Sri Lankan Community praised for preserving traditions and values in Australia

The Sri Lankan community in Cooma, Australia, celebrated their sixth consecutive Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival on 12 April. Despite a cold autumn morning, participants arrived from Canberra and coastal Merimbula over 120 km away, dressed in vibrant coloured batiks including the auspicious red. The ceremony began with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp by invited guests, including local dignitaries and the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner Vishwanath Aponsu. Yvi Henderson, head of the Cooma Multicultural Centre, praised the organisers, led by Udaya Liyanage, for preserving community traditions and values. The festival featured traditional Sri Lankan foods like Kiribath, Kavum, Kokis, Asmi prepared by the women and ‘Kaludodol,’ prepared overnight by a group of men. Games for children and adults followed, including blindfolded activities and tug-of-war, enjoyed by all attendees. Lanka faces crisis of conscience over fate of animals: Call for compassion, law reform, and ethical responsibility Opposition members of PSC want President and Bimal summoned Compensation payments and reconstruction activities related to the Ditwah relief measures must be expedited with special attention at the district level – PM South Korean fighter jets collided due to pilots taking pictures, report finds Showers above 75 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts Parliament urged to probe questionable payment of USD 2.5 mn from Treasury USD 2 mn bribe: CID ordered to arrest Shasheendra R, warrant issued against ex-SriLankan CEO’s wife Lanka faces crisis of conscience over fate of animals: Call for compassion, law reform, and ethical responsibility Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked*