The Kandy Esala Perahera also known as The Festival of the Tooth is a festival held in July and August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This historical procession is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, which is housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. A unique symbol of Sri Lanka, the procession consists of traditional local dances such as fire-dances, whip-danc garments. The festival ends with the traditional diya-kepeema ritual, a water cutting ceremony which is held at the Mahaweli River at Getambe, Kandy..
Basnayake Shalith Malinda Warnapura, or Malinda Warnapura, is a former professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played in 14 Test matches and three One Day Internationals. He is a left-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler. He is the current coach of St Peter's College, Colombo. He is the nephew of former Sri Lankan cricket captain Bandula Warnapura and the cousin of cricketer Madawa Warnapura.
The Ministry of Defence is the cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for implementation of government defence policy and acts as the overall headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.
The Gal Vihara, also known as Gal Viharaya and originally as the Uttararama, is a rock temple of the Buddha situated in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. It was fashioned in the 12th century by Parakramabahu I. The central feature of the temple is four rock relief statues of the Buddha, which have been carved into the face of a large granitic rock. The images consist of a large seated figure, another smaller seated figure inside an artificial cavern, a standing figure and a reclining figure. These are considered to be some of the best examples of ancient Sinhalese sculpting and carving arts, and have made the Gal Vihara the most visited monument at Polonnaruwa.
Neranjan Priyadarshana Dullewe Wijeyeratne is a Sri Lankan. He was Diyawadana Nilame of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy for 20 years from 1985 to 2005. Wijeyeratne was former United National Party politician and ex chief organiser for the Galagedara Electorate in Kandy District and former Leader of the Opposition in the Kandy Municipal Council.
Lascarins is a term used in Sri Lanka to identify indigenous soldiers who fought for the Portuguese during the Portuguese era (1505–1658) and continued to serve as colonial soldiers until the 1930s. The lascarins played a crucial role not only in the colonial armies, but also in the success of the campaigns of the local kingdoms.
The Polonnaruwa Vatadage is an ancient structure dating back to the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa of Sri Lanka. It is believed to have been built during the reign of Parakramabahu I to hold the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha or during the reign of Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa to hold the alms bowl used by the Buddha. Both these venerated relics would have given the structure a great significance and importance at the time. Located within the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, it is the best preserved example of a vatadage in the country, and has been described as the "ultimate development" of this type of architecture. Abandoned for several centuries, excavation work at the Polonnaruwa Vatadage began in 1903.
Shasheendra Kumara Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan politician. He is a Member of Sri Lankan Parliament for Monaragala District and current State Minister of Paddy and Cereals, Organic Food, Vegetables, Fruits, Chilies, Onions and Potatoes, Seed Production and High Tech Agriculture.
Stanley Wijesundera was a Sri Lankan academic. A professor of Chemistry, he was the first vice chancellor of the University of Colombo from 1979 to 1989 and was the chairman of the Association of Commonwealth Universities from 1983 to 1984.
Sinha Basnayake, PC is a Sri Lankan lawyer. He was a former Director of the General Legal Division of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs and a member of the Internal Justice Council.
Deshamanya Edwin Loku Bandara Hurulle was a Sri Lankan Member of Parliament, diplomat and Provincial Governor who served as Cabinet Minister of Communications in Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake's Government and Cabinet Minister of Cultural Affairs under President J. R. Jayewardene's Government. He was also Sri Lanka High Commissioner to Australia, Governor, Central Province and North Central Province.
Wijewardena Seneviratne Panditha Abeykoon Bandaranayake Wahala Mudiyanselage Harris Leuke Ratwatte was a Ceylonese legislator. He was a member of the State Council of Ceylon, Parliament and the Senate of Ceylon. Ratwatte was award the title of Dissawa by the British Governor of Ceylon and was elected as the Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy.
Clifford Senaka Ratwatte was a Sri Lankan politician. He was a former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, Food, Co-operatives and Fisheries in 1964 Member of Parliament for Balangoda, Chairman of the State Plantations Corporation and the Sri Lanka Tea Board.
Hema Henry Basnayake, QC was the 31st Chief Justice of Ceylon as well as the 29th Attorney General and 16th Solicitor General. He was appointed in 1956 succeeding acting Chellappah Nagalingam and was Chief Justice until 1964.
Kanchana Wijesekera is a Sri Lankan politician who is a member of parliament for Matara District. He is the son of former Cabinet Minister Mahinda Wijesekara.
Mahendra Ratwatte was a Sri Lankan politician and former Mayor of Kandy, from 2011 to 2015. He is the current Basnayake Nilame of Sri Maha Vishnu Devalaya of Kandy & Dedi Munda Devalaya of Aluthnuwara.
Carlo Fonseka was a Sri Lankan physician, academic and political activist. He is a former dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya and a former president of the Sri Lanka Medical Council.
Basnayake Mudiyanselage Sugandika Manel Kumari, known as Sugandika Kumari, is a Sri Lankan cricketer who plays for Sri Lanka's women's cricket team. She made her One Day International (ODI) debut against Pakistan on 11 January 2015.
Ukku Banda Unamboowe was a Ceylonese politician.
Wilfred Abeyratne Ratwatte was a Ceylonese politician.
