A writer's reminiscences of lifetime vagaries

Reviewed by M. B. Mathmaluwe

Readers familiar with Tissa Devendra's (25) writings, would agree that they belong to that pleasant, relaxing genre of reading that could be covered by the collective term, 'Reminiscences'. In his rambling tales recording Time's vagaries, he would take his readers along the now-deserted and cobwebbed corridors of times past, regaling them, as he is wont to do and as few others can, with his endless tales! Sangrila he once more digs into a goldmine of these 'Stories and Diversions' to entertain his readers.

Quest for Sangrila Author: Tissa Devendra A Vijitha Yapa Publication

In his new book he begins by referring to his distinguished father, D. T. Devendra, the reputed archaeologist who commenced his working life as an assistant teacher at Ananda with those illustrious personages like Malalasekera, Kularatne, Metthananda et al under the inspired leadership of Anagarika Dharmapala in the early decades of the last century. Almost all the stories of the present collection cover the post-Ananda period, when his father was transferred to Dharmaraja, Kandy, and later, to Seevali, Ratnapura. TD records the changes introduced in the sartorial fashions by these famed academics as a part of their contribution to the revival of Sinhala Buddhist culture. TD's father, 'DT' was one of those who led the van in this revolution by adopting the national dress.

Having left the more restricted Colombo suburbs, TD comes to Kandy with his family, when his father was transferred to Dharmaraja where they go into residence, sharing the Principal's Bungalow, overlooking the Kandy Lake apparently.

The bungalow's presence has been perpetuated in literature by a distinguished, former resident of it, D. H. Lawrence who had visited Kandy and had briefly stayed there. TD refers to a poem Lawrence wrote while being there titled, 'Elephant.'

At Ananda, as a part of the Buddhist Revival movement and as a subsidiary manifestation of it, TD's father seemed to be rather obsessed by a consuming desire to read every available book on Tibet for the simple reason that it was a stronghold of Mahayana Buddhism. TD concludes this essay by saying that "as a collateral beneficiary," he himself read every book on the subject, that his father had read.

TD was soon compelled to bid good-bye to the idyllic scenes and shift to a house in Kandy Town. Sentimental perhaps, it had not been without a pang of regret, that he had taken this shift. A great part of the information presented in TD's book may be new to today's younger readers, but to the 'oldsters' born in the '20s and schooled in the '30s and employed in the '40s of the last century, it may not be new for, most of them carry, if not identical experiences or reminiscences, or similar to those TD presents.

TD has things, which today's readers may consider as strange, to say as experiences in Kandy of the 1930s: he mentions a casual acquaintance he had made with a rag-tag descendant, a certain forest officer living in Udawattakele, George Davis, of Major Davy, an officer who came with the invading British armies to Kandy in 1803 and was captured and had been held prisoner and never released. He had married a Sinhalese woman and had settled down and had progeny, whose descendant, this George Davis was. The story ends with a rather unexpected twist. When TD was spending a brief Sojourn in England, as student of Cambridge University, he has met George Davis in a park there. Davis had at the behest of a collateral descendant of the historic Major Davy, been taken to England to spend his last days!

The incident like the one referring to the lacquered walking stick and a couple of other similar incidents have been recorded in his earlier work, Horse Shoe Street.

The reminiscences that TD harks back to, half-forgotten events of more than seventy-five years ago, of men and events that caused a stir at the time not only, in that society but also, whose echoes had been heard in the debating chambers of the Legislature as well, are now part of our history.

In the chapter, "Tram cars in old Colombo" he stirs memories of the readers: Which of them can forget the Tram-car era? How these iron monsters used to go clanging along the rails, screeching and grinding and raising clouds of dust.

TD has the gift of telling a captivating tale to hold his readers spell-bound. He spins a story round a person called Fred Brook, a guest-visitor to his home from the US.

The story titled, "Well behaved women rarely made history" retells the events surrounding the lives of some notable women, who pass through the pages of the great chronicle, Mahavamsa.

