Colombo

people of people of COLOMBOCOLOMBO fld

Colombo is one of Asia’s greenest and most cultured cities. Long overlooked as a travel destination, the city is rediscovering its past and multicultural heritage.

We wanted to find the spirit of the city, so we wandered, listened and met some amazing people on the way.

Meet the locals Hear their stories Learn what they love

2 people of COLOMBO fld

Colombo is one of Asia’s greenest and most cultured cities. Long overlooked as a travel destination, the city is rediscovering its past and multicultural heritage.

We wanted to find the spirit of the city, so we wandered, listened and met some amazing people on the way.

Meet the locals Hear their stories Learn what they love COLOMBO FORT fld

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FORT CMB elegant cosmopolitan grandeur 01 elegant cosmopolitan grandeur Colombo Fort Fort is Colombo’s centuries-old powerhouse with a long and proud tradition of trade. This is where history was made in the past and where it’s made once again. The historic centre around the presidential palace that was off-limits for a long time, is now undergoing a facelift, bringing back Fort’s vivacity and old grandeur. Run-down colonial buildings get a fresh coat of paint and new café’s and shops open along the cobblestoned streets. Fort is the heart and the soul of the city, Colombo’s #01 historic hotspot. fld

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This is what locals love O Small Society L We all knew each other. Colombo was a small society. O

IN COLOMBO FORT Everything happened in Fort and in the 60’s Chatham Street M

was the place to go. We’d go to the White Horse pub for B

short eats and arak. We loved the soirees at the Grand O F Oriental, there would be a band playing and we’d dance the night away. For a movie we’d go to Regal Theatre. As girls

we were only allowed to go to the Saturday matinee. Gordon O Gardens was another favourite, church choirs would sit in R the grass and sing and if you were lucky you’d see a sailor or two. T

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Lunch Room

f On Thursdays, we’d have lunch at Pagoda Tea Room, a set f l d meal of soup, fried rice and desert would only cost eight l d < U rupees! Their chocolate cake, eclairs and cream buns were < U very good and very famous. Even today they still taste the

same as 50 years ago. f f l d l d The Bomb g After the Central Bank bombing, Fort became a ghost town. g q j q Since the opening up in 2015, it has changed a lot. It’s nice to j

| see it becoming a happening place again. |

N N f Keeping the Spirit of Place f h h l In the old days there was a tram from Fort to Kotahene, it l ; i would be nice if they could bring that back. We also hope ; i l We hope they respect they respect the memories and elegance of the place, that l a they revive the old shopping arcades instead of building new a h the elegance of the place shopping malls. h d d J and revive the old arcades J

instead of building new shopping malls

Chatham Street | Fort Ranee Ratnayeke pe;ï ùÈh fldgjq | CCMBMB 10 & Sato Jayamaha Nrjj; k ; njU | Nfhli; l Worked in Fort in their Twenties 01 10 0 1 C COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO

This is what locals love O Small Society L We all knew each other. Colombo was a small society. O

IN COLOMBO FORT Everything happened in Fort and in the 60’s Chatham Street M

was the place to go. We’d go to the White Horse pub for B

short eats and arak. We loved the soirees at the Grand O F Oriental, there would be a band playing and we’d dance the night away. For a movie we’d go to Regal Theatre. As girls

we were only allowed to go to the Saturday matinee. Gordon O Gardens was another favourite, church choirs would sit in R the grass and sing and if you were lucky you’d see a sailor or two. T

| |

Lunch Room

same as 50 years ago. f f l d l d The Bomb g After the Central Bank bombing, Fort became a ghost town. g q j q Since the opening up in 2015, it has changed a lot. It’s nice to j

| see it becoming a happening place again. |

Ranee Ratnayeke Chatham Street | Fort pe;ï ùÈh | fldgjq CMB & Sato Jayamaha CMB Nrjj; k ; njU | Nfhli; l 01 Worked in Fort in their Twenties 0 1 C COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO C O

This is what locals love O L Table Service L O IN COLOMBO FORT The Pagoda Tearoom is more than a century old. Back in the O M

days, this was the most popular lunch spot for the top M managers of the banks and businesses in Fort. We’d have B their regular table reserved for them. At some point we B O F

tried introducing self-service at the tearoom, but that didn’t O F work. Our customers prefer traditional seated table service.

Classic Recipes O O I’m sad to see things getting so expensive here in Fort R

nowadays. The area may be changing but the Pagoda Tea T R

Room has always remained the same. It is always busy here T | throughout the day. Lunch is our peak hour. We still serve |

the exact same food, a selection of pastries, cakes and f f | l d l d

short eats. The chocolate cake and éclairs are still made using the same recipe as 50 years ago. My favourite item on f l d < U the menu is yellow rice and mutton Mongolian rice. I also < U

like chicken lamprais - fusion food of rice with spices < U

f steamed in banana leaf - it’s a unique dish and quite f l d l d popular. f l d g Buddhist Beliefs g q j q j I am a devout Catholic but I value Buddhist teachings. I have g

q j | worked here for 10 years and before that at another Green |

N N Cabin location for 20 years. In this lunchroom we wear | f f

formal white attire. My shift starts at 7am until 4pm. I am h h N l content and happy to work here. l f ; i ; i h l l l ; i a a l h h d d Fort may be changing but the a J J Chatham Street | Fort h d

Pagoda Tea Room has always pe;ï ùÈh | fldgjq J Nrjj; k ; njU | Nfhli; l

remained the same CCMBMB 12 Mr. Stanly CMB 01 Waiter . Pagoda Tea Room 0 1 12 0 1 C COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO C O

This is what locals love O L Table Service L O IN COLOMBO FORT The Pagoda Tearoom is more than a century old. Back in the O M

days, this was the most popular lunch spot for the top M managers of the banks and businesses in Fort. We’d have B their regular table reserved for them. At some point we B O F

tried introducing self-service at the tearoom, but that didn’t O F work. Our customers prefer traditional seated table service.

Classic Recipes O O I’m sad to see things getting so expensive here in Fort R

nowadays. The area may be changing but the Pagoda Tea T R

Room has always remained the same. It is always busy here T | throughout the day. Lunch is our peak hour. We still serve |

the exact same food, a selection of pastries, cakes and f f | l d l d

short eats. The chocolate cake and éclairs are still made using the same recipe as 50 years ago. My favourite item on f l d < U the menu is yellow rice and mutton Mongolian rice. I also < U

like chicken lamprais - fusion food of rice with spices < U

f steamed in banana leaf - it’s a unique dish and quite f l d l d popular. f l d g Buddhist Beliefs g q j q j I am a devout Catholic but I value Buddhist teachings. I have g

q j | worked here for 10 years and before that at another Green |

N N Cabin location for 20 years. In this lunchroom we wear | f f

formal white attire. My shift starts at 7am until 4pm. I am h h N l content and happy to work here. l f ; i ; i h l l l ; i a a l h h d d Fort may be changing but the a J J Chatham Street | Fort h d

Pagoda Tea Room has always pe;ï ùÈh | fldgjq J Nrjj; k ; njU | Nfhli; l

remained the same CMB Mr. Stanly CCMMBB 01 Waiter . Pagoda Tea Room 00 11 COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO C

This is what locals love O

Sailors R&R L

IN COLOMBO FORT The Seafarers Mission is a place for sailors to relax and O unwind after being at sea for so long. We have been in M Colombo Port for 65 years. Every morning we go to the harbour, get on board of the ships and talk to the crew. We B

encourage them to come to our club to enjoy free Wiﬁ and a O F cold beer. We also provide spiritual welfare and logistical help if they have any problems. O Old Days R In the old days the ships would dock for about 2 to 3 days. We’d have sailors coming here from all over the world. There T

used to be many Americans and Greek. They would order | |

beer by the cases and the atmosphere was always jovial. f Sometimes things would get a bit rowdy, and I would plead, f l d ‘I am just a small man, so please stop ﬁghting’, usually they l d < U would calm down. Now the loading and unloading in the port < U happens so fast, within about 6 hours, and the rules about

sailors’ drinking are also stricter so the mission is now a f f l d

much quieter place. l d g People Person g q j q I love this work, even though the pay isn’t very high. I go to j

work with a smile and I’m happy helping people. I like making |

N new friends, I even managed to pick up new languages like N f Russian, Ukrainian and Filipino. I’m married with a f h h

2-year-old kid. Fast paced jobs are not for me, I enjoy the l l

slow pace and a peaceful mind. ; i ; i l l a a h h d Church Street | Fort d J I go to work with a smile m,a,sh ùÈh | fldgqj J

I’m happy helping people Njthya njU | Nfhli; l

G. Samantha Manjula CMB 14 CMB Chief Welfare Officer . Mission to Seafarers 01 14 0 1 COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO C

This is what locals love O

Sailors R&R L

used to be many Americans and Greek. They would order | |

sailors’ drinking are also stricter so the mission is now a f f l d

much quieter place. l d g People Person g q j q I love this work, even though the pay isn’t very high. I go to j

work with a smile and I’m happy helping people. I like making |

N new friends, I even managed to pick up new languages like N f Russian, Ukrainian and Filipino. I’m married with a f h h

2-year-old kid. Fast paced jobs are not for me, I enjoy the l l

slow pace and a peaceful mind. ; i ; i l l a a h h d Church Street | Fort d J I go to work with a smile m,a,sh ùÈh | fldgqj J

I’m happy helping people Njthya njU | Nfhli; l

CMB G. Samantha Manjula CMB 01 Chief Welfare Officer . Mission to Seafarers 0 1 C C COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO O

This is what locals love O L L O IN COLOMBO FORT Home Coming O M

I worked in Dubai for a while and came back to Sri Lanka a M

year ago to see it had completely changed. The thing I B

missed the most when I was away, was the food. I love a B O F

good rice and curry and Kangkung and Manioc curry are my O F favourites. I now live with my grandmother in Wattala. Colombo is a one-of-a-kind place. I can proudly say it is one of the greenest cities on the planet. Travellers always say O O they like it more than they expected. R T R

Drink with a View T | Botanik has one of the best views of the Colombo skyline and |

the sunset here is magniﬁcent. We have a nice mix of hotel f | l d l d

guests, ofﬁce workers, foreigners and locals. Everyone who works here enjoys it. The most popular drink here is the f l d < U green chilli cocktail. I start my working day at 3pm and ﬁnish < U

around 10:30pm. Usually after work we go for a drink across < U

f the road at Taphouse RnR or I just go home. f l d l d

Colonial Charm l d g I hope that Fort gets upgraded, that they ﬁx the potholes in g q j q j the road and do something to reduce the trafﬁc. I also hope g

| q j |

it doesn’t lose the charm of the old buildings. It would be a N N shame if our kids cannot see the physical evidence of the | f f

past that our parents and grandparents lived through... h h N l l f ; i ; i h l l l ; i a a l h h d d Colombo is a one-of-a-kind place a J J h d

I hope it doesn’t lose

the charm of the old buildings Hospital Street | Fort

frday, ùÈh | fldgqj Shifani Hajireen CCMBCMMBB 16 itjj; parhiy njU | Nfhli; l Guest Relations Executive . Botanik Rooftop Bistro & Bar 0011 16 0 1 B B 1 1

M CCCOLOMBOOO LL O MMBBOO FORTF FO OR TR T| f|l fdl

a i s i | e e c rr h i for a w rk s m o t h ew . U e-o r

i a h o h kt t get e tha a n w l g o s ds c e o U t c t | F rm e i m b i joy c r e i p r o s r j n ost wh n a e e t n o o e o i n e e e w r p e h r k

n c u m i c t Ta u s a o h a V t F y l . I n o s e e e n Du :30p e m t h t m l t o r s fﬁ i l C i e i 0 h e e and cu t o o i l Str h e e f o h a s d i d and d d a o t c e i a t n’t los r i a i b k has o , o i n e a a g k i s t d 1 h d t a s i r p n e C e i i e tha u s h o o e gr k w m e t n n n c e ; j u rk p d r s a h t t s m r a n o o y l u e m j o rk s o l i t op s o s e a a e e r e s e r e o i t olo o r o o a f t u o r h h h h h av t d frday, ùÈh | fldgqj i t o H ye m g f Co I h C Bo D H I w t i s p t g a t w gr Shifani Hajireen I hope it doesn’t lose doesn’t it I hope the charm of the old buildings old the of charm the Colombo is a one-of-a-kind place a one-of-a-kind is Colombo Guest Relations Executive . Botanik Rooftop Bistro & Bar Rooftop Bistro . Botanik Executive Relations Guest This is what locals love love what locals is This FORT COLOMBO IN C C COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO O

This is what locals love O L L O IN COLOMBO FORT O M M B

What’s in a Name? B Re.Pub.Lk. stands for Restaurant-Pub-Sri Lanka. I was O F O F inspired by the underground, cosy whiskey bars I used to go when I lived in Sydney. Kumara and I were gym buddies and his dad is in the liquor trade, which is how our idea O O began. We wanted an elegant bar with a relaxed vibe and a R

good price point for Colombo’s young, urban professionals. T R

T | Keeping Heritage Alive |

It used to be an old, run down, bar for port workers with a f f | l d slightly dodgy reputation. When we took it over it had closed l d

down and was in a dilapidated state. We kept the outside f l d < U façade, the doors and the old brick walls. They date back to < U

1924. The old elements add a hidden mysterious vibe. < U

f f l d l d Catch-Up Before this whole area used to be cordoned off and you f l d g couldn’t even enter it. Fort has changed drastically in the last g q j q j

two years. A lot of small businesses are moving out and a lot g

| | q of food and beverage places are popping up. My hope for the j

N N future is that Fort becomes a destination people come to | f f

relax and unwind but that it retains its character with the h h N l traditional shops. They are important for the vibe of the l f ; i area. ; i h l l l ; i a a l h h d d

