Laksala Museum Gallery Café and Ape Gama under the spotlight during CHOGM

Wednesday, 18 December 2013 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Laksala Museum Gallery Cafe and Ape Gama were important stop-overs for the spouses of the CHOGM dignitaries during the recently concluded Commonwealth conference held in Colombo. The spouses who arrived at the Laksala Gallery Cafe after a strenuous site-seeing tour in Colombo sought relaxation amidst the quietude of the traditional Sri Lankan arts and crafts. They were impressed by the quality of the products and the craftsmanship displayed by local artisans in carving intricate designs into those artifacts.

The VIP Room, which is reserved for high-profile customers allowed the spouses to savor the atmosphere of the outlet, while basking in the comfort and elegance it offers. The Spouses indulged themselves in jewelery, textiles (mainly hand-looms made out of cotton and silk), wood carvings and many more. The wife of the Vice President of Ghana, who was enthralled by the garments offered at the outlet, purchased a staggering Rs, 600,000 worth of hand-loom items. They also visited the Ape Gama thematic leisure park in Battaramulla, with the First Lady Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa, where they received a hands-on experience of the ancient Sri Lankan lifestyle. Here too they visited the Laksala outlet, where their attention was mainly focused on brass-ware, batiks and jewelry. At the Ape Gama outlet, the VIP visitors got a glimpse of the history behind each of the craft industries of Sri Lanka, which are demonstrated by live artisans who are based in the section called, Craft Village in Ape Gama. The two newly opened outlets are placed in an ideal juxtaposition to Colombo and this offers a great opportunity to the rushed but the discerning visitor a perfect opportunity to experience the crafts of “all of Sri Lanka” under one roof while staying in Colombo.