A glimpse of former glory at the Colombo National Museum:

History looking good!

International Museum Day, fell on May 18. It marks the start of Museum Week, until May 24. Why not take a walk through the annals of Sri Lankan history? Visit the Colombo National Museum and witness for yourself the glorious past of our nation.

Officially opened to the public on January 1, 1877, the Colombo National Museum is an impressive architectural structure.

Stately and beautifully laid in an immense, landscaped property in the heart of Colombo city, the building was designed by James G. Smither in the late 1870s for the sole purpose of housing the museum; and was contracted to builders Perera and Marikkar - all this accomplished under the directive of Sir Henry William Gregory, then the Governor of Sri Lanka (or Ceylon, as it was then known).

The Colombo National Museum comprises galleries on both the primary and secondary kingdoms in the history of the country, displays about the history of the masks, puppetry and costumes in the artistic theatre traditions of Sri Lanka, an extensive exhibition and history of musical instruments, coins of Sri Lanka, household objects, exquisite and intricate antique furniture and a skeleton of a blue whale, which is well over a century old.

Among these, the Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Transitional (Post-Polonnaruwa/Pre-Kandy) and Kandy galleries are some of the most important displays, containing artifacts from Sri Lanka's most glorious kingdoms.

The year 2004 marked the beginning of several positive changes at the Colombo National Museum.HSBC, together with the Department of National Museums, undertook a project to completely revamp the Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa Post-Polonnaruwa/Pre-Kandy and Kandy galleries.

While the two former galleries were completed early in 2005, the latter two were opened to the general public in November 2005.

The bank has also started work on the stone gallery, which is expected to be open to the public later this year.

With work carried out by a capable team of experts, led by the highly renowned Sri Lankan historian, Prof. Leelananda Prematilleke, the revamped galleries have been designed to give visitors a more inspirational understanding of the era.

Trilingual information panels and neatly arranged artefacts ensure that the visitor is able to experience the glory of the civilisation comprehensively.

The new display systems and state-of-the-art lighting systems greatly enhance the beauty of the artifacts, and the galleries are innovative and visitor-friendly in layout, and sophisticated in appearance.

The number of visitors to the Museum has increased significantly since the four galleries were opened to the general public, and there has been positive feedback from many individuals applauding the venture to bring to life a glorious past that was fading into oblivion.