The Angel Gabriel was sent by God into a city of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. The angel visiting Mary addressed her. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women." Hearing this Mary was troubled at what manner of salutation was this. And the angel said to her, "Fear not Mary, for thou has found grace with God. Behold thou shall conceive in thy womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name Jesus. He shall he great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High.

And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, because I know not man? The angel answering said to her, the Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee, and the holy child born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

This was the moment of suspense. Mary was free to accept or reject this offer of God the Father, as she had a free will like anyone else. Being extremely humble she could have rejected. She knew the prophecies of the prophets regarding the messiah. Her assent would make her the most sorrowful woman. She answered, that which was most pleasing to God the Father, and which was the greatest relief to humanity. "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word."

At this answer the Son of God also became the Son of Mary --  at this answer God became man like us, and Mary became the mother of God -  a dignity incomprehensible for a human being. Mary pleased God by her virginity, but she conceived by her humility.

The Immaculate Virgin Mary is infinitely inferior to God, but immensely superior to all other creatures.

So when the time came Mary gave birth to Jesus in a cave in Bethlehem, used as a shelter for shepherds and their flocks, as there was no room for them anywhere else due to a census being taken of its citizens. This was being done on the orders of Caesar Augustus. After Mary adored Jesus, she called Joseph who also lovingly adored Jesus. The next to come were the shepherds with their sheep. An angel who appeared had given them the good news. They were followed by three wise men who came from the East. They adored him offering him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

After his birth Jesus having been all his 30  years with his parents, began his public life at the age of 30. This God-man Jesus, came to this earth to redeem  humanity from the sin of Adam. This was his goal. He also preached about the Kingdom of God through parables.

One day a certain lawyer asked him: "Master what must I do to possess eternal life?" Jesus answering said to him: "What is written on the law?" And the lawyer said: "Thou shall love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself." And Jesus said to him "Thou has answered right" this do, and thou shall live.

Jesus also spoke about his second coming, when he shall come in his majesty, all the angels with him. All nations shall be gathered before him. He shall separate them as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep will be on his right hand, but the goats will be on his left.

To those on the right he will say, 'come you, blessed of my Father. Possess you the kingdom prepared for you. I was hungry, you gave me to eat, thirsty you gave me to drink. I was a stranger, you took me in.  Naked, you covered me. Sick, you visited me. I was in prison, you came to see me.'  Then those on the right shall say 'Lord when did we do these things to you.' Then Jesus will answer: 'As long as you did these to your brethren you did it to me.'

Then he shall say to those on his left 'Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, in prison and you did not care for me.'  They shall say 'Lord when did we see you hungry, thirsty etc.' Then Jesus will answer. 'As long as you did not do these to your brethren you did not do it to me.' And these shall go into everlasting punishment. But the just into life everlasting.

Christmas cards that bring joy and hope

By Marianne David 

Little Harsha Madusanka was thrilled to learn that his was one of the cards chosen for the SOS fund raiser this year. Happily posing with his card for a photograph, just five years old, he and his 'sister' Sanduni Amupama (6) and Chamika Ruvini (9) pictured here, are three of the children whose paintings were chosen for this year's fund raiser.

These little artists do not go unrewarded. At a special function, they are presented with a certificate and souvenir for their contribution towards making the fund raiser a success.

Organised for the third year running, the SOS Christmas and New Year greeting cards fund raiser is a programme where all the children under 13 years in the five SOS villages draw a Christmas card and 10 of them are chosen from each village, making 50 in all.

The programme has been a success from the very beginning says Project Director, Kusum Fernando. "Out of the 50 paintings we get, a professional art master selects about 10 to 12 of the best and together with the national director, we select nine out of these to be printed," she explained.

This year, SOS aims to print and sell 50, 000 cards she says. "We sent appeals to our sponsors and already we have got some requests for these cards." A pack of five cards is priced at Rs. 100.

According to Fernando, for the children in the villages, the Christmas card project is special and even though almost all of the children are either Buddhists or Hindus, they have an idea about Christmas and understand what it is all about.

However, even though they draw Christmas cards, they rarely get a chance to celebrate Christmas themselves. A chance to do so comes their way only when a sponsor or someone decides to throw them a party.

The SOS children's villages, the largest private childcare organisation in the world, offers orphaned and destitute children new and permanent homes and prepares them for independence. The organisation is supported in taking care of the children's financial needs through local sponsorship programmes.

