Exploring Sri Lanka for 25 years

It was only the other day that we read that ‘Newsweek’ will stop their print edition at the end of this year. That is 80 years after it started publishing as a weekly news magazine and built up a substantial readership.

“The final print edition of the weekly current affairs magazine will hit newsstands on 31 December. The move was not unexpected given both the macro changes affecting the magazine industry and, more specifically, the comments made in July by Newsweek’s owner Barry Diller, head of IAC/Interactive Corp, about the expense of producing a print magazine,” said a Reuters news report.

In Sri Lanka, journals and magazines come and go ever so often. Rarely that one survives for a long period. ‘Explore Sri Lanka,’ the popular monthly belongs to that rare category. It celebrated 25 years in May this year. To have carried on without a break for quarter of a century is indeed a creditable performance in our country.

Among my first collections is the first issue of ‘Explore Sri Lanka’ released in May 1987. A simple cover featured a picture of the Buddha statue in the Wewurukannala temple down South taken by Fred Malvenna, renowned photographer who founded Photo Technica. Being Vesak month, it was appropriate to have a cover picture with a Buddhist touch.

The journal started by Continental Resort Ltd., Hong Kong was aimed at tourists to Sri Lanka. R.D. Tuttle was the Managing Editor. “We welcome you to Sri Lanka, as undoubtedly many a smiling face already has. Make the most of your stay in the Land of Serendip. Explore Sri Lanka!” the first editorial said.

Elaborating on what the magazine would offer, the editorial said: “Explore Sri Lanka will feature pictorial accounts of Sri Lankans’ lives, their lands, and their legends, guidance to travellers, from walking tours to getting about town, and the rules and customs of the road.”

Nalin Wijesekera wrote on ‘A walking tour of Colombo,’ Kalpana Issac on ‘The healing masks of Sri Lanka,’ Lucien Rajakarunanayake on ‘The living temples of Anuradhapura,’ Florence Ratwatte on ‘Vesak’ and ‘Beach holidays with a bonus,’ Maureen Seneviratne on ‘Coconut – Tree of life,’ and Rita Sebastian on the National Museum. There were articles on food and several restaurants were featured. There were featured on tea, gems, astrology and other topics of interest to a visitor.

The first issue was in black and white. Only the advertisements were in colour. The articles were illustrated with black and white photographs.

Over the years ‘Explore Sri Lanka’ has come a long way. Today it’s a classy magazine in colour from beginning to end. The large number of advertisements obviously helped its survival and a large number of readers (including myself) and corporates continue to get a copy free every month.

It is now published by BT Options (Pvt) Ltd – a Sri Lankan outfit headed by the energetic Managing Director Mathi K. Parthipan. Incidentally, he was in the sales team when the magazine as launched in 1987.

During the past two and a half decades, ‘Explore Sri Lanka’ has moulded a whole new generation of writers, photographers and graphic artists giving an opportunity for youngsters to display their talent. The magazine keeps up to the original ideals even though it’s no easy task picking on topics of varying interests month after month. Mathi and his team have managed to keep the momentum going.

The colour photographs and the get up of the magazine makes one think twice about getting rid of it. But having a full collection for a long period becomes a problem. As for my copies, I collect and gift them to a school in Matale run by a niece of mine. The students make full use of them.