Colourful excursion to Knuckles range

With 75 pp, VI Plates, five maps, 34 Panoramic Sketches accompanied by Commentaries. Published by the Forestry Information Service, Battaramulla, 1998.

The Knuckles range is one of the most beautiful mountain formations in Sri Lanka. I still remember my first glimpse of this magnificent natural sight which I saw on an evening from the Ampitiya Seminary grounds - the quiet cool air and away across the horizon the dark blue range of hills, unmistakable in its neat, clear image of human knuckles. The name was well chosen. That evening, we, a group of students from Peradeniya University, savoured the beauty and romance of the Dumbara Valley in a moment of fine ecstasy. The memory lingers and once experienced and seen, the mystique always remains.

I have not been to the Knuckles Range, nor walked up the mountain trail, nor climbed the peaks, but to read Gerry Cooray's enticing book, "The Knuckles Massif - A Portfolio", is almost like doing an excursion there. I say this because of the fine mix of writing, sketches and colour photographs here. The author is both a geographer and geologist and brings his expertise to the writing and preparation of this book. He has done a wonderful job and the Forestry Information Service of the Forest Department has rendered a service in publishing it. Perhaps the first edition of the book is a precursor to a more deluxe edition to follow in time!

In his short Foreword, Professor Madduma Bandara touches enticingly on the romance and history not only of the Knuckles Range but of historic Dumbara. He says: "The use of the name 'Knuckles' has generated some debate in recent times. The British surveyor, who saw its peaks as resembling the knuckles of one's outstretched hand, was enthralled by the geomorphology of the Range. Perhaps they (the British) may even have perceived it as a threatening fist to their hegemony in a land infested with freedom fighters... the peaks also have the habit of exposing themselves occasionally. The indigenous Sinhala people in the area saw more of the mists than these peaks. They have, therefore, since time immemorial used words such as 'Dumbara' and 'Dumbaagala' to describe them. Over the centuries these names have become entrenched not only in the folk songs, but also in the naming of the villages and administrative divisions."

The natural beauty and cultural diversity of the Knuckles region has been encapsulated in Sinhala poems.

What is so attractive in this book is the package, the mix, so well spiced with sketches, maps, pictures both black-and-white and colour, and even a 4-piece cartoon strip "Attacked by wasps" during a fascinating excursion to the Knuckles range that the author had. Very interestingly, a part of the text here includes extracts from the log book of what Gerry Cooray describes as "a never-to-be forgotten Knuckles Expedition". The expedition team was a mixed one and comprised geographers, geologists, foresters, wild-life observers, botanists, geologists, a jounrnalist - Cecil Wickramanayake from the Ceylon Observer who sponsored the Expedition - two cooks and 40 bearers. Fascinating, isn't it, to be a part of an expedition like that. The next best thing to going there is actually to read about it.

The first section of Gerry Cooray's book deals with the geography and geology of this range of hills. Every aspect, from location, physiography and routes, to fauna and flora, climate and the river system - the Mahaweli especially - are covered in detail. This is a full scientific account and is of great academic value. Geographers, geologists and students will find this section of the book very useful.

Next we have a beautiful folio of colour photographs. There are scenic views of the Knuckles ranges here taken from different angles. Perhaps the most attractive picture here is the view from Corbet's Gap, the best spot from which to see the Knuckles range. The flora and fauna pictures are also splendid (many of the latter from the work of the well-known nature photographer Vimukthi Weerathunga).

From here we move on to the next section in the book - "Panoramas and Commentaries". The writing here is personal and in the writer's own hand. Little comments, diary entries, interspersed with pen sketches, make up this section.

Gerry Cooray, an old boy of St. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia, had his early education in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, his birth place. A large part of his working life was spent as a field geologist in the Geological Survey of Sri Lanka, the rest as an academic in universities in Nigeria, Zambia and Saudi Arabia. He is the author of several books, including An Introduction to the Geology of Sri Lanka (1967, 1984),and A Guide to Scientific and Technical Writing (1992).

Minisunwu Daruwo comes out with a new glossy look

Glancing through the cover of the new edi- tion of Henry Jayasena's first novel 'Minisunvu Daruwo', (just released as a Dayawansa Jayakody publication), one sees the tremendous jump we have made in book designing over the years. The simple cover designs have been replaced by glossy arty covers. The reader can have a good look at the author. Printing quality is far ahead. And of course, with higher costs of production, the price too has taken a leap.

In a copy of the first edition put out in 1965 (my copy - a gift from Henry - is still in fine shape), a simple single colour drawing by well known artist Upasena Gunawardena adorns the cover. In total contrast is the new laminated full colour cover (designed by Di Ga Somapala) using a heirloom picture of Henry's family and three close ups. In the first edition, the back cover merely mentions the name of the publisher (IPB), the name of the cover designer and the price (Rs 2.50). In the new book, the back cover features the writer (two photographs) with a short note.

With many new releases, books are now competitive business. Colourful covers have become a 'must' to attract prospective customers. Some use pictures of film stars or episodes from films and teledramas hoping readers would be tempted to buy books with such covers.

Getting back to Henry Jayasena, he has had a long and eventful career as a writer and dramatist. His early plays 'Janelaya', 'Kuveni' and 'Tavat Udesanak' came out in book form in 1964. His later dramas - three translations ('Hunuwataye Kathawa', 'Diriya Mawa Sha Age Daruwo' and 'Makara') and two other original dramas ('Apata Puthe Magak Nethe' and 'Dev Lova Giya Shishya Bhatayo') are also available in book form. Apart from 'Minisunvu Daruwo', he has written two novels, 'Karaliyaka Kathwak' and 'Nim Nethi Kathawak' , the latter in two volumes.

Henry's is an easy and thoroughly readable style. Even those who have read the first novel years ago will enjoy it once again.

Well done Joe

Joe Abeywickrema's superb portrayal of a blind villager in Rajarata in Prasanna Vitanage's 'Purahanda Kaluwara' has won him the Best Actor Award at the Singapore Film Festival, one year after Nita Fernando became Best Actress at the same festival, also in one of Prasanna's films, 'Pavuru Valalu'.

Winning awards has been a regular feature in Joe's career ever since he started appearing in films way back in 1957 in T Somasekeran's 'Saradama'. Among the top awards were President's Award for Best Supporting Actor in 'Vasanthe Dawasak' (1979), Best Actor in 'Siribo Aiya' (1981), 'Beddegama' (1982), 'Pooja' (1987) and 'Loku Duwa' (1996) and Sarasaviya Awards for Best Actor in 'Beddegama', 'Malata Noena Bambaru' (1983), 'Maldeniye Simion' (1987), 'Golu Muhude Kunatuwak' (1992), 'Umayangana' (1993) and 'Bithu Situvam' (1997).

Help him

M. Gnanasambanthan of Negombo urgently needs a kidney from a donor with B Positive blood. Donors can contact him on 031-78340 or at 40/5, St. Anthony's Mawatha, Ethukala, Negombo

More Plus

Return to the Plus Contents