Most of our neighbours like that a J J h

we revamped the property and d

brought something new to Fort J

Hospital Street | Fort Rukshan Meegahage frday, ùÈh | fldgqj CCMBMB 18 CMB itjj; parhiy njU | Nfhli; l 01 Co-founder and Director . Re.Pub.Lk 0 1 18 0 1 B B 1 1

M CCCOLOMBOOO LL O MMBBOO FORTF FO OR TR T| f|l fdl

f smal d a r t b . Th | n t s and t e a p r yd e s t for Co e r

ag d b em n n a d t e l v o n t t n o t o n o U n t | F i i i n e u e j o o n S s i ands f r e o a s i y r h n e t F n t a d e e e e a g l

e nw d i d i e d d v y t s whol . s y l shop p e p . A l i e e w a n a Nam h o a s c d w v i o b e o h g H i d u i r h l Str n t e s tha n r .Lk ’ , t d b r a s i n a n o s d d and b ’ y d i b t e n d t i e h-U a p i t e i n. W o r . Th u tl . d e d ; n a iti n I l r j i c x a d p p a a l o ore t s 4 a a j t ep e d u s p w .P u o o ye h t gh 2 e ç a s a t e o i e eg o f f o o r l ela 9 u a t u n frday, ùÈh | fldgqj i tr a g wh and h b c tw o H i f r C Bef K I W R s d 1 f Rukshan Meegahage Co-founder and Director . Re.Pub.Lk and Co-founder we revamped the property and and property the revamped we brought something new to Fort Fort to new something brought Most of our neighbours like that that like neighbours our of Most This is what locals love love what locals is This FORT COLOMBO IN C C COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO O

This is what locals love O L Roots L O IN COLOMBO FORT Colombo is home. When I was a child, I always wondered O

why Fort is called ‘Fort’ when there is no actual built M fortiﬁcation. My earliest visits to the Pettah were buying M B

schoolbooks from the famous bookshops. Now the B booksellers are no longer there and the grand buildings O F are decaying. O F

Architecture O R I enjoy looking at fort buildings through the windows of other O fort buildings. Its pulse is different to the rest of Colombo. T The earliest street planning in Colombo began with a clearly R

T deﬁned grid-iron and chequerboard system. It’s like Yangon, | |

Kolkata and of course New York. A few key buildings such as

f f the Grand Oriental Hotel are protected by the antiquities | l d l d

ordinance. Sadly, it is not the case for many others. f < U l d < U Living Traces of History < U

Moors, Chinese, South Indian and Gujarati communities lived f f

and moved through the city from the earliest times. The l d l d

number of ancient places of worship scattered throughout f l d g Fort and Pettah are a testament to its religious diversity. I g q j q j

like the fact that all the churches and temples are still g

| q j seriously in use. These spaces are not touristy. |

N N | f Local Legends f

h h Research suggests that the General Post Ofﬁce has N l l f

connecting tunnels running underground to key locations in ; i ; i the city. We need someone to undertake a serious research h l l l

into this. Imagine the possibilities! ; i a I enjoy looking at old buildings through a l h h d d the windows of other old buildings a J J h d

Fort’s pulse is different

to the rest of Colombo

York Street | Fort CCMBMB 20 Ramla Wahab-Salman CMB fhdala ùÈh | fldgqj Historian & Tour Guide 01 Nahf ; njU | Nfhli; l 0 1 20 0 1 B B 1 1

M CCCOLOMBOOO L OOMMBBOO FORTF FO ROTR T|| ff|ll fdd

gh t o l a f H t n l e e , i d s t e m t d ‘F o t f t u e t s p t a n a s y , So e . Th r n ; t e n e y e e o i l i o n o m e h a l e e e n r l o l r e e r f c c d g tr e h a g a o i s r . I s gi a . h t r n r s g f es o n e a s f t g i N t tha g fldgqj u t s ends d-i n c e n n. M k s a k e s h n

t | F i i g tun n u . Sa m c n s s c | d t f a | r a i o o o e n e yi i d O a e

e e i r eg . I i d h s o o i t i l y i o e a c t l . W n v U l l s ectu r o i r c rl b i y b c a n c a and o s d gr o j e f , Ch l e t r e u t o cat a l L r t h a g T s e i n s e u e a h o m ts ﬁ r a a ;

n k i n joy l o n e o i o t and P i k i o f o t t b y F c l o o t s chi l n e e r h rk Str r h e t d e c e G r r e d t o o r e o o eﬁ o r umb onn o r k a o c e h h o o n i fhdala ùÈh N Y b s a Th c L R f f M Liv A I e Co R wh and m n t F i K d t o s l Historian & Tour Guide & Tour Historian Ramla Wahab-Salman Ramla to the rest of Colombo Colombo of rest the to Fort’s pulse is different different is pulse Fort’s the windows of other old buildings old other of windows the I enjoy looking at old buildings through through buildings at old looking I enjoy This is what locals love love what locals is This FORT COLOMBO IN COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO C

This is what locals love O L

IN COLOMBO FORT Young Men O

The YMCA in Fort is more than a century old, built in 1916. M The building may be old, but the focus here is on youth. B Young men come here from all over the city to play sports O F and games. We also have an annual Shakespeare drama competition and many of the country’s politicians learned the art of debating in our model parliament. Every Wednesday afternoon we have a lunch lobby service, anyone O

passing by is welcome. R T

Old Heritage | YMCA is a unique place. The best thing about working here is |

f so many different people pass through these doors. I’ve f l d seen kids grow up here. They come back when they’re older, l d that’s really satisfying. We cater to the young, but we’re also < U < U proud to have the oldest library and barbershop in Sri Lanka with their loyal customers.

f f l d Top Location l d The best thing about Fort is its central location. We have g g people coming from all over Colombo. It’s just a 5-minute q j q j walk from the train and bus stations. The war years were not

| |

easy for us, on two sides of the building the road was closed. N These days a lot of old buildings are going down, it’s a sad N f f

situation. Change is good, but it should be done carefully. h h l l ; i ; i l l a a h h d It’s a privilege to work in this d Bristol Street | Fort J historic building and do J

íßiag,a ùÈh | fldgqj something I’m passionate about gpup];ly; | Nfhli; l

CMB 22 Mr. Bartholomeusz CMB General Secretary . YMCA 01 22 0 1 COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO C

This is what locals love O L

IN COLOMBO FORT Young Men O

passing by is welcome. R T

Old Heritage | YMCA is a unique place. The best thing about working here is |

| |

easy for us, on two sides of the building the road was closed. N These days a lot of old buildings are going down, it’s a sad N f f

situation. Change is good, but it should be done carefully. h h l l ; i ; i l l a a h h d It’s a privilege to work in this d Bristol Street | Fort J historic building and do J

íßiag,a ùÈh | fldgqj something I’m passionate about gpup];ly; | Nfhli; l

CMB Mr. Bartholomeusz CMB General Secretary . YMCA 010 1 C COLOMBO FORT COLOMBO C O

This is what locals love O Governor’s Residence L This church may not look like a church. That is because it L O IN COLOMBO FORT wasn’t built as one. It was originally the banquet hall of the O

Dutch Governor’s residence. When the Brits took possession M M of Colombo, they turned it into a garrison chapel from B where to spread the Anglican faith. The interior is austere, B O F

serene and simply beautiful. O F

Tracing Names

Many foreigners come here to trace their ancestry. They look O O

for details of their forefathers who were married or buried R here. I recently found some old catalogues and I’m happy to T help people seeking details of their family history associated R

T |

with the church. I used to work in the hotel industry as a |

concierge for VVIP guests, but I prefer this job. f f | l d l d

Relics of the Past f l d < U The church is ﬁlled with historic gems. A 300-year-old < U

British ﬂag ﬂies that was burnt in 1818 by Buddhist monks in < U

Kandy as an anti-colonial protest. Then there is a Pankar, a f f l d

manual fanning system for the bishops and archbishops who l d would sit on the elevated area. You also see a space with f l d g cute miniature chairs, which was used as a special area for g q j q j dwarf priests and their community gatherings during the g

q j | church’s heyday. |

N | N f f

Forgotten Church h h The war was a difﬁcult period for the Church as this whole N l l f

area was inaccessible. Now people have started to ; i ; i h

rediscover the church and we even have a special short l l l

service at Wednesdays lunchtime from 12.30pm-1pm for ; i a a

Seaman, travellers, and city ofﬁce workers in Fort. l h h d d workers are all welcome for a a J h J d

moment of contemplation in the J Church Street | Fort

quiet and cool church m,a,sh ùÈh | fldgqj CCMBMB 24 CMB Shawn Jerome Defry Njthya njU | Nfhli; l 0011 24 Caretaker . St. Peter’s Church 0 1 B B 1 1

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r V r i r s ﬁ r e i c t | F s a f t h | , t r n yd s R h o u t u e s a d a e n n t ’ e s t a fldgqj o e pre t n a gn h m e s e l l a h h i n C | e n d s r n r t g ﬂ v i a

b rk s o c c e t W f t c i e f a l ei e n i e a u o r o t o i r h o e s a s i o s r g t i op n v njU s h m u g Nam i e c ’ r w a u r l f t a e o t o e a a rn h h h e a n e l h h Str h ﬂ o y a c e t f p i e c h G d s c . I r e w e n cs o c s i l r r s h ùÈ c s n’t b r d i i ci c r i e v e m c a w v e hya p p nua h t s c l e u a t rg t s l n r t u , n e w e c i a a u i r r t d r d e a o any for o i e a r a o w f Co fﬁ e e r o h , r e e e o o wh B K s o r Du s F Th R Th T M w m a G Th f w c d cu c w h h m Njt Ch Shawn Jerome Defry Jerome Shawn quiet and cool church church cool and quiet Caretaker . St. Peter’s Church Church Peter’s Caretaker . St. Seaman, travellers, and city and travellers, Seaman, workers are all welcome for a for welcome all are workers moment of contemplation in the the in contemplation of moment This is what locals love love what locals is This FORT COLOMBO IN SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE

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fldïm[a[ ù§h fldïm[a[ ù§h

| nfhk;gdpj;njU

02 nfhk;gdpj;njU SLAVE ISLAND CMBCMB 26 multicultural melting pot 0202

SLAVE ISLAND | fldïm[a[ ù§h| nfhk;gdpj;njU SLAVE ISLAND | fldïm[a[ ù§h | nfhk;gdpj;njU CMB 02 CMB 02 02 SLAVE ISLAND multicultural melting pot melting multicultural SLAVE ISLAND multicultural melting pot

Slave Island has lived so many lives. The former slave prison, military station, botanical garden and popular picknick spot has grown into what it is today, a hub of vibrant activity where African, Indian, Javanese, Burgher, Moor and most prominently Malay heritage are visible at every street corner. You can hear it in the music, see it in the colours and taste it in the food. No longer an island in crocodile-infested waters, it is a diverse vibrant community that is unique in Colombo. But it may not be there much longer. The whole quarter is under threat of demolition, and is being swallowed up by the skyscrapers rising around it. Slave island is about to undergo another reincarnation. ye`Èkaúh yels h' w;S;fha oS jy,a nkaOkd.drhla" yuqod l|jqrla" WoaNs; WoHdkhla fukau ckm%sh úfkdao .uka ia:dkhla jYfhka Ndú;d jqKqq fuu m%foaYh wo jk úg ùÈ fl

nfhk;gdpj;njUthdJ gy;yhz;Lfhykhf tho;e;JtUfpd;wJ. Kd;dhs; mbikr; rpiw> fhtw;Wiw epiyak;> capupay; G+q;fh kw;Wk; gpurpj;jpngw;w Rw;Wyh kj;jpa];jhdq;fs; vd;git jw;Nghja nfhk;gdpj;njUthf tsu;e;Js;sd. Mgpupf;fu;fs;> ,e;jpau;fs;> [hth ehl;bdu;> gu;fu;fs;> K];ypk;fs; kw;Wk; mjpfkhf kNy tuyhW xt;nthU ghijapdJk; %iy KLf;FfspYk; fhzf;$bajhf mike;jpUf;Fk; Jbg;ghd nraw;ghLfspd; xU kj;jpa];jhdkhfTk; ,t;tplk; mike;Js;sJ. ePq;fs; ,jid ,irapypUe;J Nfl;fyh- k;> mjd; epwq;fspy; fhzyhk; kw;Wk; mq;Fs;s czTfspy; Urpf;fyhk;. ,J jw;NghJ ePupy; Kjiyfsplg;gl;l ghJfhg;gwd; nfhz;l jPthf my;yhJ> nfhOk;gpy; fhzg;gLk; jdpj;Jtkpf;f gy;tifikAila Jbg;ghd r%fkhFk;. Mdhy; mJ mq;Nf ePz;lfhy- j;jpw;F epiyj;jpUf;Fk; vd $wKbahJ. ,k;KOf;fhy; gFjpAk; moptpd; Mgj;jpid vjpu;nfhz;Ls;sNjhL> mjidr;Rw;wp tsu;e;JtUk; cau; khbf;fl;llq;fs; %yk; ngWkjpapoe;Jk;28 tUfpd;wJ. nfhk;gdpj;njUthdJ kw;WnkhU kPsikg;gpw;F cs;sh- ff;$ba epiyapYs;sJ.

