The face of Sri Lankan films changed in the 1970s. This was due to a number of reasons. The most important of them would be the rise of the Sinhala Buddhist rural petty bourgeoisie. Initially represented as side characters, they eventually became protagonists and antagonists in the films which featured…

The three films that Lester James Peries directed for Ceylon Theatres — Golu Hadawatha (1968), Akkara Paha (1969), and Nidhanaya (1970) — stand out among the finest ever made in this country. They are an affirmation of life, sweeping fables that seem to tell us about ourselves, who we are…

There are two senses in which one “becomes” a book collector. The first is that of a hoarder, an undiscriminating bibliomaniac who empties shelf after shelf before the dust begins to settle. …

Now in its 23rd year, the Colombo International Book Fair has become something of a social event. One doesn’t go there merely to buy books; one goes there to see it. It was the same, I felt, at Gotagogama: one went there not only to shout, to scream, but also…

Sri Lanka’s problems have less to do with debt traps than with the inability of small states lodged between major powers to pursue a self-reliant foreign policy — “The young ‘Gota Go Home!’ protesters who demand President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation seem to be unaware of the global dynamics of the Sri Lankan crisis. Perhaps local and foreign interests guiding the protests may want to keep it that way. …

The Buddhist journal in the Buddhist Revival — The role of the journal in the Buddhist Revival in Ceylon has never been seriously examined by scholars. Most historical accounts trace the origins of a Buddhist press to the post-1815 British colonial order. The growth of print capitalism held certain implications for the Buddhist backlash against Christian evangelism, as…

With Uthpala Wijesooriya, Pasindu Nimsara, and Keshan Themira Somewhere in July, the Hostel of Royal College, Colombo will be unveiling its annual Day. Organised after seven long years, the Hostel Day will incorporate a number of aesthetic, cultural, and sports events. Many of them have been held over the last…

More than a doctrinal problem — The Buddha’s response to Mahaprajapati Gotami’s request to enter the Buddha Sasana forms one of the more controversial episodes in the Buddhist pantheon. The story, as told in countless narratives and chronicles, essentially makes his acceptance of a female Buddhist or Bhikkhuni order contingent on two things: his stepmother making…

Female Buddhist education in 19th century Sri Lanka — The Buddhist revivalists of the late 19th century placed great emphasis on female education. Colonel Olcott spoke of the need for Buddhist girls’ schools, claiming “the mother” as “the first teacher.” …