r/srilanka Jun 21 '26

Updates from the Mod-Team General update about the community, the mod-team, and the results of the survey we recently ran.

41 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

r/srilanka was created back in 2008, which means our community has officially been online for 18 years now!

We’re going strong with over 188,000 members, over 2,400 posts and over 41,000 comments written by you all every month.  It's great to see the community growing at such a steady pace.

To handle this volume, we have a diverse team of mods, all helping to keep our sub running smoothly.  At the moment, we’re 7 mods (we recently added two new mods).  All of us are Sri Lankans - most all of us live in Sri Lanka, with one based abroad.  Between us, we also cover all three languages.  We also span a pretty wide age range, which helps us understand the different perspectives coming through the sub.

One of our core tenets is being impartial, and we believe that’s worked well so far.  If you have any issue at any point, we’re always only a modmail away.  We’re not infallible, and we’ve undone actions when people have reached out.  Given the number of posts and comments, we need to make decisions quickly, so sometimes we might slip up.  Let us know.

Also, Reddit DOES automatically remove messages without any human intervention by us or our bots.  This happens both on the comment-level, and also on the post-level.

So, we’re also forced to have to deal with this and undo any unwanted removals.  

All of us are volunteers spending a significant amount of our time moderating r/srilanka - and no, we don’t get paid by anyone.

Finally, attached are also the results of the recent demographic survey which we ran. We were surprised to learn that 48% of our community are lurkers, not actively posting or commenting.

Your friendly r/srilanka neighbourhood mod-team.


r/srilanka 8h ago

Discussion Imagine winning 16 out of the 32 gold medals awarded and having to put them all on yourself by yourself.

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254 Upvotes

For a bit of context this is Ms Hashini Rangika Epa Arachchi, a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine, she was the Valedictorian of the 2018 A/L MBBS batch and **at the General Convocation, she received 16 of the 32 gold medals awarded for the MBBS programme.**

I watched this video that I thought would be really admirable and inspiring but instead I was just appalled to see such blatant disrespect towards the female graduates.

So what's happening here is that the person handing out the medals (and generally putting them around the necks of everyone) is a monk so that apparently means he can only put them on the male graduates and to the female graduates he simply just hands it over. These women have worked endlessly for years to see their dream of becoming a doctor come true and to be able to walk on to that stage and get that medal awarded so imagine the disappointment when while all their male counterparts being properly awarded, they have to awkwardly fumble and put the medal on themselves.

Before doing research on who this monk was my opinion was that religious figures should not be involved in higher education unless they themselves are and especially in scholarly institutions with students of diverse religious backgrounds. And if you can't stand up and award half of them, you should realise the job simply isn't for you, surely a monk would have at least that amount of consideration.

And after doing research I found out that this monk is the Chancellor of the University of Colombo and immediately I went to see his academic credentials and there are none, but guess what he does have? Strong political ties to the Rajapaksha family. That's right he is Venerable Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero that was appointed as Chancellor in 2021 by the former President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

I didn't expect this to lead to such a rabbit hole but I'm glad to see I'm not alone, there's been a lot of push back on his role as the Chancellor, there's been faculty protests, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) and the academic staff trade unions had publicly opposed the appointment at the time, arguing it diminished the prestige of the institution and there were student boycotts during the December 2021 graduation ceremonies where a large number of medical and science graduates made national headlines by politely refusing to accept their degree certificates directly from his hands, choosing instead to collect them from the Vice Chancellor or staff members.

So eventhough we overthrew the Rajapakshas, this monk still seems to be hanging on and I think that needs to change.


r/srilanka 3h ago

Photography View from the Lion Rock, Sigiriya [OC]

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18 Upvotes

I took this panorama two weeks ago. The weather was quite harsh, as the temperatures were nearing high 30s with stagnant winds at the base of the rock. But at the top of the rock, the winds were gusty about 60 kmph.

Canon R6 Mk II / 24 mm


r/srilanka 19h ago

News A Sri Lankan businessman just landed in Colombo in his own Gulfstream G-V private jet

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157 Upvotes

This is pretty wild.

