Features | Sundayobserver.lk

The Sunday Observer spoke to the Director General of the Central Cultural Fund Prof.Nimal de Silva to inquire about the situation in the conservation and restoration of Sri Lanka's UNESCO world heritage sites.

Q: In what way does the Central Cultural Fund (CCF) function to protect Sri Lanka's world heritage sites?

A: The Central Cultural Fund was set up by an Act of Parliament (see box) and consists of three main areas. This includes taking care of cultural and religious monuments, ensuring that they are preserved and if needed, restored.

Central Cultural Fund Act No.57 of 1980

An act to provide for the establishment of a fund called "The Central Cultural Fund" for the provision of funds, for the development of cultural and religious monuments in Sri Lanka, to meet expenses incurred in developing, restoring and preserving cultural monuments and the development of religious and cultural activities in Sri Lanka and abroad, and to provide financial assistance to artists, craftsmen, writers, painters, musicians and others who are engaged in promoting cultural activities to provide for the making of awards to persons who have served the nation in the cultural and religious fields; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

We have a responsibility of ensuring that Sri Lanka's UNESCO world heritage sites - Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Pollonnaruwa, Kandy and Galle are well looked after.

In addition to what is required in the Act, the CCF works for the Department of Archaeology to help ease the load of fund allocation, contracting restoration work and working with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau in promoting these sites.

We also work with religious dignitaries to ensure religious sites are especially accessible and maintained well for pilgrims. For example, the Dambulla cave temple (Golden Rock) is being supervised by the Chief Buddhist incumbent but the painting gallery adjoining the temple is supervised by the CCF. This procedure is similar when visitors visit the site of Isurumuniya. In a nutshell, the CCF celebrates the language, history and culture used by a civilisation.

A: We make sure that our goals are on par with our people's best interests especially when it comes to promoting our culture.

Handicrafts are vital in giving an identity to our civilisation and we are developing them. Meanwhile, architecture is also our civilisation's heritage so we are consistently promoting architecture.

Moreover, we launched the Wayamba Cultural Quadrangle (North Western Province Cultural Square program) which will put the spotlight on Yapahuwa, Ridi Vihara, Panduwasnuwara and other sites because there is plenty of history attached to the area. We are also doing restoration work at the Thivanka Image House in Pollonnaruwa and relaying of bricks at Abhayagiriya.

We also want to add temples to certain places to make them popular with pilgrims.

For example, Pollonnaruwa was a capital city but there is no particular place for pilgrims to worship, save with a few lotus flowers at the Gal Viharaya. Even the Kiri Vehera in Anuradhapura also needs a place of worship so we're working on developing some historical sites to suit our pilgrims.

In addition to this, we're planning to promote Maritime Archaeology and the Museums. With the help of the Sri Lanka Navy to protect shipwreck sites, we're also looking into tourist divers using these sites.

Q: Do you think restoration of historical sites is good and will it modernise the monuments?

A: We have some old photographs taken by archaeologist H.C.P Bell of Sigiriya which shows an impressive foundation with ruins of bricks and stone walls atop the Lion Rock. Today, it doesn't exist because it wasn't maintained or preserved properly.

When we do restoration work, it doesn't mean that monuments will be modernised but restoration would give visitors a chance to see foundations in place that would reveal its lost glory. We are not defacing or ruining our monuments but we are strengthening the foundations. With climatic changes, our monuments should be stronger than ever before to stand the test of time.

Q: In what way can the younger generation learn from the protecting and preserving of these historical monuments?

A: For a start we have a Master of Science in Architectural Conservation of Monuments and Sites offered by the University of Moratuwa which has been at the epicentre for inspiring young archaeologists in the art of preservation of sites.

Furthermore, architectural students derive plenty of inspiration by visiting historical sites because architecture was a key aspect in maintaining ancient building structures.

When it comes to our preferred choice of paint, we should say that our old paintings and colour washed buildings have been preserved because our ancestral artisans used mineral-based paints derived from natural stones.

Even though paintings used with vegetable dyes have nearly faded, we understand how our Kings wanted to ensure that their monuments would still be visible after a long time.

Q: Do you think that the attraction to our Cultural Triangle would wane with competition from adventure tourism that is growing in popularity with backpackers in Sri Lanka?

A: Not for a long time. I think even though we have a growing market of young tourist backpackers, a majority of our foreign tourists are senior citizens and they come to Sri Lanka as a kind of pilgrimage.

When foreign tourists come to Sri Lanka, our people don't show our flyovers or highways but they show their heritage sites. I am happy that our people are proud to show the good work of our ancestors and display it to the world. While other forms of tourism might be popular, our cultural sites will still be in vogue.

A: No matter how much we tell people, most of them need to be disciplined from within in preserving and protecting the sites.

We are confident that by restoring the sites back to glory that people will come to visit and see for themselves but we should give good information at these sites.

Before explaining to tourists or your own children, make sure you get your facts right about the monuments first.

For example, alleged statue of King Parakramabahu in Pollonnaruwa has a rock inscription, Pulathasa meaning it was Maha Rishi Pulasthi's statue.

Leave your footprint, take back memories