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Tuesday, May 04, 2010 - 09.40 GMT |
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‘Sri Lanka Culture Week’ in Kuwait concludes |
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“Sri Lanka Culture Week”, the first of its kind in Kuwait, was held from 26th April – 02nd May 2010 jointly hosted by the Embassy of Sri Lanka and the National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters.
The Culture Week was officially inaugurated on 26th April 2010 at the Keifan Auditorium by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, Minister of Information & Oil, accompanied by the Secretary General of the Council Sheikh Bader Al-Rifai, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Kuwait Sarath Dissanayake, Manager Sri Lankan Airlines Mr. Lalith Peiris and Mr. Chandana Wickramasinghe, Director of the Chandana Wickramasinghe & the Dancers’ Guild.
Secretary General of the National Council Sheikh Al –Rifai said, “we in Kuwait are privileged to see many cultures represented by its nationals who resided in Kuwait over many decades, giving our society such a ‘colorful’ diversity of culture”.
“It’s true that modern Kuwaiti-Sri Lankan relations only date back to 1971, but it is equally true that our mutual cooperation and friendly relations are deep-rooted in history,” he added.
“Kuwaiti ships used to have its major ports in old Ceylon; historically known in Arabic as the Island of Sarandeeb, where beside goods traded, culture was exchanged as well,” he stressed.
Ambassador Dissanayake appreciated the invaluable support and commitment of the Minister of Information & Oil, Secretary General of the National Council and his dedicated staff, toward the success of the celebrations. He was grateful to the people of Kuwait for their abiding interest and enthusiasm in Sri Lankan culture, heritage, music etc. which serve as a bridge and a means of communication that help bring countries and peoples closer to each other. He welcomed all those present to the Sri Lankan Culture Week and appreciated their contribution for the promotion of a greater understanding and cooperation between the two countries and their peoples.
Over 35 Ambassadors and their spouses attended the inauguration ceremony.
The “Sri Lak Rangana” Cultural extravaganza was put-on stage by a 28-member cultural troupe featuring a combination of traditional dances, fusion acts, contemporary and modern forms of performances while an orchestra entertained the audience with live music, modern & classical songs.
During the culture week celebrations an exhibition of handicrafts, textiles & garments, masks, decorative items, ornaments etc. was held parallel to the main cultural performances. The stalls attracted large crowds who have admired Sri Lanka’s beauty, diversity and richness.
A Sri Lankan food festival was inaugurated on 28th April at the Crowne Plaza Hotel which lured many Kuwaitis and expats to taste Sri Lanka’s unique cuisine and dishes which were specially prepared by Sri Lankan chefs from Crowne Plaza hotel. The Chief Guest of the occasion was Ambassador Mohammad Al-Roumi, Director of Asia Department in the Foreign Ministry.
The finale of the culture week on 02nd May has been a wonderful experience for the ladies of the International Women’s Group (IWG) who converged on the SAS hotel for a presentation by the renowned designer Ms. Sonali Dharmawardene on the title “Batik, Lifestyles & Role of Sri Lankan Women”. The lecture cum presentation was a stunning display of her talents in the art of Batik and fashion industry of Sri Lanka, Mrs. Dharmawardana also made a presentation at the Kuwait Textile Art Association on her work to a group of high profile ladies which were well appreciated.
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