Peter Kuruwita’s first choice in his list of best things about Sri Lanka is food. No wonder as he has already shown his fashion about Sri Lankan food. We Sri Lankans have wide array of tasty foods and they are healthy too.

Peter’s second choice is surfing. Sri Lanka is a popular destination among surfers and Arugam bay is one of popular beaches which is located in the nothern cost of Sri Lanka.

Read our previous article about Peter Kuruvita – “My Sri Lanka” – Culinary Journey

Peter loves Sri Lankan culture and it is his third among his top ten things. Undoubtedly Sri Lanka has a rich cultural heritage and that is something each and every Sri Lankan is proud of.

His number four is the colonial side of Sri Lanka. He seems to love the things we got from colonial rulings of the country and definitely the architecture and buildings are favorite tourist attractions.

His village in Karagampitiya in Colombo is his number five. Jafna peninsula and its proud people are in his list at the sixth place. Pristine beaches of Sri Lanka is his next choice and his eight also about the environment and it is Sri lankan tea fields in cold climate zone.

Market scenes in Sri Lanka , be it the fish market or vegetable market, is also one of Peter’s attractions. Sure being a chef he has a lot to select in these markets to prepare his best dishes.

The last thing in his top ten is cheeky monkeys in Sri Lanka. Yes he is not wrong to mention this as his tenth as any animal lover would love the moves of Sri Lankan monkeys.

Following is the video by Peter Kuruwita revealing his best top ten about Sri Lanka and before leaving please leave a comment with top things that you love about Sri Lanka.

A large number of curious tourists visit this intriguing town of Ambalangoda to experience unique art forms which were very much part of the Sri Lankan cultural fabric decades before the invention of modern entertainment apparatus.

The town is made famous for devil dancing employing masks; mask making, puppet shows showcasing important aspects of the local culture. Ambalangoda is rather underdeveloped by Sri Lankan standards but in order to get a taste of what Ambalangoda has to offer one should allocate a good part of the day, ideally with a Tuk Tuk which can scavenge its way through rough terrain effortlessly. A Tuk Tuk is a low cost but happy go lucky, smile emanating mode of three wheeler transportation very popular in Sri Lanka.

Once in Ambalangoda you can see are a few mask museums by the road where you can purchase masks which could be a handy take home gifts or a likeable keepsake. Also, one can see the tedious process of mask making where the skill is handed down from generation to generation. Wesuggest you visit Ariyapala Mask Museum which is the preferred place to get a firsthand knowledge about various types of masks available and their significance to the Sri Lankan culture. Another famous trait of Ambalangoda is devil dancing where Masks are employed extensively to depict various demonic characters. If you are lucky,as you tread along the winding by roads you can watch one of these performances, live. Legend has it that exorcism is closely knit with devil dancing and Ambalangoda is very much ingenious for this.It may be possible to watch a performance of folk theatre (Kolanm) by local artists.

Ambalangoda is also made famous for Puppets. In Sinhalese it is coined as“Rukada” to signify a ‘puppet’. The carving of puppets is an ingenious skill confinedto distinct set craftsmen. Puppetry is used for the purpose to portraying variety of folk-drama locally known as “Nadagama”. It is believed that the word “Nadagama originated from South India and have been adopted in Sinhalese to mean the same. A kind of theatrical which has influenced the traditional puppet plays in its form, style and presentation.

Those who are on the lookout for ancient traditions, art s and crafts, lifestyles of Sri Lanka which is slowly but surely going out of vogue should also consider visiting Ambalagoda and include it a must see place in their tour itinerary.

Buddism is the dominant religion among Sri Lankans. Its devotees, the Buddhist believe that Lord Buddha visited Sri Lanka thrice and on his on his third visit to Sri Lanka he set foot on Tissamaharama. There are many dagabos in Tissa and is considered one of the 16 places in Sri Lanka that are considered sacred to Buddhist.

