Page 50 - Memorial Book Thilaga Mylvaganam

The Liyanages remember their aunty

Thilaka and family

The close association between the Liyanages and the
Mylvaganams did not start under the aforementioned
names but between two sets of sisters surnamed Dias and
Ambalavanar who in the early 1940's lived in close
proximity to each other in the then picturesque second
city of Sri Lanka, named Kandy. Although quite
proximate as a crow flew, by road access was rather
distant for the two families to meet. Fortunately both
families did not possess vehicles and the Dias family
found a short cut to their residence which ran past the
Ambalavanar household. Thus fate decreed that the
Dias sisters had to walk past the Ambalavanars
residence. As time passed the nodding acquaintance
between the two families grew into a friendship via the
conduit of the two sets of sisters. The elder of the Dias
sisters was our Mother Yaso and the older sibling on the
Ambalavanar side was Aunty Thilaka. The bond between
these two friends was extremely close and remained so
until the sad premature passing of our mother in 1965.

Aunty Thilaka's father was a government servant and
had to move to Colombo in c. 1950 due to his elevation to

senior rank. It is apposite at this stage to dwell on the
character of Mr. Ambalavanar. He was a person of very
strong moral character and values. He was a model civil
servant who rose to a very high executive level in his
sphere of employment. He was very much a fearless
person who always called a spade a spade. He was always
helpful and his house had an open welcome to all but the

Late Mrs. Tilakavati Mylvaganam 42