{"id":157480,"date":"2025-08-30T06:12:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T06:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=157480"},"modified":"2025-08-30T06:12:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T06:12:59","slug":"yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/","title":{"rendered":"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n

Source:<\/span><\/strong>Thuppahis<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

YASODHARA\u2019s Handwritten Inscription on the Cover Page of the\u00a0 pamphlet in my hands \u2026. courtesy of the copy held by my\u00a0 late departed sister,\u00a0Estelle\u00a0<\/strong>Fernando<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To \u2026.My dearest Aunty\u00a0<\/strong>Estelle,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you for starting me off on my long trek\u201d through the world of learning.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

With Love<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yasodhara XX<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

EDITORIAL NOTE:\u00a0<\/strong>The collection of\u00a0 short poems in this\u00a0 loose-leaf pamphlet is NOT presented below in either chronological order or paginated\u00a0 order [since\u00a0 the\u00a0 pamphlet is NOT numbered].<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A Butterfly\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Wise Words<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

&<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Other Poems.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Yasodhara Kumaratunga<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 with Cover\u00a0<\/strong>Design by\u00a0Yasodhara\u00a0<\/strong>Kumaratunga<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"elanka\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

To my beloved thaththi with love<\/span><\/p>\n

in the hope that the blood which<\/span><\/p>\n

flowed so vainly from your beautiful<\/span><\/p>\n

face would mingle with the earth<\/span><\/p>\n

of my land, to give forth<\/span><\/p>\n

the blossoms of Peace & Brotherhood<\/span><\/p>\n

for which you fought so passionately.<\/span><\/p>\n

And to my ammi for<\/span><\/p>\n

all that you have been to me<\/span><\/p>\n

FOREWORD<\/span>
\nThese poems are the soul-cry of a little girl, traumatised by human violence. At the age of 7 years she witnessed the slaying of her father in a most bestial manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

She copes with it with a child\u2019s tenderness. Eight months after the shock, she wrote the poem \u2013 \u201cColours of Autumn\u201d, in a few minutes. It is a spontaneous hymn to the glories of Nature, she is probably trying to forget the ugliness of her world, to search for some earthly beauty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then she appeals for Peace, in the \u201cLady of Peace\u201d and against war and violence in \u201cThoughts of A Dying Soldier\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doubts about her country are expressed with startling clarity, yet so briefly in \u201cWas It Ever a Paradise\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The loneliness and abandon the child felt when in hiding. away from the violence of her land are so poignantly expressed in \u201cMay, the Moorwoman\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

**** ****<\/span><\/p>\n

All these poems were written by Yasodhara between the ages of 8 1\/2 years 11 years in London. They were created without any help or prompting by anyone, when she was only begin- ning to leam the English language, after having had an exclusively Sinhala education until the age of 8 years. These poems are an appeal for Peace and human decency, against terror of all types. perpe- trated by the State or anyone else.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the 5th death anniversary of her father. Wijaya Kumaratunga, we hope that this little book would contribute in some small way, to the rebuilding of honesty, justice, human decency, and respect for the freedom of the other, irrespective of race, language and creed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then this monumental man would not have died in vain.<\/span><\/p>\n

************<\/span><\/p>\n

A Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words<\/span>
\nA butterfly is such a happy creature,<\/span><\/p>\n

Full of colour and life<\/span><\/p>\n

So beautiful to watch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gracefully fluttering above my head.<\/span><\/p>\n

Calling to its friends to come and play<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh butterfly! Oh butterfly!<\/span><\/p>\n

Tell me what makes you so happy\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It replied quite sweetly,<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u201ddo not kill, I do not hate,<\/span><\/p>\n

I do not fight with anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

I try to be happy, and I am happy\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Saying this, it darted off<\/span><\/p>\n

To join its friends in play<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaving me in deep thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

