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| Sunday, 6 November 2005 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Miridiya Lodge, the cynosure in Anuradhapura From Elmo Leonard in Anuradhapura Galway Miridiya Lodge, Anuradhapura, a 40-room hotel nestles in a picturesque landscape which has been developed over the 34-year lifetime of this hospitality unit. This property adjoins the Nuwara Wewa (ancient irrigation water body), adding to its glamour. Miridiya Lodge is overbooked for the winter season, from end-November to April. But, Anuradhapura has just a few hotels to lure tourists. Anuradhapura is speckled with ancient ruins, in different stages of restoration in an environment of forest and wasteland. The towering Abayagiriya dagoba built by King Walagamba in 89 BC was under restoration. But much of Anuradhapura's past remains underground, according to renowned archaeologist Dr Shiran Deraniyagala. If the authorities want to develop tourism in this ancient capital, more hotels must be built and concurrently, Anuradhapura's archaeology must be brought to light. With the existing facilities, tourists to Anuradhapura remain just as long as it takes to go around the unearthed ruins. Anuradhapura is reputed to have been the capital of Sri Lanka for over 1,000 years. History says that this city was Lanka's capital from the 4th Century BC, but, Dr Deraniyagala has said that around 600 to 700 BC, Anuradhapura was already a city. Also that it was one of the earliest and finest of South Asian metropolises which existed. It is chronicled that the ancient city (now identified as a world heritage site) was a model of planning. Could the city be restored, as Pompeii has? Miridiya Lodge, Anuradhapura's first hotel was taken over by the Galway group seven years ago. Galway has another hotel, Galway Forest, in Nuwara Eliya. Galway's gallant effort to keep tourists in Anuradhapura includes 40 airconditioned rooms. There is cricket, badminton, volleyball, waterpolo, carrom, darts and chess. The hotel organises excursions to historic sites, The Sri Maha Bodhi or the tree, which is a sapling from the Banyan tree under which aspirant Buddha attained enlightenment, to Isurumuniya and beyond. The hotel also organises excursions to Mihintale, the cradle of Buddhism, seven miles away, Polonnaruwa, which succeeded Anuradhapura - 135 miles away and Sigiriya the rock fortress, 66 miles afar. There are 32 varieties of birds in Anuradhapura, according to Miridiya manager, Anton Perera. The Spanish lounge, where weddings, seminars, conferences and workshops are held can accommodate 200 pax. ########## Women go places in Cathay Pacific 'Drive and Fly' The recently concluded "Drive and Fly" competition conducted by Cathay Pacific Airways proved that when it comes to taking risks, women definitely have an edge over the "stronger sex." The month-long competition gave listeners to SUN FM the option of answering three questions which gave winners the opportunity of flying Cathay Pacific Airways Business Class to Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong. Answering the first question correctly gave the caller an economy class ticket to the destination of his or her choice, the second question doubled the prize to two economy class tickets, and going up to the third rung upgraded two tickets to Business Class Travel. However, missing out on the third question meant losing one ticket. While all the male callers opted to stop at the second tier, taking their two Economy Class tickets and not risking losing one in case the third question proved to be too tough for them to answer correctly, the only three winners who chose to take this risk losing one ticket and go for the third tier were three women callers who had picked up their Cathay Pacific car stickers from the Keells Supermarkets -Ruha Samarasinghe, Radhika Jayasundera and Cuckoo Mushin won the top prize of two Business Class tickets. Ruha Samarasinghe, the first woman caller to go through right to the top, plans to visit Singapore, before Christmas-around December 16 or 17,taking along her two daughters aged 15 and 10. Radhika Jayasundara, a Relationship Manager with the Citibank in Colombo, said "Girls Power in Colombo is alive and well adding it was exiting to hear my car number called out, dial up and get through at the first go." The third winner was Cuckoo Mushin, a career woman. A theatre and drama person, Cuckoo specialises in communication and fine tuning speech. |
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