Sri Lanka

Photographs: Dan Hallman

On Wednesday 4, Sri Lanka will celebrate 61 years of independence from Britain. Like our July 4th, there’ll be parties and performances, but observers will also head to temple. “We celebrate in conjunction with religion,” an officer at the Sri Lankan Mission tells us. “We need blessings to have our independence.”

New York Buddhist Vihara

Many transplanted Sri Lankans will pray for their country at temples like the New York Buddhist Vihara (214-22 Spencer Ave between Springfield Blvd and 219th St, Queens Village, Queens; 718-468-4262, newyorkbuddhist.org). People will spend the day there, observing higher precepts (a code of ethics), lighting candles, and offering food and flowers to the Buddha.

Sigiri Sri Lanka Restaurant

At home, Sri Lankans make kiri bath, sticky rice cooked with coconut milk, for such special occasions. “The base of our cooking is coconut” because it is plentiful in the tropical country, says Tanya Desilva, co-owner of Sigiri Sri Lanka Restaurant (91 First Ave between 5th and 6th Sts; 212-614-9333, sigirinyc.com), who came to New York from Colombo 20 years ago. Homesick expats order delicious hoppers ($10), crispy bowl-shaped pancakes made with rice flour and coconut milk, or a spicy fish curry in coconut sauce ($11). Cooks should visit Nawalanka Grocery (88-01 182nd Pl off Hillside Ave, Hollis, Queens; 718-526-1490) for an array of Sri Lankan products, including the red rice used to make kiri bath.

Approximately 10,000 Sri Lankans live in the New York–New Jersey region, and new immigrants form an especially tight community on Staten Island. From April to October, they regularly gather in Walker Park, in St. George, to bro down with the Staten Island Cricket Club (statenislandcc.org). “Sri Lankans are great lovers of cricket,” says Clarence Modeste, the president of the 136-year-old club. “It is something they grew up with—it’s in the blood.” There are more than ten nationalities among SICC’s 45-plus members, and all but one are immigrants. Come on a May Saturday to watch batters in cricket whites play in the harbor breeze—not quite Sri Lanka, but it still feels miles away from home.

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