TD presents a long list of them, everyone of them quite colourful in her own way: Kuveni, Unmada Chitra, Kelanitissa's Queen, Vihara Maha Devi, Soma, Anula and several others.

TD taking his cue from the Mahavamsa story, that Prince Dutugemunu making his long march on Anuradhapura was held up by a General of King Elara, obstinately refusing to surrender a fortress standing in his way Having failed to take the fort by any military strategy, as a last resort,he decided to offer his mother, Viharamaha Devi, as a tempting decoy to the General.

Now, it is worthwhile considering how plausible or possible such a move could be. The question arises as to how young and beautiful this princess could have been at the time she was asked to flaunt her 'charms' before a hard boiled soldier.

Tissa Devendra's book is beautifully produced for which the publishers, Vijitha Yapa Publications have to be congratulated. It is profusely illustrated, printed in quality paper with a glossy illustrated cover.

Slice of life: complex or complicated?

Reviewed by Padma Edirisinghe

Swimming with the tide is always easier than swimming against it. Emboldened enough to wave a webside many self-discoveries were made, one of which that over the years. I have reviewed about 200 books to the press including one uninvited review ie. Remembered yesterdays by Maha Mudaliyar Solomon Dias Bandaranaike. I have to explain this "Brag" because I found the review of Prof. Sugunasiri's latest lierary work the most challenging of the lot. And it was the only work that expended calls from across the oceans, one at 5 a.m. I was too sleepy to declare that at this end of the world, I am too much bogged or mired in his creation to put it all in neat oder for publication.

Maybe some would say that the terms, bogged and mired, desecrate the book. Is it so sacred? On the other hand some would ooze out that the book is a singular instance of a writer with an astoundingly rich vocabulary and a mass of knowledge just packs in an incredible coterie of "things" under one single title. Perhaps it is the vast dimension of content matter in the novel that has made certain critics or well wishers get away very tactfully with their reviews (as presented on back blurb).

Untouchable woman's odyssey Author: Prof. Suwanda Sugunasiri

"Story evolves around two protagonists, male and female ...a story within a story as in Panchatantra or a story present and a story past as in Buddhist birth stories"..... "a deeply moving love story of a couple divided by caste and ethnicity and a brilliant evocation of the ancient, mythic and religious past of a country in South Asia over two and a half millennia. "......"wow! What a tale or tale of many tales woven together. I found it to be incredibly cinematic.

"These are few of the many ravings. I too found the juxtapositions of many incidents and episodes and tales and call it what you fancy, just incredible. Leave alone do a review, it left me just gasping...With all its many guises one thing stands out. Coming down to the bottom line, it is in one way a panegyric to the writer's native country.

Though living and working in Canada for the last 30 years or so, after first emigrating to the USA on a Fullbright Scholarship he like the hundreds of phantom characters he creates is living in his own country of birth day and night. Figure that our as you would figure out the rest of the brilliant presentation, "panning from one image to another, then zooming in like in the films of Luis Bunnel, the Spanish surrealist film maker.... every story within the story immaculately frame, and the very frames melting in to the narrative".

What is genius? It can be defined in variegated ways but the utmost genius in the field of writing could surface when an author manages to packet into 366 pages a 2500 saga of his country's history via a story, melodramatic yet extremely touching.

To pander to a simple reader the story is the typical love story of Podi Mahattaya in the village with the daughter of the latrine coolie, perhaps reminiscent of the Saliya Asokamala tale. But what a lot you have to wade through to get to the end? Not only in the tentacles of Lankan history but in those of Indian history you get trapped in.

