The Wasath Siriya 2023 celebration for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year took place yesterday at the Shangri-La Green, Colombo under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
This event was organised by the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Ministry of Public Administration.
The day’s festivities commenced with New Year games and competitions at 7.00 a.m. The competitions were divided into three sections: State Section, Open Section, and Guest Section, and featured 18 competitions for men and women.
The line-up of events included; finding the hidden guest, placing the eye on the elephant, breaking the pot blindfolded, counting the seeds of a papaw, weaving coconut branches, scraping coconut, pillow fighting, bun eating, drinking milk with a soother, threading a needle, 100 metre race, feeding yoghurt blindfolded, obstacle race, bursting the balloon, lighting the candle, lime and spoon race, tug-of-war, musical chairs, passing the hat game, best laugh competition, selecting the biggest belly, Avurudu prince and princess contest, and climbing the greasy pole.
The Wasath Siriya 2023 celebration also featured an Open Section for foreigners, embassies, foreign institutions, and staff from nearby hotels. Several ambassadors and High Commissioners took part in these events. This section included ten competitions to engage and entertain international guests.
The event also showcased a recreated model of a village house, which portrayed the relationship between the village and the village house during the bygone era. Visitors enjoyed sweets, costumes, Sinhala New Year rituals, and many village games and demonstrations, including drumming, pancha keliya, olinda keliya, chakgudu, folk music, wrestling, Ang keliya, swings and bamboo fireworks shows.
A concert featured Sahan Ranwala’s Ranwala Band, followed by the Mead Land Band. The event included performances by renowned singers including Rukantha Gunathilake, Sanuka Wickramasinghe, Windy Gunathilake, Tashni Perera, Dulmina Perera, Hijas Taleesh, and Ashanya Premadasa, capping a memorable evening.
The President mingled freely with the local and foreign guests at the event, which was shifted to the Shangri-La Green from the Green Face Green, after the Cabinet decided not to permit any functions there apart from religious ones.
Pictures by Sulochana Gamage and Gayan Pushpika
