Sri Lanka Day celebrations at MSU

Sri Lankan Student Association (SLSA) organized an event for the Bozeman community on Saturday, Oct. 5 to share Sri Lankan culturein a dignified manner. Hundreds of visitors came together representing different nations to enjoy history, music, dance, cuisine, and many other special aspects of Sri Lankan culture. This was the first Sri-Lanka day celebration held at MSU.

The celebrations started with the playing of the National Anthem of Sri-Lanka.

Deborah Chiolero (Advisor for SLSA), Dr. Indika Kahanda (Advisor for SLSA), Erin Boyd (Office of International Programs), Marianne Borough (Office of Student Engagement), Sophia Ellis (Vice President of Associated Students Montana State University), Micah Mcfeely (Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons), Chris Pruden (Office of Student Engagement), Dr. Shelton Jesuraj (Chemistry and Biochemistry) Katherine Knight (Office of International Programs), Anuda Pallegama (President, SLSA) and several other invitees were invited to light the traditional oil lamp of the occasion.

Lamps have played a significant social, religious and cultural role in the lives of Sri-Lankans. Every important function, ceremonies or festivals across cultures, lighting the oil lamp is one of the most important events in most Sri-Lankan celebrations.

Sri Lanka is rightfully known as the "Wonder of Asia." Sri Lanka is an island nation and a multicultural, multiethnic sovereign country. Its unique nature as well as cultural legacy enriches appeal of the country. Sri-Lanka displays it’s various folk dances, today there are three distinct traditions of dances of Sri Lanka which differ from each other based on the body movements, attire and tempo.

They are “Uda Rata Natum” Kandyan dance culture of the hill country, “Pahatha Rata Natum” which are low country dances of the southern plains of the country and finally “Sabaragamuwa Natum”  which depicts the dances of the “Sabaragamuwa” province of the country. The opening act was a Kandyan dance performance by a Sri-Lankan student. This dance falls under the category of Kandyan dances and a special genre of that dance known as “wannam”.

Some performances which hark back to the traditions of other countries such as Indonesia lent a great deal of color to the event. One such prominent performance was the percussion orchestra “Gamelan” administered by Dr. Jeffery Vick form the School of Music at MSU. There were performances by the Indian Students Association which showcased their unity at MSU.

The evening featured a variety of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine and sweet meats including vegetable rotti, seeni sambol buns, chicken patties, fish cutlet, “bibikkan” also known as coconut cake and a tea station for guests to taste ginger tea.

Addressing the gathering, both Dr. Kahanda and Anuda Pallegama recalled their efforts of SLSA in putting up an event to highlight the different dimensions of the cultures for the MSU community as well as the association’s efforts to inform the public about their country and its customs.

The first Sri-Lankan day of celebration provided the MSU community with an opportunity to experience a culture that not too many people get to experience.