Quick Look

CAA flexes muscles

Suraj Bandara

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) on the directive of Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando yesterday raided several supermarkets in Colombo and suburbs and nabbed 19 for violating the Consumer service Act.

The CAA will take action against these supermarkets for selling expired commodities, non display of product date, expiry date, batch, price and weight on the label of the items and overpricing the commodities against the stipulated price.

IDPs decrease substantially

Resettlement Minister M H Gunarathna Weerakoon said 274,506 IDPs who lived in the Ananda Kumaraswami, Kadiragamar, Arunachalam, Ramanadan, zones in Vavuniya have been resettled in their villages.

Only 3,319 IDPs in Kadiragamar and 4,117 IDPs in Ananda Kumaraswami relief village remain there.

People going back to villages will receive dried rations for six months.

Houses and livelihood assistance will be provided by the government.

Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya Perahera

The Deva Dootha and Kumbal perahera of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya will be held today and the Mal Perahera will parade the streets from August 21 to 24. The Pawada and the Ran Sivili perahera will parade the streets on August 25 and 26.

The 'Randoli perahera will be held on August 27. A special feature at this year's Randoli Perahera will be the participation of a large number of elephants and various dance acts representing different cultural backgrounds in Sri Lanka.

The Diya Kapime mangallaya will take place at the Weras Thotupola, Boralasgamuwa on August 28 morning.

The annual Esela festival of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya is organized by the temple's Perahera Committee on the advice of Ven Prof. Bellanwila Vimalarathane Nayake Thera for the 61st consecutive time.

Quranic art, calligraphy exhibition

An exhibition on Quranic art and calligraphy organized by the Cultural section of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be held from August 26 to 30 from 9am to 4pm at the cultural section of the embassy, 6, Sir Earnest de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 07.

Selected art and Calligraphy work of Iranian artist and calligrapher Gholamreza Rahpeyma will be on show.

Launch of 2011 edition of 'Charter'

The Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) will launch the 2011 Edition Sinhala, Tamil and English versions of the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response on August 24 at 10am at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies, 24 Horton Place, Colombo 7.

Economic Development Minister will be among the participants.

OBU family mass

The monthly family mass organized by the Batch of 87 of St Joseph's College Old Boys Union will be held tomorrow at 8.30 a.m followed by fellowship and breakfast.

All old Joes and their families are invited to participate in this event.

Get-together

A get-together of the alumni who were residents of Marcus Fernando Hall at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya will be held on August 31 at 10 am at the Marcus Fernando Hall, University of Peradeniya.

It is planned to organize a bus from Colombo to enable those in Colombo to travel up to Peradeniya. Contact A M U K O Gunatilleke on 0771-552 317.

Yoga workshop

The free Yoga meditation workshop organised by the Maharagama Sethsada Yoga Nikethanaya to foster a healthy nation will be held at the Maharagama National Youth Services Council Auditorium tomorrow, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., said veteran Yoga Consultant and Psychologist Deshamanya Charmin Warnakula.

The third edition of the book on Yoga for Physical and mental health will also be launched in this day, he said.

The workshop will include training in several aspects of Yoga.

Those seeking membership should contact 071 3904084 or 0777-265240.

Body found

Panadura police found a mutilated body of a 52-year-old man identified as Sunil living at Hirana, Panadura. The body was found in an abandoned house. Panadura police rushed the body to the Panadura Base Hospital.

Three held for stealing Buddha statue

Boralasgamuwa police arrested three suspects for stealing a Buddha statue worth Rs 130,000 and a mould used to make Buddha statues from a house in Bellanthara Road, Dehiwala on August 17.

The suspects produced before the Nugegoda Magistrate were remanded until August 23. Boralasgamuwa police are investigating.

Sudharma Sil Mathawa passes away

The death occurred of Sudharma Sil Mathawa (Heen Menike Liyanage) of Aluth Nuwara (Devala Handiya) at the age of 83 years. She was the mother of Lake House staffer T. Shantha Pushpakumara, Head Reader of the VDT Editorial English Reading Department.

Popular among Sil Mathas as well as laity of Kahawatta, Kalalella Pelmadulla, Pathakada and Bungiriya areas, Sudharma Sil Mathawa conducted meditation programmes and Bodhi Poojas. After the demise of her husband Seiman Thanthirige, she became a Sil Matha. She was a mother of seven and also a sister of popular poet of the area Gunawardhana Liyanage.

Her remains lie at her residence near the Aluth Nuwara Devalaya of Balangoda and the cremation takes place at Pelmadulla, Bathgangoda Cemetery at 4.30 p.m on Monday 22.