The children's village in Piliyandala is beautiful. All over the place one sees the children's handwork and paintings. The classrooms, bedrooms and living areas are spotless clean. Taken in regardless of nationality, race or religion, thanks to SOS, the children here and those in the other SOS villages, have a place to call home, where they are loved.

Game of cricket ends in disaster

By Shezna Shums

Two brothers who were born on the same date - October 5 - had the same fate to even die on the same date, that was last Sunday 15.

Subash Jayasinghe (29) and Kavinda Jayasinghe(27) had finished work at their communication shop early last Sunday 15, when they decided to go to the Dehiwala beach to play a game of cricket along with their father, Abey Jayasinghe.

Playing cricket after work was something the boys were used to do on and off, but on this day this game led them both to their deaths.

At around 5.30 on that Sunday evening after closing shop early both sons of Abey Jayasinghe went to play on the beach.  While playing, the ball went into the ocean and it was the elder son Subash who said that he will get the ball.

While he was getting the ball the sea current kept pulling him as well as the ball further away from the shore.

At that point he found that he was drowning and shouted to his younger brother Kavinda to help him.

When Kavinda reached his elder brother who was unconscious, he too got caught in the sea currents.  Both boys were now being pushed further away from the shore and were drowning.

Their father Abey Jayasinghe at this point tried to get to the boys to save them, but the people around him didn't let him go into the ocean to save his sons, as the currents were too strong.

It was about an hour later that the elder son was washed ashore.

After giving CPR to his eldest son with the help of the people around, they were able to get lots of water and sand out of his body.  " My elder son had strength, he survived, he is a very strong boy."

Abey Jayasinghe further said "my elder son could have been saved - he opened his eyes when we gave CPR on the beach and got most of the water and sand out of his body.

 "At the Kalubowila Hospital when I took my elder son there he was unconscious but still alive. The doctor there was attending to some patients who were sitting and told us to wait until he finishes and that he would attend to our son later.

"By the time the doctor came to attend to my son, it was too late and the only thing he did was feel my son's wrist and tell me that it was too late, but I know in my heart that my elder son could have been saved," a sad Abey said.

"The doctor didn't even try to give oxygen to help my son.

"Just because they wear a tie and have learned medicine they can't play with lives. Today it is my sons, but tomorrow it could be someone else's sons," a visibly angry Abey charged.

Later when Abey went back to the beach his second son's body was washed ashore - this was around seven in the evening. He too was taken to the Kalobowila Hospital yet Abey knew that his second son was dead. However, more agony was to follow.

The hospital gates were closed; he was told that he couldn't take the body in the vehicle that he was in.  " He may have been dead but they should have let us in."

With all the determination and a father's love for his son Abey carried his second son from the gate and took him inside the hospital.

These two boys are the only sons of Abey and Soma. Not only are they leaving behind their parents but also each of them will be leaving behind two children each, and their respective wives.

Subash Jayasinghe's two daughters, Siyuri aged five years and three year old Hiruni will not see their father again.  Specially the younger child Huruni will not remember her father or her uncle; their mother Mayuri Jayasinghe will have to tell them the tragic way their father and uncle died, how the sea that surrounds our island snatched their lives away.

Kavinda will also not see both his sons Kavin aged five and three-month-old Nissalke grow into boys, going to school or attend any of their school events. 

They will only have their mother Nivalka Jayasinghe with them.

Especially the youngest child Nissalke being only three months old now, will not know his father at all.

Abey Jayasinghe said "I will tell anybody my story because they should know how the hospital treated us, when I know in my heart that they could have saved my elder son."

"They looked like young doctors who must have learnt medicine the other day, but they are messing around with people's lives, they can't learn with them."

"These doctors are a disgrace to their noble profession," said,  Abey Jayasinghe".

Both his sons' funerals were held on Wednesday 18.

When The Sunday Leader visited their home at Kirulapona, Abey and Soma Jayasinghe were able to speak to us about the incident and their sons, but were still in a state of shock with their sons' deaths.

Both boys studied at D.S Senanayake College and had their own communication shop. Now their wives and children are left husbandless and fatherless. Who will take them to school, watch them go higher in life and be there in their hour of need, when other children around them will have both their parents for support?

A father's love has no bounds but these children will not know or feel their fathers' love or even know their fathers as the sea took their lives away.

