Multicultural melting pot

Slave Island has lived so many lives. The former slave prison, military station, botanical garden and popular picknick spot has grown into what it is today, a hub of vibrant activity where African, Indian, Javanese, Burgher, Moor and most prominently Malay heritage are visible at every street corner. You can hear it in the music, see it in the colours and taste it in the food. No longer an island in crocodile-infested waters, it is a diverse vibrant community that is unique in Colombo. But it may not be there much longer. The whole quarter is under threat of demolition, and is being swallowed up by the skyscrapers rising around it. Slave island is about to undergo another reincarnation.