A family’s history in a bygone era
View(s):You never know where you might end up when you start a pet project. However, it is difficult to describe the personal satisfaction you gain when you see your project expanding to something you never thought it would become. Cadmus Samarasinha, in his own words, had started on a project aimed at introducing the lineal ancestors of his family to his children. Over the course of several years, this project grew into something far bigger, till it finally became a substantial volume making up over 180 pages titled “The Tri-Sinha”.
The book or ‘magazine’ as Mr. Samarasinha prefers to call it, is still in essence a who’s who account of people connected to the Samarasinha family and two other families who are their close relations, the Edirisinghas and Wirasinghas (hence the title “The Tri-Sinha”). But it’s also part autobiography, part history lesson and a glimpse into the challenging life of a teacher.
Mr. Samarasinha is now 90 years of age. For someone to have completed such an extensive volume at such an age is no mean feat. The project had taken him several years of exhaustive research. He had also travelled extensively to many ancient temples and churches in the Galle district in the course of collecting material for his book.
| Book facts: “The Tri-Sinha” by Cadmus Samarasinha Published by Jayanath Offset Printers in Galle. (A limited number of copies available at Rs.750). Reviewed by Sandun Jayawardana |
The Samarasinhas are an ancient family from the village of Baddegama in the Galle district. According to Mr. Samarasinha, he has written records of his family dating back to 1742. The book, gives two stories regarding the family’s origins: One stating that their ancestors were Kandyan chieftains who had to flee after earning the wrath of the kings of the Malabar dynasty and ended up in the Maritime Provinces during the Portuguese or early Dutch times. The other story details that they were a much respected family from Galle who were honoured by the colonial powers. Whatever their origins, the family has expanded and spread out over the island and the world through the centuries.
In between the detailed lists of family histories, “Tri-Sinha” also gives insight into the history of Galle and of the ancient village of Baddegama in particular. These details include how the village got its name and the important role played in its origins by Ven. Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera of the Sri Vijayabha Pirivena, located in the area. Those familiar with Sinhala literature would know that Ven. Sri Rahula Thera was one of ancient Sri Lanka’s greatest poets who authored epic Sinhala poems such as ‘Selalihini Sandeshaya,’ ‘Gira Sandeshaya’ and ‘Paravi Sandeshaya.’
The author himself has led an interesting life, as the book notes. Mr. Samarasinha was a well-known and respected teacher of English language and English literature at Mahinda College in Galle. He had begun his first stint at the college in 1950, just after graduation from the University of Ceylon at Peradeniya. He served the school with distinction for a decade, serving as both English teacher and Warden of the School Hostel, before leaving in 1960. Even after retirement, he came back to Mahinda in 1996 at the age of 70 for his “second innings” after accepting the post of “Special English Teacher” on the invitation of a group of old Mahindian students of his based in the UK. He stayed till 2004.
His love for the school and his students resonates in the significant portions of the book he has devoted to describing his life and times at Mahinda College. In between his first and second innings at the school, he was among other things, the Deputy Principal of Nagoda Maha Vidyalaya, English instructor at the Ruhuna Medical Faculty and also English instructor for the Sri Lanka Air Force. His professional teaching career spanned over half a century and his students include nurturing some of the brightest the country has produced.
The idea of compiling this volume had come to Mr. Samarasinha later in his life. Age and the physical constraints that come with it however, had not stopped him in his tracks. He has spent an extraordinary amount of time and effort in compiling an extensively researched volume of family history that is also a historical account of a bygone era.