24 th May 1991<\/span><\/p>\n

The Colours of Autumn<\/span>
\nAs misty as a mountain top<\/span><\/p>\n

As red as a ripe red apple<\/span><\/p>\n

An orange fire burning<\/span><\/p>\n

Purple grapes ready to be made into wine<\/span><\/p>\n

Golden honey bursting from a hive<\/span><\/p>\n

Birds flying in the deep blue sky<\/span><\/p>\n

As brown as a sleepy old bear<\/span><\/p>\n

ready for its winter sleep<\/span><\/p>\n

Deep red poppies gracefully nodding their heads<\/span><\/p>\n

as if they are dancing with the wind.<\/span><\/p>\n

I heard the fire whispering something to me<\/span><\/p>\n

as I was toasting marshmallows on it.<\/span><\/p>\n

All these beautiful colours of Autumn fade away<\/span><\/p>\n

As Winter begins to fall.<\/span><\/p>\n

October 1988<\/span><\/p>\n

Was It Ever a Paradise?<\/span>
\nIt used to be a<\/span><\/p>\n

Beautiful country,<\/span><\/p>\n

Peaceful and nice,<\/span><\/p>\n

Full of friendly people<\/span><\/p>\n

Always smiling,<\/span><\/p>\n

Always happy,<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a paradise on Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

But now, there is war and violence<\/span><\/p>\n

In the country that was peaceful and nice,<\/span><\/p>\n

It makes you wonder<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWas it ever a paradise?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

December 1989<\/span><\/p>\n

Thoughts of a Dying Soldier<\/span>
\nAs I lay dying on the battiefield.<\/span><\/p>\n

I thought<\/span><\/p>\n

About the war.<\/span><\/p>\n

How I was forced to join the army<\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t feel honoured to be<\/span><\/p>\n

Dying for my country.<\/span><\/p>\n

To be brave is not to die<\/span><\/p>\n

but to live on.<\/span><\/p>\n

I thought about the battle.<\/span><\/p>\n

I knew the enemy had defeated us.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was dying because<\/span><\/p>\n

I was in the way of one of the many bombs<\/span><\/p>\n

That fell on the battlefield<\/span><\/p>\n

Somebody stepped on me by mistake,<\/span><\/p>\n

I did not mind because it was nothing<\/span><\/p>\n

Compared to the pain in my heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a way.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was glad to be dying.<\/span><\/p>\n

I knew that if I live<\/span><\/p>\n

I would be handicapped in many ways.<\/span><\/p>\n

I closed my eyes. prepared to die.<\/span><\/p>\n

30th January 1991<\/span><\/p>\n

Lady of Peace<\/span>
\nThere she is picking flowers,<\/span><\/p>\n

Her face so kind and beautiful,<\/span><\/p>\n

Her cheeks are a rosy red,<\/span><\/p>\n

She smiles at you with her rosebud lips<\/span><\/p>\n

She wears a gown of white silk<\/span><\/p>\n

And a crown of flowers<\/span><\/p>\n

Her hair flows down to her kness<\/span><\/p>\n

She looks in disgust<\/span><\/p>\n

At people who are causing war<\/span><\/p>\n

for useless reasons,<\/span><\/p>\n

She smiles at people<\/span><\/p>\n

Who are trying to be peaceful,<\/span><\/p>\n

She tries to bring happiness<\/span><\/p>\n

Into their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

You will be happier being Peaceful<\/span><\/p>\n

Than causing war.<\/span><\/p>\n

May 1990<\/span><\/p>\n

Why?<\/span>
\nWhy do we hunt animals for their skins<\/span><\/p>\n

They don\u2019t hunt us for ours,<\/span><\/p>\n

The brains we have were wasted<\/span><\/p>\n

On guns and nuclear weapons,<\/span><\/p>\n

On concrete jungles,<\/span><\/p>\n

And factories belching out pollution.<\/span><\/p>\n

We must put an end to all<\/span><\/p>\n

the wrong things we are doing<\/span><\/p>\n

Before it\u2019s too late.<\/span><\/p>\n

July 1990<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mirror<\/span>
\nI stood in front of the mirror<\/span><\/p>\n

Duck! I did not like what I saw<\/span><\/p>\n

That ugly brown face, messy hair<\/span><\/p>\n

I brushed it<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t make my face look better.<\/span><\/p>\n

My eyes were bright,<\/span><\/p>\n

They were a shiny black,<\/span><\/p>\n

They made my face look a bit better<\/span><\/p>\n

But I guess I can\u2019t change my face<\/span><\/p>\n

I am stuck with it!<\/span><\/p>\n

June 1990<\/span><\/p>\n

May the Moorwoman<\/span>
\nIf you went to the moor,<\/span><\/p>\n

About a year ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

You would have seen someone,<\/span><\/p>\n

Someone who was lonely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Someone who was all alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

