The 125th anniversary of Sri Lanka's leading Buddhist school, Ananda College coincides with the 2600th Sambuddhatva Jayanthi. Senior old Anandians thought it would be appropriate to look back at the country's heritage, particularly when some care little about our past history and tradition. In fact, these Anandians had been organising cultural heritage tours for their members almost every year and the response had been most encouraging.
They have gone to well known as well as lesser known places and thought a publication covering these places would be an ideal way to commemorate both events.
The result is an interesting bilingual publication – 'Anandians in search of Heritage'. The author is Das Miriyagalla – an active member of the Royal Asiatic Society and a keen student of Sri Lanka's culture and heritage while being a chartered accountant.
In a preface to the book, Professor Emeritus J. B. Disanayaka reminds us that Anandians are proud of the fact that they are inheritors of a unique cultural heritage that is one of the finest and most colourful in Asia. "Its colour comes from the fact that it is a harmonious blend of many diverse sub-cultures that enriched the island's heritage. It includes eight of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among which are three of the tallest brick buildings of the Old World," he reminds.
JB points out that this heritage spans the length and breadth of the island, from the Nagadipa Temple in the north to the Shrine of Vishnu at Devundera in the south; from the Royal Monastery at Kelaniya in the west to the Hindu shrine of Koneswaram in Trincomalee in the east. In the exact centre of the island, in Nalanda, is the unique structure called Gedige. It has some stone sculptures that depict a theme that no other site in the island does.
The book provides details of a large number of heritage sites in 66 chapters with 22 maps and 40 colour photographs. Details of historical, cultural and natural heritage sites are described giving the reader just the information he/she needs. Generally leaving a page for each site, he describes the location and the route to get there, the historical significance, the places to see and other interesting data.
Take Ibbankotuwa as an example. The book mentions that it is located on the main Colombo-Dambulla road about three km before Dambulla. Since it is sign-posted, one can be on the lookout for it. bbankotuwa is considered the oldest known cist burial site dating back to the pre-Vijaya era. It has over 25 tombs each protected by slabs of granite about 5-5 feet. The slabs are arranged in a rectangular form with about half of each slab buried and other half projecting out. The remains of the bodies after cremation were kept in large pots which were buried inside the tombs.
It's natural that with such a long history of Buddhism in the country, one has to cover a large number of Buddhist places of worship when one talks about our heritage. However, the author has not ignored places of worship of other religions as well as nature reserves and such places of interest that form very much a part of the heritage.
To give just one instance, many of us may have gone to World's End but not many would have cared to visit the Dumbara Kanduwetiya or the Knuckles range, a major eco-tourism site which has been declared a World Heritage Site. He gives three routes to reach the place and talks of "the breath-taking mountain scenery offering mountain trails crossing rivers and tributaries, dense forests, waterfalls and lush tea plantations adjacent to terraced paddy fields."
He describes the drive between Loolwatta and Rangala when the road passes through an unusual ridge called Corbet's gap from where both the northern slopes of the range and the southern Dumbara valley can be seen. Some of the highest peaks in the range are Gombaniya, Kalupahana, Knuckles, Lakegala and Dotalugala.
The book is an ideal travel companion. The fact that it is bilingual is an added advantage to the reader who can switch from English to Sinhala or vice versa. |
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