Funday Times

Gaveshaka takes you on a tour of the National Museum
A serene Buddha greets you as you enter
A museum is a collection or repository of natural, scientific or literary curiosities or of works of art. It displays a country's cultural and national heritage. The science of arranging and managing museums is known as 'museology'. Describing of museums is called 'museuography'.

In Sri Lanka, what was begun as the Colombo Museum way back in 1877 is today the National Museum, Colombo. The founder of the Museum was British Governor Sir William Gregory (1872-1877), considered one of the ablest and most enlightened men to hold the office. He first made an extensive tour of the country. He later formed the desolate and abandoned tank region of Nuwarakalawiya into a separate North Central Province (NCP) and proclaimed the city of Anuradhapura as its capital.

Frederick Dickson, an able and experienced official, was appointed to administer the province. Governor Gregory started restoring the tanks built by ancient kings and within the first year work was going on at some 900 tanks. He was greatly supported by Dickson in this task.

"Crops were obtained where they had failed for years. The revenue rose immensely, sickness gradually declined, an eminently listless and lazy population being compelled to work resumed habits of industry," he wrote.
Governor Gregory was deeply interested in the arts. When the Royal Asiatic Society, Colombo branch pressed for the establishment of a museum, he took it up and in his first address to the Legislative Council in 1872 when he proposed the construction of a museum. "I propose in connection with this museum to obtain reproductions of the inscriptions throughout the island by means of photography, casts and hand copying.

These inscriptions, varying in character and dialect, will be of deep interest to the philologist and throw light on the ancient usages, religious customs and early history of Ceylon."

Obtaining the approval of the Council was not an easy task, yet within a year, the Council accepted the proposal and the Architect of the Public Works Department, J G Smither was given the task of designing the museum. He prepared the plans on Italian style. The construction of the building was completed in 1876 and the museum was opened on January 1, 1977. A statue of Governor Gregory is seen in the museum premises.

Over the years the museum has expanded and new wings have been added. It earned the status of a National Museum in 1942 during the tenure of Dr. P. E. P. Deraniyagala as Director. He was the first Sri Lankan to hold the post of director. A full-fledged national museum was established under a special Act - 1942 Act No 31. Dr Deraniyagala opened museums in Jaffna, Kandy and Ratnapura and now the number of branches has increased to nine.

On the ground floor, galleries have been arranged in a historical sequence. We shall start visiting these galleries from next week. As you enter the museum you are greeted by the famous Buddha image from Touvila in Anuradhapura. The seated Buddha is very much similar to the world renowned Samadhi Buddha in Anuradhapura and some consider it even better.

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