A touch of Lanka in Australia Day Parade – by Marie Pietersz (Melbourne) Participants of the Miss Sri Lanka-Australia Pageant (MSLA) and Miss South Asia-Australia Pageant (MSAA) 2017 provided a splash of colour when they marched in the Australia Day Parade on 26 January 2018 as a post-Pageant activity.   Wearing Kandyan sarees and Nilame suits (Mul Anduma), crowns and sashes, the Sri Lankan winners showcased Sri Lankan culture, walking for the fourth consecutive year under the Sinhalese Cultural Association banner, and greeting people with the traditional “Ayubowan”.   It was a new experience for the Miss South Asia-Australia Pageant winners in the first year of this Pageant. Winners with Indian and Bangladeshi heritage walked with their respective groups. The contingent of walkers included eight contestants, male and female, dressed and styled by Savish Traditional, managed and photographed by Vishni Perera-Jainudeen and led by Savindi Perera-Jainudeen, Pageant Executive, carrying the Sri Lankan flag. Nilame costumes represented the Australian flag colours of ...

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