LIFE  WITH  EVE 

By Sonali Samarasinghe

My almost three-year-old nephew Adriyel was shouting at the top of his tiny lungs the other day. "Who taught you to shout like that darling?" I ask with a disapproving frown on my face. "Why it was you-uu punchee," replies the cute little thug, grinning archly. The politicians may have had recourse to Baddegana Sanjeewa and Gonawela Sunil, but we have our very own resident thug, whom we like to call Battaramulle Adriyel.

The mischievous little monkey, insists on destroying everything he comes across. To him nothing is sacred. Expensive vases look better lying in smithereens on the floor rather than regally on a table. "Darling, I will overlook all labour laws and send you to work in the kade at the corner. Then you can earn and replace everything you break." "I can't Punchee," the tiny creature responds charmingly. "I will get tired." Obviously breaking everything in the house doesn't tire him as much as the prospect of working his tiny butt off at the kade down the lane.

"Must you be such a destructive element?" I ask exasperated, as I yet again try to fix a glass bowl he has just given the treatment to, with super glue. "What's an element punchaa?" he asks. His upturned face wreathed in an innocent smile, his mouth overflowing with tiny white teeth.

Shopping with my two tiny nieces Rahelle and Mahalya and my nephew Adriyel is my greatest joy. For them the experience is as delightful I suspect, for puncheeeee as they are wont to call me, has a habit of loading a shopping cart with everything they want but nothing they actually need. Thus their  mother, my sis Ru, frowns upon our succulent shopping expeditions like an early Christian on a Babylonian feast, and checks the shopping bags with a watchful eye.

Arpico is not spared the tornado. Adriyel gallops around the isles in glee, occasionally picking up hideously saccharine sweets in an attempt to smuggle it into the shopping cart by devious methods. "Punchaaa, ammi said this was good for me," he says with a straight face, picking up some sugar crusted coils dripping with an oily substance. "Put that back Malli," I say sternly. "No punchaa", he argues, "ammi said it's newstrishus.' (nutritious he means). "Ammi is a doctor no punchaa, she knows." I ignore the little tyke, and he scoots off in the direction of the vegetables.

Receptive ears

Meanwhile my nieces Rahelle and Mahalya, soft spoken and lady like walk beside me. Mahalya who always talks in a whisper pulls at my hand and I bend down so she can whisper in my ear. "Punchee," she says in hushed tones, "may I please have that tiny computer for Barbie." My sister who has been hovering near the milk products, overhears this whispered conversation as only a mother could. "No nangi, you already have one," she admonishes. "But punchee," appeals the tiny creature to more receptive ears. "The one I have is big. This is really small and cute."

"Don't be silly Eve, you are as bad as they are," scolds Ru, but I surreptitiously shove the thing into the shopping cart. Rahelle, now looks at a tiny dining room set. "Punchee, isn't this nice." She asks with a sophisticated toss of her curls. 'If you want my frank and measured opinion darling, it is one of the most hideous, garish, multicoloured, badly constructed pieces of doll furniture I have encountered,' I say. To no avail. She wants it and I relent as usual.

"Punchaa can we go to Odel and Barefoot now," they jump around excitedly and other shoppers smile knowingly, as they accompany their own tiny relatives. We look for Adriyel. He is still at the vegetable stall. At his little feet a myriad oranges rage like a stormy ocean as he stands in the middle of the mayhem grinning mischievously if a little goggle eyed. As I move towards him, to rescue the child from this sea of orange, he raises a tiny hand and explains. "I broke the orange mountain punchaa, see, they all came rolling down. Nice no punchaa?" "Not nice at all,' I scold, apologising to the staff. But the green shirted help karayas at Arpico will not help us discipline him. "Sweet aney," they say with disgusting patience. "Kamannehe baba api ahulagannang," they conclude, touching his cute cheeks.

As we go to the check out counter he picks up various useless items while trying with charming prattle to exhort their valuable properties to me.

With a penchant for cars and trucks, the little creature claps his hands in glee whenever he sees a three wheeler let alone a cement mixer or crane. He insists on taking every toy apart so that he can learn how to reconstruct it, and is forever repairing car engines.

Ru was looking a little worried the other day. "Eve," she told me seriously, with motherly concern. "I'm afraid this child will grow up to be a mechanic in a garage." "So what concerns you,' I ask. "At least he will not grow up to be a lawyer."

 Message from martial arts duo this feative season 

Eat well and get moving

By Ranee Mohamed  

She has a black belt in karate; but in their home in Dutugemunu Street, Kohuwala, adjoining the police station, she is busy helping her husband and team to fight fat. Lekha Weerasinghe and her husband Nanda Siriwardene are a couple who have dedicated their lives to the well-being and good health of others.