28 SLAVE ISLAND multicultural melting pot

nfhk;gdpj;njUthdJ gy;yhz;Lfhykhf tho;e;JtUfpd;wJ. Kd;dhs; mbikr; rpiw> fhtw;Wiw epiyak;> capupay; G+q;fh kw;Wk; gpurpj;jpngw;w Rw;Wyh kj;jpa];jhdq;fs; vd;git jw;Nghja nfhk;gdpj;njUthf tsu;e;Js;sd. Mgpupf;fu;fs;> ,e;jpau;fs;> [hth ehl;bdu;> gu;fu;fs;> K];ypk;fs; kw;Wk; mjpfkhf kNy tuyhW xt;nthU ghijapdJk; %iy KLf;FfspYk; fhzf;$bajhf mike;jpUf;Fk; Jbg;ghd nraw;ghLfspd; xU kj;jpa];jhdkhfTk; ,t;tplk; mike;Js;sJ. ePq;fs; ,jid ,irapypUe;J Nfl;fyh- k;> mjd; epwq;fspy; fhzyhk; kw;Wk; mq;Fs;s czTfspy; Urpf;fyhk;. ,J jw;NghJ ePupy; Kjiyfsplg;gl;l ghJfhg;gwd; nfhz;l jPthf my;yhJ> nfhOk;gpy; fhzg;gLk; jdpj;Jtkpf;f gy;tifikAila Jbg;ghd r%fkhFk;. Mdhy; mJ mq;Nf ePz;lfhy- j;jpw;F epiyj;jpUf;Fk; vd $wKbahJ. ,k;KOf;fhy; gFjpAk; moptpd; Mgj;jpid vjpu;nfhz;Ls;sNjhL> mjidr;Rw;wp tsu;e;JtUk; cau; khbf;fl;llq;fs; %yk; ngWkjpapoe;Jk; tUfpd;wJ. nfhk;gdpj;njUthdJ kw;WnkhU kPsikg;gpw;F cs;sh- ff;$ba epiyapYs;sJ. SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L

Framing a Picture A IN SLAVE ISLAND The ﬁrst thing you notice about The Slave Island Frame Shop V

is the many pictures and frames of different colour and E origin, that adorn the walls from ﬂoor to ceiling. The second

thing you notice is Amir shining brightly from behind the I

one-man counter, ready to frame your picture. Amir (38) S

and his ﬁve brothers have been manning this workshop for L

20 years now together with their father, who managed it A

with his father before him since 1932. They make picture N

frames and cut glass and mirrors. D

Passing Generations | |

“In 1944 when the company was ofﬁcially registered, it was

fldïm[a[ ù§h cutting glass at 25 cents when a loaf of bread was roughly 5 fldïm[a[ ù§h cents.” Amir says with a wry smile. 86 years of craftsmanship across three generations is no minor matter. Amir’s family is one of the oldest businesses in Slave Island. “Wooden frames last very long, most of the times far longer than the people pictured in them. Did you know that pine changes colour and becomes darkerand reﬁned with age? This - he points at a dark brown wood frame - is 15 years and this one - points at a yellowish, much lighter frame - is only 2 years old,” said Amir.

| Skyscraper City |

we also have fewer old people, Sir. Hendry de Mel Mawatha | Slave Island we’re losing our sense of community i¾ fykaß o fu,a udj; | fldïm[a[ ùÈh ru ; n`dw; p j nky ; khtji; j | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB 30 Amir Inthizam CMB Manager . Slave Island Picture Frame 02 30 0 2 SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L

Framing a Picture A IN SLAVE ISLAND The ﬁrst thing you notice about The Slave Island Frame Shop V

is the many pictures and frames of different colour and E origin, that adorn the walls from ﬂoor to ceiling. The second

thing you notice is Amir shining brightly from behind the I

one-man counter, ready to frame your picture. Amir (38) S

and his ﬁve brothers have been manning this workshop for L

20 years now together with their father, who managed it A

with his father before him since 1932. They make picture N

frames and cut glass and mirrors. D

Passing Generations | |

“In 1944 when the company was ofﬁcially registered, it was

| Skyscraper City |

nfhk;gdpj;njU Slave Island is undergoing a huge change now. Tall, shiny nfhk;gdpj;njU buildings are taking over the old, colonial architecture. “We no longer have the old people here. They’ve all gone away. It’s sad, and because of that, we’re losing our sense of community,” says Amir who has lived through the better (or Tall, shiny buildings are taking over the worse) part of Sri Lanka’s multi-coloured history. old, colonial architecture we also have fewer old people, Sir. Hendry de Mel Mawatha | Slave Island we’re losing our sense of community i¾ fykaß o fu,a udj; | fldïm[a[ ùÈh Amir Inthizam ru ; n`dw; p j nky ; khtji; j | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMBCMB 02 Manager . Slave Island Picture Frame 0 2 S SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE

This is what locals love L A

IN SLAVE ISLAND V

King of Burgers E

There comes a time when you need a scrumptious burger and a

stack of fries after a long day of work or an evening of heavy I S partying. Fazly’s in Malay Street is, without a doubt, Colombo’s go- L to option. Open daily from 4:30 in the evening till 2am, Fazly’s is A THE place. Fazly’s was around long before the international franchises came to town, and for many years this was Colombo’s N one and only Burger’s King. D

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Star Street Food

fldïm[a[ ù§h Sri Lanka has always had a street food culture. We like our vade (a fldïm[a[ ù§h fried batter of dhal), kottu (a mashup of roti and vegetables or meat), hoppers and other type of fried pattis including samosas and ﬁsh rolls. “I wanted to embrace that street food culture, but add restaurant style service. 18 years ago, when we opened, it was not heard of in Sri Lanka. We are [a] legend,” says a proud Fazly talking about his brainchild.

Humle Beginnings What started as a three-manned cart transformed into a

successful business with 30 employees. “We are still true to our | |

original concept. The kitchen has a glass wall, so you can see the nfhk;gdpj;njU nfhk;gdpj;njU food being prepared. You can still see the trafﬁc and the world outside too. We want to give that feeling of being on the street,” says Fazly.

You can still see the world outside, we want to keep that feeling

of being on the street Malay Street I Slave Island fldïm[a[ ùÈh Muhammad Fazly CMB 32 kNy njU | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Owner . Fazly’s Halaal Restaurant 02 32 0 2 S SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE

This is what locals love L A

IN SLAVE ISLAND V

King of Burgers E

There comes a time when you need a scrumptious burger and a

| |

Star Street Food

Humle Beginnings What started as a three-manned cart transformed into a

successful business with 30 employees. “We are still true to our | |

You can still see the world outside, we want to keep that feeling

of being on the street Malay Street I Slave Island fldïm[a[ ùÈh CMB Muhammad Fazly kNy njU | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Owner . Fazly’s Halaal Restaurant 020 2 You can still see the world outside, we want to keep that feeling of being on the street SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love Treasure Hunting L Firi Rahman (28) is an artist, parrot-lover and a patriot of A IN SLAVE ISLAND Slave Island. His deep-rooted love for his community led V

him to paint murals of people in his neighbourhood. “It is E

like a treasure hunt, but with people! You get a card of a

person, and you have to ﬁnd the respective wall mural. The I

idea is not just to get to know a person, but also ﬁnd out S

how they matter to the community. Through this mural L

project, I want to tell their stories.” says Firi. A

Community Feel N

Slave Island is a pocket neighbourhood. The houses are D

small, the community closely knit, you feel a sense

| belonging. “During festivals there is lots of food from |

everywhere! At a funeral, neighbours move furniture and fldïm[a[ ù§h make room for visiting relatives to sleep. There won’t be any fldïm[a[ ù§h noise that evening, no TVs on, people respect each other” says Firi highlighting the things he loves about where he belongs. Empowering change “I really get annoyed when people call Slave Island a slum. There is great historical value in this place; it’s people and the stories they carry with them,” says Firi who is involved in numerous initiatives to empower the local community. Firi knows ﬁrst-hand how difﬁcult it can be to voice out concerns in a conservative religious society, where wisdom

| and respect come with age. “Many here don’t take young |

hunt, through this, I want to tell people’s stories Stuwert Street | Slave Island CMB 34 Firi Rahman msgfldgqfõ mrK uqj¾ ùÈfhys msysá o îkaia CMB ]B; tul; ; njU | nfhkg; dpjn; jU 02 34 Artist . Stuwert Street 0 2 You can still see the world outside, we want to keep that feeling of being on the street SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love Treasure Hunting L Firi Rahman (28) is an artist, parrot-lover and a patriot of A IN SLAVE ISLAND Slave Island. His deep-rooted love for his community led V

him to paint murals of people in his neighbourhood. “It is E

like a treasure hunt, but with people! You get a card of a

person, and you have to ﬁnd the respective wall mural. The I

idea is not just to get to know a person, but also ﬁnd out S

how they matter to the community. Through this mural L

project, I want to tell their stories.” says Firi. A

Community Feel N

Slave Island is a pocket neighbourhood. The houses are D

small, the community closely knit, you feel a sense

| belonging. “During festivals there is lots of food from |

| and respect come with age. “Many here don’t take young |

nfhk;gdpj;njU people very seriously”. Particularly young women are nfhk;gdpj;njU deprived from opportunities. After they ﬁnish school custom dictates them to stay home, marry and have kids. They learn things like cooking, sewing and handicrafts, but they don’t know how to transfer it to make an income. If there’s someone to help them, they will be more open to new things.” he says. My mural project is like a treasure hunt, through this, I want to tell people’s stories Stuwert Street | Slave Island CMB Firi Rahman msgfldgqfõ mrK uqj¾ ùÈfhys msysá o îkaia CMB ]B; tul; ; njU | nfhkg; dpjn; jU 02 Artist . Stuwert Street 0 2 My mural project is like a treasure hunt, through this, I want to tell people’s stories SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L

Bola Mese Gedara A IN SLAVE ISLAND Hidden behind a halal restaurant is ‘The CUÊ’, a family-run V

billiard snooker cafe that has been operating since the early E

1940’s; passed on from father to son to grandson, the

Passela’s wear the club like an heirloom to preserve the I

passion and memories that come with being one of the S

earliest, still-standing Billiard Clubs in Sri Lanka. “Ask for L

‘Bola Mese Gedara’ (in Sinhala) or ‘House with the Ball A Table’, and anyone in Slave Island will tell you where we N live,” Zulsky Passela (54) who runs the club, says with a chuckle. Zulsky is also the President of the Billiards & D

Snooker Association of Sri Lanka. The club belonged to his | grandfather, who then passed it to his youngest son. Both |

were national players. fldïm[a[ ù§h fldïm[a[ ù§h

Gentleman’s Game Not all parents are happy with their kids playing pool, the café scene typically being associated with smoking and drugs. But, Zulsky’s Cafe is not one of ‘those places. “Billiard is very different from pool. It’s a gentleman’s game. The table is different and there are many tricky shots. The game has a history of over 70 years. At my table, I train my boys to maintain strict discipline because without it, you cannot master this sport,” says Zulsky.

| |

nfhk;gdpj;njU Childhood Memories nfhk;gdpj;njU “At Christmas, the entire Slave Island smelled of Elephant House™ soda and cake. I also loved the triangle Ice Palam, the local version of ice cream” says Zulsky with a fond smile.

Ask for the ‘House with the Ball Table’ anyone in Slave Island

Justice Akbar Road | Slave Island will tell you where we live ciaála wlan¾ udj; | fldïm[a[ ùÈh CMB 36 Zulsky Passela ejP pgjp mfg; u ; tjP p | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Owner . The Cue . Billard & Snooker Cafe 02 36 0 2 My mural project is like a treasure hunt, through this, I want to tell people’s stories SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L

Bola Mese Gedara A IN SLAVE ISLAND Hidden behind a halal restaurant is ‘The CUÊ’, a family-run V

billiard snooker cafe that has been operating since the early E

1940’s; passed on from father to son to grandson, the

Passela’s wear the club like an heirloom to preserve the I

passion and memories that come with being one of the S

earliest, still-standing Billiard Clubs in Sri Lanka. “Ask for L

Snooker Association of Sri Lanka. The club belonged to his | grandfather, who then passed it to his youngest son. Both |

were national players. fldïm[a[ ù§h fldïm[a[ ù§h

| |

Ask for the ‘House with the Ball Table’ anyone in Slave Island

Justice Akbar Road | Slave Island will tell you where we live ciaála wlan¾ udj; | fldïm[a[ ùÈh Zulsky Passela ejP pgjp mfg; u ; tjP p | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMBCMB 02 Owner . The Cue . Billard & Snooker Cafe 0 2 Ask for the ‘House with the Ball Table’ anyone in Slave Island will tell you where we live SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L A

IN SLAVE ISLAND V E

Colour Burst

Cramped in a tiny, 6 by 4 feet room live Seeya (69) and I

Aachchi (70). She is dressed in a white hattai (jacket) and a S

printed reddei (cloth), and he in a sarong knotted at his L

navel. Their little nest bursts of colour. It is decorated from A ﬂoor to ceiling with stuffed toys, striking ornaments, N sequined wall hangers and trinkets crafted by Seeya. “Some people don’t like it, but this is beautiful to us,” says Aachchi. D

Seeya used to earn a meagre salary by selling lottery tickets, | but stopped after he couldn’t any longer. His handicrafts |

endured much longer, for over 25 years. fldïm[a[ ù§h fldïm[a[ ù§h Love Birds 47 years together and still going strong, for years these two love birds survived on ‘pin padi’, a community foodbank. They don’t have any children. Aachchi has a sister and a brother somewhere, but they don’t know where they are, since she was adopted by a foreign couple at the time and all details of her past life were lost in the process. “It was the sudu nona (white madam) who gave me in marriage to him,” says Aachchi. Within Four Walls

| “Many years ago, my parents rented out their house. The |

nfhk;gdpj;njU

tenants are still here, they never left. They only pay 11 rupees nfhk;gdpj;njU a month. There’s nothing we can do about it. We cannot kick them out. Our living space is just these four walls pasted onto the original house, we try to make it nice and comfortable”.

