Children and youth drama festival

Scenes from the plays

The children and youth drama festival organised by Parakrama Niriella, Somalatha Subasinghe, Yashodara Sarathchandra, and Kusumsiri Liyanaarachchi will be staged at the Lumbini theatre from December 13 to 15 at 3.30 p.m. and 6.45 p.m.

Dangaya saha punchi Andare directed by Yashodara Sarathchandra and Kusumsiri Liyanaarachchi will be staged on December 13 Parakrama Niriella's Horu awilla and Dev lowa gamana on December 14 and Somalatha Subasinghe's Hima Kumariya on December 15.

Artist Rabindranath Tagore and Pilgrimages to the East

T.B Ekanayake, Minister for Cultural Affairs and Arts, inaugurated the exhibition "Artist Rabindranath Tagore" that features the facsimile copies of Tagore paintings from the collection of Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.

The exhibition titled "Pilgrimages to the East" comprising photographs on the travels of Tagore to the eastern countries including Ceylon (Sri Lanka) is also inaugurated by the Minister at J.D.A Perera Gallery, 46 Horton Place, Colombo-7 on December 2.

Minister T.B.Ekanayake with Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha.

H.E. Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India delivered the introductory address. In his address Ashok K. Kantha highlighted the multifaceted contribution of Tagore to the world through literature, songs, music, educational institutions and his personal interactions with intellectuals of all over the world.

Minister T.B Ekanayake in his speech pointed out the relationship of Tagore with Sri Lanka and the resulted rejuvenation in the field of cultural activity in the country. The Minister remembered that Tagore laid the foundation stone to the Sri Palee College at Horana when he visited Sri Lanka in 1934.

He also pointed out that at the age of 63 Tagore ventured into painting and there also he excelled and emerged as a very important painter in the field of modern Indian painting and the immense importance of the exhibitions to the artists and art lovers of Sri Lanka.

Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo has organised the two exhibitions as part of its celebrations of 150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranth Tagore.

The exhibition "Artist Rabindranth Tagore" contains 45 works of art which he did using pen, ink and water colours.

The paintings clearly show how Tagore as a writer could extend his visual imagination manipulating the tonal range of colours and values of lines.