Children
Stay together
Dear Children,
Let me share an experience I came across during the Sinhala and Hindu
New Year holidays. Here it goes...
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Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya |
On April 13 evening my family and I decided to go to the Kelaniya
temple since it was the Punya Kaalaya. It is the custom to engage in
religious activities.
As we approached this most sacred temple which is believed to have
been visited by The Buddha, there were thousands of devotees dressed in
white.
The Solosmasthana are 16 places hallowed by visits of the Buddha. The
Buddha visited the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya which is one of the
Solosmasthana(16 places).
Suddenly the usual calmness in the environment changed.
We were all shocked to see a woman running towards the entrance of
the temple shouting "My son Suresh is missing. Please help me find him".
The situation became tense. The father of the missing five year boy
and two sisters were all panicking and running about crying and calling
for him.
Then one person insisted to make an announcement in order to identify
the missing child.
We all joined in the search expecting little Suresh to be somewhere
in the premises crying for his mother. Even the monks also joined in the
search.
After sometime there was no more screaming and wailing. We were so
happy to see the family reunion.
Yes, it was a happy ending not only for Suresh's family but for all
of us who were there.
Then only we realized the flowers we bought were still in our hands.
We went to the main Vihara to offer them to The Buddha.
Dear children, we should be careful not to get into trouble like
little Suresh specially when you are in a crowded place like a market,
exhibition or even at Bak Maha Ulela. Sometimes children tend to get
carried away when they see something nice, maybe a toy. So better be
safe than sorry. Stay together. Make sure you are always with your
parents, guardian or an elder when you are in a public place. Do not go
anywhere by yourself when in a crowded place. You will be putting
yourself in danger and putting your parents through unwanted worry.
By the way Earth Day was celebrated yesterday(22). Earth day is
designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's
environment.
Bye for now.
Aunt Anji
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Bangladesh
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Aparajeyo Bangla at Dhaka University |
 Bangladesh, officially the
People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia.
It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small
border with Burma (Myanmar) to the far southeast and by the
Bay of Bengal to the South. Together with the Indian State
of West Bengal, it makes up the ethno-linguistic region of
Bengal. The name Bangladesh means 'Country of Bengal' in the
official Bengali language.
The borders of present-day
Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal and
India in 1947, when the region became the Eastern wing of
the newly-formed Pakistan. However, it was separated from
the Western wing by 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) across
India.
Political and linguistic
discrimination as well as economic neglect led to popular
agitations against West Pakistan, which led to the war for
independence in 1971 and the establishment of Bangladesh,
with the help of India.
However, the new State had
to endure famines, natural disasters and widespread poverty,
as well as political turmoil and military coups. The
restoration of democracy in 1991 has been followed by
relative stability and economic progress.
Bangladesh is the seventh
most populous country in the world and is among the most
densely populated countries in the world with a high poverty
rate.
However, per-capita
(inflation-adjusted) GDP has more than doubled since 1975,
and the poverty rate has fallen by 20 percent since the
early 1990s. The country is listed among the 'Next Eleven'
economies. Dhaka and other urban centers have been the
driving force behind this growth.
Geographically, the country
straddles the fertile Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta and is
subject to annual monsoon floods and cyclones.
The government is a
parliamentary democracy; however, political rule was
suspended under emergency law for two years from January 11,
2007 to December 17, 2008. Bangladesh is a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations, SAARC, BIMSTEC, the OIC and the
D-8. |
Capital and largest city Dhaka
Official languages Bengali
Demonym Bangladeshi
Government Parliamentary
republic Independence from Pakistan
Declared March 26, 1971
Victory Day December 16, 1971
Population 2007 estimate 150,448,340
Currency Taka (BDT)
Kavin and Nethmini excel in international art competitions
Sumathipala DEEYAGAHAGE, Southern Province Roving
Corr.
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| Kavin with his award for the
first place in the Grade 3-5 competition sponsored by Education
Ministry and Hatton National Bank to mark the 2008 World
Children’s Day. |
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| Nethmini holding the
magazine published in Poland with her painting as the cover
page. Pictures by Sumathipala Deeyagahage, Southern Province
Roving corr. |
While the parents who are doctors in the Karapitiya General Hospital
are engaged in the treatment of patients their 9 year old and 5 year old
children have brought fame to Sri Lanka by winning in two international
art competitions.
The two child artists are Kavin Purna Wijewardena Nanayakkara
studying in Grade 4 of Richmond College Galle and Netmini Nenasarani
Wijewardena Nanayakkara studying in Grade 1 of Galle International
School.
Kavin Purna was placed first in the first round of the Grade 3-5 Art
competition held at Mitsui Art Festival in Japan. The festival was
conducted by UNESCO in 2008.
His entry was acclaimed as the best piece of art, out of nearly
50,000 entries sent in by many countries in the world.
