Photo: Gerard O'Brien
SLSA president Priyanka Rajakumaran (19) said the new year was celebrated worldwide by both the majority Sinhalese people and the Tamil minority.
The event featured traditional games as well as a pot-luck dinner where party-goers could feast on various Sri Lankan curries and sweets.
The third-year medical student said she was thrilled with the turnout and was thankful the new year, which marked the end of both harvest season and spring on the island nation, had fallen on a Saturday this year.
The SLSA was a vibrant group, evidenced by its 15-strong committee and several hundred Facebook followers, she said.
"There's a very strong community here. I came from Wellington and did not think there would be this many Sri Lankans here.''
