The 2025 ‘Sripalee Mela’, celebrating the people-to-people contact and cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka, concluded in Horana, a town in the Kalutara district of Western Province of Sri Lanka. India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, Sri Lankan Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Sunil Watagala and former Member of Parliament Patali Champika Ranawaka graced the closing ceremony of the festival as special guests. The foundation stone of the College was laid by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1934 on the invitation of Wilmot A. Perera, the founder of the college. Tagore visited Sri Lanka three times – in 1922, 1928, and 1934 – and all of his visits left a lasting impact on Lankan culture, art, music, literature and education. The cultural bond stands as one of the strongest pillars in India-Sri Lanka relations. Both leaders acknowledged the need to further promote cultural and tourism links between the two countries.