"We teach karate and have hundreds of people who come in for aerobics," said Nanda  who is from the prestigious Kyokushinkainan - the martial arts centre in Japan which has been adjudged the best in the world.

Siriwardene brought Sri Lanka pride and prestige when he became the only student to study under renowned gurus in Japan.

Nanda Siriwardene has been dealing with martial art blows,fitness and good health for over three decades, but yoga also seems to be a speciality with this guru as he closes his eyes and concentrates on the well-being of the body.

"Modernisation and this fast paced life is devastating," says Nanda. "People are eating fast food, going in search of tantalising their tastebuds. Men and women are taking tablets to get into shape," said Siriwardene. He said that good health and beauty is not the outer look, but how one feels and how one's organs and the body in general functions. "Many women and men are taking appetite suppressants and diet pills. This is disastrous. The after effects and stress of all this on our organs cannot be explained," he said. This is the wrong way, he pointed out. "This is not the way to get beautiful," he stressed.

Balanced diet

The message from this duo is simple. Eat a balanced meal and workout. "People have to eat well. It is disastrous to eat too much and it is equally disastrous to starve yourself. Eat a balanced diet, with lots of vegetables and then work out at least for half an hour, three times a week," advised Siriwardene.

"Many people walk these days and most doctors say that walking is very good for the health. What I say is that walking is good for the heart. But there are many other forms of exercises that will help one's respiratory system and circulatory system," pointed out Siriwardene. "I don't say that walking is the best. For example yoga has some simple exercises that will help a person who is even 90 years old," he said.

Siriwardene said that it is important that one concentrates on breathing exercises while performing other exercises because it will ensure that one's respiration is improved thereby building a stronger respiratory system. "Your respiratory system and the circulatory system are the main gates of good health," he said.

"If one's breathing is faulty and one's circulation is failing, therein starts the problems," he said.

Talking of aerobics, he said that it is a very advanced technique and that many forms have been mixed to aerobics, like yoga exercises and martial arts. "Aerobics mixed with other forms and music have become very popular" he said. What this martial arts master stressed on was doing aerobics or whatever one is doing, to  do it properly, under a proper instructor. He spoke of the dangers that one can be exposed to especially in causing damage to one's backbone when exercises are done without proper instructions:  "exercises ought to be done scientifically and methodically" he said.

The duo also have a qualified staff working for them -  Anthony Perera, Karawita Gomes and Jude Perera, all masters of the art.

When asked for how long one ought to exercise one's body, Siriwardene and his team said that they ought to be done for as long as one in living. He said that to bring good results one ought to relax, create a good background and amend one's diet - and then concentrate on his exercises too.

"One ought to be in a good psychological state to do exercises," he pointed out.

It is the festive season and more and more people will be eating and drinking to each other's health. But the message from this martial arts guru is simple. Eat well, but exercise. "One must have a balanced diet at least five days a week. We judge our health from  the outside. But for a person to be healthy, his or her organs must function well."

Fat - breaking exercises

"If one eats a good macaroni lunch, one ought to do more fat-breaking exercises to burn it out,"  he stresses. "One ought to eat in moderation and exercise thrice a week," he stressed.

Nanda has been a martial arts instructor for over 32 years. He is familiar with all the exercises of karate and Kung Fu. He has practised and studied yoga in Singapore. He said that martial arts instructors have proved to live longer because of the breathing exercises and satisfaction they achieve. Siriwardene has mastered the Hatha Yoga technique. "It is the best exercise for the human form - for breathing and purification," stressed Siriwardene. "I have observed that aerobics and martial arts have taken exercises from yoga.  From skin to organ, Hatha Yoga has all the benefits.

Today, exercises have become a business said Siriwardene. "Look for a good instructor, find out if he is qualified. Don't go for your exercises just because the hall is airconditioned," cautioned Siriwardene.

"Look after your backbone. It is a problem all over the world. Backbone problems come soon. The backbone has natural curves. Wrong exercises can cause immense damage. Every exercise has an action and reaction. Posing and reposing. When one does only one thing, then the damage comes, may be in one year, maybe in 10."

Lekha who teaches karate to ladies said that a woman ought to concentrate on her shape. "I believe that martial arts has good exercises to keep women in shape. One ought to exercise and have a balanced meal to keep her body in good shape. It is bad to starve, and not exercise and eating and not exercising also does not give a woman her complete look," she pointed out.

