By D. P. Satish BENGALURU - Sri Lanka wants to reclaim its ancient glory by conducting a detailed scientific research into its aviation past. Many Sri Lankans believe that King Ravana was the world’s first seasoned aviator and that during…
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By Andrew Higgins LEPUSHE, Albania — As a teenager locked in a patriarchal and tradition-bound mountain village in the far north of Albania, Gjystina Grishaj made a drastic decision: She would live the rest of her life as a man. She did…
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LAWRENCE, Kansas – For centuries, they have been intimate spaces for personal prayer and contemplation for the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. But until now, no one had fully documented the existence of nearly 250 ṭämpiṭavihāras – small buildings,…
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By Reem Kassis It was still pitch black when Nadia Hamila, then a young schoolgirl, would roll out of her warm bed at 3:00 a.m. to accompany her father to the abattoir in northern London on the first morning of Eid al-Adha. Hamila, who…
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By P. K. Balachandran COLOMBO - While Sri Lanka’s connection with the Tamil country in South India is repeatedly mentioned in the island nation’s ancient chronicles, the Mahawamsa and the Deepawamsa, its connection with Kerala, which is…
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By P.K. Balachandran COLOMBO -  Before Sri Lanka became predominantly Buddhist following the conversion of the 3rd Century King Devanampiya Tissa (247 BC-207 BC), the island had an amazing assortment of religious cults, practices and…
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By P. K. Balachandran COLOMBO - UNESCO has set February 21 as the International Mother Language Day to stress the importance of the mother tongue and and multilingualism for achieving Sustainable Development Goals without leaving any…
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By Rebecca Conway RUMBUR, Pakistan — In a remote valley in northern Pakistan, hemmed in by sheer rock walls and high pastures, members of a tiny community gathered. The Kalash are a group of about 4,000 people who live in the mountains…
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By Sophie Haigney Anxiety sweat. Horsehair. Wet grass and soil after a rain. Sulphuric compounds from gunpowder. Eau de cologne containing rosemary, bergamot and bitter orange. A touch of leather. This might have been what Napoleon’s…
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By P. K. Balachandran When the famous Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta visited Sri Lanka between September and November 1344, the island was fabled for its wealth. It was a hub of international trade in the Indian Ocean, welcoming foreign…
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