Life style
Personal journeys brought to life at a colourful bazaar
By Rochelle Palipane Gunaratne
My Sunday was not spent languishing at home but exploring the creative journey of a number of amazing individuals who had taken that initial step to create something unique and market it to the masses despite umpteenth challenges. A visit to CCC with its weekend bazaars was something out of a story book. While my main aim was to speak to some of the vendors, I could not stop myself from purchasing the beautiful trinkets on display.
Sleep in perfect peace
My first stop was at a colourful display of bed linen and towels set up by Dharika, a young mother who had tapped into her love for stitching and developed a brand which is aptly called, ‘Sweet Dreams’. Through her SME which started a few years ago, she has touched the hearts of many children and adults too as her bed spreads are made to order with a collection of ready-made items made out of child-friendly material and Egyptian cotton.
Echoes of a rich tradition
Strolling ahead I saw the most exquisite ‘beeralu’ designs, which stopped me in my tracks. Passed down by the Portuguese settlers and mastered by the southerners, beeralu weaving is a craft which is traditionally passed from mother to daughter. Through her enterprising efforts, Priyani who hails from Matara followed in her mother’s footsteps has created many job opportunities for a number of ladies in her vicinity. While the shadow work is done by the younger ones, the Beeralu lace work is by often done by the older generation. Buying these lace works is a benevolent effort as it feeds many families. “To weave one yard takes about a day,” said she to my amazement.
Wonder Weaver
Pathma from Gampaha, a recipient of the 2017 ‘Women Entrepreneur of the Year’ award in the Micro category was another fascinating lady who started learning the art of weaving fifteen years ago when her sons were young. Subsequently, she had started producing a few items but her career had taken wing due to her eldest son’s (who graduated as a Software Engineer) encouragement and motivation. Five years ago she had opened a stall at the Good Market and came to Colombo with trepidation but her son insisted that she continue. “I want my journey to inspire other women to venture out on their and make use of their talents.”
Elegant Designer
Nerush started designing her own clothes because she did not want to look like her daughter’s elder sister. “Eventually my daughter, who identified the demand for these clothes publicized it on social media. Her brand is coined from her husband’s and children’s initials.
Tantalize your taste-buds
While browsing through the items my children stumbled upon a stall displaying 100% natural and vegan pickles, spreads and sauces and they were hooked. Upon inquiring further, I found out that the products have been expertly concocted by a young entrepreneur, Denusha who is a qualified Marketeer and had been in the advertising field prior to realizing her potential to produce her own brand which tantalizes the taste buds.
Creative Cashews
Cashew drink, a creative concoction by a graduate hailing from Bandarawela who produces many more wonders with cashew as a hobby is another amazing product.
Enhancing beauty the natural way
Kanchana from Delgoda had researched on the harmful effects of chemical infused cosmetics and the ancient beauty regimes followed which were more beneficial to the health of the user. Eventually, the government officer decided to leave her comfort zone and pursue her dream of creating natural personal care products which are enriched by local herbs and plants.
Home Cottages
An enterprising lady from Moratuwa who had been supplying her home made products at church feasts and family functions. These platforms have given her an opening to market her creations to larger customer base.
Allahamma’s vibrant handlooms
Allahaamma from Batticaloa had learned the art of creating handloom sarees which are bold and vibrant and certainly eye-catching.
Root Art
A genuine love for art and nature inspired Malith to use recycled products and indoor plants to create unique potted plants and decors for everyday use which are soothing and refreshing and can be displayed at home or office.
Plant – a –gift
Fyto which means plant in Greece is a cactus and succulent plant based hobby which had transpired into a business endeavour by a young IT professional. Having gained a knack for planting which she has inherited from her mother, the beautiful gardener said, “It gives me immense pleasure to nurture the plants and see it grow.”
Herbal soap treasures
Gayathri, from Panadura, a Banker by profession gave rise to her love for making soap from the herbs and spices.
Ornate popsicle stick designs
Geetha who hails from far off Kekirawa and lives in Colombo after marriage had used her free time during her pregnancy to develop ornate deigns using popsicle sticks which are bought in bulk form and are truly fascinating.
Fantastic Flavours
‘Flavour It’ is another product born out of necessity and hardship by Nadeera, a wife and mother who had to resign from her workplace to look after her ill husband. This led her to learn a skill at Vidatha, a workshop conducted by the Provincial Council and embark on a flavourful enterprise.
Sit down massage therapy
The shopping spree ended on a high note with a much needed massage to relieve the tension in the muscles. Having learnt the art through a Japanese Master, the masseuse provide a much needed rejuvenation to both body and spirit.
Inspired and enriched
As the day drew to a close, I went home enriched with a wealth of inspiration. I noticed that each and every one had tears in their eyes while they related their personal journey to me. These are not mere businesses but inspirational stories that give us hope.
Pix by Rochelle
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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