State Kalabushana Awards ceremony - 2017 held at Nelum Pokuna

The State ‘Kalabushana’ Awards Ceremony 2017 was held at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre yesterday.

The Chief Guest was Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs Minister S.B. Navinna.

Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs Deputy Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma and officials of the Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and

Cultural Affairs Ministry, Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Ministry and Posts, Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs Ministry attended.

The welcome speech was delivered by Cultural Affairs Department Director Anusha Gokula Fernando.

“It is our bounden duty to protect our culture and heritage as Sri Lankans. I strongly believe that ‘Kalabhushana’ would be a great inspirer for our senior artistes.

I salute all those artistes who rendered yeomen service to our country, “Deputy Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma said.

“Our culture has seen a decline. Our youth are attracted to musical shows than cultural events of value,” he said.

‘Kalabhushana’ is an awards ceremony organised by Department of Cultural Affairs to felicitate senior artistes who a valuable service to the nation. Artistes have been awarded under various categories as such as Literature, Music, Dancing, Art, Drama, Sculpture, Photography and so on.

The State Dance Team added glamour to the ceremony with several performances.

Awards are granted only once for his/ her lifetime. Pensions has been identified at the ceremony for senior artistes. A programme for the betterment of artistes would be launched in the near future.

Ven. Rambukkana Siddhartha Thera, Ven. Medawachchiye Wimaladamma Thera, Ven. Wehihene Pannaloka Thera, Iranganie Serasinghe, Rohana Beddage, Shriyani Amarasena, Nimal Jayasinghe, Tony Hassan, Anula de Silva, Edward Mallawarachchi, Pemasiri Alwis,

Sugathapala Senarath Yapa, Chandra de Silva Weerasinghe, Sumana Aloka Bandara, Arthur U.

Amarasena, M. G. Berty Gunasekara, Ranjith Dharmakeerthi, Hemasiri Liyanage, Hemapala Perera, Irine de Alwis, Kularathna Hettiarachchi, Chithra Warakagoda, Chandrakumara Kandanarachchi, Neil Alas, Nanda Pathirana, Klitas Mendis, Anil Bharathi, Punsiri Soysa, Rajini Selvanayagam, Lalith Ponnamperuma, Dayarathna Perera, Kumari Attanayaka, Edward Jayakody, Kumari Perera were among 200 award winners at the 33rd Awards Ceremony.