Nimal Samaratunga sits in his shed in the backwoods of Minuwangoda, half hidden amidst veritable mountains of betel leaves. Selling ‘bulath’ is not only his trade, it was also his father’s, ...

A motif of prosperity, new beginnings and goodwill, the betel leaf interlaces the multi-cultural Sri Lankan society. Bulath in Sinhalese and Vettilai in Tamil, this glossy heart-shaped leaf of ...