Patrons experience Vesak in a new light at Colombo City Centre

The Colombo City Centre had in store an array of activities for the Vesak season, under the theme ‘Enlightening the City this Vesak’. The salient feature of the décor and activations for the Vesak season was that they were biodegradable and eco-friendly. 

Colombo City Centre was ‘enlightened’ this Vesak by decorations made using eco-friendly material. The Buddha was the world’s first conservationist and what better time to highlight this eco-friendly nature in His Dhamma than during Vesak. At a time when everything is being commercialised, and Vesak is no exception, the intention of CCC was to set a precedent by keeping its Vesak simple. Its Vesak theme revolved around ‘Enlightenment’ and associated activities reflected this. 

CCC always had the best interest of Colombo in mind and staying true to this tradition, it used sustainable materials such as fabrics to develop the decor. CCC claims the moral highground in promoting activities that support a cause. Even the décor used during different festive seasons has had a distinct altruistic objective. For example, the décor used for Christmas, the teddy bears, were donated to children in need after the Christmas season. Similarly, it is the sincere hope of the CCC that the use of fabrics in place of plastic in its Vesak décor eliminated detrimental effects on the environment, in the disposal process.

The Special Vesak City Tour, in the comfort of the CCC Social Bus, redefined the Vesak experience for mall patrons. The tour, exclusively organised for CCC customers to experience Vesak décor around Colombo, took place on 15 May from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The tour was jam-packed with delighted customers who readily availed themselves of this free tour to experience Vesak in style, in the company of their families. 

The exclusive Korean Embassy Vesak celebration, ‘Light up Lanterns of Friendship’ took place at CCC from 14 to 17 May under the theme ‘Light up Lanterns of Friendship: Korea and Sri Lanka’ in tandem with Korea Week 2022, hosted by the Korean Embassy in Sri Lanka. The opening ceremony was graced by Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka Santhush Woonjin Jeong, Abans Group Chairperson Aban Pestonjee, Colombo City Centre Chairman Rusi Pestonjee, Veteran Actor Ravindra Randeniya and honoured guests. An interesting segment of the Korean Vesak celebration was the Korean lantern show. Moreover, to the pleasant surprise of many mall patrons, boxes of Korean delicacies were distributed among customers on 15 May in celebration of Vesak Poya. 

A series of traditional Korean games and other ‘Squid Game’ TV show themed games were conducted from 12 p.m. onwards till 17 May. Mall patrons took part in a DIY session to create their own Korean lanterns. 

Vesak came on the heels of CCC Mother’s Day activities. The Mother’s Day celebrations at CCC included a Shopping Challenge held on Sunday, 8 May, interactive photo backdrop, Mother’s Day gift voucher promotion, raffle draw and an evening with songs dedicated to mothers, performed by the band Silk which were a huge success.  

For more information follow the Colombo City Centre Facebook and Instagram pages or check with the concierge desk.