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Architect Geoffrey Bawa’s first show in India opened in Delhi on Friday
If gardens are self-portraits of people who shape them, then Geoffrey Bawa’s home and garden, Lunuganga, was his memoir. For Sri Lanka’s best-known architect, it was as much a personal space as it was a statement to the world of what he thought architecture should be. One of the pioneers of ‘tropical modernism’, which honoured the culture and nature of the environs, long before sustainability became a buzzword, Bawa’s imprint on Sri Lanka, and his contribution to urbanism, cannot be ignored. The exhibition, ‘Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There’, is a celebration of these ideas .
This is the first time that Bawa’s archives will be presented in India by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, the High Commission of Sri Lanka, New Delhi, with the Geoffrey Bawa Trust, Colombo. This event is also a celebration of the 75th anniversary of Indo-Lanka Diplomatic Relations.
With over 120 documents from the Bawa archives, the exhibition will showcase his unbuilt work, and photographs, from his travels. It opens at NGMA, on Friday, and will explore the relationship between ideas, drawings, buildings and places, and the different ways in which images were used in Bawa’s practice.
Architects, around the world, return to Bawa’s projects as reminders of ways to build intelligently and efficiently, keeping nature and people at the centre of design. He had an amazing way of combining aspects of modernism and local traditions into his works.
“Looking at the archives allows us to contemplate Bawa’s practice through multiple lenses — it affords us the chance to think about political, economic, and social drivers of architecture, and highlights the creativity of Bawa’s work. I think these insights are ever relevant and it’s exciting to be able to share these works with an Indian audience through this exhibition,” said Shayari de Silva, Chief Curator, Geoffrey Bawa Trust, and the show. The exhibition closes on May 7.
Among his many buildings in Sri Lanka, including residences, schools, clubs, offices, and hotels, the most notable is the Parliament Building.Bawa worked in India, too, and some of his buildings include the early designs for the Sarabhai House in Ahmedabad, the Madurai Club, which is a heritage hotel today, a hotel and hospital in Goa and Chennai, respectively.
– The Indian Express
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Heat index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 4.00 p.m. 08 May 2025, valid for 09 May 2025
The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
News
EC asks winners to name heads of majority-controlled LG institutions; bargaining continues in hung councils
Chairman of the Election (EC) Commission R. M. A. L. Ratnayake said yesterday that the EC would direct the political parties and independent groups that have secured absolute majorities in local government bodies to name the heads of those institutions.
The ruling NPP and the Opposition parties are vying for control of the hung local councils including the Colombo MC. Both the NPP and the SJB have offered to coalesce with independent groups to muster majorities.
Ratnayake said that notifications would be sent to the General Secretaries of parties and independent groups that have won local government bodies with a majority of more than 50% of the vote.
The results of the 2025 Local Government election held on Tuesday (6) were released on Wednesday (7).
The NPP won 266 out of 339 local government institutions. The SJB and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi won 13 and 37 councils respectively. Independent groups and regional Tamil political parties won the other councils.
However, the winners have failed to secure more than 50% of seats in a majority of the local government institutions.Ratnayake said that the members elected to local government institutions at the ward level would be officially gazetted in the coming days.
The heads of the non-majority councils will be elected by their members. The government and the Opposition are accusing each other of using financial inducements to make some councilors switch their allegiance ahead of the election of the heads of the hung local councils.
The NPP has said it is confident of forming stable administrations in 134 local councils, but the Opposition is of the view that the NPP will not be able to do so in about 186 councils.
The Supreme Court yesterday (8) turned down an appeal filed by former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, seeking the dismissal of a case against him and three others by the Attorney General over a road accident that took place in Rajagiriya in 2016.
This decision was announced by Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, with the concurrence of Chief Justice Murdu Fernando and Justice Gamini Amarasekera.
They ruled that the appeal lacked merit and directed the High Court to proceed with the trial.
The Attorney General filed the indictment on charges including concealing evidence regarding the alleged hit-and-run incident where the vehicle the former Minister was travelling in collided with a motorcycle in Rajagiriya, causing life-threatening injuries to its rider, and the alleged fabrication of evidence related to the accident.
The Supreme Court ordered the Colombo High Court to take up the indictment filed against the defendants for examination.
Heat index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Northern and North-central provinces.
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