This exercising duo is more in the news in this time of eating, drinking and merry-making. They do not say, 'stop it all.' Their message has a universal truth. 'Eat well and get moving.'

Use of Vitamins for the prevention
of heart attacks

It is common knowledge that smoking, hyperhomocysteinaemia, hypertension, dia-betes, obesity, lack of exercise and stress are risk factors for heart attacks. Another risk factor for heart attacks which is not well known is hyperhomocysteinaemia (high serum levels of homocysteine). Homocysteine is an aminoacid normally present in our blood and high serum levels of homocysteine is responsible for a number of diseases.

Hyperhomocysteinaemia is an established coronary risk factor especially in the young coronary artery disease patients and doctors have been prescribing folic acid (which is one of the B- complex vitamins) and vitamin B 12 to treat patients with coronary artery disease. Until recently doctors were not aware of the exact mechanism  by which lowering of serum  homocysteine by folic acid  and B 12 helped coronary patients. In the August 2002 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Frank F. Willems has proved, using double blind controlled trials,  that lowering serum levels of homocysteine improved the endothelial function thus reducing risk of getting heart attacks.

Dr. Frank H. Willems and colleagues used ischemic heart disease patients whose diagnosis' have been confirmed by coronary angiography and using repeated angiographic studies they proved that the endothelial dependant coronary blood flow increased after administration of folic acid and B 12 in these heart patients.

Folic acid (5mg per day) reduced the serum homocysteine level by 25% whereas vitamin B 12 reduced the homocysteine level by 7 %. Thus out of the two vitamins, folic acid is better. Ideally serum homocysteine level has to be estimated before and after treatment with the vitamins, but facilities for estimation of   serum homocysteine are not available in the government hospitals of Sri Lanka. In the private sector, it costs about Rs. 1000 for stimulation of serum homocysteine levels.

Folic acid is one of the cheapest vitamins and cost of a 5 mg table (which is the daily dose) is only 14 cents. Folic acid in a dosage of 5 mg does not cause any side effects. Some of the general physicians and cardiologists have been prescribing this vitamin to all ischemic heart disease patients for some time. Folic acid can be bought from any chemist without a doctor's prescription. It is advisable for all physicians to prescribe this very useful vitamin to all coronary artery disease patients and those who are predisposed to coronary artery disease with a view to reduce the incidence of heart attacks in the community.

Indu's love-story an enormous success!

By Marianne David

Last Sunday night was unbelievable!

 A night I would not have missed for the world. For two hours I, along with the rest of the audience, witnessed what one could most definitely describe as an experience to remember and underwent recurrent spasms of un-containable mirth.

That was the effect Indu Dharmasena's play, Cinderfella, had on the audience over the last weekend. Cinderfella - Cinderella with a twist that is - was an absolute treat and one thing's for certain, I would watch it again if I could!

The wonderful comedy with song and dance was made up of Cinderfella (Indu Dharmasena) - the male version of Cinderella, a stepfather (Anushan Selvarajah), two stepbrothers named Tom and Dick (Danushthan Innasithamby and Gehan Cooray), a fairy godfather (Michael Holsinger), a fairy god aunt named Myrtle Ethel Happens-to-all (Koluu), a queen (Angela Seneviratne) and a princess named Soraya (Catriona Nicholas).

Other members of the cast were Krys Sosa (Lady Glad-eye), Priyanka Holsinger (Lady Cat-no), Mrinali Thalgodapitiya (Lady Eatwell), Sir Good-deed (Dayan Dias Abeyegunawardene), the queen's trusted hairdresser Lord Hair-rise (Conall Beckmeyer) and Lord Footloose (Rohan).

The queen organises a ball for her daughter, Princess Soraya to choose a husband from the eligible bachelors in the land and a letter from the queen is sent to the Bellwella residence inviting them for the ball at the royal palace.

While his stepfather and stepbrothers leave for the ball, Cinderfella is left behind to do the housework. Cinderfella's only wish is to be able to go to the ball too and suddenly, his fairy godfather appears. However, he does not arrive "according to the book" but instead does so as a "God Father God Father" - in a trench coat and carrying a violin case as a weapon.

After being told whom he is supposed to be, he marches off saying, "I say, who wrote this damn script? Where's the director? This is what happens when you take part in cheap productions. Why wasn't I told what my character was supposed to be?" and comes back as a fairy Godfather instead.

