Ehelapola, was a pure bred Brahmin and a very devout Buddhist. In addition to that he was a very loyal, efficient, leader who served the country and the people faithfully.

He offered his Walawwa to the Maha Sangha and he settled down in Kandy. Now it is a famous temple situated at Mahawela, Matale. He was a militant chief. This was partly due to his noble birth and ancestry. His father and all his paternal ancestors had been devout Buddhists and had served the armies as leaders. It is very relevant to discuss the illustrious background of Ehelepola Maha Adigar. Hence, I would give a brief history of his ancestors and close relatives. (full text)

In the "Sunday Observer" of the old days one of the most popular and widely read columns in the paper was that under the headline, "What The Stars Foretell" written by an English astrologer named R. H. Naylor. After his death his wife, Mrs. P.I.H. Naylor took over the job of forecasting and guiding people's lives with the aid of the stars. And in those days valuable foreign exchange was spent on this column which was said to be a sound investment which boosted the paper's circulation.(full text)

Wettimuny, who is also a former test cricketer and an authority on abidhamma, recently formed an organisation called Sudassanaya which is currently spreading awareness about the proposed constitution among the people. Sudassanaya holds that to have a united Sri Lanka, there must be an abolition of the political party system. "The political party system has destroyed our country, caused racism and advocated the creation of parties based on race," noted Mr. Wettimuny in an interview with ‘The Island. "It fosters racism and divides people. And, a divided people are always a weak people". The war itself has been caused by party politics, he pointed out. If there is no party system, there will be no war. (full text)

Mandela does not try to bask in false glory. He does not fall into the temptation of depicting himself as one who climbed "from log cabin to White House." He does not hide that his childhood was spent in poverty, but he mentions that much of his good fortune came his way because he was the son of an African chief of royal blood, whose father played an important role in appointing one of the claimants to the throne as king. This man in gratitude for what Mandela's father had done, saw that Nelson was given the best education available for an African boy. (full text)

Pagara Gammane Gal Ketiye, Kukulan lak lak kianne, Athwel Badith diga sellam bo.
(On the rock of Pagara. Jungle fowls keep on crying, Lak, Lak, Lak, And they keep on dancing together.)

Deep in the heart of a dense jungle infested with wild beasts in the Gal Oya Valley lived in complete seclusion the last son of the famous Tissahamy. Tissahamy - the jungle vedda outlaw - immortalized in Dr. Spittel's 'Savage Sanctuary', labelled as a 'fugitive' in the eyes of the law, roamed the jungles of Bintenna. Tissahamy's daughter Kombi, too lives in Gal Oya, close to her brother's place of abode, of Bandaraduwa. (full text)

"West Side Story" performed by the Work Shop Players and shown at the Lionel Wendt Theatre was indeed entertaining. Yet, as many viewers remarked, it could have been better. The scenes that demanded intense emotional portrayal failed to live up to expectations or touch the hearts of the audience. (full text)