අසිරිමත් දැයක් හඟිනා දරැවනට දිවි නැගුමට, නව වසරට පැතුමක්...

විසල් මහල් යානවාන
කැලේ කැපෙන මහ වැඩ ගොඩ
අලි ඇතුන්ට මියෑදෙන්න
විදුලි රැහැන් පණ ගැනිලා

සෙරන්ඩිබ්ය කියා ලිව්ව
මුතු ඇටයක හැඩය අරන්
මගෙ ලක්බිම පුරාණයේ
අසිරිය මුලු ලොවක් දුටුව

මනුස්සකම මියෑදිච්ච
යහපත් කම පෑලදොරට
විකුනාගෙන කා බී සුඛ
විහරනයෙන් මුලා වෙච්ච

ඉතිරිය නොව වියදම සොඳ
නාස්තියට ඉනිමං බැඳ
සොබා සිරිය උකසට දී
බයිලා නටන දැයක්ද අප

වෙදදුරැවරැ විකුනනවා
ගුරැ සඟ ඝන විකිනෙනවා
මත් උවදුර දලු ලාගෙන
යොවුන් සිහින බිලි අරගෙන

බීමත ගෙන ගෙදරට එන
පියාණනේ කරනා වින
සමගිය බිඳ කුඩාවුන්ගෙ
ඉගෙනුම අනතුරේ හෙලන

කුඩා එවුන් ගෙදර දමා
රන් කහවනු සොයනා මඟ
වැටෙනා නොරටුන්ගෙ රටක
උකසට දෙන මව් සෙනෙහස

අනේ! පුතේ, අනේ! දුවේ
මනස විවර කර බලන්න
විචාරයෙන් ලොව මනින්න
අඳුර බිඳින එළිය වන්න

මහන්සිවී කටයුතු කර
මනුස්සකම සිරස දරා
ඔබ හැදිලා යසට රහට
රටත්, දැයත් සදා ලන්න!
දැයේ මහිම බෙදා ලන්න!

ලිව්වෙ රෙන්ටන් ද අල්විස්
2013, දෙසැම්බර 31 වනදා

Annual event to recognise artistic, literary and educational excellence - Kiula Kiyawana Gunaya Free Mobile Library Service

 

 

 

The Kiula Kiyawana Gunaya Mobile Library Service held its annual event to recognise artistic, literary and educational excellence among its members, on Sunday the 29th December. The event was held at the modest hall of the Kiula Junior School. The guests of honour were Prof. Upali Vidanapathirana, the former Vice Chancellor of the Open University and the Derana Most Popular Actor of 2012 Mr. Roshan Ranawana. They both shared valuable thoughts with our members and gave away prizes. Mr. Kamal Jayatileka, the Director, Physical Education of the Lycium International School, Colombo and a friend from childhood of Roshan's. Also in attendance were the Divisional Secreatary, Ambalantota, the Divisional Cultural Officer and the Principals of the Kiula Junior School and the Bolana Model School.

For all the pictures of the event please visit:

https://www.facebook.com/rentondealwis/media_set?set=a.10151865512311966.1073741838.560176965&type=1

The famous Pacha Gaha of Galle

I was recently at the Galle Fort and parked my car at the square by the Court complex. Enthralled by the Pacha Gaha – Fibber’s tree, that stood majestically at the corner of that square, I recalled this article I had read many years ago (It appeared in 2004 in a Saturday Island). Since I had my iPad with me, I captured the beauty of this masterpiece of our heritage and am presenting them for you together with the story written by Mr. Godwin Withane. I invite you to enjoy it.   

The famous Pacha Gaha of Galle
by Godwin Witane

Among the objects that are significant and famous in this world are sometimes mountains, rivers and trees and various other things that people very often thinks they are unique. For instance people speak of the Seven Wonders of the World. Among the oldest trees in the world we reckon the Sacred Bo Tree at Anuradhapura as famous in the Buddhist world. The river Ganges in India is a sacred river for the Hindus. We in Sri Lanka adore the mountain Sri Pada as sacred in the world.

However have you herd of the Pacha Gaha of Galle. Although it is one among the common shady trees in the island, it has become famous and significant for the main reason that it affords a useful service to man. It stands on the outskirts of the Galle harbour. It is a rendezvous for a galaxy of human beings. Its shade is a great boon to anyone who needs the shade over one’s head.

A variety of people find umbrage under this tree. Among them are palm readers, who invite every passer by to get his or her palm read. The gullible individual is tempted by the suave calling often to learn about the expected fortune predicted by this cunning individual. This tree is situated on the road to the Law courts in Galle Fort and most litigants fall pray to this individual tone.

The other person who reside under this tree is the vendor of medicinal oil. When a cluster of people pass by he displays his store of bottles containing the medicinal oil. This oil he announces cures many an ailment. His vocabulary is so tacit and inviting that many an unsuspecting passer by is induced to buy a sample of oil for it is predicted that it serves to alleviate a host of ailments, which normally man is subjected to. It is a well-known fact that the street vendors of medicinal oil palm off coloured coconut oil or gingerly oil. Another person who takes advantage of a small crowd formed under the Pacha Gaha is the acrobat dressed is a patched up coloured dress. Sometimes he uses a bicycle to display his stunts to the flabbergasted crowd. After the show he passes round the hat for donations when those who witness the event surreptitiously and slowly evade the turn and proceed away from the scene.

There is one other claimant of the broadside of this famous tree who mounting on a soap box starts speaking to the air. When an attractive crowd gathers he most eloquently preach on an alluring topic once the speech is over the people who were in the audience most charitably make monetary contributions to this man who in no way implored for it.

Thus unscrupulous people make their living through "Pacha". These various people find the shade of the Pacha Gaha a stage to display their individual effects in procuring an effortless living though more tolerable than committing crimes which are much more serious than these harmless undertakings. While the Galle Pacha Gaha affords a convenient platform for blatant liars the present day embroils in this period of election fever most aspirants display their frivolous lies "Pacha" to entice gullible voters to accord them in to their camps. Most people called these attempts "Pata Pal Boru".

 

 

Memories of the Keleniya University Cricket Tour of Jaffna 1968.

 

 

I was looking for some old files and came across these photos of our University Cricket Team's Tour of Jaffna in 1968. Brings back lots of memories of the good times we had. We had GK  Haththotuwegama as our Cricket coach, Late MM Sathyawadi as Captain and yours truly as his deputy. We played two games with the Jaffmna College Undergraduate Department at the Bicknell Gorunds, With Aryalai Sports Club at St. Patrick College Grounds and with Sri Lanka Navy at their Karainagar Camp grounds. I recall all the Kallu we drank in the evenings and the sweet toddy in the early morn. The prawns, crabs and the kiri appum a la Jaffna style. The fellowship was great and we were all one. I now wonder why all that had to change?

 

 

Shelton, me, Late Satthi & Dissa 

 

 



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday ! Samanthika Duwa

 

 

The Foursome