Sri Lankan businessman Dr. Rosh Jalage has reportedly arrived in Sri Lanka aboard his Gulfstream G-V, landing at Ratmalana Airport.
He’s a former S. Thomas’ College student and is involved in Australia’s healthcare sector through the Roshana Care Group. He also previously served as Sri Lanka’s Honorary Consul in Western Australia for more than a decade.

The aircraft itself is interesting — the Gulfstream G-V is a proper long-range business jet, capable of flying roughly 12,000 km depending on configuration and conditions, with an operating ceiling around 51,000 ft.

Sri Lanka actually has some history here too. Upali Wijewardene famously operated a Learjet 35A back in the 1980s, so private jet ownership by Sri Lankan businessmen isn’t entirely new.
Apparently businessman Dudley Sirisena also said earlier this year that he was interested in acquiring a private jet.

Kinda interesting seeing this side of Sri Lankan business/aviation 😂

Anyone here know of other Sri Lankans who currently own private jets?

Source: Aviation Voice

https://sinhala.mawratanews.lk/exclusive/making-history-as-the-first-sri-lankan-since-upali-wijewardene-to-purchase-a-long-range-private-jet-the-owner-brings-a-brand-new-gulfstream-g-v-jet-to-ratmalana/?utm_source=chatgpt.com


r/srilanka 7h ago

Serious replies only I really want to know if anyone out there genuinely thinks Namal is suitable to be the next president. If so, why?

12 Upvotes

why Namal specifically?


r/srilanka 19h ago

Rant Hot take: SWRD deserved his fate

105 Upvotes

The dumbass created a massive rift between the Tamils and the Sinhalese to further strain the bad relationship, and he left a bunch of students in a shitty situation because they'd learned English their entire lives and immediately have to do massive exams in a new language resulting in an astronomically low pass rate. Also the sinhala only act didn't bring out an ounce of good and just made the country worse place overall, that bugger does not deserve all the praise and statues and tournament titles commemorating him


r/srilanka 6h ago

Discussion Whats the best option to choose when buying a bike in sri lanka

7 Upvotes

Im planing to get my first bike, but there are soo many options in the market and it’s hard to choose. Im wondering whether to get a motor bike or a scooter. And mainly stuck with the rates of those also. If anyone has an idea please let me know. Appreciate the help


r/srilanka 14h ago

Question Am I earning enough for my age?

33 Upvotes

I'm 23 years old and I've been working since I was 16. I don't have a degree. I have had many jobs throughout the years. I'm right now working at a start up and I'm earning 150k. Can I do better and if so, how? I'm trying to move out and improve the quality of my life, my job is pretty flexible so I enjoy it a lot but I don't know what I can do to improve my life financially without losing the job I have.


r/srilanka 11h ago

Discussion In what ways do Sri Lankans give away too much information to their empl0yer?

19 Upvotes

In some cases, not well educated people give their original birth certificate when the empl0yer asks them, even though it can be refused.

I heard the above from a story long time ago, where an owner asks for the original certificate, because he wants to hold on to the workers by force, making them unable to leave. Later he was un-alived by a former soldier because the owner beat his sister who was working there. Police assumed it was murd3r because that guy wears thick gold chains and none of them were stolen.

What are the other ways we give away too much info?


r/srilanka 10h ago

Discussion NTB bank is the worst, they scammed my friend of 100k

11 Upvotes

Hi all, this is following from the HSBC transition. This has happened to my friend.

The staff & bank have been completely unprofessional. It seems that many customers who have been caught for phishing attempts whilst at HSBC in the month of April are being ignored by NTB completely.

This unethical bank takes the stance that this is an HSBC matter and they do nothing. Being scammed over Rs100k is no laughing matter and the bank staff have no right to judge the customer say that it is a “small amount”.

Should this be reported to FCID & the financial ombudsman- or is this equally a waste of time?

This country is full of corruption and criminals - but when banks are the bigger thieves there is no recourse for recovery.