Our living space is just these four walls, we try to make it

nice and comfortable Dispensary Road | Slave Island äiafmkaiß udj; | fldïm[a[ ùÈh CMB 38 Seeya and Aachchi kUej; f tjP p | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Dispensary Road 02 38 0 2 Ask for the ‘House with the Ball Table’ anyone in Slave Island will tell you where we live SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L A

IN SLAVE ISLAND V E

Colour Burst

Cramped in a tiny, 6 by 4 feet room live Seeya (69) and I

Aachchi (70). She is dressed in a white hattai (jacket) and a S

printed reddei (cloth), and he in a sarong knotted at his L

Seeya used to earn a meagre salary by selling lottery tickets, | but stopped after he couldn’t any longer. His handicrafts |

| “Many years ago, my parents rented out their house. The |

nfhk;gdpj;njU

Our living space is just these four walls, we try to make it nice and comfortable Dispensary Road | Slave Island äiafmkaiß udj; | fldïm[a[ ùÈh Seeya and Aachchi kUej; f tjP p | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMBCMB Dispensary Road 020 2 Our living space is just these four walls, we try to make it nice and comfortable SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L A

IN SLAVE ISLAND Island Living V

At 73, Sithi Gnai Binthan is an astonishingly energetic, E

bouncy grandmother. She was a seamstress in Slave Island. It

was her late father bought the family house in Church I Street for 5 rupees in 1941 when Slave Island was still an S “Island”. “I was the youngest and my parents mollycoddled L

me. They didn’t let me go to school. A

‘Sewing’ Seeds of Success N

I secretly learned to cut paper stencils and run a simple D

stitch to put together my own clothes,” says Sithi. After she

| married, she ﬁgured she had to earn something and joined a |

tailor shop to help stitch shirts. “I earned 40 rupees a week fldïm[a[ ù§h for 36 shirts”. Sithi sewed until she was 63 years old. Until fldïm[a[ ù§h she could sew no more. “We dressed all Malay women during my time.” Multicultural Melting Pot “Know as many languages as you can. Then you understand others. Anywhere you go, you can connect with people, rather than being an outsider. Even when I’m on the road traveling and some tuk tuk drives calls me, ‘madam’ I tell them to call me Aunty, Aachchi (grandma), Amma (mother). It is better,” she says. As islanders living in a pot of many traditions, languages and religions, this wise woman's advice

| resonates across generations and remind us that our |

nfhk;gdpj;njU diversity is beautiful and unique, and that we must embrace nfhk;gdpj;njU it as we do each other.

Know as many languages as you can

Then you understand others Church Street | Slave Island m,a,sh ùÈh| fldïm[a[ ùÈh CMB 40 Sithi Gnai Binthan Njthya nj U| nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Church Street 02 40 0 2 Our living space is just these four walls, we try to make it nice and comfortable SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L A

IN SLAVE ISLAND Island Living V

At 73, Sithi Gnai Binthan is an astonishingly energetic, E

bouncy grandmother. She was a seamstress in Slave Island. It

was her late father bought the family house in Church I Street for 5 rupees in 1941 when Slave Island was still an S “Island”. “I was the youngest and my parents mollycoddled L

me. They didn’t let me go to school. A

‘Sewing’ Seeds of Success N

I secretly learned to cut paper stencils and run a simple D

stitch to put together my own clothes,” says Sithi. After she

| married, she ﬁgured she had to earn something and joined a |

| resonates across generations and remind us that our |

nfhk;gdpj;njU diversity is beautiful and unique, and that we must embrace nfhk;gdpj;njU it as we do each other.

Know as many languages as you can

Then you understand others Church Street | Slave Island m,a,sh ùÈh| fldïm[a[ ùÈh CMB Sithi Gnai Binthan Njthya nj U| nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Church Street 020 2 SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L

Old School Style A Swing through old wooden salon doors and get a haircut at IN SLAVE ISLAND one of the oldest, still-standing salons in town. Susantha V Salon (as it is commonly known) is over 100 years old. We’ve E

been cutting hair for four generations,” says Ushantha Samarasekara (48) who runs the salon with one other I hairdresser. “When we were small we waited for school S holidays to go on family trips, but nowadays kids, they want L to get a cool haircut,” says Ushantha, who’s been a hair A

stylist for 25 years now. N D

Busy Industry | Even with 21 salons in Slave Island, work is almost never |

over. On most days, Ushantha starts work at 10 am and fldïm[a[ ù§h ﬁnishes at 12 pm. Young and old, men and women from fldïm[a[ ù§h Slave Island keep Ushantha busy. “My father worked in a betting centre, but when Sirimavo Bandaranaike became Prime Minister, gambling was made illegal, so he switched to hairdressing” says Ushantha.

Shifting the Balance “We should keep our gama (village) clean, but now people only think about themselves. It wasn’t like this in those days. Times have changed. Many of the old people have left Slave Island. People are stressed now. They are ﬁghting with the

economy.” says Ushantha. “The older generations were |

mostly Indians, but many of them sold their shops and left nfhk;gdpj;njU nfhk;gdpj;njU the country. Or they rent out their place to the Chinese and Indian construction workers who need a place to sleep. The population of Slave Island will always be a mix of different nationalities.”

The population of Slave Island will always be a mix of different

nationalities Church Street | Slave Island m,a,sh ùÈh | fldïm[a[ ùÈh CMB 42 Ushantha Samarasekara Njthya njU | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Church View Salon 02 42 0 2 SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE S

This is what locals love L

stylist for 25 years now. N D

Busy Industry | Even with 21 salons in Slave Island, work is almost never |

economy.” says Ushantha. “The older generations were |

The population of Slave Island will always be a mix of different

nationalities Church Street | Slave Island m,a,sh ùÈh | fldïm[a[ ùÈh CMB Ushantha Samarasekara Njthya njU | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Church View Salon 020 2 S SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE

This is what locals love L Famous Landmark A Rio Cinema, a landmark building of its time is now barely IN SLAVE ISLAND alive. Much has happened to it since 1965 when it ﬁrst raised V its curtains to the public with a screening of South Paciﬁc. E

The opening of this state-of-the-art movie theatre was the highlight of the year on Colombo’s social calendar with I ministers, movie stars and diplomats kitted all in attendance. S L

Family Business A “It was my grandfather Appapillai, who started Navah N

Cinema in 1951 and then Rio. The theatre is still in the same D family.“ says Ratnaraja Navaratnam who manages Rio

| Cinema today. Rio brought to life some of the greatest |

movies of all time like Sound of Music and West Side Story fldïm[a[ ù§h through its 70mm screen - 35mm was the norm in those fldïm[a[ ù§h days - and surround sound.

Harmonious Living During the 1983 riots, the cinema was looted and completely burnt down. Forty years of work went up in ﬂames overnight. “My father was very hurt. More than the ﬁnancial loss, he felt betrayed. He had done so much for the society and for this to happen in his own neighbourhood was very saddening,” said Ratnaraja. “These days it is more harmonious. Slave Island has a vibrant population, with the

Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil people all living together. You ﬁnd | |

the mosques, temples and churches all within each other’s nfhk;gdpj;njU nfhk;gdpj;njU reach. People co-exist without any problem at all,” says Ratnaraja.

Here you find mosques, temples and churches all within each other’s reach

people co-exist without any problem at all Kumaran Ratnam Road | Slave Island l=udr r;akï udj; | fldïm[a[ ùÈh CMB 44 Ratnaraja Navaratnam Fkud ; ,ujj; pdk ; tjP p | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Manager of Rio Cinema 02 44 0 2 S SLAVE ISLAND SLAVE

The opening of this state-of-the-art movie theatre was the highlight of the year on Colombo’s social calendar with I ministers, movie stars and diplomats kitted all in attendance. S L

Family Business A “It was my grandfather Appapillai, who started Navah N

Cinema in 1951 and then Rio. The theatre is still in the same D family.“ says Ratnaraja Navaratnam who manages Rio

| Cinema today. Rio brought to life some of the greatest |

movies of all time like Sound of Music and West Side Story fldïm[a[ ù§h through its 70mm screen - 35mm was the norm in those fldïm[a[ ù§h days - and surround sound.

Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil people all living together. You ﬁnd | |

the mosques, temples and churches all within each other’s nfhk;gdpj;njU nfhk;gdpj;njU reach. People co-exist without any problem at all,” says Ratnaraja.

Here you find mosques, temples and churches all within each other’s reach

people co-exist without any problem at all Kumaran Ratnam Road | Slave Island l=udr r;akï udj; | fldïm[a[ ùÈh CMB Ratnaraja Navaratnam Fkud ; ,ujj; pdk ; tjP p | nfhkg; dpjn; jU CMB Manager of Rio Cinema 020 2 PETTAH

| msgfldgqj

Gwf;Nfhl;il

11 46 PETTAH CMB intense & intimate street bazaar 11 PETTAH

| msgfldgqj

Gwf;Nfhl;il

11 PETTAH CMB intense & intimate street bazaar 11 PETTAH intense & intimate street bazaar Pettah is the mother of all marketplaces in the whole of Sri Lanka. Like a real-life version of Ebay, the place for cheap, no nonsense goods. In this loud, crowded, chaotic potpourri of ethnicities, you can ﬁnd pretty much anything you need in any size or shape you want. Electronics, shoes, clothes, sunglasses, fruits, vegetables, condiments, hardware, bags you name it. If you look carefully though, you will even be able to ﬁnd artisanal goods or hand-crafted jewellery for bargain prices. Grab a king coconut as you walk, take in the sounds, smells and sights and observe local life at its most intense.

Y%S ,xldj mqrd úysÿKq ish,qu fj<`o ia:dkhka tlsfkl iïnkaO flfrk uõ uOHia:dkh f,iska msgfldgqj y`ÿkajdÈh yelsh' mdßfNda.sl is;e`.s mßÈ irdaIdldÍ msgfldgqj fj<`o ùÈ fj; msúfik Tng úoHq;a WmlrK" mdjyka" we`ÿï me<`ÿï" wõ lKaKdä" t

,yq;if KOtjpYk; cs;s midj;J re;ijaplq;fSf;Fk; jha; epiyakhf fhzg;gLtJ Gwf;Nfhl;ilahFk;. thbf;ifahsu;fspd; vz;zq;fSf;Nfw;g rhjhuzkhf> kpfTk; tpiuthf kw;Wk; ,yhgfukhdjhf Njitahd vg;nghUspidAk; ngw;Wf;nfhs;sf;$ba Ebay vDk; ,izaj;jpid mbg;gilahff;nfhz;l re;ij epiyaj;- jpid capNuhl;lKila Njhw;wj;jpy; ,q;F cq;fshy; mDgtpj;Jf;nfhs;s KbAk;. gy;NtWgl;l kf;fs; tifapdUf;Fk; cupa re;ij fyg;Gld; $ba neupry; kpf;f kw;Wk; Xa;tw;w Gwf;Nfhl;il re;ij tPjpfSf;Fs; EioAk; cq;fSf;F njhiyj;n- jhlu;G rhjdq;fs;> ghjzpfs;> Mil mzpfyd;fs;> MAjq;fs;> fz;zhbfs;> kuf;fwpfs;> thridj;jputpaq;fs;> cNyhf nghUl;fs;> gazg; nghjpfs; Nghd;w cq;fSf;F Njitahd ve;jnthU nghUspidAk; Njitf;Nfw;w tifapy; Nji- tahd tbtpy; kw;Wk; mstpy; Njbf;nfhs;s KbAk;. kpfTk; ftdkhf Njbg;ghu;- j;jhy; fiyeaj;Jldhd fiyg;nghUl;fs; Nghd;W iffshy; tbtikf;fg;gl;l jq;f Mguzq;fs; tiuahd midj;jpidAk; kpfTk; Fiwe;j tpiyapy; ngw;Wf;nfhs;s cq;fSf;F tha;g;G cz;ikahd Urp> kzk; kw;Wk; rj;jk; Nghd;wtw;wpidAk; mDgtpj;J mt;tho;f;if Kiwapid tiuaWj;jtz;zk; elf;Fk; NghJ Urpahd ,sePupidAk; &rpj;- Jf;nfhs;tjw;F kwf;f Ntz;lhk;. mikj;Jj;jug;gl;Ls;sJ. mjpf rd neupriyg; Nghd;Nw Nghl;bj;jd;ikAldhd efu tho;f;ifapd; cz;ikahd Urp> kzk; kw;Wk; rj;jk;48 Nghd;wtw;wpidAk; mDgtpj;J mt;tho;f;if Kiwapid tiuaWj;jtz;zk; elf;Fk; NghJ Urpahd ,sePupidAk; &rpj;Jf;nfhs;tjw;F kwf;f Ntz;lhk;. 48 PETTAH intense & intimate street bazaar Pettah is the mother of all marketplaces in the whole of Sri Lanka. Like a real-life version of Ebay, the place for cheap, no nonsense goods. In this loud, crowded, chaotic potpourri of ethnicities, you can ﬁnd pretty much anything you need in any size or shape you want. Electronics, shoes, clothes, sunglasses, fruits, vegetables, condiments, hardware, bags you name it. If you look carefully though, you will even be able to ﬁnd artisanal goods or hand-crafted jewellery for bargain prices. Grab a king coconut as you walk, take in the sounds, smells and sights and observe local life at its most intense.

