Life style
Temple art, frescos, and murals
Book Review
L.T.P MANJUSRI – Artist and Scholar (1902-1982)
By Shamil Wanigaratne
Publisher: Bay Owl Press
Price: Rs.7500
by Jomo Uduman
Most of us art lovers have certainly known of Manjusri. Associating him with, temple art, frescos, and murals. While not really prepared to delve or dive any deeper. That’s why Shamil Wanigaratne’s gem of a book (or monograph) that covers a gigantic canvas simply exploded in front of me. A riot of colour, fine drawings, draftsman-like detail, soft tones, subtle textures and delicate tints that unfurled Manjusri to be a classic prodigy, a national hero, who contributed enormously to our culture, art and history. Shamil’s brilliantly laid out and packaged missile of 240 pages (that took 10 years to produce) has brought on and showcased Manjusri to easily be one of the most versatile artists the world has ever known.
Shamil, first meticulously traces, chronicles and narrates the life and times of Manjusri . A timeline and a biography. Early education in a Muslim school in Beruwela! Performing Nadagam and Kolam, Apprentice carpenter at 11, An interest in levitation. Joined a Pirivena at 13 and ordained a monk at 19.The same year left for “Shantiniketan” the school of learning set up by Rabindranth Tagore whom he met there and Nandalal Bose who introduced him to the appreciation of art. His journey to Tibet that ended at Gangok in Sikkim and a formal training in art from Abbot Uchima. The Japanese spy incident. A founder member of the 43 Group from which he quickly fled. Student of many languages, life as a Journalist, Artist, Craftsman, Friend, exhibiting in London, Vienna and New York, winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award – Asia’s Nobel Prize, Commemoration Stamp in his honor..
Shamil then gives us a spectacular gem studded tour of the exceptionally wide spectrum of Manjusri’s art. From the temple paintings of the Kandyan era which he copied and preserved, to paintings with Buddhist themes and Tibetan influences. Surrealism to Cubism. Abstract Expressionism to Abstract Symbolic Works. Still Life, Animal Drawings and Paintings and Landscapes. One of my favorites is the enigmatic painting “Artist” (also on the book cover). “The artist is represented only by the hand poised with a paintbrush. Two women, one viewed frontally, the other in profile, occupy the foreground. They are set within a forest populated with a lion, an elephant, birds, a butterfly and a toad, set in a hybrid landscape which includes Persianate-style rock formations and clouds, as well as Japanese inspired cherry blossom, bamboo and other landscape elements. The rich complexity of design elements adds to the paintings engaging presence”. My other favorites include “Nun and Noble Female Devotee”, “Tibetan Deity”, “The Bathers”, “Mother and Child”, “The Nativity”, “Woman in Hat”, “Woman in Purdah”, “Breast”..
G.P Malalasekera’s description of Manjusri’s vast and diverse art is apt and may be a good starting point in trying to understand his oeuvre: “He is full of contrasts, even contradictions. His artistic fecundity and variety are amazing. He is dexterous in the conventionalized and detailed line-work of traditional Indian and Sinhala art as in producing work obviously inspired by the modern exponents of Abstractionism and Surrealism. Nobody can doubt his remarkable ability as a draftsman. He has shown great ability in adapting for his own purposes the lessons to be learnt from the most ‘advanced’ painters from the west without, happily, yielding to imitation as so many of his contemporaries have done… He is skilful in handling soft tones and delicate tints as in the daring juxtaposition of the most varied and most brilliant colours. He is an exponent of all styles without developing a style of his own”.
What captivated me most was that, Manjusri was really a simple, gentle, generous, honest, humble human being who could engage (and navigate) easily with anybody he came across during his multi faceted life. Born in Aluthgama and named L.T. Peiris, nobody knows how he mysteriously acquired the name Manjusri which means “Gentle Glory” in Sanskrit! Manjusri is one of the most important iconic figures in Mahayana Buddhism and is known as the Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom.
Shamil also generously lends some space to the art of Manjusri’s children Manjista, Mandalika and, Kushan who particularly helped him immensely in putting this book together. Copies of paper cuttings that document Manjusri’s articles with sketches and other significant contributions to our cultural history also adorn the book together with very interesting letters written by his many admirers.
Dr. Shamil Wanigaratne is a much sought after Clinical Psychologist and a specialist in the field of addiction and mental health capacity building who lives in the UAE while doing a lot of bro bono work in Sri Lanka. In the year 2000 he published another excellent book to commemorate and introduce the works of George Claessen – a founder member (together with Manjusri) of the 43 Group who many believe heralded the dawn of Modern Art in Sri Lanka. Shamil’s interest, knowledge and love for art is indeed extraordinary. I am sure there will be much better reviews of this wonderful book on the Life, Voyage and Works of Manjusri that will be written and published soon. But I do hope mine will quickly inspire and gently nudge art lovers to take the first step in owning and relishing its valuable contents so lovingly put together by Shamil.
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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