struggles, often with an iron hand, unfair taxation and social changes that adversely affected the lives of the local peasantry are among the negative aspects of colonialism.

Digitising Jaffna’s Oldest Literature

Jaffna Library

The Stories Behind Three Of Colombo’s Suburb Names

Colombo’s Suburb Names

How Muslims Lived in Colombo Many Moons Ago

Sri Lanka’s Muslims, though religiously obliged to observe a moon long fast, are not as abstemious at other times. They have their feasts and festivals which they look forward to with much delight.

Down Memory Lane: Bulto, Hoonu Beti And Other Sweets From Bygone Days

A few decades from now, people recalling the magical tastes of childhood would probably talk about Ferrero Rocher, Oreos or the Ambrosial chocolate-covered crepe suzette from that posh cafe in Colombo 07. But way back then, when black and white televisions still existed and bell-bottoms were the in-thing, taste buds were much less demanding, and people reveled in simple, uncomplicated confections to get their sugar fixes.

Ten Household Brands Only Your Mother Remembers

The market today is saturated with products, each competing with the other to attract potential customers. Branding, advertising and marketing work alongside businesses to grow their visibility in order to garner a larger share of the market. With a population of over 21 million, Sri Lanka has a thriving market evolving frantically to match supply with demand. But things were not always this fast-paced and competitive. Thirty, forty, fifty years ago, commerce was slower, brands fewer and life simpler. Sri Lankan were not bombarded with an influx of brands, but instead enjoyed and made do with the few they had at the time. While these brands listed below were popular at the time, they are today no more, having made room for bigger and more aggressive brands that have taken over the market. But there are many people who remember them with nostalgia, and the part they played in the landscape of their lives.

Twelve Traditional Varieties Of Rice That Used to Be Popular In Sri Lanka

Historical evidence—like irrigation tanks and canals in the dry zone—are evidence that rice farming has been one of the major occupations in the island over the past two millennia. This was because rice was—and still is—the staple dish in Sri Lankan cuisine.

The Lost City of Zed: Lanka’s Link

In March 2018, the magazine Nature Communications published an article by a team of archaeologists from Exeter University. The team had been investigating possible…