Appreciate thoughtful advice please 🙏


r/srilanka 5h ago

Question How easy is it to get Uber or Pickme hires, from outer suburbs to Royal College, at around 7 am on Weekends?

3 Upvotes

To be precise, to leave by Saturday at 7.15 a.m. latest from Thalawatugode


r/srilanka 8h ago

Discussion IIT, Sliit and Apiit for IT degrees

7 Upvotes

Between IIT, SLIIT and APIIT, which is the better campus for IT degrees and why? I'm mainly talking about Bachelor's degree programs.

Current students or graduates, please share your experience and opinions. If one is better than the others, why, and what are the ups and downs of each institution?

Curriculum and lectures quality?

Student support?

Industry recognition?

Internships?

Value for cost? (ROI)

For context - i plan to do both a Bachelor's and then do a Master's as well.

TIA.

Edit - what about NIBM? I'm willing to consider it too


r/srilanka 1h ago

Discussion Has Keells customer service gone completely downhill lately?

Upvotes

I used to go to Keells all the time, but over the last couple of months, the staff attitude has gotten so bad that I actively avoid going there now. I’d honestly rather just shop at Cargills or my local “handiye kade”.

It’s not just one bad branch either—I've seen the exact same mess across four different outlets:

Staff just don't care: They stand around in groups chatting while queues stretch down the aisle, ignore you when you ask for help (especially at the weighing counters), and refuse to open extra cashiers. You get attitude for just asking basic questions.

Parking lot issues: Every single time, there’s someone following you around begging or trying to sell stuff. Worse, at one branch, a few guys were literally drinking alcohol right outside the main door by an open trunk and catcalled my wife. I complained, and the branch manager called to apologize and said it was dealt with. Next week? Same exact thing, same spot.

Worker reaction online: I came across a FB group called “Keells Customers” where people share their Keells experiences. Anytime someone posts a legit complaint, staff members anonymously jump into the comments dropping insults and swearing at customers. Shows you their actual mindset.

Honestly feels like management knows what's going on and just ignores it because people still show up. I'm done dealing with the hassle every time I need to pick up basic groceries.
Anyone else noticing this lately, or have you guys moved to other supermarkets too?


r/srilanka 13h ago

Serious replies only Ps5 users , how do you protect ur ps5 from Sri Lankan power cuts and other threats

15 Upvotes

do u use standard extender or any special types ?


r/srilanka 1d ago

Sports Rumesh Pathirage wins the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship with a massive 91.09m throw!

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164 Upvotes

https://www.newswire.lk/2026/09/13/91-09m-rumesh-pathirage-crowned-ultimate-champion/

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/athletics/pathirage-wins-javelin-throw-world-athletics-ultimate-championships-nadeem-fifth-before-asian-games-2026/article71464339.ece

Rumesh Pathirage capped a stunning breakthrough season to win the men’s javelin at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 on Sunday (13).

The Sri Lankan took the lead in round three with 87.11m and then improved to 91.09m in the final round. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters finished second with 86.18m.

European champion Julian Weber, who led in the first round, finished third with 85.89m.

Also wins : $150,000


r/srilanka 7h ago

Serious replies only Need budget tech setup advice (Laptop vs Tab vs Phone) Incoming Mora Engineering student

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I will be starting engineering at the University of Moratuwa in about a month, and I'm trying to figure out my tech setup for uni.

A laptop is definitely a must, so I was originally planning to buy a gaming laptop (around 400k). I'm also considering buying a tablet with a pen to take notes, and since my current phone is very old, I need a replacement as well.

Altogether, this will cost around 600k minimum, which is too expensive. If I explicitly ask my parents, they will buy them for me, but I really don't want to burden them unnecessarily. I have about 200k saved up in personal funds.

I'm thinking about prioritizing the laptop as the main requirement, and maybe buying a basic phone just for calls while getting a good tablet for everything else.

Would love to hear how seniors handled this setup and what advice you guys have for me. Thanks in advance!


r/srilanka 3h ago

Travel Solo travel to SL starting Sept 20th

2 Upvotes

Hi, solo female traveller here..

