D.T. Ekanayake, a former director of the Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya has produced a little gem of a book, packed brimful of information. This slim volume of just 48 pages traces the history of Sri Lanka’s most famous botanical garden and provides a detailed look at its evolution and status today.
Few would be aware that the history of the site can be traced back to 1371 when King Wickrama Bahu ascended the throne and kept court at Peradeniya. It was a royal garden for King Kirthi Sri and later King Rajadhi Rajasinghe actually lived here from 1780 to 1798. Ruins of a dagoba built by King Wimala Dharma which was demolished by the British can still be seen near the flower garden, the book tells us.
We read how the pioneering directors of the Royal Botanical Gardens like G.H.K. Thwaites and Henry Trimen were instrumental in making it a model botanical garden. Trimens’ major work ‘The Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon’ in three volumes was published while he was Director and two more volumes were published posthumously.
It is interesting to see the role played by the Gardens in the introduction of many important cash crops – rubber, cocoa, cinchona, vanilla, tea and spices.The writer notes that while initially work at Peradeniya focused on botany and the acclimatization of plants, it later shifted towards agriculture and economic botany.
During World War 11, the Gardens became the headquarters of the South East Asia Command under Lord Louis Mountbatten and visitor access was restricted to only parts of it. It was restored to its earlier state after the war and the military buildings demolished save the operations and map rooms which is today an education centre.
The author joined the Gardens as an Asst. Superintendent in 1952 and became its Director in 1972. He was responsible for expanding the orchid house.
The book is a readable guide to Peradeniya. While being introduced to the different sections like the spice garden, the flower garden and fernery, the memorial trees etc we come across many noteworthy and familiar sights -The Royal Palm Avenue, for instance, considered the most beautiful of the three palm avenue – these palms are incidentally a native of Cuba and the monuments such as the Grecian temple like structure which we are told was built in memory of George Gardner, Superintendent of the Gardens from 1844 to 1849.
Equally of interest are the memorial trees- the Tamarind tree planted by D.S. Senanayake to mark Ceylon’s independence, the Amherstia or Pride of Burma planted by the King of Burma in 1925, and the Bo tree planted by King Edward V11 in 1875 among others too numerous to mention here.
It is a tribute to the author that despite Peradeniya Gardens being such a frequently visited site, you are still prompted to discover it anew after perusing this book. |
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