Lankans set to usher in New Year festivities

ACTION-PACKED: Two men challenge each other in a pillow fight duel at last year’s celebrations.By Umer NangianaSri Lankan expatriates will welcome Bak Maha Ulela 2015, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, with a grand celebration tomorrow. A large number of community members participate in the annual celebrations organised by Sri Lankan Coordinating Committee (SLCC) under the patronage of Sri Lankan embassy in Qatar.The SLCC, like in the past, has planned numerous activities to engage men, women and children in the annual event. The festivities will begin at 7am and will conclude at 4pm at the Al Sadd Sports Club. Sri Lankan Ambassador Jayantha Palipane will be the chief guest.The organisers have arranged for many traditional and sports events for the participants. As per tradition, the day’s proceedings will begin with the opening ceremony followed by the lighting of the traditional lamp by the chief guest.Many traditional games will allow the participants to challenge each other in competitions such as pillow fight, volleyball, 100-m race (male and female), kaba addilla, a form of tug-of-war (male and female), breaking the pot (male and female), fancy dress (adults and children), scraping coconut (female), female with the longest hair, Raban, Jana Kavi (traditional games), elephant eye, singithi avurudu kumari (traditional game for children), bursting the balloon (children under 10 years) and mystery man.The audience is also challenged to take part in kota pora, a traditional game that forms part of the rural culture in Sri Lanka. It is a sort of duel where two opponents challenge each other for a show of strength.To add colour to this year’s celebrations, famous Sri Lankan artistes Susila Kottage (Dayawathi) and Nandana Hettiarachchi (Bonny) from the popular Teledrama Ataka Nataka will be flown in to entertain the audience at Al Sadd Sports Club.Susila Kottage made her debut with the film, Saharawe Sihinaya, in 1990. Since then, she has appeared in several films and television serials. The notable ones are Rodaya, Pem Mal Mala, Jack and Jill, Cheriyo Holman, Pissu Double, Left Right Sir, Thank You Berty, Angara Dangara, Ethumai Methumai and Sakvithi Dadayama.Last year, it was famous comedian Wilson Gunaratne and the popular TV actress Anjali Himaya Bandara who had entertained the Bak Maha Ulela audience at the same venue. Hiru TV will cover the event which will be telecast in Sri Lanka at a later date. Popular TV actress and model from Sri Lanka, Anjula Rajapakse, and artist Viraj will attend the celebrations as presenters from Hiru TV channel.The music will be provided by Doha-based Sri Lankan band Ridma who would be accompanied by the artistes from Sri Lanka to perform at the stage. Bank of Ceylon is sponsoring the event along with other co-sponsors such as Readymix Qatar, SriLankan Airlines, Domasco, Trico International, Al Bateel Securicor, New White Oceanic Restaurants and Lankadeepa. The event registrations will start from 7am till 9.30am only, said the organisers.Traditional breakfast will be served and like all previous New Year events, this year the participants will also be able to win gifts and prizes through a raffle ticket draw held towards the conclusion of the event. SLCC’s sister organisation, The Sri Lankan Community Benevolent Fund (SLCBF), will operate a food stall at the venue. Bak Maha Ulela or the New Year marks the harvest of a year’s hard work, ploughing of fields for a new crop that is reckoned to bring prosperity and growth.