Life style
The garden of spices and more
The National Spice Garden in Matale is promised to be a destination of attraction and learning for both local and foreign visitors
By RANDIMA ATTYGALLE
Covering an extent of eight hectares, the National Spice Garden coming under the purview of the Central Research Station of the Department of Export Agriculture (DEA) will formally open to the public from March 18. Its location in Matale, (about one km on A9 Matale- Bandarapola road) considered to be the ‘spice hub’ of the island is promised to be more than a plantation but also a tourist attraction adding to the number of other important tourist attractions in the area, says Director (Research), DEA, Dr. Ananda Subasinghe.
“Matale is an agro-ecological zone with favourable climatic factors including a rich soil ideal for spices. Moreover, visitors will have the bonus of seeing multiple tourist attractions nearby of religious, cultural and economic value such as Dambulla, Sigiriya, Riverstern mountain, Pitawala fall grounds and many tea estates.”
The National Spice Garden will have all varieties of the country’s main spices (including cinnamon, pepper, cloves, cardamom, vanilla etc.) 30 herbal species and several allied crops such as betel, arecanut, coffee, citronella, palm rosa, kithul and vetiver.
The project which has so far entailed an investment of 30 million rupees, serves several core objectives says Dr. Subasinghe. “It strives to be an education center for spice growing and display, a promotional hub for export markets for spices, a research center for spices and allied crops, a tourist attraction and a conservation point for many varieties of spices and herbs including wild relatives.” In addition, it also aims to create awareness on the economic importance of spices, disseminate knowledge on good cultivation practices and processing and value addition of spices, a conservation site of related gene pools and a facilitator of knowledge-transfer and expanding the international market for Sri Lankan spices.
The initiative will also a means of income and both direct and indirect employment generation. “Farmers and spice growers can directly supply their products to the sales outlet at the Spice Garden which will first be quality-assessed through the Quality Control Unit of the DEA,” Dr. Subasinghe pointed out. In addition the spice exporters can also establish links with foreign buyers and foreign visitors through this center. “Various divisions of the National Spice Garden alone can generate direct employment opportunities. These include the garden, information centre, sales and processing centres and the soon-to-be-opened restaurant. Tourist guides will also have potential openings through it.” The Information Centre offers the visitor leaflets and books on spices and also has meeting facilities.
The National Spice Garden will also enable both local and foreign visitors to purchase some of the best quality spices grown in the country. It is also envisaged to be an addition to the list of Sri Lanka’s ‘unconventional tourist attractions’.
The place will also offer other attractions such as a spice nursery for those who are looking for best quality planting material and a central research station for further information and studies on spices and herbs and foot paths and jungle corridors for trekkers. It is also a nature lover’s paradise for bird watching. “While four hectares of the total land space allotment (of eight hectares) are fully developed, we intend to develop the remainder in phases including the establishment of mix-cropping models, expansion of the jungle corridor area and beautification and landscaping around the pond areas,” explains Dr. Subasinghe.
The National Spice Garden will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and with expansion, the opening hours are to be extended to the weekends as well.
(For more information contact: 0662222822)
Pic credit: Department of
Export Agriculture
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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