Tissamaharama, is a gateway to many places of interest to the tourist who is pressed for time. Its strategic location ideal to visit places of religious and cultural importance such as the Kataragama Devalaya which is considered one of the most sacred entities in Sri Lanka visited by people from many faiths and beliefs. Also, it is a 30 minute drive to Yala National Park, again a favorite among visitors to Sri Lanka.

One of the must see hot spots in Tissamaharama is the Tissa Wewa meaning Tissa Tank. It is entirely made by man during the period of the 3^rd century B.C by King Yatala Tissa, the founder of the Ruhunu Kingdom to conserve and preserve limited Water resource. It is located a short distance from the town and many tourists and devotees on their way to Kataragamamakes it a point to have a quick dip in the natural pool to cool off from a strenuous journey.

The paddy fields that envelop Tissa are irrigated and kept fertile by the water resource from the Tissa Tank. The greenery of the paddy fields and a hint of serenity to ones soul you feel you are blessed with the abundance of nature.

One of the many attractions many tourists experience is a boat ride around the lake.It is a ride to behold as the gushing winds engulf you to an out of this world experience and is an ideal tonic  to relax after a grueling day of traveling.  Also, a walk along the tank bund will mesmerize you with the tranquility it offers simply by being there away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. As an added windfall, you can also indulge in a bit of tropical bird watching along the tank bund where you might see a proud and majestic Peacock or weary water buffaloes amble past you.

Also,a local favorite you can relish is freshly barbequed fresh water fish caught from the Tissa tank served sizzling hot dashed with a pinch of lime available from the many vendors selling it along the tank bund.

There area few organic farms in Tissamaharama where you can pluck your own vegetables  grown free of pesticides and chemicals.Tissa is home to many secluded spots which offers the perfect script for lovers of nature and dish out loads of film for bird watching whilst wrapped in between magnificent leafy backdrops.

There are many Dagobas in Tissa but the oldest is Yatala Wehera which was build approximately 2,300 years ago by King Yatila Tissa and today restored to its former glory.Visitors to the Dagabo can see significant archeological findings which lay around the Dagabo, namely an ancient toilet system used at the adjoining monastery. Also another find is one of the  oldest elephant wells. There is a newly built museum adorned important archeological findings.

A mere 30 minute drive from Tissa will get you to The Yala National Park which  is situated on 97,880 hectares of land and is the best loved National Park in the country. Yala is unique because it hosts a variety of eco systems and habitats.The park is known to contain a wide spectrum of birds and animals and for having the highest leopard population anywhere in the world.

Also if you fancy a little bit of Hollywood glamour, Sri Lankan style you can visit the MahindaRajapasksha Tele village which is just 7 kilo meters from Tissamaharama on the way to Kataragama

Located approximately 15 kilometers west of Tissamaharama is the Bundala National Park which a sought after destination for bird watching. The park renowned for migratory and resident birds and for its unique wetland habitat.

It will be a delighting diner who will visit the Curry Leaf at Hilton Colombo from February 10 to 19 with a feast of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine using fresh ingredients along with exotic spices. Sharing the island food experience, Felicia and Curry Leaf Chef Karu will also prepare delicious sweetmeats for those with a sweet tooth! In addition to all that is mentioned, specialty cocktails and mocktails using Sri Lankan beverage will also be on the menu.

Though Felicia’s passion for cooking was probably started at childhood in Sri Lanka, her overnight popularity as a celebrity chef begun at Hong Kong that has a fascinating story behind. Felicia spent 30 years in Hong Kong and was a receptionist at the Hilton where she happened to notice that the curry at the coffee shop was lousy. So she proceeded to investigate and went to the coffee shop to let the chef know. She began to teach him how to cook authentic curries. The news and paparazzi media found out about it and before she knew it, she became a celebrity and her culinary career was off and running.” I would say paparazzi made me famous overnight. In Hong Kong they had curries from India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Macau, Philippines and other regional countries. But Sri Lankan curry was unheard of. So, I gave it, Sorensen style and it caught on. Besides I was a female chef with the ‘soft touch’. I only had to do the refining!’” She said.