He then grants Cinderfella one wish and Cinderfella admits he would like to go to the ball. Since his magic is not very effective and Cinderfella ends up on the roof and worries that he may end up in parliament next, his fairy god-aunt, Ethel lends a hand and they manage to get Cinderfella ready to go to the ball.

Act two begins at the royal palace ballroom with Cinderfella dressed to the hilt. After the queen arrives (and talks about what a good actress she is), there's a dance by Lord Footloose, which was very, very entertaining. The "Ketchup" dance done by most of the cast was also fun to watch and the princess joins in. At the end of it, only she and Cinderfella are left on stage and dumbstruck, he keeps staring at her.

They talk for a while and in return for asking about his mother in an insensitive manner, she offers to teach him how to dance. After the dance, she's forced to go as her mother wants her and she tells him to wait for her saying she will be back.

Unfortunately Cinderfella has to leave the ball before midnight. He runs off and then runs back saying, "I forgot, this is according to the book" and leave's his shoe behind. The princess returns with the queen to find him missing but finds his shoe and then the hunt for the man whose foot will fit the shoe begins.

It all ends with the entire cast singing Feliz Navidad and wishing everyone a merry Christmas.

Since I am not a critic, I am unable to analyse descriptively each character or assess the performance in detail. Indu as Cinderfella was, to put it mildly, great and an absolute treat to watch. Koluu and Michael Holsinger were hilarious and overall, everyone was fun and interesting as they went through their parts causing laughter all the way.

With Koluu in a loud ball-gown and false eye lashes, the fairy godfather always referring to the book, Lady Glad-eye finding everything "super" (that was done so well), Sir Good-deed's constant attempts to convince the queen to swear in the ministers and Dick's "precise" translations of what the others were saying, the entire show was filled with wit and was thoroughly enjoyable.

As Indu promised, this comedy most certainly did "overflow with love and magic" and I, my colleagues and I think the rest of the audience too, had the time of our lives.

Senaka - the Indian connection

By Risidra Mendis

"A painting today has so much misery portrayed in it, which is why I paint in bright and vibrant colours. A colourful painting gives a positive attitude and a sense of happiness to a buyer or viewer," are the words of the famous artist Senaka Senanayake.

For Senanayake, creating his own style in painting, is the secret behind his successful career as a renowned painter and a recognised artist in Sri Lanka. Having completed a very successful exhibition titled Positive Aspects Of Life at the Habitat Centre of the Visual Arts Gallery in New Delhi recently, Senanayake, a shy and quiet man despite his popularity, spoke to The Sunday Leader about his experience at this recently concluded exhibition.

"My paintings were first exhibited as a preview for art lovers at the Senate House in Chennai. The Senate House that formerly was a palace is part of the university and is over 200 years old" Senanayake said.

This is the first time an outdoor exhibition of this nature was held in Chennai. "In fact viewers and buyers in New Delhi were disappointed when they found out that I had sold most of my paintings in Chennai" Senanayake said.

According to Senanayake, in Sri Lanka many painters concentrate on the sadness and present crisis in a war torn country when they sketch a painting. "However as humans we live for those little moments of happiness in life.  I'm a believer of Sri Sai Baba who once said 'Happiness is always sandwiched between two sadnesses,' and since many people get caught up in the misery of life, I concentrate on making my paintings a reaction towards the present crisis and problems in the country and a strong belief of a better and safer future," Senanayake said.

The styles used in Senanayake's paintings has created an interest among Indian artists who share the same idea, that a painting should give out a positive attitude. "The Indians have always adapted to the Sri Lankan culture even though our culture is based on India" Senanayake said.

The Indians are very receptive people and we need to have a stronger cultural interaction between the two countries. We can learn a lot from Indian artists and now is the time to make use of this opportunity" Senanayake said.

According to Senanayake, in India a large percentage of artists can make a living on their paintings unlike in Sri Lanka, because many middle class people are willing to buy original paintings at a high cost. With a population of one billion people and 400 million middle class, the opportunities for Sri Lankan painters in India is good.   

Answering a question regarding the scope for painters in Sri Lanka, Senanayake said all local artists have 40% talent but 60% has to be hard work for them to establish a name for themselves in the market. However sadly not many of them get there.

"Very soon India will play a dominant role in this century and for us artists, creating a good relationship will help in strengthening our talent as painters. I hope with my exposure in India I will be able to forge a link between the two countries."