Sinhala and Hindu New Year celebrated in the

Casino City of USA

by Nimal Sedera

Las Vegas, in the USA is no doubt the most entertaining city in the world. Around four hundred Sri Lankan reside here doing various types of jobs and living happy.

Yet they wished to have entertainment in the village way during the Sinhala and the Hindu New Year time. On the 14th of April the Sri Lankan gathered at a public park in Las Vegs to celebrate the New Year. The special focus was the children of whom many have yet never visited Sri Lanka.

Around three hundred Sri Lankans were there and the event began with the singing of the Sri Lankan and the American national anthems and the lighting of the oil lamp.

Many items were on the program for the adults, youth and the kids. The most popular was the tug war as usual. Kids enjoyed the lime and spoon races, the gunny bag race and the bun eating races.Excellent food arrangements made the event a success.

Kiribath, embulthiyal and katta sambal, kokis, kevum, konda kevum, ahas mee, aluwa, vade and a variety of eastern and western short eats were on the table throughout the function.

Pictures taken at the event and also some names of the organising Committee. Strangely, it was a muslim couple in the lead. Mohamed jalal and his wife azar were the key people. Mr. Douglas Perera, Daya Gamage, Bulathsinhala. Viran Gooawardane, Viraj Tennakoon and Jayantha Wickrematilake were key men in the team.Nimal Sedara was invited to make the main address at this function.