She had no family, no friends, no home.<\/span><\/p>\n

But she never complained to anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

She just kept on living<\/span><\/p>\n

As brave as a lion,<\/span><\/p>\n

As beautiful as a wild rose.<\/span><\/p>\n

All that is left,<\/span><\/p>\n

Of May the Moorwoman<\/span><\/p>\n

As people used to call her,<\/span><\/p>\n

Are her clothes<\/span><\/p>\n

Which are damp and soggy now.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet. you still complain,<\/span><\/p>\n

And say you are unhappy,<\/span><\/p>\n

When you have everything<\/span><\/p>\n

That May ever wanted-<\/span><\/p>\n

A family, friends and a home.<\/span><\/p>\n

May 1990<\/span><\/p>\n

A Different Perspective A Daffodil<\/span>
\nAs I was sitting in the flower bed<\/span><\/p>\n

I talked to my neighbour.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened to those flowers<\/span><\/p>\n

that got picked yesterday?\u201d I asked<\/span><\/p>\n

My neighbour did not have time to reply\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

A hand came down at us,<\/span><\/p>\n

I was doomed<\/span><\/p>\n

My roots were pulled out of the soil<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, I was dumped in a vase.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh! What a pretty flower!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It must be so proud to be in that vase\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

She did not know what it felt like<\/span><\/p>\n

Drooping in this wretched vase.<\/span><\/p>\n

I knew I will wither away and die soon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sooner than I would have,<\/span><\/p>\n

If I had been left alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

February 1991<\/span><\/p>\n

Maha Kappina Walauwa<\/span>
\nI stand here alone,<\/span><\/p>\n

Two hundred years old<\/span><\/p>\n

I hear no more the sound of laughter,<\/span><\/p>\n

Of activity innside me\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Now I am abandoned, I fall here alone In silence.<\/span><\/p>\n

13th April 1991<\/span><\/p>\n

Two Things<\/span>
\nTwo things I can watch<\/span><\/p>\n

And never get tired of watching,<\/span><\/p>\n

Are the sea and fire,<\/span><\/p>\n

Never still, always moving,<\/span><\/p>\n

Forming different shapes and images<\/span><\/p>\n

In my mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

I can sit by the sea shore<\/span><\/p>\n

And listen to the waves,<\/span><\/p>\n

Cracking by my feet<\/span><\/p>\n

For hours on end\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Or I will sit by the fireside<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking deeply into the flickering fire<\/span><\/p>\n

To see it forming shapes and images.<\/span><\/p>\n

With my cat softly purring on my knees.<\/span><\/p>\n

24th May 1991<\/span><\/p>\n

Gypsy Song<\/span>
\nWhirling and whirling<\/span><\/p>\n

In beautiful, bright costumes<\/span><\/p>\n

Spinning and twirling<\/span><\/p>\n

To our colourful tunes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tunes carry our feet away<\/span><\/p>\n

And we keep dancing and dancing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The night is nearly over.<\/span><\/p>\n

But we\u2019re still tirelessly dancing We\u2019ll go tomorrow<\/span><\/p>\n

Where our feet may lead us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dancing. Dancing and Dancing.<\/span><\/p>\n

24th July 1991<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sea<\/span>
\nWhen I look at the sea,<\/span><\/p>\n

Its greatness, its power<\/span><\/p>\n

I feel small, so small<\/span><\/p>\n

feel like an ant<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking at a mighty lion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The heart of this earth,<\/span><\/p>\n

Flowing, flowing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes gentle,<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes fierce,<\/span><\/p>\n

Always beautiful,<\/span><\/p>\n

Always mysterious<\/span><\/p>\n

lighty waves crack<\/span><\/p>\n

Then become gentle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kiss the shore.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then go back .<\/span><\/p>\n

Always returning to kiss it<\/span><\/p>\n

Again and again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026. June 1992 \u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Printed & Published by Rakhena Printer & Publishers Ltd..<\/span>
\n&&&&&&&&&&&&&&<\/span><\/p>\n

BACKGROUND EMBELLISHMENTS<\/span><\/p>\n

\"elanka\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Chandrika Kumaratunga nee Bandaranaike visiting Estlle Fernando in Nugegoda during my sister\u2019s fading years circa 2018<\/span><\/p>\n

