Pera Uni Alumni AGM
the binding together of two lives, but is believed to promote fertility and help bless the couple with children.
This reverence for water is not apparent in every culture. When the first Europeans ventured into Asia, what set them apart in the eyes of many Asians, aside from their extraordinary appearance, was their reluctance to wash. Thankfully the healthy benefis of washing water are now universal. All Sri Lankans make the most of the precious supplies this island enjoys. Given this long history of water permeating through the culture it is curious that modern Sri Lanka is now beginning to experience some of the water problems encountered by more developed countries. Water courses are used as dumping grounds for urban garbage. In the dry zone half of all tanks are either abandoned or in disrepair. Modern Sri Lankans seem to be becoming increasingly disconnected from ancient water traditions.
In the arts, however, there are signs that a new sensibility is emerging.
The prominent place that water plays in Sri Lankan culture has greatly influenced its art. Images of water adorn temples across the island, including the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. This fascination has endured to the present day. Geoffrey Bawa, the country’s most famed architect incorporated water features into many of his buildings. His most successful designs make spectacular use of waterside settings. The reflective power of water and its cool restlessness lend an almost irresistible allure to these structures. A classic example is the Seema Malaka temple on an island in Beira Lake in Colombo. Its lakeside position transforms the building from being merely remarkable to a shimmering vision of serene Buddha statues floating on a watery mirror.
Other modern artists too have been inspired by the association that this island has with water. Choreographer Kapila Palihawadana has created a contemporary dance spectacular themed around water. This will be staged in Viharamahdevei Park March 23-24, day after World Water Day on March 22. The event is part of a new initiative developed by the Colombobased International Water Management Institute to increase public awareness of water issues in Sri Lanka. The new campaign, dubbed Ripples on Water (www.ripplesonwater.org) is the first time that art and science has been brought together in this way. The aim is to spark a renaissance in Sri Lanka’s water management. Drawing on such rich heritage, it is an ambition worth supporting.
The Annual General Meeting of the Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya (AAUP) will be held on Sunday, March 25 at 9.30 a.m. at the Arts Theatre, Faculty of Arts. Ms. Somalatha Subasinghe, well known theatre personality and alumnus of the University will be the Chief Guest, and Prof. S. B. S. Abayakoon, Vice-chancellor of the University the Guest of Honour, a notice issued by Prof. Sarath Ilangantileke, President AAUP says.
The AGM will be followed by lunch and fellowship at the Vice-chancellor's residence. All alumni of the University of Peradeniya are invited. Please contact aaupslk@gmail.com or 0777403469 on or before March 20 for lunch tickets.