Business

‘Finding myself in nine generations of family history’

Published

8 months ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

Dr. Nirmala M. Pieris

A review of Nirmala M. Pieris’s The Abeyesundere Family of Galle

Reading about one’s family history can feel like standing face to face with the forces that quietly shape our lives. Our values, temperaments, and ways of seeing the world are inherited and absorbed long before we are conscious of them. When I sat down with Dr. Nirmala M. Pieris’s The Abeyesundere Family of Galle: A Family History of Nine Generations, I felt hopeful and excited. While I had an inkling of my background through stories shared by my late grandmother, Eileen Abeyesundere, I realised I actually knew very little. This book not only filled those gaps but also exceeded my expectations.

I met Nirmala at her home to collect my copies, and that visit alone felt like stepping gently into a piece of history. Her awe-inspiring walauwwa-style manor, lined with ancestral portraits, reflected a deep love for heritage and sentimentality. Standing there, it was easy to understand what might inspire someone to undertake the task of documenting nine generations of family history.

As I read, the sheer effort behind the book became increasingly evident. Nirmala has gone to great lengths in her research, drawing from archives, oral histories, and repeated visits to libraries, institutions, and even cemeteries. Her writing is structured, analytical, and precise, with claims carefully cross-referenced across multiple sources. Just as importantly, she is refreshingly transparent about gaps in the historical record, clearly acknowledging where connections could not be made. I was particularly fascinated by her exploration of how the Abeyesundere name itself evolved over time.

This book feels especially significant today. As families expand, histories and their essence are easily lost. Ironically, while so much of modern life is digitally recorded, much of it is fleeting, easily skimmed, and quickly forgotten. A content-rich book like this is a keepsake, something to return to across generations. It serves as a grounding anchor — a reminder of one’s roots in an increasingly fast-evolving world.

Beyond family lineage, the book thoughtfully situates the Abeyesunderes within Sri Lanka’s broader political, cultural, and socio-economic landscape. Shifting industries, entrepreneurial ventures, and emerging opportunities are woven into the narrative, showing how each generation adapted to changing circumstances. In doing so, the book appeals as much to readers interested in history as it does to those connected to the family.

I was especially moved by reading about places once familiar to me, such as Fred’s Rhue estates, where I walked as a child collecting rubber seeds and listening to foxes howl at night. Reading about Villa Lucilla, the ancestral home of my grandparents, Eileen and Joe Abeyesundere, in the heart of Galle, was equally poignant. Though I never lived there, the book allowed me to reconstruct what life within those walls might once have been like.

Despite the depth of factual analysis, the book is remarkably readable. Nirmala balances rigorous research with quirky, cheeky, and heart-warming anecdotes, complemented by evocative photographs that bring people and places to life. A detailed index further adds to the book’s thoughtfulness and usability.

On a personal level, the book prompted more than one quiet “aha” moment. Certain traits I recognise in myself, even a lifelong, slightly puzzling attraction to horses, began to make sense. Being an only child, it was unexpectedly touching to learn that I shared this distinction with the earliest documented ancestor, my great-great-great-grandfather, Pemyano William Abeyesundere. As I step into my transformational middle years, this book feels perfectly timed. It has given me not only knowledge, but perspective — a steadier sense of belonging, and the quiet reassurance that understanding where we come from can profoundly shape how we move forward.

By Trevina Abeyesundere

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Business

From Mt. Fuji to Sri Pada: Lessons from a father-son climb

Published

3 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

by SK Samaranayake

For Daham Gunasena, reaching the summit of Mt. Fuji with his 12-year-old son was not the end of the journey but the beginning of a different kind of lesson.

Gunasena, Director – Commercial at SPAR Sri Lanka and a senior business leader, academic and Chartered Accountant, spent nearly 12 hours on August 19 climbing Japan’s highest mountain with his son, Methum. After eight hours of climbing, the pair reached the 3,776-metre summit before beginning a demanding four-hour descent to Fujinomiya 5th Station.