Chandrika with Yasodhara, her husband Roger Walker and younger brother Vimukthi in London <\/span><\/p>\n


\nClick here to receive your free copy of the eLanka Newsletter twice a week delivered directly to your inbox!<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d Source:Thuppahis YASODHARA\u2019s Handwritten Inscription on the Cover Page of the\u00a0 pamphlet in my hands \u2026. courtesy of the copy held by my\u00a0 late departed sister,\u00a0Estelle\u00a0Fernando\u00a0 To \u2026.My dearest Aunty\u00a0Estelle, Thank you for starting me off on my long trek\u201d through the world of learning. With Love Yasodhara XX EDITORIAL […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":156787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[48806,81549],"class_list":{"0":"post-157480","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-aside","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"tag-chandrika-kumaratunga","9":"tag-yasodhara-kumaratunga","10":"post_format-post-format-aside"},"yoast_head":"\nYasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"YASODHARA\u2019s Handwritten Inscription on the Cover Page of the\u00a0 pamphlet in my hands \u2026. courtesy of the copy held by my\u00a0 late departed sister\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"YASODHARA\u2019s Handwritten Inscription on the Cover Page of the\u00a0 pamphlet in my hands \u2026. courtesy of the copy held by my\u00a0 late departed sister\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"eLanka\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-30T06:12:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-30T06:12:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"568\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"582\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"eLanka admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"eLanka admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"eLanka admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd\"},\"headline\":\"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-30T06:12:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-30T06:12:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/\"},\"wordCount\":1537,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Chandrika Kumaratunga\",\"Yasodhara Kumaratunga\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Articles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/\",\"name\":\"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-30T06:12:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-30T06:12:59+00:00\",\"description\":\"YASODHARA\u2019s Handwritten Inscription on the Cover Page of the\u00a0 pamphlet in my hands \u2026. courtesy of the copy held by my\u00a0 late departed sister\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png\",\"width\":568,\"height\":582,\"caption\":\"Vijaya Kumaratunga-eLanka\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/category\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\",\"name\":\"eLanka\",\"description\":\"eLanka - Sri lanka events in Australia\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\",\"name\":\"eLanka\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg\",\"width\":192,\"height\":82,\"caption\":\"eLanka\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elanka\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SriLankanDownUnder\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd\",\"name\":\"eLanka admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"eLanka admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/author\/elanka\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d","description":"YASODHARA\u2019s Handwritten Inscription on the Cover Page of the\u00a0 pamphlet in my hands \u2026. courtesy of the copy held by my\u00a0 late departed sister","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d","og_description":"YASODHARA\u2019s Handwritten Inscription on the Cover Page of the\u00a0 pamphlet in my hands \u2026. courtesy of the copy held by my\u00a0 late departed sister","og_url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/","og_site_name":"eLanka","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/","article_published_time":"2025-08-30T06:12:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-30T06:12:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":568,"height":582,"url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"eLanka admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"eLanka admin","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/"},"author":{"name":"eLanka admin","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd"},"headline":"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d","datePublished":"2025-08-30T06:12:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-30T06:12:59+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/"},"wordCount":1537,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png","keywords":["Chandrika Kumaratunga","Yasodhara Kumaratunga"],"articleSection":["Articles"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/","name":"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png","datePublished":"2025-08-30T06:12:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-30T06:12:59+00:00","description":"YASODHARA\u2019s Handwritten Inscription on the Cover Page of the\u00a0 pamphlet in my hands \u2026. courtesy of the copy held by my\u00a0 late departed sister","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Vijaya-Kumaratunga-eLanka.png","width":568,"height":582,"caption":"Vijaya Kumaratunga-eLanka"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/yasodhara-kumaratunga-a-butterflys-wise-words\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Articles","item":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/category\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Yasodhara Kumaratunga: \u201cA Butterfly\u2019s Wise Words\u201d"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/","name":"eLanka","description":"eLanka - Sri lanka events in Australia","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization","name":"eLanka","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg","width":192,"height":82,"caption":"eLanka"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elanka\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SriLankanDownUnder"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd","name":"eLanka admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"eLanka admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew"],"url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/author\/elanka\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157480"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":157484,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157480\/revisions\/157484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}