This is what locals love Coffee & Spice E My father had a spice business in Old Moor Street. A typical T wholesaler in pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and … T IN PETTAH coffee beans. I was always a coffee drinker. I used to spend A a lot of time in Commons coffeeshop to get my coffee ﬁx. I H would sometimes go there two or three times a day. I like

my coffee espresso style. | |

m msgfldgqj s Beans Factory g

One day I decided it was time to roast my own beans. That f

was six years ago. I bought a roasting machine in Germany, l

got some beans from my dad and just started d

experimenting. Business took off from there. I now source g q

my beans from multiple plantations, roast and package j

them here and sell to coffeeshops and retailers in Colombo.

| |

G Single Commodity Gwf;Nfhl;il For a traditional spice trader, it may seem strange to w specialise in one commodity. The plantations in this country f;Nfh l are typically multi-crop. Sometimes it’s difﬁcult to ﬁnd enough supply of good quality beans. Sri Lanka has always been a tea country and it’s forbidden to import beans from other countries. Demand for coffee has never been higher. ; Over the last 2 years the price has doubled from 235 i

LKR/kilo to about 430 LKR/kilo. l

Heart of the Trade Pettah has always been a hub for spices and rice and will always be. People come from all over the country to buy Pettah has always been a hub for specialised goods. It’s less busy here now than 10 years back, the hands and feet of the trade have moved, but the spices and rice, the heart of the heart is still here. I hope for Pettah to keep its unique vibe trade is here for generations to come. Ijaz Ahemed CMBCMB 50 The Beans Coffee Factory Old Moor Street | Pettah mrK uqj¾ ùÈh | msgfldgqj 11 50 gioa %u ; njU> | eP ttah 1 1 P PETTAH

my coffee espresso style. | |

m msgfldgqj s Beans Factory g

One day I decided it was time to roast my own beans. That f

was six years ago. I bought a roasting machine in Germany, l

got some beans from my dad and just started d

experimenting. Business took off from there. I now source g q

my beans from multiple plantations, roast and package j

them here and sell to coffeeshops and retailers in Colombo.

| |

LKR/kilo to about 430 LKR/kilo. l

Heart of the Trade Pettah has always been a hub for spices and rice and will always be. People come from all over the country to buy Pettah has always been a hub for specialised goods. It’s less busy here now than 10 years back, the hands and feet of the trade have moved, but the spices and rice, the heart of the heart is still here. I hope for Pettah to keep its unique vibe trade is here for generations to come. Ijaz Ahemed CMBCMB The Beans Coffee Factory Old Moor Street | Pettah mrK uqj¾ ùÈh | msgfldgqj 11 gioa %u ; njU> | eP ttah 1 1 P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH Lifeblood of Pettah T The Natami evolved as an organic response to the congested A

streets of Pettah where vehicles are not a feasible option for H

transporting goods. These men, with their narrow carts and | |

loud voices form a sophisticated goods transport network. m The Natami are the lifeblood of Pettah. msgfldgqj s g

Tricks of the Trade f

Michael Raj entered the trade over 25 years ago. A taciturn, l unassuming man, he is one of hundreds of men who ply their d

carts through the streets on a daily basis to earn an income g

of Rs. 1500-2000 a day. ‘I start work in the mornings around q j 7, what it do is mostly carrying out the purchase orders of

| my clients from outside Colombo, I load their goods onto |

G trucks and lorries and make sure they get there safely’. The Gwf;Nfhl;il mobile phone has been a huge boon to his income ‘before I w got my cellphone, I mostly worked for local traders, loading f;Nfh l and unloading their goods, now I can maintain networks across the country and work for clients without them having to be here’. ;

For a Rainy Day i Michael never married, and lives with his mother’s younger sister, to whose family he contributes a share of his l

earnings. He doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, and tries to save at least a quarter of his daily income for when he can no longer work.

The Natami are the lifeblood of Pettah Old Moor Street | Pettah mrK uqj¾ ùÈh | msgfldgqj CMBCMB 52 Michael Raj gioa %u ; njU> | eP ttah Streets of Pettah 11 52 1 1 P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH Lifeblood of Pettah T The Natami evolved as an organic response to the congested A

streets of Pettah where vehicles are not a feasible option for H

transporting goods. These men, with their narrow carts and | |

loud voices form a sophisticated goods transport network. m The Natami are the lifeblood of Pettah. msgfldgqj s g

Tricks of the Trade f

Michael Raj entered the trade over 25 years ago. A taciturn, l unassuming man, he is one of hundreds of men who ply their d

carts through the streets on a daily basis to earn an income g

of Rs. 1500-2000 a day. ‘I start work in the mornings around q j 7, what it do is mostly carrying out the purchase orders of

| my clients from outside Colombo, I load their goods onto |

For a Rainy Day i Michael never married, and lives with his mother’s younger sister, to whose family he contributes a share of his l

earnings. He doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, and tries to save at least a quarter of his daily income for when he can no longer work.

The Natami are the lifeblood of Pettah Old Moor Street | Pettah mrK uqj¾ ùÈh | msgfldgqj CMBCMB Michael Raj gioa %u ; njU> | eP ttah Streets of Pettah 111 1 The Natami are the lifeblood of Pettah P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T Sea Street IN PETTAH Sea Street has always been the place for the jewellery and T gold traders. It used to be along the sea, which is where the A name comes from. In Sinhala and Tamil the street is called H

Chettiartheru street, after the South Indian traders from | Chettiar in Tamil Nadu who settled here hundreds of years |

m ago. msgfldgqj s 3rd Generation g

Lalitha’s was started 60 years ago by my grandfather who f

then passed it down to my father who passed it down to me, l and I hope my son will join in the business too. I started d

going into the store when I was 10 years old serving drinks g and wiping the tables and so I have a close relationship with q the staff. In most Pettah shops, employees and customers j

are multigenerational. One of our craftsmen works here | |

because his grandfather worked with us till he was 80 years G old. Customers come into the shop and tell us their Gwf;Nfhl;il grandmother’s ears were pierced here. w f;Nfh l Culture of Trust Here in Pettah different communities and ethnicities do business. Everything in Pettah operates on trust and loyalty. It may look like chaos but it has an ingrained and intangible system that holds it all together. Everything is so close,

everyone knows each other. Commerce deﬁnitely brings ; i people together. l

About Change We evolve as a business but we keep our traditional culture and personality. Likewise, I hope Pettah develops but retains its character and its vibrant, energetic vibe. Pettah may look like chaos but it has an ingrained and intangible system that holds it all together Sea Street | Pettah Sellakumar Kandasamy CMBCMB 54 uyq ÿq ùohs | mgs fldgjq 3rd generation owner . Lalitha Jewellers fly ; njU | eP ttah 11 54 1 1 The Natami are the lifeblood of Pettah P PETTAH

Chettiartheru street, after the South Indian traders from | Chettiar in Tamil Nadu who settled here hundreds of years |

m ago. msgfldgqj s 3rd Generation g

Lalitha’s was started 60 years ago by my grandfather who f

then passed it down to my father who passed it down to me, l and I hope my son will join in the business too. I started d

going into the store when I was 10 years old serving drinks g and wiping the tables and so I have a close relationship with q the staff. In most Pettah shops, employees and customers j

are multigenerational. One of our craftsmen works here | |

everyone knows each other. Commerce deﬁnitely brings ; i people together. l

About Change We evolve as a business but we keep our traditional culture and personality. Likewise, I hope Pettah develops but retains its character and its vibrant, energetic vibe. Pettah may look like chaos but it has an ingrained and intangible system that holds it all together Sea Street | Pettah Sellakumar Kandasamy uyq ÿq ùohs | mgs fldgjq CMBCMB 3rd generation owner . Lalitha Jewellers fly ; njU | eP ttah 111 1 Pettah may look like chaos but it has an ingrained and intangible system that holds it all together P PETTAH

This is what locals love E

Flower Power T IN PETTAH Chandrakumar, 44, is an immigrant from the hill country who T

came to Pettah, at the young age of 16, right after his A O-Level exams to ﬁnd work. He has now been selling ﬂowers to Kovil goers at Sea Street for 20 years. ‘My father did the H

same business in Gampola’ he says, happy that he has | |

managed to follow in his father’s footsteps. He now supports m his family of 4 children with his work. msgfldgqj s Big Bomb g Chandrakumar ﬁrst began selling fruits and vegetables on f

Main Street, but after an LTTE bomb destroyed his shack he l relocated to start his trade in ﬂowers. Trade ﬂourished for d

many years, but of late has slowed down. “Many Tamils from g

the North took refuge here during the years of the war, in q those days kovils were always crowded, and there was j

constant demand for ﬂowers and coconuts for use in |

activities of worship.” G Gwf;Nfhl;il

Trade to Celebrate w

“This business is tough, ﬂowers can’t be stored for long, and f;Nfh l we have to sell them as soon as we possibly can after they arrive in the trucks and lorries that also bring vegetables and fruits to Pettah” he says. But there is still enough demand to enable Chandrakumar and his colleagues to eke out a living. Business booms during the Ther festivals, especially in April ; during the New Year celebrations and in September, when i the ancient Kathiresan Kovil of Sea Street is the city hotspot for religious festivities. l

Many Tamils took refuge here during the war years, in those days kovils were always crowded and there was constant demand for flowers and coconuts Sea Street Kovil | Pettah CMBCMB 56 Chandrakumar uyq ÿq ùohs fldúa , k¾s ud;D| mgs fldgjq Owner . Garland Shop fly ; njU Nfhapy ; | eP ttah 11 56 1 1 Pettah may look like chaos but it has an ingrained and intangible system that holds it all together P PETTAH

This is what locals love E

Flower Power T IN PETTAH Chandrakumar, 44, is an immigrant from the hill country who T

came to Pettah, at the young age of 16, right after his A O-Level exams to ﬁnd work. He has now been selling ﬂowers to Kovil goers at Sea Street for 20 years. ‘My father did the H

same business in Gampola’ he says, happy that he has | |

managed to follow in his father’s footsteps. He now supports m his family of 4 children with his work. msgfldgqj s Big Bomb g Chandrakumar ﬁrst began selling fruits and vegetables on f

Main Street, but after an LTTE bomb destroyed his shack he l relocated to start his trade in ﬂowers. Trade ﬂourished for d

many years, but of late has slowed down. “Many Tamils from g

the North took refuge here during the years of the war, in q those days kovils were always crowded, and there was j

constant demand for ﬂowers and coconuts for use in |

activities of worship.” G Gwf;Nfhl;il

Trade to Celebrate w

Many Tamils took refuge here during the war years, in those days kovils were always crowded and there was constant demand for flowers and coconuts Sea Street Kovil | Pettah CMBCMB Chandrakumar uyq ÿq ùohs fldúa , k¾s ud;D| mgs fldgjq Owner . Garland Shop fly ; njU Nfhapy ; | eP ttah 111 1 P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH T

Pettah Fairy A

As a product designer I get super inspired by Pettah. It is a H place where you can ﬁnd anything and also really cheap.

Spend 200 rupee in Colombo and you ﬁnd it for 50 rupee | |

here in Pettah. In the ofﬁce they even call me the Pettah m fairy. msgfldgqj s g Order in Chaos When I was young I used to change buses at the Pettah bus f stop for school. Back then I found it chaotic and intimidating l

and made my mother accompany me. Later,when I travelled d to Uni by myself, was when I opened my eyes and saw there g q

was order in the chaos. Now I go there all the time. People j are really friendly and always willing to help.

| |

Finding Treasures Gwf;Nfhl;il I often end up buying things that I never knew I needed. My w current favourite place is Keyzer Street where they sell all the batik sarongs and saris. It’s also a good place to stock f;Nfh l up on 100% natural cotton or silk fabric. Insider Tip Don’t be afraid to get lost. Plus, you need to walk fast. When you hear ‘side, side’ be prepared to jump out of the way for ; a tuk or cart. I hope that they can improve the i infrastructure, if it rains it gets really damp. But everything else should stay exactly the same. The vibrant chaos is what l

Pettah is all about. Take that away and it will lose its identity.

The vibrant chaos is what Pettah is all about Maliban Street | Pettah ue,ns k A ùohs | mgs fldgjq take that away and it will lose its identity nkypgd ; njU ; | eP ttah CMBCMB 58 Amir Inthizam Product Designer . Colombo Design Studio 11 58 1 1 P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH T

Pettah Fairy A

As a product designer I get super inspired by Pettah. It is a H place where you can ﬁnd anything and also really cheap.

Spend 200 rupee in Colombo and you ﬁnd it for 50 rupee | |

and made my mother accompany me. Later,when I travelled d to Uni by myself, was when I opened my eyes and saw there g q

was order in the chaos. Now I go there all the time. People j are really friendly and always willing to help.

| |

Pettah is all about. Take that away and it will lose its identity.