She has had many awards and honours conferred on her. She was bestowed the revered title of Sikhamani in 1992 by the then President Ranasinghe Premadasa. She was the first and the only Sri Lankan Chef living in Hong Kong, to have received that honour. She thrived upon many exciting hotel career opportunities. She is also a qualified Dietitian. She marketed Sri Lankan spice mixes overseas to her own recipe under the brand ‘Felicia’s Kitchen’. She authored ‘The Exotic Taste of Paradise’ a culinary masterpiece; the title positively inspired the then Air Lanka tag line. She still inspires Sri Lanka Tourism with her expertise. Sorensen’s skill and reputation gained her entree into the ranks of Les Disciples d’ Auguste Escoffier in 1980, as well as being honoured in 1992 as the first Asian Chef to officiate at the Robert Mondavi Winery’s Great Chefs programme.

With her greeting of ‘Hellow Darling’ to every male and female member of the press and the hotel staff and even to the General manager of Colombo Hilton, Felicia certainly makes her presence felt in every way where ever she hang around.

Peter is the owner of “Flying Fish Restaurant” at Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont, Sydney. He has travelled all over Sri Lanka from Jaffna to Galle, Negombo to Baticaloa covering all the nine provinces to shoot “My Sri Lanka” which has been called part cooking show, part memoir and part travelogue. It’s a combination of sharing recipes, stories and truly breathtaking sceneries of his motherland. According to one Australian reviewer, “the camera work is top-drawer and each episode is likely to leave you craving both Sri Lankan food and a sub continental sojourn”.Peter’s journey was able to tap into Sri Lanka’s largely unrecognized depth of history and cultural fortitude, all of which have patiently waited to be explored.

Peter Kuruvita was born in London, UK in October 1963. From a very young age a range of rich cultures inspired Peter; his childhood memories are filled with the collaborative influences of his Austrian mother and Sri Lankan father. In 1967, Peter’s family moved to his father’s hometown of Colombo, Sri Lanka where life was very colorful through the eyes of a young child. Peter vividly recalls his grandmother’s primitive kitchen – “There was no gas or electricity, just a simple wood stove.”Growing up in Sri Lanka, Peter spent his early childhood alongside his grandmother watching and preparing family meals created from ancient Sri Lankan spice recipes that had been passed down from earlier generations. This strong sense of family combined with Peter’s early association with food has continually inspired him throughout his career.

“I am so proud of this series. It has reunited me with my childhood home, and allowed me to reconnect with special family and friends from my past.  I have also been able to meet new friends along the way, and rediscover Sri Lanka as it exists in today’s modern world. I am looking forward to sharing my Sri Lanka – this journey is a personal one for me and I hope audiences will enjoy it,” said Peter.

Peter has a reputation in the Australian culinary circles as an expert on seafood and he has a strong stance on seafood sustainability. He continues to develop the Flying Fish brand and in 2008 launched a range of products along with his cookbook Serendip.Peter consults to a variety of businesses in the food and beverage world and has been a guest chef in many countries including the Westin hotel Beijing and New World Hotel Ho Chi Mihn City Vietnam.

Kuruvita considers himself a proud Australian and a proud Sri Lankan. Time and again his philosophy – that food must be prepared and cooked with love – is evidenced in the joy of those around him. .

My Sri Lamka with Peter Kuruvita premieres 3^rd November on SBS One and the DVD will be available from December 2011 online at SBS website.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This concert has been organized to raise funds to support Sanhinda Children’s Home in Sri Lanka. We invite all our readers who live in Canada to be part of this worthy course. Following is open invitation from the members of the “Ridhma Cultural Troupe.