“The summit was only halfway,” Gunasena reflected, describing the experience as a lesson in preparation, perseverance and responsibility.

Their journey began two days earlier with a trial excursion to the 6th Station and the volcanic landscape around Mt. Hoei. The experience allowed Gunasena to assess the altitude, terrain, weather and equipment before deciding whether his son was ready for the summit attempt.

The climb itself reinforced the value of taking one step at a time. Rather than focusing on the distant summit, father and son concentrated on the next marker, the next few steps and short periods of rest.

Reaching the summit brought another lesson. After taking photographs and celebrating, they still had four hours of descent ahead of them over loose volcanic terrain.

“Reaching the top was an achievement. Returning safely was success,” Gunasena said.

The experience also prompted him to reflect on how Japan manages Mt. Fuji, including visitor education, digital information, sanitation, transport, safety and environmental protection.

Having climbed Sri Pada 12 times last year and five times so far this year, Gunasena sees opportunities to apply some of these principles in Sri Lanka without compromising the mountain’s unique pilgrimage traditions.

He suggested a comprehensive digital platform for Sri Pada providing information on weather, congestion, transport, sanitation, first aid and emergencies, while educating foreign visitors about its religious significance.

For Gunasena, however, the most enduring lesson was personal: a mountain can teach what lectures cannot—through preparation, perseverance, respect for nature and the shared experience of taking each step together.

Business

FLIR, Marlbo promote smarter industrial maintenance

Published

3 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lankan industries are being encouraged to adopt advanced condition monitoring technologies to detect equipment problems before they develop into costly failures, as global technology company FLIR and its local partner Marlbo Trading Company strengthen their collaboration.

The companies brought together industry professionals at a technical seminar held on August 20 at Taj Samudra, Colombo, focusing on the use of thermography and acoustic imaging to reduce unplanned downtime, improve energy efficiency and lower maintenance costs.

Organised by Marlbo under the theme “Condition Monitoring Using Thermography and Acoustic Imaging for Measurable ROI,” the seminar highlighted the growing importance of proactive and predictive maintenance in improving equipment reliability and operational efficiency.

FLIR Sales Director – Instrumentation, India, Bhaskar Lala, and APAC Condition Monitoring Specialist David Gambarte shared their expertise on the latest diagnostic technologies and their practical industrial applications.

Thermal imaging can identify abnormal heat patterns linked to electrical and mechanical faults, while acoustic imaging can detect problems that may go unnoticed during routine inspections.

The technology is particularly useful in identifying compressed-air leaks, which can cause significant energy losses and increase operating costs.

Shevon Liyanage, Engineer – Measuring Instruments at Marlbo, also shared insights into applying condition monitoring technologies in the Sri Lankan industrial environment.

Business

Lumbini Tea Valley wins intl award for Singharaja Wirytips

Published

3 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

Chaminda Jayawardana receiving the award

Lumbini Tea Valley Ceylon won an award for its Singharaja Wirytips at The Leafies: International Tea Awards held in London in 2024, marking another international recognition for the Sri Lankan tea producer.

The award comes as the company marks two decades of direct exports, with its premium and organic Ceylon teas now reaching 35 countries across six continents.

Established in 1984, Lumbini Tea Valley began its direct export drive after Chaminda Jayawardana joined the family business in 2000 alongside his father, Dayapala Jayawardana. The initiative materialised in 2006 with the company’s first direct shipment—a 15-kilogram consignment of Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP) tea to the United States.

Since then, the company has expanded its direct-export operations, which now account for around 20% of its total manufacturing output. Following its transition to organic production, approximately half of its organic tea output is exported directly by the company.

Its key export markets include Japan, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia, with direct shipments now reaching 35 countries.

The company said its direct-export model would continue to expand amid growing international demand for traceable, single-origin Ceylon tea, with premium and organic grades at the centre of its export strategy.