The vibrant chaos is what Pettah is all about Maliban Street | Pettah ue,ns k A ùohs | mgs fldgjq take that away and it will lose its identity nkypgd ; njU ; | eP ttah Amir Inthizam CMBCMB Product Designer . Colombo Design Studio 111 1 P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH T Celebrity Natami A

Manikku, 48, is somewhat of a celebrity in Pettah, some H might even call him a legend. No stranger to the limelight,

Manikku, a natami by profession has already made several | |

appearances on national TV and is becoming a well-known m msgfldgqj face on social media, as increasing numbers of travelers s seek him out in the Old Town Hall marketplace. Most people g

know him as MGR, the late, famous Sri Lankan born South f

Indian actor he models his life around. After watching one of l MGR movie’s he decided to model himself along the personality of his adopted god. d g

For the Love of People j Posing for the camera has become a well-oiled routine for

| MGR, he sets up his natami cart in a prominent location, and |

G then strikes practiced poses, bringing into poetic fusion the Gwf;Nfhl;il

dual images of street laborer and silver-screen demigod. w

‘They call me the millionaire natami’ says Manikku, adding f;Nfh l that his primary goal is to cultivate the love of people. Daily Battle When Manikku ﬁrst arrived in Pettah more than 30 years ago at age 16, natamis were plenty. With warehouses and factories being moved their numbers have reduced. He ; takes pride in his profession, insisting that it allows him to i

be his own man ‘I like this job because it makes me feel l free, there is no need to sign in or out from work, nor

report to anyone. It’s still a struggle though the life we lead is like ﬁghting a war, every day is a battle that must be won’.

They call me the millionaire natami Old Town Hall Marketplace | Pettah mrK gjkq a fyd,a a fj<|ie, | mgs fldgjq CMBCMB 60 Manikku AKA MGR gioa efu kzl; g rei; j ,lk ;; | eP ttah Natami/MGR impersonator 11 60 1 1 P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH T Celebrity Natami A

Manikku, 48, is somewhat of a celebrity in Pettah, some H might even call him a legend. No stranger to the limelight,

Manikku, a natami by profession has already made several | |

appearances on national TV and is becoming a well-known m msgfldgqj face on social media, as increasing numbers of travelers s seek him out in the Old Town Hall marketplace. Most people g

know him as MGR, the late, famous Sri Lankan born South f

Indian actor he models his life around. After watching one of l MGR movie’s he decided to model himself along the personality of his adopted god. d g

For the Love of People j Posing for the camera has become a well-oiled routine for

| MGR, he sets up his natami cart in a prominent location, and |

G then strikes practiced poses, bringing into poetic fusion the Gwf;Nfhl;il

dual images of street laborer and silver-screen demigod. w

be his own man ‘I like this job because it makes me feel l free, there is no need to sign in or out from work, nor

report to anyone. It’s still a struggle though the life we lead is like ﬁghting a war, every day is a battle that must be won’.

They call me the millionaire natami Old Town Hall Marketplace | Pettah mrK gjkq a fyd,a a fj<|ie, | mgs fldgjq CMBCMB Manikku AKA MGR gioa efu kzl; g rei; j ,lk ;; | eP ttah Natami/MGR impersonator 111 1 They call me the millionaire natami P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH T Wartime Heydays A Gaddaﬁ Traders was the ﬁrst place to open up for business H

in the Town Hall marketplace, shortly after the ethnic riots | that wreaked havoc in Colombo in the month of July of 1983. |

m When Mohammed Akram took over the business from his msgfldgqj

father, Pettah was in the middle of its wartime heydays. He s recalls how they used to double and even triple their income g by selling to clients in the North and the East. These areas f

were cut off by the LTTE and goods from the South weren’t l

allowed in. Trade would occur largely in a clandestine d

manner. g q Changing Times j

Akram laments the recent changes that have seen the area’s | |

many other big markets being moved to the suburbs of G Colombo. “When the ﬁsh market was still around, I used to Gwf;Nfhl;il open up my shop at 7 am and sell cane baskets which are w

used to carry ﬁsh. By 9 am when my employees arrive, I’d f;Nfh l have already made about 3,000 rupees.” Family Business Gaddaﬁ Traders are purveyors of traditionally manufactured household items. Akram employs artisans from all over the ;

country, and says with pride that over 3,000 people live off i the business he provides for them. The family’s business relationships are so strong they are cross-generational: “My l

most reliable customers are the children of his father’s clients, themselves having taken over their family businesses.” Business relationships here are cross-generational Old Town Hall Marketplace | Pettah most of my customers are children mrK gjkq a fyd,a a fj<|ie, | mgs fldgjq of my father’s clients gioa efu kzl; g rei; j ,lk ;; | eP ttah CMBCMB 62 Mohammed Akram 2nd Generation Owner . Gaddafi Traders 11 62 1 1 They call me the millionaire natami P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH T Wartime Heydays A Gaddaﬁ Traders was the ﬁrst place to open up for business H

in the Town Hall marketplace, shortly after the ethnic riots | that wreaked havoc in Colombo in the month of July of 1983. |

m When Mohammed Akram took over the business from his msgfldgqj

father, Pettah was in the middle of its wartime heydays. He s recalls how they used to double and even triple their income g by selling to clients in the North and the East. These areas f

were cut off by the LTTE and goods from the South weren’t l

allowed in. Trade would occur largely in a clandestine d

manner. g q Changing Times j

Akram laments the recent changes that have seen the area’s | |

many other big markets being moved to the suburbs of G Colombo. “When the ﬁsh market was still around, I used to Gwf;Nfhl;il open up my shop at 7 am and sell cane baskets which are w

country, and says with pride that over 3,000 people live off i the business he provides for them. The family’s business relationships are so strong they are cross-generational: “My l

most reliable customers are the children of his father’s clients, themselves having taken over their family businesses.” Business relationships here are cross-generational Old Town Hall Marketplace | Pettah most of my customers are children mrK gjkq a fyd,a a fj<|ie, | mgs fldgjq of my father’s clients gioa efu kzl; g rei; j ,lk ;; | eP ttah Mohammed Akram CMBCMB 2nd Generation Owner . Gaddafi Traders 111 1 P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH T A

Pocket Money H

Abdul Hakim (16) and Mohammed Arafat Mohammed Yunus | (17) both live in Maligawatte, a crowded neighborhood not |

m far from Pettah. Hakim comes to Pettah to earn some msgfldgqj

pocket money working for traders in Pettah, while Yunus, s who left school when he was nine years old, has just started g to work here on a regular basis. f l Down Time d

After he left school, Yunus says that all he did for eight years g was watch television, sleep and play football with his friends. q “Both my parents were abroad for work, and I was brought j

up by my grandmother and aunts, when I refused to go to | |

school early on, they didn’t object.” He seems to have no G regrets at his short-lived academic career however, and Gwf;Nfhl;il seems to enjoy work in Pettah. ”I get paid about 500 rupees w

a day, all I have to do is to attend to customers at the shop f;Nfh l and I don’t really have a lot of heavy lifting to do.” Making a Living They enjoy the various foods of Pettah. “Elite Hotel serves up some delicious roti kuruma, you should deﬁnitely try ;

some.” For most urban kids from these areas, work in Pettah i is a common way to avoid the trap of crime and drugs,

enabling them to make a living in the process. Most of them l

start as early as 14, the minimum legal age for employment.

For many Colombo kids, work in Old Moor Street | Pettah Pettah is the way to avoid the mrK ujq ¾ ùÈh | mgs fldgjq trap of crime and drugs gioa %u ; njU> | eP ttah CMBCMB 64 Hakim and Yusuf Shop Helpers 11 64 1 1 P PETTAH

This is what locals love E T

IN PETTAH T A

Pocket Money H

Abdul Hakim (16) and Mohammed Arafat Mohammed Yunus | (17) both live in Maligawatte, a crowded neighborhood not |

m far from Pettah. Hakim comes to Pettah to earn some msgfldgqj

pocket money working for traders in Pettah, while Yunus, s who left school when he was nine years old, has just started g to work here on a regular basis. f l Down Time d

After he left school, Yunus says that all he did for eight years g was watch television, sleep and play football with his friends. q “Both my parents were abroad for work, and I was brought j

up by my grandmother and aunts, when I refused to go to | |

school early on, they didn’t object.” He seems to have no G regrets at his short-lived academic career however, and Gwf;Nfhl;il seems to enjoy work in Pettah. ”I get paid about 500 rupees w

some.” For most urban kids from these areas, work in Pettah i is a common way to avoid the trap of crime and drugs,

enabling them to make a living in the process. Most of them l

start as early as 14, the minimum legal age for employment.

For many Colombo kids, work in Old Moor Street | Pettah Pettah is the way to avoid the mrK ujq ¾ ùÈh | mgs fldgjq trap of crime and drugs gioa %u ; njU> | eP ttah Hakim and Yusuf CMBCMB Shop Helpers 111 1 PETTAH CINNAMON GARDENS

| msgfldgqj | fld

Gwf;Nfhl;il |

fWthj;Njhl;lk;

CMB CMB 66 CINNAMON GARDENS11 07 eco-friendly lifestyle hub CINNAMON GARDENS | fld

| | 07 PETTAH msgfldgqj Gwf;Nfhl;il 11 CMB eco-friendly lifestyle hub lifestyle eco-friendly GARDENS CINNAMON CINNAMON ,yq;if KOtjpYk; cs;s midj;J re;ijaplq;fSf;Fk; jha; epiyakhf fhzg;gLtJ Gwf;Nfhl;ilahFk;. thbf;ifahsu;fspd; vz;zq;fSf;Nfw;g rhjhuzkhf> kpfTk; tpiuthf kw;Wk; ,yhgfukhdjhf Njitahd vg;nghUspidAk; ngw;Wf;nfhs;sf;$ba Ebay vDk; ,izaj;jpid mbg;gilahff;nfhz;l re;ij epiyaj;- jpid capNuhl;lKila Njhw;wj;jpy; ,q;F cq;fshy; mDgtpj;Jf;nfhs;s KbAk;. gy;NtWgl;l kf;fs; tifapdUf;Fk; cupa re;ij fyg;Gld; $ba neupry; kpf;f kw;Wk; Xa;tw;w Gwf;Nfhl;il re;ij tPjpfSf;Fs; EioAk; cq;fSf;F njhiyj;n- jhlu;G rhjdq;fs;> ghjzpfs;> Mil mzpfyd;fs;> MAjq;fs;> fz;zhbfs;> kuf;fwpfs;> thridj;jputpaq;fs;> cNyhf nghUl;fs;> gazg; nghjpfs; Nghd;w cq;fSf;F Njitahd ve;jnthU nghUspidAk; Njitf;Nfw;w tifapy; Nji- tahd tbtpy; kw;Wk; mstpy; Njbf;nfhs;s KbAk;. kpfTk; ftdkhf Njbg;ghu;- j;jhy; fiyeaj;Jldhd fiyg;nghUl;fs; Nghd;W iffshy; tbtikf;fg;gl;l jq;f Mguzq;fs; tiuahd midj;jpidAk; kpfTk; Fiwe;j tpiyapy; ngw;Wf;nfhs;s cq;fSf;F tha;g;G cz;ikahd Urp> kzk; kw;Wk; rj;jk; Nghd;wtw;wpidAk; mDgtpj;J mt;tho;f;if Kiwapid tiuaWj;jtz;zk; elf;Fk; NghJ Urpahd ,sePupidAk; &rpj;- Jf;nfhs;tjw;F kwf;f Ntz;lhk;. mikj;Jj;jug;gl;Ls;sJ. mjpf rd neupriyg; Nghd;Nw Nghl;bj;jd;ikAldhd efu tho;f;ifapd; cz;ikahd Urp> kzk; kw;Wk; rj;jk; Nghd;wtw;wpidAk; mDgtpj;J mt;tho;f;if Kiwapid tiuaWj;jtz;zk; elf;Fk; NghJ Urpahd ,sePupidAk; &rpj;Jf;nfhs;tjw;F kwf;f Ntz;lhk;.

CINNAMON GARDENS eco-friendly lifestyle hub

Once a cinnamon plantation, this gloriously leafy neighbourhood is the city’s playground and green lifestyle hub. Colombo locals love to gather at the many cricket pitches, go for a jog in the park or a pick nick under the giant banyan trees. Along the wide boulevards you find the major monuments, museums and embassies but also some of the city’s leading art galleries, most innovative eateries, and one-of-a-kind shops. Don’t leave without stocking up on local produce at Colombo first sustainable shopping destination: the Good Market. w;S;fha oS l=reòq j.dìula f,iska mej;s fuu yß; j¾K N+ñ m%foaYh wojk úg fld

68 ,yq;if KOtjpYk; cs;s midj;J re;ijaplq;fSf;Fk; jha; epiyakhf fhzg;gLtJ Gwf;Nfhl;ilahFk;. thbf;ifahsu;fspd; vz;zq;fSf;Nfw;g rhjhuzkhf> kpfTk; tpiuthf kw;Wk; ,yhgfukhdjhf Njitahd vg;nghUspidAk; ngw;Wf;nfhs;sf;$ba Ebay vDk; ,izaj;jpid mbg;gilahff;nfhz;l re;ij epiyaj;- jpid capNuhl;lKila Njhw;wj;jpy; ,q;F cq;fshy; mDgtpj;Jf;nfhs;s KbAk;. gy;NtWgl;l kf;fs; tifapdUf;Fk; cupa re;ij fyg;Gld; $ba neupry; kpf;f kw;Wk; Xa;tw;w Gwf;Nfhl;il re;ij tPjpfSf;Fs; EioAk; cq;fSf;F njhiyj;n- jhlu;G rhjdq;fs;> ghjzpfs;> Mil mzpfyd;fs;> MAjq;fs;> fz;zhbfs;> kuf;fwpfs;> thridj;jputpaq;fs;> cNyhf nghUl;fs;> gazg; nghjpfs; Nghd;w cq;fSf;F Njitahd ve;jnthU nghUspidAk; Njitf;Nfw;w tifapy; Nji- tahd tbtpy; kw;Wk; mstpy; Njbf;nfhs;s KbAk;. kpfTk; ftdkhf Njbg;ghu;- j;jhy; fiyeaj;Jldhd fiyg;nghUl;fs; Nghd;W iffshy; tbtikf;fg;gl;l jq;f Mguzq;fs; tiuahd midj;jpidAk; kpfTk; Fiwe;j tpiyapy; ngw;Wf;nfhs;s cq;fSf;F tha;g;G cz;ikahd Urp> kzk; kw;Wk; rj;jk; Nghd;wtw;wpidAk; mDgtpj;J mt;tho;f;if Kiwapid tiuaWj;jtz;zk; elf;Fk; NghJ Urpahd ,sePupidAk; &rpj;- Jf;nfhs;tjw;F kwf;f Ntz;lhk;. mikj;Jj;jug;gl;Ls;sJ. mjpf rd neupriyg; Nghd;Nw Nghl;bj;jd;ikAldhd efu tho;f;ifapd; cz;ikahd Urp> kzk; kw;Wk; rj;jk; Nghd;wtw;wpidAk; mDgtpj;J mt;tho;f;if Kiwapid tiuaWj;jtz;zk; elf;Fk; NghJ Urpahd ,sePupidAk; &rpj;Jf;nfhs;tjw;F kwf;f Ntz;lhk;.

