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A Journey to Mannar and the ‘Dancing Islands’ – 2 – by Nimal Chandrasena Pearl Fishing Recording my recollections and reflections about what life would have been like in Mannar, centuries ago, I digressed. My attention was drawn to perhaps the most important and interesting aspect of life in Mannar and the north-central coastline for thousands of years (I learnt that later!). It is Pearl Fishing. Pearl oysters, from whom pearls are obtained, are a group of ‘bivalves’ (type of Mollusc), mainly of the Genus Pinctada (Familiy: Pinctodae); and several species, including the one common in the Gulf of Mannar: Pinctada radiata. Pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a tiny stone or bit of sand gets inside the mollusc’s shell. The bivalve secretes a lustrous substance called ‘nacre’, around the object to protect its soft internal surface. As layer upon layer of nacre coats the irritant, a pearl is ...

Mar 1, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Anuradhagama, Ceylon, Daily News, Malwatu Oya, Pearl Fishing, Taprobane, Yodha Weva

Dutch Hospital – aura of Colonial Era Architecture By Arundathie Abeysinghe Nestled among skyscrapers and situated within the hustle and bustle of Colombo Fort, Old Colombo Dutch Hospital, popularly known as “Dutch Hospital” dates to Dutch Colonial Era of *Ceylon. The Dutch Hospital had been constructed in 1600s as a hospital to treat Dutch Soldiers, Dutch Sailors as well as officers of the Dutch East India Company due to the close proximity of the Building to Colombo Harbor. Dutch Hospital is considered as one of the oldest buildings in Colombo. Considered as a heritage building, the Building is a well-maintained shopping and dining precinct at present. The Building, although constructed during the Dutch Colonial Era has been influenced by tropical requirements as well as local building style of Ceylon during that period, and is different from Colonial Era Structures in Ceylon. With red clay roof tiles, boxy pillars, a ...

Feb 9, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Arundathie Abeysinghe, Ceylon, Dutch Hospital, Paul Herman, Verandah

Audience Hall Kandy – location of a historic event By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located between Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) and Royal Palace of Kandy, the Audience Hall also known as Magul Maduwa (in Sinhala) or Assembly Hall, the place where the Kandyan Kings had held courts during the Kandyan Kingdom (where Kandyan Kings met their ministers). The Audience Hall had also been used for cultural as well as religious purposes during the Kandyan Kingdom. The Hall was also known as “Maha Naduwa” or Royal Court by locals as the building was used by the King as the courts. During the Kandyan Kingdom, the King had met Ambassadors from different countries in this hall for official purposes, exchanged official documents (between *Ceylon and foreign countries), gifts as well as discussions had been held between the King, his Senior Officers and Ambassadors. Many key events had taken place at this ...

Jan 25, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Ceylon, D. M. Waidyasekera, Kandyan Convention, Kandyan Kingdom, Keppetipola Disawe, Madugalle Disawe, Sri Wickramrajasinghe, Temple of the Sacred Tooth, Uva Province, Uva Rebellion

Charles Stanley Braine (1874-1944) – the Rajah of Mawatte By George Braine The e-mail, with the question “Are you a Ceylon Braine?”, arrived out of the blue when I lived in Hong Kong. The writer – I’ll call her Susan – had found me on the Internet. She went onto detail some family history, and claimed that, because she and I shared great, great grandparents, we were third cousins. Family history had been an interest since she was 10 years old. She had inherited a collection of family documents and a photo album, and also found family documents from research in the UK. She mentioned that both my great, great grandfather and great grandfather had been planters in Ceylon. This came as a huge surprise. Not having delved into family history, I was under the impression that my grandfather was the first Braine to arrive in Ceylon. Instead, from ...

Jan 24, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, George Braine Tagged Adeline Mary Becher, Ceylon, Ceylon Tea Plantations, Charles Frederick Braine, Charles Stanley Braine, East Holyrood Estate, George Braine, Stanlodge, Talawakelle, Yakwila Estate

Royal College 57 GROUP MEMBER – NALIN GUNASEKERA – Introducing LNG to Sri Lanka’s energy mix Source:-imarest First lecture presentation for the Year 2016/2017 of the IMarEST Sri Lanka Branch was held at the Organisation of Professionals Association (OPA) Auditorium on 28th March 2017. The presentation on “Introducing LNG to Sri Lanka’s energy mix” was resourced by Mr Nalin Gunasekara. Mr Nalin Gunasekera Graduated in Engineering at University of Ceylon ,and at University College London as a post graduate Colombo Plan Scholar. He is a Chartered Engineer and an Independent Energy Consultant, previously worked with Royal Dutch/ Shell Group Upstream Exploration and Production project development. Synopsis of the presentation Mr Nalin Gunasekera explained the impact of global energy mixes as forecast up to 2035, the reasons for LNG being the game changer, process of securing these floating system units, the rewards and the high risks associated with these units ...