Dear Fathers and Mothers,

As Sri Lankan youth living in Canada, we are pleased that we have been able to continue promoting our cultural values while being away from our homeland. We have not forgotten our motherland nor our brothers and sisters we have left behind. Hence, we are working together to give as much back as we can to our country.It was two years ago that we staged the dance recital: “HIMA ARANIN LAKDERANATA” and raised $14 000.00 CAD, all of which was used for the resurrection of war devastated schools in Sri Lanka. We thank all of you who gave us your support and encouragement without which we would never have been so successful. You can see how the raised funds were used to rebuild schools in Sri Lanka Here.

After seeing how the funds we raised helped so many children back home, we felt inspired to continue helping the children of our country. Accordingly, this year, we are presenting yet another fundraising concert: ‘Gimhanaye Abhimanaya- Glory of Summer’, a cultural pageant of great dance rhythms and beautifully blended harmonies.

This concert is dedicated towards supporting the Sanhinda Children’s Home in Sri Lanka, which is devoted to providing street children with food, shelter, clothing and education; protecting street children from sexual abuse, harassment and crime; and sending street children back into the society as valuable citizens.

It is with the fervent hope of helping the street children of our country that we are holding this fundraising event. However, we cannot achieve this goal on our own. We kindly ask for your participation in this event as it is with your confidence and support that we will succeed in helping children who are less fortunate to grow into educated and well-mannered individuals. For more information of our concert, please watch this beautifully made promotional video clip – HERE .

In conclusion we quote below the wise words of Martin Luther King Jr.
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

Please help us to help those in need by attending our concert.

Thanking you sincerely,
Lakmini Pinnaduwage
Sajini Jayasinghe
Udaaraa Ilangaratne
Vidharshi Ilangaratrne
Thisuri Eagalle
Nethmi Kulatilake
Kosala Abeygunawardene

MEMBERS OF THE RIDHMA CULTURAL TROUPE

The Kaffirs were originally Muslims, but now they practise a range of faiths from Catholicism to Buddhism, and wear typically Sri Lankan clothes of long skirts for the women and sarongs for the men.  Typical African features – the short curly hair, thick lips, broad noses and high cheekbones of the Negroid race still visible among older generation of Sri Lankan Kaffirs. However, the younger generation whilst retaining certain elements of their forefathers, were more akin to Sinhalese, the reason being the gradual assimilation of the Kaffirs with the Sinhalese population of Puttalam.

Music and dance seem to be their life and it is the best indicators of their African ancestry. At lunch time, the men chat and doze in hammocks as the women sing catchy creole tunes while preparing a meal on outdoor stoves. Kaffringna’ and ‘Manja’ are their cultural heritage which includes the dance styles and the Bailla music popular in Sri Lanka was originating centuries ago from these Kaffirs or Afro-Sinhalese communities. Their songs, mostly repeating a few basic lyrics, speak of love, the sea and wildlife. The music starts with a slow, gentle rhythm played on a tambourine, spoons and coconut shells, and gradually builds to a climax with dancers swinging their hips, hands and feet wildly. ‘Manhas’ are what the songs are called that are played by the Kaffirs of Sirambiyady and the music is different in technical ways from Kaffrinha and Chikothi (both of which are kinds of music with African roots), all of the movements in their dance point to its African origins.

Their maiden music album “Kaffir Maanja of Sirambiady” was launched recently at the John De Silva Memorial Theatre. The troupe comprising around 20 Kaffir men, women and children, three of them disabled, were led by their Chief, Peter Louis. The show began with a song and dance performance called ‘Ro Ro Rowenka” of a group of men and women arriving in a boat and landing on our shores to the rhythmic beat of the coconut shells, followed by songs, City of Chalina, St. Anthony’s, Irandemy Irandemy, Arabic, John John, Madura etc. The song City of Chalina was especially moving, since the singers were yearning for a long lost mythical city of Chalina, possibly in distant Africa.

The Kaffir concert is certainly helpful in the preservation of their music and dance, which are the only cultural remnants of their African roots. Their exact place of origin along Africa’s east coast may never be known for sure because of a lack of documentation and conflicting oral histories, promoting their music allows for their future generations to better understand the Kaffirs’ history. The more concerts they put on, the more outside interest the community receives, which has both researchers and journalists looking for sources to tell the story of the Kaffirs of Sri Lanka.

