In 1948, D.S. Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of independent Sri Lanka In 1948, a new chapter in Sri Lanka's history began with the appointment of D.S. Senanayake as the country's first Prime Minister. As the leader of the United National Party, Senanayake had been a key figure in the country's independence movement and had played a vital role in securing autonomy from British rule. Senanayake's political career began in the 1920s when he was elected to the State Council, the legislative body of British Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was then known). He quickly made a name for himself as a vocal advocate for independence and was a leading member of the Ceylon National Congress, a political party that campaigned for self-rule. In the 1940s, as the country's independence movement gained momentum, Senanayake became a key figure in the United National Party, which emerged as the dominant political force in Sri Lanka. In 1947, the British government granted Sri Lanka a...
Tower Hall which is synonymous with Sinhala theatre celebrated its 95th anniversary last week. It was on December 16, 1911 that the first play was staged at Tower Hall. The play was 'Pandukabahaya' (a historical play based on King Pandukabhaya) written and produced by Charles Dias, a lawyer by profession. Tower Hall was built by a prominent businessman of the day, G. D. Hendrick Seneviratne Appuhamy who lived in Dematagoda. Along with a friend, B. J. Perera he ran a hotel at Panchikakwatta close to where he built Tower Hall. Maradana was not such a busy area then and he selected a little hillock opposite his hotel,Passenger Union Hotel to build the theater. He had bought the block of land for 50 rupees from the Municipality for a stable to house the horses who took part in the weekend races. The hall had accommodation for 800 seated and 400 standing audience with facilities for the actors to change and get their make-up done. The clock tower, which remains to thi...