A taste of Sri Lankan culture comes to Lords for the Second Test

On Sunday, 5 June, Sri Lanka Tourism in conjunction with the Sri Lanka High Commission and the British Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce brought a vivid visual display of the Emerald Isle to the prestigious Lords venue in North West London.

Celebrating the second test match between hosts England and Sri Lanka, the Lord’s audience were treated to a display of Kandyan dancers and drummers parading the famous outfield during the lunch interval, and outside the nursery ground during the tea break.

The troupe ‘Rhythm of Sri Lanka’ was choreographed and directed by Professor Mudiyanse Dissanayake and coordinated by Panduka Wickramaratne. The compilation of seven drummers and 14 dancers took to the stage at the end of the first session on Sunday to a rapturous and appreciative Lords crowd sampling a taste of Sri Lanka; the first time a Lords audience have witnessed the colourful pageant synonymous to Sri Lanka.

The pageant is a symbol of the traditional Sri Lankan cultural procession, with brightly adorned outfits; a ceremonial dress which was worn by the former Kings of Sri Lanka. The ‘Nilame’ costume and the ‘Sesatha’ symbolises the ancient properties and heritage of Sri Lanka.  Kandyan dance derives from the test venue of Kandy which was the last royal capital before the British acquired complete control of Sri Lanka.

Pride of place in the city is occupied by the famous Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa), home to the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha.  Every year the Tooth Relic is paraded around Kandy in Sri Lanka’s most popular festival, the Esala Perahera. This awe inspiring pageant featuring hundreds of Kandyan dancers, drummers and brilliantly costumed elephants adorned with jewels and masks, parade through the streets in front of an audience of thousands of locals and tourists.

The dance performance was transmitted across TV networks that were broadcasting the match globally.

The Sri Lanka booth at the venue distributed information regarding visiting Sri Lanka along with samples of Ceylon Tea. The ‘Win a holiday to Sri Lanka competition ‘ jointly hosted by Sri Lanka Tourism, Sri Lankan Airlines and Senses Holidays was thoroughly well-liked further reinforcing the popularity of Sri Lanka as a holiday destination amongst the British public.