Several Swedish and Sri Lankan partners came together recently to present Sri Lanka’s vibrant culture, cuisine, dance and destination at the ‘Sri Lanka Cultural Festival’ at the Etnografiska Museum and Matamekka, Djurgårdsbrunnsvägen, Stockholm.
The festival also portrayed the myriad facets of Sri Lanka’s arts, literature, heritage and history, creative industry, ayurveda and wellness, film and music.
The event which concluded on August 28 had over 1,300 visitors.
The event was conducted in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
The five-day cultural event was launched at the Etnografiska Museum on August 24 with Sri Lankan cuisine, exotic traditional Sri Lankan dances including pooja natuma, Surambavalliya and Nagaraksha and classical music.
President, Bocuse d’ Or Sri Lanka, Master Chef Rohan Fernandopulle teamed up with Swedish Chef Carola Magnusson to present authentic Sri Lankan dishes.
Sri Lanka’s multi-faceted, all-year-around destination featured throughout the festival. The tourism booth, video presentations, posters, banners and flyers depicting the diverse attractions that the island offers.
The Festival also included presentations at the Etnografiska Museum of a variety of items from Sri Lanka brought out for the festival by the Museum.
From private collections, professional creations - replica paintings of Sigiri Apsara, Mulkirigala (19thC Thelapththa Jatakaya), Dodanduwa (19thC,Vessanthara Jatakaya), Replica statues of Avaloketheeswara Bodhisattva (9th C, Veheragala) in brass, and the Ethpahana (Elephant lamp 12th Century Dedigama, Punkagama) in bronze, conceptual painted pottery using traditional temple imagery on earthen-ware pots, and other creations presenting the finest Sri Lankan sculptor tradition/expertise were on display. Silver, brass, wooden handicraft and batik creations projected Sri Lanka’s creative industry. Among the commercially relevant displays were ayurveda and wellness products and authentic Sri Lankan spices.
Sri Lankan literature corner attracted many visitors. Sri Lanka novels such as Madol Duwa, translated to Swedish, presented Sri Lanka literature tradition. Films produced by Swedish producer Stefan andLavonne Quinth on various themes including Sri Lankan wildlife films were screened daily at the Etnografiska Museum auditorium. The producers have been closely associated with filming Sri Lanka for over 40 years.
Children were exposed to an additional flavour of Sri Lanka through painting of the island’s wildlife such as the walikukula (jungle fowl) - the national bird, the Asian elephant, leopard, whale, dolphin, and peacock.
The Sri Lankan dressing booth was a popular stop at the event, providing a delightful experience of dressing in traditional saree, osariya and sarong.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Stockholm with Sri Lanka Tourism received the partnership of the Etnografiska Museum, Stockholm; Carola’s EKO of Swedish Chef Carola Magnusson; Master Chef Rohan Fernandopulle, Dilmah Tea - Sri Lanka and agent Tekompaniet, Stockholm; Swedish film producers Stefan and Lavonne Quinth.
At a separate event in Stockholm, Sri Lankan fine dining cuisine was presented by chef Fernandopulle at Restaurant Stora Skuggans by Carola’s EKO. Chef Rohan also was engaged in the Chefs festival Terra Madre Nordic (Sept 1-3), which is a Nordic meeting place for producers and consumers with a common interest in sustainable food production, consumption and food culture.
The event took place at a time when several countries including Sweden, Denmark, Norway and others have revised the travel advisories on Sri Lanka.