Taste of local culture at Cinnamon Grand’s Avurudu celebrations

Premier five-star city hotel Cinnamon Grand celebrated the dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in a typical village setting, recreating the festivities of a traditional Sinhala and Tamil Avurudu. The village in the city Nuga Gama was the perfect venue for the celebration, honouring tradition with fun local games and activities, food and traditional rituals. 

Young and old alike partook in the festivities, organised by the dedicated and passionate Nuga Gama team to unravel a truly memorable New Year, underneath the canopy of the 200 year-old banyan tree. 

The village was decorated in a truly authentic New Year setting, with garlands of delicate frangipani flowers hanging from the tree and from the swing; while Nuga Gama’s busy staff orchestrated the line-up of truly local games such as aliyataaehathabima, kana mutti, and ayatakirikaweema, buniskaema, sack race, lime and spoon, coconut scraping among others.

With the local drums or rabana creating the background music, over 200 patrons enjoyed themselves at Nuga Gama’s Avurudu celebrations.

At the auspicious time late evening, patrons joined Cinnamon Grand Resident Manager Chris Quyn to light the hearth and watched as it overflowed with milk as customary, depicting an excess of blessings for the New Year. This was followed by the village headman Liyanage invoked blessings from the Gods for the New Year with an offering of flowers and fruits. Guests joined to light the traditional oil lamp and enjoyed the traditional fare and sweetmeats laid to relish. Honouring both Sinhala and Tamil cultures, the table was filled with dishes from both cultures, enabling guests to enjoy the best of Sri Lanka.