|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 8 December 2002 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
December is the month of celebrations : festive glow by Vimukthi Fernando
It is here... The month you await for, a whole year through. The crisp air brings a certain lightness to your step... sending you down memory lane... memories of many such months in the past... Yes, it is in the air... vibrance, colour, festivity... the joy... as you make many preparations in anticipation of the festivities. December, the month of festivity. It has been so, during the Roman empire with the grand festival of Saturnalia... To the Westerners, it brought Yultide, to be celebrated in true Nordic fashion. The advent of Christ, celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace, has given the world another reason to enhance the traditional festivity attached to the month of December...
It is the time for fun and frolic, a time to give and a time to get... A time where you mingle and sometimes compete with those crowds on busy streets, shopping malls and sidewalks cramped up with vendors trying to outcry each other in their quest to attract clients. Time for fashion and creativity, where catwalks shimmer with belles draped in glamorous clothing and where every nook and corner gets a new look with tinsel, decorative lights, stars, angels, ribbons, holly leaves snow and what not. Where hoteliers come out announcing their plans for the grinds event of the year - celebrations on December 31, awaiting the dawn of a new year. And this year, with the prospect of peace giving a cheerful lilt to the atmosphere, Colombo is all ablaze... with festivity and festive lights, depicting the exuberance of the season. The streets are decorated with a melange of lights, buntings, flags and chirpy Santas enhancing the sense of festivity. So are the roadside shops, malls and supermarkets, thronged with shoppers searching for those perfect Christmas gifts and those looking for that perfect outfit to celebrate Eid. December was declared a month of festivity in Sri Lanka by the Minister of Interior and Christian Affairs, John Amaratunga last week when he inaugurated the Colombo Street Lights Project for the festive month. And it certainly is.
Not only in Sri Lanka, but also largely in the Western continents. Even in some countries in the Asian continent, such as Singapore and Malaysia. Though it is still early days for the city to reach its festival peak, the 'Sunday Observer' visited the streets to get a glimpse of its magnificence by night. Our first stop was the 'Christmas Street' known as Duplication Road during ordinary days. The Liberty Plaza roundabout where a pandal welcomes shoppers to the 'Christmas Street' is a flood of colour with the supermarket bathed in light and the roundabout displaying finely lit Christmas Trees. We entered the street amidst a slight drizzle, which soon became a heavy downpour. But, it does not dull the attraction of the illuminations. Strings of light hang up in the air, illuminating the road in true oriental fashion, letting one pass through a passage of light as though in some magical wonderland. Many a shop has begun keeping their doors open 24 hours for the convenience of shoppers during the season. And down Christmas Street, crowds were seen enjoying these bonus shopping hours. We encircle the Lipton Circus, which is a blaze of light with a huge Christmas Tree shaped lighting sponsored by Odel. The streets also decorated with matching red and green - the theme colours of the season and purple, the colour the sponsors have selected to brighten their shop this Christmas. The Odel shop was a sight to behold bathed in the floodlights of different shades of purple. Another decorated area was Kotahena. The streets leading away from the centre were lit in similar fashion to the Christmas Street. And most fascinating was the city centre, with many a commercial establishments and hotels displaying a kaleidoscope of lights - brightening the night sky. The time for merry makers in general - a time for tourists, shoppers and holiday makers, the City Lights Project in Colombo will, besides creating an atmosphere of festivity, build a sense of peace and harmony amongst the visitors when "people of all walks of life will feel free to move about without any inhibitions", say officials of the Ministry of Interior and Christian Affairs, the organisers of the project. Lighting up the streets helps build Sri Lanka's image as a safe and secure country. "Now that we are into peace-building - with free movement of people - sans barriers in Colombo or anywhere else, it will give a feeling of security". The declaration of the festivity month and lighting the streets will also provide "an opportunity for everyone to enjoy themselves", be it on the colourfully lit roads, brightly decorated malls or five star hotels. There are also different entertainment spots at parks and public areas offering Christmas carols, dance and drama recitals, musical shows and so on. Vihara Mahadevi Park, Town Hall, Galle Face Green are some of the venues where such events are scheduled to take place. The underprivileged children are not forgotten either. A 3 day long "party" is arranged for them at the Vihara Maha Devi Park. The festivities are scheduled to close with a grand finale - a musical show at Galle Face Green with a memorable fireworks display from the barges in the sea. The 'Sunday Observer', speaking to a cross section of the public and the business sector received varied reactions to this glamour and glitter. While young crowds welcomed the 'lights' with wonderment and saw it as the ideal opportunity to "stay out for longer periods during the festive season" the older men and women looked at it from a more practical perspective. Lack of relevant infrastructure was the question which hampered the glitter of the festive season for these adults. "How many buses ply on these roads, even down Galle Road after 10 p.m.? Also, can you see one policeman even on the road, at that time?" questioned Ashoka De Silva, a 30 year old Advertising Executive running home to his family. "Will the people like us who run home by 5.00 or 6.00 p.m. comeback to the city again, spending another one or two hours travelling? Before lighting up the city, there should be relevant infrastructure. We have to go towards the goal of enhancing Colombo's night life systematically, making the environment gradually say, about in a year or two. It is useless to create a night-life haphazardly only during the festive season. Colombo city should be planned properly before anything else", he said. Marina, a 39 year old Sales Executive working in Colombo questioned as to the affordability of the project. "What would the cost of lighting be, and can we afford this and not have power cuts in the future?" she questioned. "Perhaps we should light up some strategic points such as Galle Face Green, where people converge. But, who is going to go there in the night, people do not have enough public transport. If they can make money out of it - it is well and good but otherwise, it is an utter waste of money." However, the hoteliers and businessmen welcome the move. "It is time that Sri Lankans feel proud of their cities", said Chandra Mohotti, General Manager, Galadari Hotel, comparing Colombo with major cities in the world. "What if the lights on Big Ben or Thames are switched off? London will instantly become a dead city. Insecurity was one reason hampering visitor arrivals in Colombo", he explained. All major vibrant cities in the world are lit up in the night. And lighting of Colombo, "not only creates a sense of security in people, but will lead to a night economy propelling work on 2 or 3 shifts and will boost relevant infrastructure such as transport, entertainment, food and so on", he opined. Further, it will affect the hotel trade "very positively, with foreigners opting to stay longer periods in the city". Running parallel to the programs coordinated by the Ministry, a series of events are also organised at the hotels and mercantile establishments. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