The world is full of queer characters. But have I ever found one more queer than one living 1000s of miles away and framing a story entwining a myriad historical episodes enacted in the piece of the world he was born and bred in! Before going on to the list I may pause to mention that from the few biographical data that I gathered from the book, he has emerged into the world literati and professional scenario from our picturesque coastal town of Tangalla, as the son of Missinona Warnakulasuriya of Dodanduwa and Kalaguru Sawris Silva of Tangalla. The book itself has been composed in Canada. His critical studies in literature include "Sri Lankan poets: the bourgeoisie that fled the Revolution".

He is also a Buddhist scholar and has been a guest lecturer on Buddhism at the University of Havana and Founding Editor of the Canadian Buddhism over the last 30 years. These facts are given to present the many facets of Suwanda Sugunasiri's versatile character.

Now to a few of the events embroiled in the love story between the Podimahattaya and Tangamma (not given in chronological order but in the order referred to) ...... famous Milinda Nagasena debates staged in Bhratha Desha ...... Doing of the National Liberation Front in the 1970s on home ground...... Flurry of events in Wanghadesha when the lion runs amok and the aftermath leading to colonisation of Lanka...... The Independence celebrations of 1948...... Uprising against Uncle Nephew Party...... birth pangs of Marxism in the island...... Ambedkar Movement for the salvation of the untouchable...... Capitulation of Lanka to three colonial powers...... Ehelapola's adventures..... Chola invasion...... Lanka's missionary activities in far Asia...... Dutugamunu's grand political career...... and so on and so on. And even a grand dose of sex bubbling with incredible characters.

I will end this review with two bouquets thrown in by Prof. Frank Birbalsingh, Prof. Emeritus of English, York University and Prof. Vijay Mishra (Australia) Canadian Literature.

"The story comes alive within a wholly convincing fictional landscape that serves as the stage for a witty and informative dramatisation of the country's modern post-colonial struggle for freedom and independence".

"The dominant themes of Sugunasiri's verse: A strong political commitment alongside detached pietic Buddhism".

Stanzas from the Dhammapada intersperse the tale, this stanza relevant to the topic mentioned twice.

Not by birth is one a Vasala

Not by birth is one a Brahmin

Action alone makes one a Vasala

Action alone makes one a Brahmin

(Buddha in Vasala Sutta)

Untouchable woman's odyssey! Pulsating vibrantly underneath it I could visualise the odyssey of the boy from Tangalla lost among the creative world carved by his father merry with the jingling bells of the low country dancer and the rhythmic beats of age old drums, the heartbeat of the Sinhala race bravely flying out to conquer the world and almost doing so!

Treat for Passion Play lovers

Reviewed by W.T.A. Leslie Fernando

The Passion Play at Duwa is the proud boast of every Negombian. They make it a point to attend the Duwa Passion Play unless they are held up for some reason or the other. It is indded a significant event in Negombo. Both the Duwa Passion Play and the outstanding statue of the crucified Christ have fascinating histories.

In the 19th century some fisherfolk in Duwa sailed in their Catamarans to South India to bring dried fish, nets and other fishing gear. Among those who went to South India, there were three brothers, Juvam, Domingo and Peduru who were the sons of Mihindukulasuriya Adirian Fernando. They came to know the great sculptor in Cochin Jokeenu Mestri. In consultation with the elders in Duwa they entrusted Jokeenu Mestri to sculpt a statue of crucified Christ for the Duwa Passion Play.

Pasku Pitapatha Edited by Bernard Srikanta An author publication

In the Lent of 1938 a team from Duwa went to Cochin to bring the statue they were eagerly awaiting. As the paint of the statue was not fully dried up Jokeenu Mestri advised them not to remove the statue immediately. As the South West monsson was about to set in where sailing back would be difficult and there were only a few days more for the Passion Play they brought the statue to Duwa against the advice of Jokeenu Mestri.

The people of Duwa welcomed the statue with all the pomp and ceremony. However, when they opened up the casket they found the paint was smudged and the statue was mildewed. They were disappointed that they could not perform the Duwa Passion Play in that year with all the solemnity.