සංගීතය ආත්මය කොටගත් ශ්‍රී ලාංකික කාපිරි ජනතාව

කාපිරි යන නම ඇසු පමණින් අපට සිහිවන්නේ  අපේ මුතුන්මිත්තන් අපට පැවසු දෙවන ලෝක යුධ සමයේ මෙරටට ගෙන්වනලද බිහිසුණු ජන කොට්ටාශයකි.  මිනී මස් කෑමට ඇති ගිජු බව නිසා දෙපා යදමින් බැඳ මුවට ඉබ්බන් දමා තිබු බවට පැරැන්නන් කියන කතා කොතෙකුත් ඔබ අසා ඇතුවාට සැක නැහැ . නමුත් පුත්තලම සිරම්බි අඩි ග්‍රාමය කේන්ද්‍ර කොටගත් අප්‍රිකානු සම්භවයකින් පැවතෙන ශ්‍රී ලාංකික කාපිරි ජනතාවක් වෙසෙන බව බොහෝ අය නොදන්නා රහසක්.

මෙම ශ්‍රී ලාංකික කාපිරි ජනතාවගේ ඉතිහාසය වසර 500 ක්  තරම් ඈතට විහිදයයි.දහසයවන සියවසේදී පෘතුගීසින්න් සිය බලකොටු ඉදිකිරිම සඳහාත් යුධ කටයුතු සඳහාත් අප්‍රිකාවෙන් වහලුන් ලෙස ගෙන්වන ලද ජන පිරිසකගෙන් මොවුන් පැවත එනබව පිළිගතහැකි මතයකි . පසුව මෙම වහල් වෙළදාම ලන්දේසි සහ ඉංග්‍රීසින් විසින්ද අනුගමනය කර ඇත. එමෙන්ම සිංහල නරපතියන්ද තම යුධ පෙරමුණු සඳහා මෙම අප්‍රිකානු වහලුන් යොදාගත් බව ඉතිහාසයේ සදහන්වනවා.

සංගීතය තම ආත්මය කොටගත් මෙම ජන පිරිස සැහැල්ලු ජිවන රටාවකට උරුමකම් කියයි. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට බයිලා සහ කපිරිඤ්ඤ හදුන්වා දීමේ ගවුරවය නිතැතින්ම හිමිවියයුතු වන්නේ මෙම සිංහල කාපිරි ජනතාවටයි. අතීතයේදී හැඳි සහ පොල්කටු තම ප්‍රධානම සංගීත භාණ්ඩ ලෙස යොදාගත් අතර වර්තමානයේදී රබන් සහ ඩොලක් ද වාද්‍ය භාණ්ඩ ලෙස යොදාගනු ලබයි. ආරම්භයේදී සෙමෙන් පටන්ගන්නා වාදනය සහ ගායනය ක්‍රමයෙන් උච්ච වත්ම අත් සහ ඉඟ වේගයෙන් චලනය කරන ඔවුන්ටම ආවේනික රංගනයකට අවතීර්ණය වේ.

ජෝන් ද සිල්වා සමරු රඟහලේ පසුගියදා පැවැති සංදර්ශනයකදී “සිරම්බිඅඩි කපිරිඤ්ඤා සහ මඤ්ඤා” නමින් යුත් සංයුක්ත තැටියක් එළිදැක්වීම මෙම ජනතාව ලද සුවිශේස ජයග්‍රහණයක් සේම ඔවුන්ගේ නැතිවී යන උරුමය අනාගත පරපුරට ලබාදීමට ගත් කාලෝචිත පියවරක් ලෙස සදහන්කලයුතුයි

Click here to view the embedded video.

These commercials have been directed by Saminda Ranawaka. The script writer and creative director is  Prageeth Prasanjaya. Channa Deshapriya  is the Cameraman and Make up is by Samarasiri Kahandagama.

