Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Sri Lanka Foundation (slday.com); TheGuardian.com
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| Sri Lankan beauties walk around Pasadena in traditionally colorful garb (slday.com). |
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| Climate change causes deadly floods in Sri Lanka, 100,000 displaced (theguardian.com) |
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| Sri Lanka Day is on Saturday, July 15, 2017 in the City of Pasadena (slday.com) |
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| Ancient artificial bridge to India |
[Sinhalese] Sri
Lankans often refer to themselves as “Lions” or “The Lion Nation.” One of
the reasons they do so is due to the obvious lion symbol on the
country’s flag. [A better reason is that
sinha means lion, and other non-Buddhist people on the island call themselves Tamil tigers, infamous for their separatist inclinations.]
- Sri Lanka ("Sacred Land") is famous as a citadel of early Buddhist teachings preserved in the Pali language from India and Scythia (Gandhara and northwestern hinterlands around Afghanistan where the Buddha was born and first promulgated the Dharma). Sri Lankan Buddhists, in their recorded history called the Mahavamsa or "Great Chronicles" speak of coming from that land by boat to settle Sri Lanka. They are not Dravidians from South India like the neighboring Tamils of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state in India.
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| Thousands of years of Buddhism |
The other reason is less known but much more meaningful.
The lion has frequently been linked to words such as courageous and
proud. The Sri Lanka Foundation is a foundation dedicated to the
preservation of Sri Lankan culture. It strives to exhibit courage and
pride in their charitable work and events.
One
of the foundation’s most significant events is “
Sri Lanka Day.” Every
year the foundation works diligently to bring the sights, tastes, colors,
and the general feel of Sri Lanka to spectators who gather in one location
from all over California.
- (The Guardian, May 28, 2017) Landslides and floods in Sri Lanka have killed at least 151 people and the country faces the risk of more mudslides as torrential rains [from global climate change] continue. More than 100 people are still missing after the worst rains in the
Indian Ocean island since 2003. The state-run National Building Research
Organization warned people in seven out of the country’s 25 districts
on Sunday to evacuate from unstable slopes if rains continued for the
next 24 hours. More
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| Last year in Pasadena for the second year in a row was a great time with delicious food. |
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| Massive Buddha in Sri Lanka |
It is an annual celebration and tribute to the
culture and heritage of the Sri Lankan people. In coordinating the
event the foundation seeks to inform the public about their country and
its customs. The foundation also aspires to bring generations of Sri
Lankans together as a community, to pass along history from one
generation to another. The event will take all who attend on a short
trip to Sri Lanka through traditional foods, music, dances, art, and
theater.
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| Colorful costumes of an island culture |
Attendees hear the echo of handmade drums each with
its unique tone. They experience a visual feast of vibrant
island costumes, colorful clothing, and ornate jewelry. Participants explore
the sweets, spices, and aromas of curries and traditional foods while being
captivated by dancers and performers.
Children and adults alike revel in the Kandy Parade (
Perahera), the famous Sri Lankan spectacle that features
theater elephants the size of real elephants. And all of these experiences
can be enjoyed without ever leaving California.
In
previous years “Sri Lanka Day” has attracted more than 100,000
visitors. The 2015 SL Day was special because it was the first
year the event was held in the City of Pasadena. It was also the first
year the foundation sponsored its own dance troupe to perform. Every
year the foundation works harder to reach new heights...
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