The elders of Duwa wanted to get Jokeenu Mestri to repair the statue. As he was too old Jokeenu Mestri refused to come and instead sent his senior pupil for the purpose.

The pupil re-painted the statue with a mixture of gold. As a result the statue in Duwas Christ appeared in a special gold tint not found in other statues of Christ. The significant statue of Christ in Duwa attracted more and more people to the Duwa Passion Play.

In 1939 when Fr. Marcelline Jayakody became the parish priest of Duwa, the Duwa Passion Play was performed with the ages old statues based on the 'Dukprapthi Prasangaya' written by Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez. Fr. Jayakody revised and recasted the Duwa Passion Play based on Dorothey Saeyer's famous drama 'Born to be a King'.

Fr. Jayakody was also Bold enough to introduce human actors for all the scenes except for Christ, Mary and St. John. He also composed all the hymns for the play in addition to the traditional Pasan chants. Since then the fame of the colourful Duwa Passion Play spread far and wide.

The Duwa Passion Play enacted with over 250 actors all drawn from the village hamlet of Duwa became, at that time the greatest Passion Show in Asia. It was considered second only to the famous Passion Show in Oberammergau in Germany performed once in 10 years.

Bernard Srikantha who has presented several books relating to Negombo like Meepura Kalakaruvo, Pasku Lipi Saraniya, Parampariua Dheevars Krama, Meepura Kirthidharaya, Pasku Jana Saraniya and Meepura Deshapalangnayo this time has managed to get the original, script of Fr. Jayakody's Duwa Passion Play, Bernard Srikantha had been an actor of the play enacted by Fr. Jayakody and an assistant Director of the play. He has edited the script of Fr. Jayakody.

Although the script of Fr. Jayakody has been innovated several times Fr. Jayakody has been in touch with the improvements. He also has assisted the innovations by composing new hymns. The ever popular hymn Sevanali Matha - Sevanali Matha is such a new hymn.

The book is dedicated to the memory of Father and Mother of Father Jayakody. The book is divided into seven acts and they cover from taking Christ a prisoner, until His death. It also contains a short biography of Fr. Jayakody. The book would be loved by not only those interested in passion plays but also by all who respect Fr. Jayakody.

BOOK LAUNCH

Launch of 16 children's books

Sixteen children's books written by Samarakoon Pathiraja, Charuka Suraweera, Samudra Dias and Pansilu Sannasgala will be launched at the Kandy Book Fair 2011, Kandy City Centre, Kandy on June 30. The book launch and the fair are organised by the Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association.

The launching ceremony will be presided over by Kapila Kumara Kalinga. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Dhammika P. Bibile, former Director General, National Institute of Education. Ranjith Rajapaksha and Kithsiri Kothalawala will also address the meeting.

The books to be launched are Samarakoon Pathiraja's Kalabala Gamarala, Gola Gamana, Raigamayai Gampolayai, Ganga Nidi Ne, Hatarariyan saha Deriyan; Charuka Suraweera's Adambara Rosamala, Serayati Soldaduva, Natana Tharuva, Kuruminiyata Kammalak and Ibihamita Laluvek; Samudra Dias, Jiraraf saha bagaya and Pansilu Sannasgala's The sleepless river, The blunt pandit and six mutts, The fussy farmer, Mister Steeple and Mister dumpy and The two cheaters.

Aluth Davasak

A collection of Sinhala short stories entitled Aluth Dawasak will be launched at the Sri Lanka Foundation auditorium, Colombo 7 tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Sakya Nanayakkara and Samitha Sugathiwala will deliver the keynote addresses.

The contributors include Soma T. Perera, Manel Jayanthi Gunasekara, Ramani Bulathsinhala, Dilhani Wickramaratne, Kusuma Kariyapperuma, Sunethra Thushari Dias, Upali Bandara Weerasekara, Smanmali Dolamulla, Gayana S. Lakmali, Thusitha N. Silva, and Manoj Rupasinghe, Aluth Davasak is a Forut publication.