CINNAMON GARDENS eco-friendly lifestyle hub

A Good Market A IN CINNAMON GARDENS I’m from Kandy originally, but schooled and worked in M Colombo and the UK. Me and my friend Amanda have been O friends for 13 years. Inspired by farmer’s markets in other N

places, we felt the time was right to introduce a new G A economic system to Sri Lanka. One that has a mission of an R

NGO but runs as a business capitalising on the opportunities D

at hand. E N

People & Planet S There are so many farmers in this country with wonderful | |

produce and craftsman with great love and skill, but they’re fld

Market is a curated market. l r Social Revolution = e

I believe when you want to start a revolution, you should ` o j

come up with something that has the potential to become a q

trend. We started in 2012 with one market and 32 vendors, ; ;

which then became a regular Saturday market at the a racecourse and in 2014 we opened a permanent outlet here

| |

at the old storerooms of Lakpahana. We also operate the

fWthj;Njhl;lk; Good Market Platform selling ethical and all-natural Sri f

Lankan products to a global market. W t Green Hub h

What I like about this neighbourhood is that it is green and j N spacious. People come here to relax, exercise and do yoga in ; the park. I hope for Cinnamon Gardens to become a j destination for sustainable living and Ayurvedic wellness in h l

the country. l ; k

I hope for Cinnamon Gardens to ; become a destination for sustainable living in the country Achala Samaradiwakara Good Market | Cinnamon Gardens CMBCMB 70 .=â ud¾lÜys ks¾ud;D | l=re÷j;a; 07 Co-founder & Director . Good Market Fl ; khfl ; | fWthjN; jhll; k; 70 07 CINNAMON GARDENS C I This is what locals love N N

places, we felt the time was right to introduce a new G A economic system to Sri Lanka. One that has a mission of an R

NGO but runs as a business capitalising on the opportunities D

at hand. E N

People & Planet S There are so many farmers in this country with wonderful | |

produce and craftsman with great love and skill, but they’re fld

Market is a curated market. l r Social Revolution = e

I believe when you want to start a revolution, you should ` o j

come up with something that has the potential to become a q

trend. We started in 2012 with one market and 32 vendors, ; ;

which then became a regular Saturday market at the a racecourse and in 2014 we opened a permanent outlet here

| |

at the old storerooms of Lakpahana. We also operate the

fWthj;Njhl;lk; Good Market Platform selling ethical and all-natural Sri f

Lankan products to a global market. W t Green Hub h

the country. l ; k

I hope for Cinnamon Gardens to ; become a destination for sustainable living in the country Achala Samaradiwakara Good Market | Cinnamon Gardens CMBCMB .=â ud¾lÜys ks¾ud;D | l=re÷j;a; 07 Co-founder & Director . Good Market Fl ; khfl ; | fWthjN; jhll; k; 07 CINNAMON GARDENS C I This is what locals love N Big Family N Growing up in Cinnamon Gardens, our whole family lived in A one house. Even today grandmother, uncles, aunties and M

IN CINNAMON GARDENS O cousins all live in the same street here at the top of N

Gregory’s Road. G A Royal College R

I schooled at Royal, it was just a 10-minute walk away. There D

are more than 8,500 kids in that school so you grow up with E kids from either all sides of the spectrum, from wealthy N families to students whose parents farmers from Batticaloa. S

| You’re in it together so you learn to appreciate the little, the |

fld

Complex Game d Rugby allows you to build lifelong friendships. You start < playing at the age of 6 and from there it all leads up to the U

Bradby Shield, the longest uninterrupted rugby match in the world played every year between Royal and Trinity College in l r Kandy. As many as 15,000 people come and watch that game. = e ` o j Rugby Academy q

Together with my best friend Bilal, we started the Rugby ; ;

Academy. We coach kids from age of 3-12. We teach them a the rules of the game and we toughen them up a bit, but

| |

more than anything we have fun together playing sport. It’s

fWthj;Njhl;lk; heart-warming to see kids still kicking a ball around on the f

pitch, long after the training has ended. W t Safe & Green h

Growing up here it was always safe. As kids we were cycling j N the streets and on curfew nights we’d play cricket on the ; empty roads. My favourite place is Viharamahadevi Park at j 5am. I go there to run, it’s so pretty and quiet. h l l ; k

At Royal, you’re in it together ; you learn to appreciate the little, the big and everything in between CMBCMB 72 Ashik Bari Rugby School | Cinnamon Gardens Coach . The Rugby School mdi, | l=re÷j;a; 07 ufg; p | fWthjN; jhll; k; 72 07 B

CINNAMON GARDENS || fld

l r y S o d e . A n n g a y A f o o h l C | a e r p i i y r n y a e i y Sc y emy tr i

i n t o t-w n t l d p . I g | e t h, l i b s b w w d d r e & G ’r e h db m r

p ya p gb yi rl c g g e h a a u n o o eg m g u a ; c g F e s e ru g e m m t o g a a o ds f o u o r r r af u r u a i i l c n a e o i r f o o h h a u mdi, b Y S G p B R T A t C R I s Bi G R o c a f w K em 5 k G t m h p R Ashik Bari Ashik Coach . The Rugby SchoolCoach . The Rugby At Royal, you’re in it together it in you’re At Royal, you learn to appreciate the little, the appreciate to learn you the big and everything in between in everything and big the This is what locals love love what locals is This GARDENS CINNAMON IN CINNAMON GARDENS C I This is what locals love N N

Creative Hive A Lionel Wendt Centre was Colombo’s ﬁrst real theatre. This M

IN CINNAMON GARDENS O place was a hive of creative activity. It was a place for the arts in the wide sense of the word; from drama to poetry, N

from sculptures to concerts. The heart of the place was G A upstairs in the Art Centre Club, where I became a member R

at 16 years old. Here creative people, artists and other D

like-minded liberal progressive people met, discussed and E argued about everything from art to religion to politics. We N S

also created a lot of stuff, in those days we would stage four | plays every year. |

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Sense of Place l

Here in Cinnamon Gardens lives the legacy of Lionel Wendt, d one of the country’s most brilliant photographers and < pioneer of Sri Lankan modern art. Lionel was outspokenly U

gay and incredibly liberal for the time: 1930’s. He was also l very respected in Colombo society. After his death in 1944 r =

his friend and fellow artist Harold Peiris wanted to create a e ` place in his memory, a place for all to enjoy and to freely o j express and exchange ideas, and so he did. It was an oasis of q liberalism in a traditional society. Some brilliant minds came ; ; to fruition here. a

| |

Lost Soul fWthj;Njhl;lk; Times changed when the upstairs Art Centre Club was f closed and turned into a gallery space. It was like the soul of W the place died, the artistic spirit of creative expression. My t

hope is for the soul to return to the building, for the Art h Centre Club to be reinstated. No man should be on an j N ;

island. j h l l ; k

; An oasis of liberalism in a traditional society Guildford Crescent | Cinnamon Gardens ,hk,a fjkagâ l,d uOHia:dkh | l=re÷j;a; CMBCMB 74 Rohan Ponniah fpyl; /; Nghul; ; fpnunrzl; ; | fWthjN; jhll; k; Actor . Lionel Wendt Centre for the Arts 07 74 07 B

CINNAMON GARDENS || fld

l o t o l i . N o v i | v n a e l a h p u s i m a . Th l i

n t e p r , a c r d r t l e f m e w n t s s j r v s p o h e e a o e ; a t o i N s a c o s h r s l u a t c s t H v t r , i j d t b a t e n i i b n h e s a l l f e Cl l s a e s Co s t t i ff o f t e u e n t g f e :dk a a t d a t s a e c gr a o m u s tr i h r n d r r i n t W n i t o e o a g o n n r e l o r r t e i H r r e o f o h o n m , a p i n t b s

e w g t ei n f s s m i t y e c | a t | Ci l t ’ w a i e y n n l p r r ; f c

tr y k e a u n r o o c d a ; a e t Ce l y l d i e l o e r t o n Ga n n h l e o l e r n Co r a tr h . e o o v . c e z b e e r e o s t c n i n , t e s . H s r e v a c d i e em x b d wh e o b r e s m u i d r l,d uO i n i La d e A d e d r t e e a d f e u l i a u h r o e e iv e â t h u u n g i p n r d a l n dt Ce b t n a tr t d l d e g c a s m f y ye o n c r t e n n l i f S u d t s o e p n ; e e c

t r n t k e w a n h l f Pl s a h n b o r d Cr e u n ; e H d a l d e d a p h e r h j h a o u a i c h s n o n r o s i v sm i e s a f n h o cu i s f d i t i r g n Ci r a e Cl . e d a e f t e l s i l W i tiv d a e o l i N n n t s c a d df e e e a e e i e w a r s ; e tr s e / t S e i l r e e i t r ru i n y r ; n u n s y c c l m s s i s e n n r o c s e o e y a r e-m e p a t g o a a a s f y o o m s p o l e e o i l l l n op i p xp i t 16 ye a l r r b k e h o f r s f Gu i i ,hk,a p a l t e u v h p a f a l o g p a p Ti L S H cl Cr L t h Ce i Rohan Ponniah Ponniah Rohan traditional society traditional An oasis of liberalism in a in liberalism of An oasis Actor . Lionel Wendt Centre for the Arts the Centre for Wendt Actor . Lionel This is what locals love love what locals is This GARDENS CINNAMON IN CINNAMON GARDENS C I This is what locals love N Home of the Arts N I studied photography abroad. When I came back to Sri A IN CINNAMON GARDENS Lanka in 1977 Harry Pieris asked me become a trustee. He did M not marry or have children and left everything he had to the O Foundation. All the paintings here are from Harry’s original N

collection. This house is his legacy. It was the home of the G A much coveted ‘43 group, who carved the face of Sri Lankan R

contemporary art. D E

Sapumal Flower N Harry was a person of simple elegance. He was content with S

what he had. He was passionate about the arts and loved |

fld

dining room. He didn’t like eating out “that is no good l

because that food is not cooked with love.” d <

Timeless Elegance U

Here we have a marvellous art collection in unpretentious surroundings. Some small cottages with delightful and l r comfortable clutter of odd pieces of furniture, books, = e ` photographs, paintings and other memories collected over a o j lifetime. What I feel in his house and in his presence is an q atmosphere of timeless gentility and ﬁneness. Students, ; ; tourists and even factory workers from around the country a

come here, they all feel at home. | |

fWthj;Njhl;lk; Skyscraper City f The neighbourhood is busier now than it used to be, but the W

house has not changed, except the garden. Harry loved t

gardening and looked after it much better than we do now. h j N ; j h l l ; k

What I feel in his house ; is an atmosphere of

timeless gentility and fineness Barnes Place | Cinnamon Gardens Rohan De Soysa Ldkaia ia:dkh | l=re÷j;a; CMBCMB 76 ghu;d;]; gpuNjRk; | fWthjN; jhll; k; 07 Chairman & Trustee . Sapumal Foundation 76 07 B

CINNAMON GARDENS || fld

o n t t e m e c y m o e o n | h i r rr i t n f r h o o e t s r = y a gr a o a e w i e u r e d av o l t h d h s h e o f t w l v i r e l y a t c t t I f d ‘43 gr . So e A h d l | , p ega u o u t f . H r e a m e | Ci a

s 7 H o o . H e r h s r C n h o e cl a a d o t 7 g c e o h , t l h h d e h r e av n. Al m r a h e b a n 9 e n b p i s n o l Fl f t y o s a p o n. Th s El v e o g a r p a i a a e w d a a p . W o e h o n o d p a t t :dk gh a e t e h rr i i n 1 e h s a n r e r es s Pl s a p e t gr i a t n i l m ei e o u

s a o e c u d c e h g r s o . W a i em y w m e e h h c d i e u t h o i o t s a s i t n a n e e w n k d r m c d t i l u a r r y p c rr o u t m n m mf l e n u k n r rr t u o m m e n o d e a i a e h k i o o o o o o t a o f u o o i ghu;d;]; gpuNjRk; Ba L wh f d b a t c c S Th T H S H H I s n s p g La F l h c mu c Rohan De Soysa Rohan is an atmosphere of of atmosphere an is What I feel in his house house his in I feel What timeless gentility and fineness and gentility timeless Chairman & Trustee . Sapumal Foundation . Sapumal & Trustee Chairman This is what locals love love what locals is This GARDENS CINNAMON IN What I feel in his house is an atmosphere of timeless gentility and fineness CINNAMON GARDENS C I This is what locals love N An Idea was Born N A IN CINNAMON GARDENS I lived most my life in England and the idea for Kumbuk Café M was born in university as a ﬁnal project for my advertising O

degree. I never thought that it would materialise into an N

actual business. G A

Coming Home R

I moved to Sri Lanka four years ago because my parents and D

younger sister had moved back. I missed my family and my E home. My mum has always been a passionate cook, we N S

started selling organic food at the Good Market. When we | heard that Prana Lounge on Horton Place was looking for a |

