Sunday, 10 Sep 2023
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Among the islands in the Northern Province the one with the most historic and commercial value is the island of Kayts. Commonly referred to as Oorkavatthurai by Northerners this amazing island was once a vibrant harbour and colonial naval establishment.
According to ancient records by 1178 AD it was a strategic harbour where King Parakramabahu 1 gathered his troops and...
“Thai piranthal vazhi pirakkum” (if January dawns, so will new avenues) is a popular adage that goes with the first festival for Hindus on the calendar - Thai Pongal. But this year, the first year of a new decade, on January 15, the adage will give full meaning for farmers.
You might wonder why for farmers? The prime purpose of the festival is for farmers to pay gratitude...
The human-wildlife conflicts we see today, are as old as the history of the human race. In the distant past when man was a cave dweller, he was subject to attacks from leeches, ticks, insects as well as a number of reptiles and fish. These attacks were an impediment to his way of life. Man also had conflicts with carnivorous mammals and aggressive herbivores. Man, then a...
The Bay of Galle was an active commercial hub for many centuries. It attracted European and Arab trading vessels that gave rise to an important harbour. The earliest records of this bay can be traced to an ancient map of Ptolemy. The Portuguese arrived here in 1505 and by 1589 Viceroy Mathias set up a Fort.
The pioneering Franciscan missionaries set up a chapel with a...
In Buddhism, moral virtue is the foundation of the spiritual path, though a fixed attachment to ethical precepts is seen as a hindering ‘fetter’. Virtue generates freedom from remorse, and leads on through gladness and joy to meditative calm, insight and liberation. While this model of ethics as part of a ‘path’ predominates, it is modified in some Mahāyāna schools,...
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Raiders in the Eastern sky
Since 1672 the strategic value of the Trincomalee harbour had been realized by foreign naval fleets. Many seniors from the...
A Moment in ReckoningAuthor: Wazir SourjahPp 113Available online at www.emars.lkand at Five Star Melamine Showroom, Colombo 3...
Researchers have described the first “articulated” remains of a Neanderthal to be discovered in a decade.An articulated skeleton...
Trincomalee is renowned for its maritime tradition and naval history. Located in the Sri Lanka Navy Eastern Naval Command...
Maha Shivarathri is a day devoted to Hinduism’s supreme god - Lord Shiva - as he appeared in ‘Aru-Uruva’ formation, on the - ‘...
‘Let’s talk about dementia’ is the theme implemented globally in 2020. The theme has wide international appeal and will continue...
Great Sober Island:
For centuries Trincomalee has been a strategic maritime port. Its unique rock formation and assortment of islands made it one of...
In the early nineteen sixties, the Head of State of a tiny nation was to address the General Assembly of the United Nations. All...
The Northern Province is embellished with her unique natural beauty. A land enriched with history and culture. Her beautiful...
In Buddhism there are many grades of truths. There are absolute truths, agreement or conventional truths and noble truths. (It is...
Mysterious Bermuda triangle:
The long-lost wreck of the SS Cotopaxi - a steamship referenced in movies, memes and myth - has been discovered off the coast of...
When the legendary British Army Dr Major John Davy discovered and branded Nuwara Eliya in 1819 as Little England where the...
The Sunday Observer annual get together was held on December 30, 2019 at the Barracuda, Dehiwala. It was a fabulous evening...
His mission I feel is an example to all bhikkhus. His beautiful effort of getting on well with the Churches, the Kovil and other...
The primary ethical activity which a Buddhist learns to develop is to give up (Dāna), which forms a basis for further moral and...
An Army Seva Vanitha project enriched the yuletide spirit among 330 wounded war heroes who are resident at the Army wellness...
The four most downloaded apps of the decade are all owned by Facebook, according to app tracker App Annie.Facebook, Facebook...
Christmas in poor circumstances heralding the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem in Judah is the most renowned solemn and widely held...
The church bells ring loud and clear this December, as we celebrate Christmas. We cherish this aura of calm. Yet in the month of...
Every year on Christmas day the Christian world celebrates the memory of St. Joseph (Josephus Sanctus) as the spouse of Mary,...
The history of train operations in Ceylon is embellished with colonial charm. As we delve into the domain of railways we are able...
The fortified ramparts of the magnificent Galle Fort is testament to the glorious Dutch era in Ceylon. The Fort area still...
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds (Alameen)” [Quran:Chapter 21 Verse 107}.With the systematic dismantling...
The iconic landmark of the village of Chundikuli is the massive structure of St. John’s College, popularly known as SJC. Gently...
The railway continues to be one busy network as more and more people commute to the city of Colombo. Since the journey of the...
Rev. Sr. Josephine Vannini, the Foundress of the Congregation of Daughters of St. Camillus was canonized on October 13, 2019 by...
The sand dunes of the northern Sahara are home to the fastest ants in the world, according to researchers who clocked the insects...
Researchers studying the process of decomposition in a body after death from natural causes found that, without any external “...
Stretch your hand to help those suffering from the dreaded disease Alzheimer’s by participating in the yearly walk to decrease...
B.H.M. Sisira Kumara (34), a father of three children, a resident of Galbokkayaya in the Galewela AG division in the Matale...
Tamba Villas Thalpe in partnership with the Photographic Society of Sri Lanka has organised a photography competition for amateur...
In medieval times an Abbey was a place of rest and safety for weary travellers, who would ring the door bell knowing that a monk...
Mother Teresa, honoured as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in the Catholic Church will be remembered world over in a special way on...
The Annual Sick Day at Tewatte Basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Sri Lanka will be held today at 1 pm, with Colombo Archbishop...
A numismatic is a collector of coins not for the sake of collecting per se but as a person who collects coins and imbibes wisdom...
The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) founded in 1963, is the world’s largest and oldest academic society...
The season of Lent calls us to enter the spiritual journey that transforms us and reminds us of repentance and forgiveness in our...
The number of coal-fired power plants being developed around the world has collapsed in the last three years, according to a...
Skills for Inclusive Growth (S4IG), an initiative of the Australian Government’s aid program in partnership with the Sri Lanka...
The Kollupitiya market is a historical landmark in the Colombo city. Established over a hundred years ago, the market which once...
Feb 27: The film industry, which plays a prominent role in both India and Pakistan, has felt the immediate impact of warlike...
Everyone deserves to be cared for and loved. None of us can live without a sense of belonging. ‘Mother Charitable Foundation’,...
Moratuwa has a large population of Christians and an assortment of churches and shrines. The Christian community of Moratuwa...
The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The earth smiles with flowers”; this is true. Flowers have within their soft petals the...
The 157th annual feast of the Church of Our Lady of Purification, at Nayakakanda, Hendala, will be celebrated on Sunday February...
The town of Moratuwa is synonymous for two things - good quality wooden furniture and refined musicians. At the centre of the...
“The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds, ever lasts. Monuments fall, nations...
The first full assessment of risks to the world’s coffee plants shows that 60% of 124 known species are on the edge of extinction...
As we continue to delve into railway operations, it becomes clear that there are many branches that work behind the scenes...