Use of music and Sri Lankan folk songs are a very special feature of these set of commercials. Popular Sri Lankan folk music artists Saman Lenin and Ruwan Shri Walpolla have added the true Sri Lankan rhythm to these videos.

Senior Actor Wimal Kumara De Kosta appear in the “Sri Lanka National Anthem” video. Wimal’s acting in this commercials are as always realistic and emotional.

We stand up when ever we see a senior and we all respect our National Anthem. Even a differently-abled (Disable) will stand up to respect  the Nation when “Shri Lanka Matha” being played or sung.

Lanka Help Magazine thought of sharing these videos with our readers as Sri Lankan expatriates may not get a chance to watch these on Television. We hope these videos will be  of interests and very touchy to Sri Lankan expatriates community who miss the mother lanka. Hope, you will take few extra seconds to share these videos with your friends and family.

Helping Seniors – It is in our blood, We respect our Achchi and Seeya (Grandma & Grandpa ).

Respect the Nation – We love you mother Lanka

Sri Lankan’s warm hospitality – “Thun sinhalayama Nadayo”

If you liked these videos please share your thoughts with us by commenting, sharing or pushing the Facebook like button. I feel proud to be a Sri Lankan, hope you do the same.

The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is observed on August 9 each year to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population. This event also recognizes the achievements and contributions that indigenous people make to improve world issues such as environmental protection. The reason for choosing the August 9^th is to recognize the first UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations meeting in Geneva in 1982. On December 23, 1994, the UN General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People should be observed on August 9 annually during the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.

Sri Lanka’s indigenous persons living in various areas including Vakarai, Jaffna, Batticaloa and Trincomalee.Vakarai is the area where the ceremony will be held this year is famous for Muhudu Veddah community who makes their living by indigenous fishing. Vakarai was once the stronghold of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the Eastern Province. Wanniyalaththo added that these areas were in the grips of Tiger terrorists in the recent past and that these people had been forcibly used for terrorist activities. The President’s attention was drawn to the Wanniyalaththo’s request to get the ancestral culture of Veddhas in maritime areas preserved and prevent them from being used to get the needs and wants of others satisfied. President Rajapaksa said that he had allocated Rs 500 million rupees for the welfare of the Veddha community and inquired from the ministers the activities for which that money had been spent.

“We come here to join in the work of the Working Group on Indigenous population by contributing to the review of developments considering the diverse situations and aspirations of the world’s indigenous peoples.We draw your attention to the land of Sri Lanka and of the specific condition of our people, the Wannyala-aetto. Most indigenous participants here are familiar with the Sinhalese and the Tamil populations of our country but little is said about us, the first occupants of the island. Archaeological estimates link our ancestry in Sri Lanka as far as 130,000 years ago or possibly even 500,000 before presence.” Said Uruwarige Wanniya addressing the  Working Group on Indigenous People in Geneva in 1996. This was the first occasion an indigenous member of Sri Lanka to visit off shore.

“We the Wannyala-aetto, which means forest-beings are not allowed to remain in the forest. Our relationship with our environment is changing. We were the custodians of the jungle throughout generations. Now the jungle is no longer ours and we do not feel responsible for its maintenance.” This summarized the main worry of the Indigenous population in Sri Lanka.

ple dwelling in Wakare, Jaffna, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and many other areas./p

It was a moment of bringing dual record performance at Lords by Sri Lankans for the first time in UK. This traditional dancing group was brought to the event under the patronage of Sri Lanka tourism promotions in United Kingdom during the second test match between England and Sri Lanka. They performed their traditional dancing art in the middle of Lords Ground in front of 28,0000 cricket fans. We as Sri Lankans consider this opportunity as an honor to Sri Lanka, as Lord’s ground is considered as “Home of Cricket”.

Following is the video of the event where our traditional dancers were able to share our culture with the British crowd. We hope this will be helpful in promoting Sri Lanka tourism. We thank Tissa Madawela for sharing this video with the world.

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