Jan 23, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Ceylon, CMM, NALIN GUNASEKERA, Organisation of Professionals Association, Royal College 57 GROUP MEMBER, SOCEM

Fort Frederick in Trincomalee – emblazoned with colonial insignia By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated about four kilometers from Trincomalee town center, Fort Frederic also known as Trincomalee Fort or Fort Triquillimale is a fort built by the Portuguese. The Fort was built in 1624 CE on Swami Rock Konamamali from the debris of world renowned ancient Hindu Temple, Koneswaram Temple (Temple of Thousand Pillars). The Temple was destroyed by *Constantino de Sá de Noronha under Phillip II. Fort Triquillimale was dismantled and rebuilt by the Dutch in 1665 and renamed it as Fort Frederick. Later, the Temple was rebuilt. Originally, Fort Triquillimale has been a triangular shape. The triangular fort had been outfitted with artillery bastions with the objective defending against British invaders. In 1795, during the British Colonial Era, the British took over Fort Frederick and added artillery to the Fort. The gateway of the Fort which pierces the ...

Jan 20, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Ceylon, King Philip II of Spain, Mahavamsa, Philip II, Ramayana, Trincomalee

Galway’s Land National Park – montane ecosystem in Nuwara Eliya By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated about two kilometers from Nuwara Eliya on the outskirts of the town, Galway’s Land National Park is one of the smallest national parks in Sri Lanka with an extent of 29 hectares. Located towards east of Nuwara Eliya town, the Park is popular among people of all walks of life, yet not an overcrowded place ideal for a leisurely stroll while admiring the breathtaking scenery of the surroundings. Galway’s Land National Park was initially declared as a wildlife sanctuary on May 27, 1938 and was declared as a national park on May 18, 2006 to conserve the montane ecosystem within the Park. Galway’s Land National Park is named after Colonel Galway, a British Army Officer who arrived in *Ceylon in the 19th century. He was presented with the land of the Park by the British ...

Jan 16, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Ceylon, Galway’s Land, Nuwara Eliya

Adisham Bungalow – wrapped in serenity of misty hills By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated about four kilometers from Haputale and designed in Tudor and Jacobean style, similar to Leeds Castle in Kent with solid granite walls as well as long narrow windows and chimneys, Adisham Bungalow is situated in a spectacular environment with undulating mountain ranges and breathtaking valleys. The well-maintained charming gardens with blooming flowers of the Bungalow have the allure of English Gardens. The terraced well-manicured lawns, flowerbeds as well as the orchards are etched on the skyline to take the shape of an outline known as “Sleeping Warrior”. Visitors to Adisham are enchanted by the melodious chirpings of green barbets, paradise flycatchers, blue magpies, horn bills as well as some endemic birds which frequent the area. The railway line between Haputale and *Idalgashinna Railway Stations is situated below the Bungalow. Situated in the verdant mountains of ...

Dec 27, 2020 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged Badulla, Ceylon, Diyatalawa, Hakgala, Namunukula, Uva

Charles Joseph Braine (1814-1890) – Patriarch of the Braines in Ceylon By George Braine C.J. Braine was born in Middlesex, England, in 1814. He began working for Dent & Co. in China and moved to Hong Kong in 1941, when the island was occupied by the British. In Hong Kong, he was listed as a partner of Dent & Co., a Justice of the Peace and a member of the Asiatic Society. Hong Kong In Hong Kong, Braine was best known as the owner of Green Bank, a large, luxuriant garden. A vivid description of the garden can be found in A Journey to the Tea Countries of China by Robert Fortune (1852). Fortune wrote that rugged mountains were seen to one side of Green Bank, contrasting with the lush vegetation of the garden. He lists the shrubs and fruit trees, such as Chinese banyan, India rubber, Indian neem, ...

Dec 4, 2020 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, George Braine Tagged Abbotsleigh bungalow, Abbotsleigh tea factory, Britain, C.J. Braine, Ceylon, Eudora Marriot Braine, George Braine

Family sagas and a peek at Victorian Ceylon’s westernised bourgeoisie – By Yomal Senerath-Yapa Source: Sunday Times Few voices of the early 19th Century bourgeois Ceylonese have survived straight from the horse’s mouth to-date. Who were this new elite? What were those first English-educated generations like? How did Macaulay’s “class of people who can act as intermediaries between us and the millions we govern- English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and intellect” fit in? Many answers are woven into this book. It shows how Hannadige Jeronis Pieris and his clansmen from Moratuwa, canny and blessed with the Midas touch, burst out as compradors; how they flourished in baroque neo-walawwas in Colombo to rival English stately homes where, as that old saying goes, they ‘fed British royalty on gold plate’. It would seem apt that author, historian Michael Roberts, would have chosen personal letters by Jeronis (also uncle and mentor ...

Nov 9, 2020 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Ceylon, Family sagas, H. A. I. Goonetileke, Yomal Senerath Comments 0