K V G de Silva Bookstore, Bambalapitiya

The famous Bambalapitiya branch of KVG de Silva Book store came next at the beginning of a large two storey building that reached up to Kensington Gardens. Just before the bookshop, at a lower level from the Galle Road slightly to the rear, was a small illegally erected stall referred to as the “Lottara Kadey” meaning “lottery shop”. Here a young Sinhalese lad ran a small store that sold comic books, fruit, and other knick-knacks. He also had a lottery offering several juicy prizes of sweets, comic books and other stuff, that attracted the young.

The place was demolished after many years of existence and many a youth in Bamba used to patronize the place for their weekly stock of comic reading or spicy mango preserve. KVG’s as the bookstore was referred to had a wide array of imported books and novels that were the attraction of many residents who spent long hours in literary pursuit during those halcyon days of English learning and acquisition of general knowledge.Next door was a textile store called “Padmini’s”, owned and managed by a Sindhi businessman, his son and daughter. The old man was much loved by the neighborhood. Adjacent to Padmini’s was a pharmacy followed by another Sindhi owned Textile Store called “Beauty’s”.