Literary circles consider this as a unique achievement as this is the first time a Sinhala author has been selected for a State Sahitya Award in respect of a Tamil translation by a panel of Tamil intellectuals. Wijeratne is attached to the Bank of Ceylon as Manager of its Lake House Branch.

He will receive his award from President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at the State Sahitya Awards ceremony at the BMICH, Colombo today.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/09/28/news20.htm

Rt. Rev. Dr. W.L.A. Don Peter, the well known Catholic priest, educationist, historian, writer, poet, author, journalist and patriot turns 90 in the journey of life on September 25, 2005. He is the foremost Catholic scholar living in Sri Lanka today.

Fr. Welgama Lekam Appuhamilage Don Peter was born on September 25, 1916 at Kondegammulla, Katana. After a brilliant academic career at Maris Stella College, Negombo - the cradle of many a Catholic priest, he entered St. Aloysius Seminary in 1935. He later had his education at St. Joseph's College, Colombo and priestly formation at St. Bernard Seminary. He was ordained a priest on March 25, 1941 by Dr. J.M. Masson, the then Archbishop of Colombo.

From 1941 to 1946, he served as an assistant parish priest at St. Mary's Church, Grand Street - Negombo and then St. Thomas Church, Kotte. In 1946, Fr. Don Peter was appointed to the staff of St. Joseph's College, Colombo. He also functioned as the prefect of boarders, prefect of studies and prefect of discipline at St. Joseph's.

More from Sunday Observer

Yet time and again some of his critics have been severe on Wickramasinghe's novels going to the extent that his Yuganthaya has made a bad negative influence on Sinhala literature.

These views of his critics although this great novelist is held in high esteem needs the attention and appraisal of all Sinhala book lovers.

Martin Wickramasinghe did attempt to follow authors of the West such as Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy who are famous novelists. This is something alien to Sinhala literature but not to this great man of Lanka Martin Wickramasinghe.

Early in his life lady luck smiled on this unassuming gentleman who found an almost ideal wife who was happy to live and walk in his shadow assisting him in his numerous literary pursuits with simple endearing ways. Ultimately she was an ideal mother and a devoted wife to his closely bound family.

We should appreciate, the attempt made by local authorities and Martin Wickramasinghe himself for their effort to be within the periphery of influence of great Western writers.

More BY MIRAN Perera

ON July 17, Catholics commemorate Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, who could be considered as the creator of Catholic Culture in Sri Lanka.

Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez was born in the year 1676 in Goa and was ordained a priest of the Oratorian Order in 1700. He relinquished the post of lecturer at the University of Goa, to join blessed Joseph Vaz in the missionary activity in Sri Lanka.

When Blessed Joseph Vaz landed in Sri Lanka in 1687 under the guise of a coolie, Catholic activity had almost disappeared in the island due to the Dutch persecution.

The Sinhala and Tamil works of the Portuguese missionaries were not there. He realised that the faithful should be provided with sufficient Sinhala and Tamil prayers and religious literature more specially because, the Catholic priests were not allowed to officiate in the Dutch territory. He entrusted this task to his assistant, companion and successor Fr. Jacome Gonasalvez.

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From Silumina - April 10, 2005

The re-opening of the Museum was preceded by the chanting of pirith which was followed by a Sanghika Dana to the Maha Sangha.

More than 2000 students who participated the re-opening were each presented with a bundle of books donated by the Martin Wickramasinghe Tsunami Trust Fund and also were invited to view the Museum.

The News release issued by the Martin Wickramasinghe Trust in this connection also states that the Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum and the surrounding protend has been restored customary elegance and charm and it is now open to the public and schoolchildren.

They were Dr. Siri Gunasinghe, Dr. Osman Jayaratne, Dr. Ashley Halpe and Wasantha Kumara. The name of the stage play was "Irata Udin Girau Giya' (Parrots flew above the sun). The name for the stage play was given by Dayawansa Jayakody who published my first novel Katu aga pipi mal... Incidentally this was the first novel published by Dayawansa Jayakody publishers.

by Nimal Sedera

Sanniyakuma (Eighteen Sanni) will take place at Ruhunu Campus on 10th 
December, 2004 from 9.00 p.m. 

In Sri Lanka, people who live in different parts of the country perform 
a variety of rites and rituals to succeed in encountering problems of 
day-to-day life. Though there are many rituals; their desired effects is 
the same. These rituals could be divided into three categories: 

1. The rituals for gods (Madu - Throththra) 
2. The rituals for demons (Thovil) 
3. The rituals for planetary deities (Bali) 

Thovil is performed to recover from maladies supposedly caused by 
demons and malevolent spirits. The Sinhalese perform Thovil, in the form of 
devil dancing ceremonies, among them is the Thovil Sanniyakuma, one of 
the most significant rituals for demons held in low-country dance form. 

It is performed to banish the train of demons with leadership from the 
demon of Sanni. Thovil Sanniyakuma is a ritual that contains a lot of 
drama. This personification of diseases (eighteen in number) or 
Sanniyakuma reveals the myth of the Sanni demons and their assistants, who were 
responsible for spreading the epidemic called Janapada Roga in the 
township of Visala during the time of the Buddha. The epidemic was 
eradicated by the intervention of the Buddha. There in another legend known as 
"Danudiyage Kathawa" (The story about Danudiya). 

It is popularly believed that the demon Daha-Ata-Sanni Yaka assumed 18 
manifestations and each of them is believed to cause an illness. The 
characteristic and nature of these Sannis typify the illness. All of them 
can be grouped under three categories: Air, Bile and Phlegm (Va, Pith, 
Sem) - which according to ayurveda - the balance between them maintains 
good health and the imbalance leads to illness. Originally there have 
been only 18 Sannis but the names vary from province to province. 

Having completed the preliminary arrangements for the Sanniyakuma 
ritual, the performers prepare themselves to appear before the patient. 
Dressed in clean white clothes, the patient is accompanied by the exorcist. 

An oil lamp is lit and hung at the Suniyam Veediya before that drummers 
play Magul Bera or the auspicious drum beat. 

This is begun at 6.00 p.m. Then the performers sing verses in adoration 
of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sanga (Triple Gem) as well as other deities. 
It is at this point, protection and blessings are asked.

Source: Daily News: December 09 2004

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