Serendib Magazine - January 2012

In this issue

An offering made to the Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition more than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Varana Rajamaha Vihara rests peacefully nestled amongst giant rocks and patches of dense forest.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of Fort, the business district of Colombo, lies an unassuming building nestled among the high rising towers in the vicinity. It seems out of place, but in a peculiar way more at home than the rest of the concrete structures around it. With its characteristic architecture, yellow walls and large timber doors and windows, the 17th Century Dutch Hospital has stood the test of time and has now been converted to a shopping precinct encompassing all that is truly Sri Lankan.
Each year in the month of February, the city of Colombo is home to a singular phenomenon. The time preceding Nawam Poya Day summons artisans from every region of the Island bearing their regalia and instruments to bring to life, over a period of two days, an unprecedented unison of cultural diversity. This is the Nawam Maha Perahera, the Annual Pageant of the Gangaramaya Temple.
Walking through the cooling freshness of the National Ironwood Forest is a rendezvous with pleasant surprises.
Down the main highway from Colombo to Kandy better known as the Kandy Road, you meet the many vendors in their makeshift stalls, selling fruit, hot corn on the cob, toys, leather goods, even plants. One stretch in particular that stands out, however, whether you look to the left or right of the road, is crisscrossed with the suppleness of goods made of cane... Wewal.
Around 330 miles north of London and perched on the East Coast of Scotland lies the city of Edinburgh. The nation’s capital is rich in history, modern culture and natural beauty.