A cause for cautious celebration | Sunday Observer
Avurudu in the pandemic:

A cause for cautious celebration

11 April, 2021

After the historically difficult and tragic past year we have suffered, the country is in dire need of some upliftment; which is why this year’s Avurudu celebrations are more important than ever. Of course, safety guidelines still apply as the pandemic is far from over but the Sinhala - Tamil New Year festivities are a much needed reprieve from the anxiety riddled monotony that is life during a pandemic.

In anticipation of this holiday, we spoke to several young entrepreneurs and artists who shared their thoughts on this year’s Avurudu celebrations.

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This avurudhu I have planned on working on some new creative ideas. I’m thinking of applying this creativity to an avrudhu based art work as well. As per the COVID situation, things have been a bit rocky the past year and continues to be so, as is the case for the whole world. But art has been a way for me to cope with them all and see the light at the end of the tunnel. I truly encourage everyone to do what they love, so that they will be able to keep their heads up amid the current circumstance.”

 - Shehara Silva (Drawings by Shey)

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Wood Sense by Peiris is a small family-owned custom furniture business managed by three siblings that started with the initiative of helping clients get their dream furniture designs created for affordable prices. The novel coronavirus pandemic led us to actively engage with a larger audience to showcase our art of grace using social media platforms. We believe that satisfied customers are the key to the success of a business and those happy clients have supported us come this far with many reviews and referrals.

Team Wood Sense wishes you all this Sinhala and Tamil New Year to grow each day like a tree; as each ring on the wood shows the age of the tree, to signify Growth, Success and Happiness.”

- Prajani, Thilini and Sachin - Team Wood Sense (Wood Sense by Peiris)

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Avurudu celebrations this year means a lot to us, not just as a boutique but also for the local economy. As a boost in not only revenue but also our spirits. We feel more positive and hopeful for a better New Year, especially compared to last year being in complete lockdown. We are doing the Avurudu Sale as is the tradition this time of year. What sets our Sale apart from others is that we are introducing New Limited Edition pieces for special reduced prices before the New Year as a “Pre Sale” so our customers can do their early shopping for the holidays.”

- Caroline Lobo (Lagoon Lab)

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With the dawn of a New Year, this Avurudu is a great time to give back to loyal customers by way of giveaways and special offers. It’s also the time to launch brand new product lines. Being an online business and selling via social media platforms means that engaging with customers and sales for the season can be conducted at relatively low risk.”

- Tina (True by Tina Lobo)

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“New year brings new hopes and colors to our lives. Wishing that this New Year will be like a string that binds you to happiness, success and prosperity. We, String Arts Sri Lanka (Heavenly Handmade) will let you express how much your loved ones mean to you with colorful and eccentric string art creations done with your own wishes and blessings. We make it unique among other businesses with its creative concept that takes more effort and patience in perfecting a product that our customers desire.”

- Shadini Peiris (String Arts Sri Lanka)

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