Guttila panditha plays the veena to the royal audience in a contest with his pupil Musila while young dancers watch in fascination. The illustration that depicts this episode from the infamous jathaka tale of Guttila panditha who was a skilled musician serving King Brahmadatta of North India is taken from a 12th Century AC painting from Thivanka pilimage in Polonnaruwa - testimony to Sri Lanka’s rich painting tradition.

This war victim was forgotten within months, but nature claimed its ownership of the sunken vessel. Corals started growing on its large metal surface and thousands of fish and marine creatures have found the shipwreck a safe haven for the last 13 years. Now however the ship is being salvaged for scrap metal.