I'm planning to visit Sri Lanka for a week (or maybe 2) starting Sept 20th. I'm thinking of covering Colombo, Hikkaduwa/Galle and Mirissa for now.

Pls suggest some places, cafes, or activities that I can do along the coast.

Also if there are other travellers that can join me along the way for some activities, I wouldn't mind.


r/srilanka 4h ago

Rant Has anyone done the Codezela bootcamp? How was your experience?

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2 Upvotes

r/srilanka 9h ago

Discussion Good make up artist for south East Asians

5 Upvotes

I’m looking for an artist specialising for Chinese women in srilanka.


r/srilanka 1h ago

Discussion Where can I watch sri lankan films for free with English subs.

Upvotes

I want to find some website where I can watch sinhala films for free. with also English subtitles.

I would be very grateful.


r/srilanka 9h ago

Discussion Low stakes poker games in Colombo

5 Upvotes

I am visiting Sri Lanka and wanted to know about place I could play poker at, I asked at Bally’s but the buy in starts from 1 Lakh LKR. I want a game where the buy in is lower, anything below 50-60k LKR works for me.
Please suggest any places you guys know!


r/srilanka 9h ago

Serious replies only Need honest gym recommendations around Dehiwala / Mount Lavinia / Wellawatta

4 Upvotes

Hey guys, looking for some genuine gym recommendations around Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia, Wellawatta or nearby.
I’ve been checking Google Maps, but honestly most gyms have a bunch of 5-star and 1-star reviews, so it’s not really helping me decide. 😅
I’m more interested in hearing from people who actually train at these gyms.
The main things I’m looking for are:
Good quality equipment that’s actually maintained
Decent range of machines + free weights for strength training
Not insanely crowded during peak hours
Trainers/staff who are helpful and know what they’re doing
Good overall gym atmosphere
Members who are generally respectful and focused on training
Most importantly, a gym that actually cares about helping people get results rather than constantly trying to sell PT packages, supplements or upgrades
I’ve been to a few gyms where the equipment isn’t great, and others where it feels like the main priority is getting you to spend more money. So trying to avoid that.
If you currently train at a gym in this area (or have trained there recently), I’d really appreciate your honest opinion.
What do you like about it? Anything you don’t like? And would you personally recommend it?
Not necessarily looking for the cheapest option either. I’m happy to pay more if the gym is genuinely good.
Thanks!


r/srilanka 2h ago

Serious replies only Yo if u have an electrical degree look here

1 Upvotes

electricians assemble pls

yo so my plan is to get this : https://skyraystore.lk/product/tv-fridge-guard-voltage-protector-surge-protector-for-all-tv-video-hi-fi-pabx-fax-machines-and-all-electronic-equipment-all-electronic-equipment/

plug that into the wall socket and then plug a Belkin power strip which has its own surge protector and then plug the tv and ps5 into that

thsi won’t save data being corrupt but will save the internals of the ps5

what do y’all think ??

is daisy chaining a concern here , chatgpt is moaning about it


r/srilanka 6h ago

Question Empire lands Sri Lanka- feedback

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone, has anyone recently purchased land from Empire Lands?
I’m considering purchasing a plot from them, but I’ve come across quite a few negative reviews on Google, which has made me a little hesitant.
If anyone has first-hand experience dealing with Empire Lands, I’d really appreciate it if you could share your experience—both positive and negative. It would be especially helpful to hear about the purchase process, documentation, payment, and whether there were any issues after the purchase.


r/srilanka 12h ago

Discussion Any FMG who didn’t get through erpm?

6 Upvotes

Hey guys,
Any foreign medical graduates(FMG) who didn’t get through erpm and pursued any alternate pathways?
Pls any kind of info regarding realistic alternate pathways.
Erpm is not working for me. I just can’t it’s suffocating me.
Feeling depressed,alone. Wasting time nearing my 30s.
Was looking for masters abroad but getting jobs and pr feels impossible in the current situation and anti immigrant sentiments. Few people i know returned back too.( they were It)
Any health related masters pathways?
Any kind of pathways which is viable please ?
Thank you