The Visakha Autumn Ball 2014

Elegant is the word I would use for the Visakha Autumn Ball held on October 14th 2014.The magnificent venue was the Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher Surrey with its imposing entrance. The reception for guests by staff was both professional and warm.

I was one of the few guests to enter the Equus Suite first and had the advantage of seeing the well proportioned room in all its grandeur. Looking out of the expansive windows one admired the twinkling lights below. The room was beautifully arranged and the decorations were as usual simple and elegant. The school emblem the brass lamp (pahana) appeared to be the theme with a number of tall brass lamps strategically positioned. Each was decorated with green foliage and white flowers with a tinge of blue interspersed. The cover of the Souvenir also carried a decorated Pahana.

The room soon filled with nearly 200 guests who came in after the drinks reception. They enjoyed the excellent dinner and the music as usual provided by Denzil and the Breeze. The dance floor was soon full and dancing continued well into the night. Denzil certainly does his best to cater to varying tastes.

The guests were very generous indeed in supporting a worthy cause and raffle tickets disappeared in no time. This event is the major fundraiser to finance the Visakha bursary scheme. Over the years as many as 230 able but needy undergraduates-alumnae of Visakha have been assisted by the Association through this scheme The President Dr Kanthi Raveendran in her speech thanked Visakhians their friends and families for the enormous support given without which the many initiatives of this Association including the annual community project in Sri Lanka would not have been successful.

The President, the Events Coordinators and members deserve congratulations for delivering an excellent event in keeping with the stature of their school, Visakha.

Photographs by Sisira Maddumage