Sri Lanka is set to shine on one of South Asia’s most prestigious television platforms with the premiere of Jayaflava: Celebrating Sri Lanka, a six-part travel and food series airing on National Geographic South Asia.

Premiering on Friday, 20 February at 8.00 PM, with a repeat broadcast every Sunday at 1.00 PM, the series will reach audiences across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives, placing Sri Lanka’s story directly before one of the region’s most influential travel audiences.

Hosted by Sri Lankan author and food storyteller Tasha Marikkar, Jayaflava is far more than a traditional food show. 

It is a cinematic, witty and deeply personal exploration of the island told through the dishes that define its communities, the landscapes that shape them and the people who keep its culture alive.

Inspired by Marikkar’s HarperCollins-published cookbook Jayaflava, each episode begins with one iconic Sri Lankan dish and expands outward into a place and its story. 

From Kottu in Colombo and Crab Curry in Jaffna, to Hoppers along the South Coast, Coconut in Puttalam and Lamprais in Galle, the food becomes the thread but Sri Lanka is always the destination.

The series is directed by Afdhel Aziz, following his acclaimed documentary Genius of the Place.

Across six half-hour episodes, Jayaflava presents Sri Lanka not as a postcard, but as a living, layered country bold, diverse and modern. 

Viewers will also encounter influential voices shaping Sri Lankan culture today, including chefs, writers and creatives from both Sri Lanka and the global diaspora.