LOS ANGELES: Sixth Annual Sri Lanka Day showcased the rich Sri Lankan culture it was envisaged it to be by the Founder President of Sri Lanka Foundation, Dr. Walter Jayasinghe.
His wish to build a bridge between Sri Lanka and America by keeping Sri Lankan culture alive within the resident community here was reciprocated in no small measure by thousands of connoisseurs of culture who flocked to Santa Monica to immerse themselves in the day-long event.
The captivating re-enactment of the Esala Perahera – annual parade of royalty coming down the ages – of a procession of elephants in eye-catching costumes accompanied by the regalia of the Kandyan aristocracy – “Nilames” in their stylistic dresses walking in step majestically with the parasol bearers in all its elegance marching along was watched by thousands of Angelinos on either side of Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica. The re-creation was brilliant – Casket carrying Tusker was dressed in blue sparklingly radiant.
Notably, the crowds showed their appreciation of what the Foundation and Dr Jayasinghe had offered in a platter for the serene joy and emotion of the Sri Lankans domiciled thousands of miles away from their motherland.
This is the second Sri Lanka Day since the end of the decades long civil war and it was heart warming to see everybody come together as Sri Lankans to celebrate their heritage and culture.
Known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a tourist paradise with its lush mountains and sunny beaches.
New York Times had placed Sri Lanka Number 1 in 31 places to go in 2010. The end of the three decade long separatist war in May 2009, tourism has seen a steep uptick. Also the end of war has ensured the rule of law in the whole of the island. In a rare occurrence in modern history the conflict that had 30 years of constant fighting, halted several times briefly by failed peace overtures, ended by a military outcome with a comprehensively defeat of the LTTE May 2009, and proved it to the world that there is a military solution to terrorism.
Sri Lanka, with an income per head of US$1,972, still lags behind some of its neighbors including Maldives but is ahead of its giant neighbor India. Its economy grew by an average of 5% during the 1990s during the ‘War for Peace’ era. According to the Sri Lankan central bank statistics, the economy was estimated to have grown by 7% last year.
JS Bedi
India Post News Service