Kavin was also placed first in the art competition for Grade 3-5
under the theme Lowa Dinana Singiththo held to mark the World Children's
Day in 2008 sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Hatton National
Bank.
Kavin also secured a merit award in the Grade 3-5 Art competition
organised by the National Productivity Secretariat and sponsored by the
Ministry of Labour and Human Resources in the same year. He won another
merit award in the Grade 3-5 Art competition of the Ridee Siththam All
Ceylon Art Tournament organised by the Thusara Art Circle.
This child artist is expecting the results from a number of other
international Art competitions for which he has presented his creations.
Kavin's 5 year old sister is also a child artist of international
repute. One lakh sixty-three thousand four hundred fourty-three entries
were received from child artists of ninety two countries for the
International Art competition organised by the Education and cultural
Ministry of Poland.
Inclusion of Netmini's entry for the first ten selections from such a
vast number of entries was a great feat for Netmini.
Her other achievement is that her entry was selected for the cover
page of the international magazine issued by Poland to commemorate the
competition.
She was also awarded a merit award in the pre-school art competition
Ridee Siththam conducted by Tushara Art Circle for the year 2008.
In the same year she won another merit award in the pre-school art
competition sponsored by the National Productivity Secretariat under the
patronage of the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources.
Sulo creates havoc
- Part 33
By Uncle Sachi and Aunt Ruwi
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The story so
far...:
Pramodaka, Nalaka, Champika
and Chinthaka go on a trip to the woods with their parents
for their school holidays. In the middle of the night the
children are awakened by a strange noise. On following their
dog, Scooby, Chinthaka is snared by the age old spell of the
'luring stones'.
Pramodaka departs with Ruwi,
a pixie, to recall a book of spell to cast off the spell
while Nalaka, Champika and the dog remain behind with Sachi,
a gnome who updates them on the life of mythical creatures.
Shamilka, a friend of the mythical creatures joins in and
they begin hunting for Pramodaka and Ruwi as there is no
sign of their return.
Just as they were coming to
terms with the fact that they were lost six rabbits scamper
along the way. The rabbits take pity upon the children and
agree to guide them part of the way. Meanwhile Sulo, the
goblin who is always trying to make trouble for the mythical
creatures, grabs a basket of goodies from a gnome named
Russell and makes off.
Scooby sees the creature
approaching and attacks bu the goblin puts him to sleep by
offering a strange potion. Sulo's friends Thidura and
Pradesh enter the scene but soon run away as the victuals
transform into gruesome creatures before they were able to
shift them into their mouths... |
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As the children were polishing off their meal, Anu, Pramu and Kapu
were huddling in a corner, whispering among themselves.
"You'll never guess what Rufus, the Brownie, told me yesterday. I was
on one of my rounds and he was visiting his uncle, Douglas.... You
know... The old Douglas who lives a couple of blocks from Sachi's
home... Anyway... He told me the full story behind the plot Sulo cooked
up to get the pot of dew from the valley of never return. Remember? A
couple of months ago Sulo was able to riggle out the details of the
journey to the valley of no return out of Russell.
 She promising to bring it to the elves so that Russell will not have
to take part in the long journey up hill this year... Next she had
tricked Semus, the eagle, into getting it for her saying that it is from
the elf chief.
Semus was eager to get back into the chief's good books.
So he had embarked on the journey for three months and had finally
returned with a pot that was barely half full... after all it takes a
year for them to find a full pot and the last was collected barely three
months before..."
"He didn't get a full pot? What a pity for it is such a tiresome
journey... even for the elves !" Kapu's rolled his eyes at this latest
piece of gossip.
"Go on...," urged Pramu.
"The goblin promised the eagle and his family plenty of fish for a
year but.... she never mentioned that it is from the filthy swamp near
the goblin's hideout. Those aren't fit to consume. Semus is furious!
Whatmore Pradesh had gotten the pot of dew off Sulo, they say. No
wonder... You can never trust the creature... Never!"
Anu cried.
"So the pot of dew is with Pradesh?"
"That's what Rufus says. Sulo had promised it to one and given it to
another..."
"Huh, well fancy that! What manners!... And look how she sneaked off
with Russell's bag of goodies last year and handed it to her friends...
We didn't get any, the slimy little..."
"The elf chief will have our little bob tails for something like
that..."
"Here you all there... What are you up to?" Basu's suspicious eye
fell on his three companions.
"Us? Oh, nothing...," Anu began but his response was cut short as a
figure suddenly rushed out from a clump of bushes, squeaking at the top
of his voice. To be continued
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The Shanthi Wijethunga English Academy
of Ethul Kotte held their annual English Day program at
Ethul Kotte recently. Prof. Anura Wickramasinghe President’s
Counsel S. Perera and former Mrs. World Rosie Senanayake
were the chief guests. Here Prof. Wickramasinghe and Shanthi
Wijethunga lighting the oil lamp and a scene from a play.
Picture by Niranjan Konthasinghe |
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