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Natural Goodness U

The idea is simple, to use locally sourced ingredients to

create honest, wholesome, hearty food. We try to be at the l r

forefront of sustainable and eco-friendly products and bring =

that awareness to Sri Lanka and our customers, for example e ` by not using plastic straws. o j q

Mum & Me ; ; My mum and me are very close. Of course, there are times a

that we disagree, but we work well together and try to ﬁnd a |

balance between being at work and home. We have just fWthj;Njhl;lk; f opened our second café, it shares the same philosophy but W has a more loungy ambience. t

Pace of Life h I love the pace of life in Sri Lanka: it is slower and more fun. I j N ;

love this area, it’s green and quiet with so many tucked away j

alleys. I hope for more small eateries and other creative h

spots to pop up around here, like workshops for ceramic l l painting or textile printing. ; k

I love this area, ; it’s green and quiet with so many tucked away alleys Horton Place | Cinnamon Gardens fNdargka ia:dkh | l=re÷j;a; CMBCMB 78 Shana & Dinali Dandeniya `hu;ld; gpuNjRk; | fWthjN; jhll; k; Founders . Kumbuk Café & Plus Nine Four 07 78 07 B

CINNAMON GARDENS || fld

i r es n d m n a y a rn | g n f l f l t e a , b c o S h s gr e p e w e i a l n b

r g n o l t r m a Lo s e a | i . v e a t’ l e e n s p c

i p a d a t o n s r t e s t , wh l e o u e u , w x e m h n i La a s , i r h t s o g o e m r m r r c i e | Ci o e a s gr e e e v e e f n e p o o d m i t a o f s c tw as Bo a e g p e r s n t my l l e n t e h i n u s l n op u r :dkh s a a r t e l e s t P n s s n u i a i o S e s op i r e y mu i a r r o o t o s u e p

n i a l G h t f Lif o g H a a i s a e h a w r s n . I n r o p t g o i h d t e b m a a d o k e d i n Pl e n d s e w e e o o n . M l b h t u . I h r c e i e h e i g r o d g e d m e d t s t a s t e v d t o e o n e t t n t r r t n y m & M e a t a t w m u r o v tu a n r ef e w e t c s b e m a l i e i s a m t v u o e a a e r u v v a o Nda o o y mu a i l a n I a a y n egr a e o r c l t p h h o f o o `hu;ld; gpuNjRk; H l F&B op h s yo h t b l Pa I l M M N Th t a C I m A I l d c s w f p a b op h

I love this area, area, this I love it’s green and quiet quiet and green it’s is an atmosphere of of atmosphere an is What I feel in his house house his in I feel What Shana & Dinali Dandeniya & Dinali Shana timeless gentility and fineness and gentility timeless Founders . Kumbuk Café & Plus Nine Four Nine Café & Plus . Kumbuk Founders with so many tucked away alleys alleys away tucked many so with This is what locals love love what locals is This GARDENS CINNAMON IN C CINNAMON GARDENS I This is what locals love N Friendship N We started Bunk Yard with ﬁve friends. I quit my corporate A M

IN CINNAMON GARDENS job to do something I love. It took 2 years from the O

conception to open the hostel, in 2016. N

Eco Friendly G A We always knew we wanted an eco-friendly themed hotsel. R

All the benches, tables, decorations are made from recycled D

material. The wooden dining table and lamp ﬁxtures are E made from the old railway lines. Our walls are like a blank N S

canvas, we invite artistic guests to leave their mark. | |

f Best of Colombo fld

The best thing about running a hostel is that you get to meet l

so many new people from so many different countries. We d also love showing people the best of this city we love and < U grew up in. It is a melting pot and is deﬁnitely the best place

for food and drink in the country. Here you get to taste the l old and the new. r = e ` Location of Choice o j The big sprawling houses, tree lined roads and gardens are q what make Cinnamon Gardens a truly special area in the city. ; ; Sri Lanka still is a conservative society, for example a place a

selling alcohol cannot exist within 100 metres of a temple or | |

a school. But, slowly things start changing and you see f pockets of activity with nightlife, entertainment and the arts. fWthj;Njhl;lk; W t h j N ; j

Guildford Crescent | Cinnamon Gardens h l

,hk,a fjkagâ l,d uOHia:dkh l=re÷j;a; l | ;

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The big sprwaling houses, tree lined ; roads and gardens are what makes it a truly special area in the city CMBCMB 80 Revan & Kiran Bunkyard Hostel 07 80 07 B

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o h p k n o k h c d Cr e i e . Bu . Th y ; e l l a o t t l o s l t r j t e s u a i y n o f C s o a r d a s k h p i r , w a o v f o r t p g s d t i n ds g s o e a i ti n o o e b r g a e e n N lw a t a o d n e f o df a t m t o h ; e h n k / c l i w u i e t d ; a c o F l l c o l c n e b e b i nv l r f i La e e s e a a a l t b t d a s y p c o o r l a o l r e o m o o f Gu ,hk,a s a s p L Th Th Bes f wh F W E W j s a gr o S c Al m m c Bunkyard Hostel Bunkyard Revan & Kiran Revan it a truly special area in the city the in area special a truly it roads and gardens are what makes what makes are gardens and roads The big sprwaling houses, tree lined lined tree houses, sprwaling big The This is what locals love love what locals is This GARDENS CINNAMON IN C CINNAMON GARDENS I

This is what locals love N N

Art & Society A IN CINNAMON GARDENS Kumara, an artist who sells his work on Green Path is a great M believer in the humanising effects of art. Which is perhaps O why the 37-year-old has taken up a job teaching art in his N

hometown of Kurunegala. “If you’re well versed in the arts, G A you’re naturally more sensitive to the environment you live in. Take art away from a society and people’s capacity to feel R D

for others is greatly reduced. Where there is art, there is real E

human development, both physically, socially and N

spiritually”, he says. S

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Kumara’s passion is in painting. His watercolour cityscapes l and landscapes are popular (Rs. 2,000-3,000 a piece). He d has a keen eye for serenity in the chaotic hustle and bustle < of city life: “I do enjoy all my paintings, but my preferred U

genre is abstract expressionism. It’s where I pour my soul and get to really speak my mind as an artist.” l r = e `

Open Air Gallery o j Kumara and his fellow artists have found the perfect place to q

sell and showcase their work. They prefer the term ‘Open Air ; ; Gallery.’ “Everyone knows Green Path is famous for its art. a

This neighbourhood is packed with art and culture – there is | |

the University of Arts nearby, the Colombo Art Gallery to one f side, and the Nelum Pokuna theatre on the top of the road. fWthj;Njhl;lk; It’s also centrally located. This is the perfect spot, and it’s W

been this way for 15 years,” says Kumara. t h j N ; j h l l ; k

This neighbourhood is packed ; with art and culture

it’s the perfect spot Green Path | Cinnamon Gardens CMBCMB 82 Thejana Roshan Kumara .%Ska md¾; | l=re÷j;a; Artist & Teacher . Green Path gri; r ghij | fWthjN; jhll; k; 07 82 07 B

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j e: “I d e y i s w y i e e r a l f o s p i w d t gh l , a ’ i ; i t ds v r i .’ “E e s a e t t e 3 i h i h o e a n a a a a a d s o c ¾ y n e ei t h g d n d r r r e k h n y l n P n s u n e n r v a t n A

l e i t e a a a a t m e , a i n t e e i e r ’r

a e l i s n y t e r l a e r l t & S e l m m m m m s a k i nr d l d g u i ; l i e U r o k S % r s a d r e e e r a f c u o u u u e n n e p i h o t’ n. Ta . g G h h yo i f s s Ga Th t b I s Op K K S A K b a h o wh g a with art and culture culture and art with it’s the perfect the spot it’s Artist & Teacher . Green Path Artist & Teacher Thejana Roshan Kumara Roshan Thejana This neighbourhood is packed is neighbourhood This This is what locals love love what locals is This GARDENS CINNAMON IN CINNAMON GARDENS C I

This is what locals love N N

A Place for the People A

IN CINNAMON GARDENS Vijaya Raja from Gampola has been working at the popular M

Raheema restaurant on Thurstan Road for 30 years. As O

someone who oversees the day-to-day operations of one of N

the busiest ‘saivar’ restaurants in Colombo, Raja says he G A doesn’t really know much about the people in the area. “We get all sorts coming here, and there’s no telling where R they’re from.” D E N

School Days S However, he does know the kids who went to school in | |

Colombo 7. “So many old Royalists and Thurstanites come fld

All Walks of Life l r One thing Raja likes about the restaurant is its welcoming =

nature – for people from all walks of life. “This is a Muslim e ` o j

restaurant, but we get Muslims, Sinhalese, Tamils and q

everyone else coming here to try our biriyani, parata and ; ;

kottu. We get people from various backgrounds, and there is a no shortage of rich people either,” he says.

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Thurstanites still come here for ; an ‘after school’ parata just like when they were kids Thurstan Road | Cinnamon Gardens ;¾iagka udj; | l=re÷j;a; CMBCMB 84 Vijaya Raja i; agka udj ; | fWthjN; jhll; k; Worker . Raheema Restaurant 07 84 07 B

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’ .” e f o a k v c h l s t o e o e – f . W u u em l e n a m a R s r yo ’r e g a a o u e h u r-s a s e c r k y r o e s y t u i t q i e t l w e h g l e h r u t t a t a m e l W s e b e t j ¾ e n o a c a o o i e a o s v e f o o e h h r ; Th ; n h f a p d r e t g n R s t k Al O S H A Pl V Co i Vijaya Raja Worker . Raheema Restaurant Worker an ‘after school’ parata school’ ‘after an So many old Royalists and and Royalists old So many just like when they were kids were they when like just Thurstanites still come here for for here come still Thurstanites This is what locals love love what locals is This GARDENS CINNAMON IN Chathura Sampath - Photographer Chathura has been phenomenal in tackling much of the on-site photography. His go-to place is Galle Face. He just About the Contributors loves the Nana's food, nothing beats a spicy veggie Kothu with an ice-cold Elephant Ginger Beer.

Chamari Pitigala - Layout Designer Chamari is a graphic designer with a background in interior design. In her spare times she enjoys painting, reading, and watching the latest Shyanne Bahar - Photography Team Coordinator Marvel movies to hit the cinema.Travelling in Sri Lanka is a passion of Shyanne was invaluable behind-the-scenes. The place Shyanne hers, the places to explore are never ending. mostly hangs out is Park Street Mews, cause of its ambiance, @chapatiportugal and the fact that she gets to perform every Saturday at the Curve and indulge herself in music all night long.

Halik Azeez - Copywriter Pettah & Fort Halik is a visual artist and writer who uses everyday life on the streets of Sri Lanka as his inspiration. He loves photography, writing, reading and travel. For Halik, walking the streets and accepting the Razia Esufally - Project Coordinator unexpected is how he prefers to spend his days. Razia was the one who made this project happen, always with a @Colombedouin smile on her face. She loves learning about different people’s stories, reading, anything water related and Xena – her dog.

Himal Kotelawala - Copywriter Cinnamon Gardens Himal Kotelawala is a writer and journalist. He covers politics and culture for the Himal Southasian, but his articles have also appeared Neesha Fernando - Illustrator Cinnamon Gardens in the New York Times and Daily FT. His hobbies include travelling Neesha loved drawing cartoons as a child but never dreamt when he can afford it and writing when he isn't doing it for a living. this would be a career. She is now one of Colombo’s most His favourite place in Colombo is anywhere with decent WiFi sought-after graphic designers. @himalkk behancenet/neeshafernando

Nadeesha Paulis - Copywriter Slave Island Nadeesha is a writer who wanted to move away from the rat race and find fulfilling work outside the corporate cubicles. Following her passion as a sustainable traveller and dancer, she now writes and Mika Tennekoon - Illustrator Fort Mika is a carefree and creative spirit inspired by deep cultural finds peace in meditation. Her favourite thing to do in Colombo is traditions of her country. She’s most happy wherever there’s dancing on Street Latin Nights. sun & surf. @NadeeshaPaulis mikaten.blogspot.com

Kesara Ratnavibhushana - Lead Photographer Kesara has been documenting cities for close to 20 years. His photographic practice is based in Colombo but he also works Ruwangi Amarasinghe - Illustrator Pettah Ruwangi is a wanderer and wonderer. Her vibrant and colourful internationally. His hometown is changing, rapidly, sometimes faster style brilliantly captures Pettah’s buzzing energy. than even Kesara - a quick adaptor - can keep track of. He spends @roobixcube hours walking the streets, recording its history and urban reality. kesaraphotography.com

Lahiru Perera - Photographer Firi Rahman - Illustrator Slave Island Lahiru artfully handled photography and much of painstaking post Firi Rahman is an artist who lives and works in Slave Island. He production. He is a fan of Galle Face. He loves walking around with his captures the uniqueness of place in his conceptual cartography 86 camera, and just relaxing and capturing moments of the atmosphere and ink pen drawings. Firi loves to wander, photograph abandoned around him. places, and learn the stories of forgotten corners. @iﬁri Chathura Sampath - Photographer Chathura has been phenomenal in tackling much of the on-site photography. His go-to place is Galle Face. He just About the Contributors loves the Nana's food, nothing beats a spicy veggie Kothu with an ice-cold Elephant Ginger Beer.

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