As part of its ongoing Book Talk Series, the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai hosted a book talk on Colombo: Port of Call (Penguin India, New Delhi, 2026) authored by Mumbai-based writer Ajay Kamalakaran, at the mission premises on 23 April 2026. The book looks at Colombo and Sri Lanka through the eyes of 14 prominent visitors to colonial Ceylon, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author is an avid Lanka-phile and a frequent visitor to the country since 2003.
The event, which took the form of a panel discussion was attended among others, by a diverse gathering of diplomats, bureaucrats, academics, writers, cultural aficionados and Sri Lanka enthusiasts based in Mumbai. Consul General Priyanga Wickramasinghe and the author were joined on the panel by Mumbai-based author and pediatric surgeon Kalpana Swaminathan, and filmmaker and writer Gautam Pemmaraju.
In her remarks, the Consul General observed that the book opens doors to further readings about people and things that have come to Sri Lanka through ports and other gateways, and also travelled out of the country to the world beyond. Noting that the book is also about the evolution of Colombo from the status of a strategic colonial outpost to a bustling modern city, she remarked that it treats the city not simply as just another location, but as a living, breathing place with its own very specific character and mood.
Dr Swaminathan noted that while many travel accounts from the colonial era had prejudicial commentary, "in the case of people like Mark Twain they showed how a visit to Colombo changed him and how time in what he called the Orient helped him become more empathetic.” She said that reading the book immediately made her want to travel to Sri Lanka.
Gautuam Pemmaraju remarked that "Kamalakaran's affectionate portrait of Colombo is a timely break from the many accounts of the recent troubled politics of the region and instead offers us what is enduring—the warmth, hospitality, picturesque beauty and openness of this historical port city which has welcomed all manner of visitors."
Speaking to an engaged audience Kamalakaran said, "I feel I am the best version of myself in Sri Lanka. Even after going there for 23 years, there is a fresh set of wonder and joy each time I set foot on the island. I hope the accounts featured in the book will inspire more Mumbaikars to visit Colombo and also go off the beaten track in Sri Lanka."
Many members of the attendees took the floor not only to ask questions, but also to share their sentiments about Sri Lanka and its attributes, especially the warmth of the Sri Lankan people, that persuade visitors to keep coming back. The event provided an opportunity to portray the multifaceted tapestry of the island that had captivated travellers since time immemorial.
The book talk series was initiated earlier this year to promote books on Sri Lanka in global circulation and those that have significant Sri Lankan content in order to open new avenues of culture specific discourse and travel to Sri Lanka.
The first edition of the series was held in January 2026 and featured the scholarly work, Decolonial Keywords: South Asian Thoughts and Attitudes (Tulika Books, New Delhi, 2025). Panelists at that event were co-editor Prof Renny Thomas (IISER Bhopal) Prof Pankaj Sekhsaria (IIT Bombay) and Prof. Himanshu Burte (IIT Bombay).
The series is scheduled to continue throughout the year making the Consulate General a space to explore possibilities of cultural tourism and soft diplomacy.
Consulate General of Sri Lanka
Mumbai
28 April 2026
