First Sinhala play at Tower Hall

Tower Hall which is synonymous with Sinhala theatre celebrated its 95th anniversary last week. It was on December 16, 1911 that the first play was staged at Tower Hall. The play was 'Pandukabahaya' (a historical play based on King Pandukabhaya) written and produced by Charles Dias, a lawyer by profession.

Tower Hall was built by a prominent businessman of the day, G. D. Hendrick Seneviratne Appuhamy who lived in Dematagoda. Along with a friend, B. J. Perera he ran a hotel at Panchikakwatta close to where he built Tower Hall. Maradana was not such a busy area then and he selected a little hillock opposite his hotel, Passenger Union Hotel to build the theatre. He had bought the block of land for 50 rupees from the Municipality for a stable to house the horses who took part in the weekend races.

The hall had accommodation for 800 seated and 400 standing audience with facilities for the actors to change and get their make-up done.

The clock tower, which remains to this day was designed on the basis of the Tower of London, which also gave the name to the theatre. The three-faced clock had a glass cover.

Records indicate that the hall was opened by Governor Sir Henry McCallum at a colourful ceremony with lights blazing, crackers firing, and with bands in attendance. The proceedings began at 8.15 pm with Charles Dias welcoming the guests. Governor McCallum, in his reply speech, promised assistance to develop Sinhala theatre. The play started at 9.15 pm.

Tower Hall soon became a popular place to stage Sinhala dramas, which were mainly historical plays. Charles Dias is credited with 34 plays, most of which were intended to re-awaken the spirit of nationalism among the Sinhalese. Apart from him, well known playwrights,
John de Silva,
P.T.P. Premachandra,
E.A. Abeysekera,
S.L.B. Kapukoyuwa,
S.D. Stephen Silva,
Sirisena Wimalaweera,
B.L. Bodhipala and M.G.Perera staged their productions at Tower Hall.

Birthdays of prominent personalities

*December 20,1856 –
Sir James Peiris (1856-1930) Nationalist, President of the Ceylon National Congress 1921-22 and Vice-President of the Legislative Council 1924-29.

* December 19, 1893 –
Sir Razeek Fareed (1893-1984) Muslim leader, member of the Colombo Municipal Council, State Council member 1932-47 & member of the Senate 1947-52.

* December 25,1894 – Victor de Lanerolle (1894-1977) Journalist and author of several children's books.

* December 30, 1895 – Kalukondayawe Pannasekera Maha Nayaka Thera (1895-1977) Renowned scholar monk; teacher at Vidyodaya Pirivena since 1922; Chief Incumbent – Parama Dhamma Cetiya Pirivena, Ratmalana; Chairman – Buddha Sasana Commission; Author of many Buddhist texts & History of Sinhala newspapers and magazines – 9 volumes.

* December 26, 1896 –
Sir Senarat Paranavitana (1896-1972) First Sri Lankan Commissioner of Archaeology 1940-56 & Professor of Archaeology – University of Ceylon, Peradeniya 1957- 61. Editor of two parts of University of Ceylon publication 'History of Ceylon.' Writer of several authoritative books on archaeology and history – the best known being, 'The Stupa in Ceylon' (1946), 'Sigiri Graffiti' (1956) and 'Art of the Ancient Sinhalese' (1971).

Opening of Peradeniya Gardens

It was 185 years ago that Peradeniya Botanical Gardens was established. The exact date was December 27, 1821. On this day, the Royal Botanical Gardens, as it was then called, was shifted from Kalutara to Peradeniya. The Gardens had first been set up in Slave Island in 1810 and shifted to Kalutara in 1813.

Six years after the British took over the Kandyan kingdom, they decided to shift the Gardens to Peradeniya to support the development of plantations in the country. Thus crops like coffee, cinnamon, cinchona and cocoa attracted the attention of the authorities who later widened the scope to include a wide range of species, both local and foreign.

Peradeniya Gardens cover an area of 57 hectares.

Two other Botanical Gardens were later established - one at Hakgala, 6 km from Nuwara Eliya in 1860 and the other at Heneratgoda, Gampaha in 1876.