Angampora, the forgotten art of Sri Lanka

Angampora, the once glorious tradition of martial arts in Sri Lanka, with fierce fighters whose strength and actions were subtly controlled by the influence of Buddhism, fought next to the kings in battles as they thought it was their duty. It is of many layers that go beyond the fighting techniques that meet the eye, that many consider to be a philosophy, having Buddhism as the cornerstone of the tradition. Having a British ban imposed on angampora since 1818, the fighters resort to secrecy to pass on this ancient tradition, making it a well kept secret in Sri Lanka that most people are not privy to.

“But, it has always been a part and parcel of our culture, hence, angampora has a mighty cultural value,” said, Ajantha Mahantharachchi, a traditional angampora fighter, who learnt the art from his father, and who is now trying to protect the tradition and raise awareness about it. In addition to being a traditional fighter, Mahantharachchi has also conducted extensive research on this tradition, academically, as well as practically, and has around 20 students studying under him. He also teaches the fighting elements of angampora to the Sri Lanka military, for about 14 years now. “We always used angampora in wars, including the last war we fought,” he said. There is a different process to select candidates to study this art. Mahantharachchi said, they check the horoscopes and other vetting ways practised by their forefathers, and select a chosen few to teach all the elements of the angampora tradition.

Coupled with scientific methods of physicality, mind and spirituality, angampora has been the strength of Sri Lanka, where both men and women engaged in it. Mahantharachchi spoke of a 50 year old lady studying this art, who tosses male opponents, even when she is attired in the Kandyan saree. He hailed these female fighters, past and present, who guided the next generation into the tradition of angampora. “These fighters never retired. They only got better with time,” he said. And it was the influence of religion that kept these fighters under control. Meditating and other elements in angampora that comes from the Buddhist background kept the fighters in check, and prevented the art from being misused.

Mahantharachchi is, however, on a mission; a mission to remove the ban imposed on angampora by the British, who tasted its bitter strength during the 1818 Wellassa uprising. Though the ban is not valid anymore, removing it would mean restoring the honour and respect it once enjoyed, to practice, and teach it freely, raise awareness about it and preserve it for the generations to come.

Survival techniques

On October 6, 1818, Governor Robert Brownrigg banned the angampora tradition, after the Wellassa uprising. Mahantharachchi refers to the documents he has retrieved from the National Achieves in UK, as there isn’t any documentary evidence in Sri Lanka regarding the banning of angampora. Subsequently, Ilangam Madu, centres around the country that taught angampora, were burnt and the fighters and trainers of angampora were punished and some even banished from the country. These punishments included shooting the fighters below the knee to prevent them from fighting again, or teaching anyone.

Mahantharachchi explains that in this confused state, the trainers who escaped punishment, sought ways to protect the tradition, and as a result, included its elements to traditional dancing. For example, there is a dancing item in Kandyan dancing called ‘Yak Enuma’ which is similar to angampora fighting items. Dancing techniques such as, ‘Malakkama’, ‘Bambara’ in Low Country dancing are also features taken from the angampora tradition. Some dancing items such as, ‘Koti Netuma’ (Tiger Dancing) is the exact angampora fighting element, incorporated into traditional dancing.

Historic evidence

However, the caste system was heavily attached to dancing traditions during this period, and Mahantharachchi said, some traditional fighters refused to support this merge with dancing, and resorted to teach angampora only to their children, in secret, to preserve the tradition in its purest sense. Thus it prevailed, until it was revived by the teledrama, ‘Dandubasnamanaya’.

The important as well as the unusual aspect of the angampora tradition compared to other traditional martial arts in the world is that there is ample evidence spread across history to prove its existence and the changes it underwent.

These historic evidences of angampora stretches beyond the Anuradhapura era, where many writings and carvings on temple walls can be seen related to this fighting tradition.

“The ‘Poornika Grantha’ has records of angampora fights since the days of Ravana, dating back to 5,000 years, and the Mahawansa refers to many instances of angampora fights, e.g. in the Elara - Dutugemunu war, and other books such as, ‘Dambadeni Asna’ and ‘Kandavuru Siritha’ also have references to angampora,” Mahantharachchi said. Jurgen Anderson, a Dutch sergeant who was posted in Sri Lanka in 1669 wrote that angam fighters would spin over the first in line, and slit the throat of the tenth of the opposite army, attacking everyone in between. Famous archeologist H.C.P. Bell wrote about Ededawawala Kumarihamy, who held a position of District Head during King Rajasinghe’s time in Seethawala Era, and knew and engaged in angampora fighting tradition.

These evidences make angampora one of the most documented martial arts traditions in the world, though it is not being recognized as one in Sri Lanka or globally. The ‘Sinha Pokuna’ of Mihinthale has many carvings of angampora fighters in fighting postures which proves it was already an established fighting tradition in the Anuradhapura Era. Mahantharachchi described a funeral tradition in the Anuradhapura era where, when a fighter dies, a stone is placed on where he was buried with a description of his death carved on the stone. The Anuradhapura museum has such stones describing angampora fighters.

A specific stone describes a fighter who continued to fight though arrows had already pierced his chest and legs, crying out the physical and mental strength of the fighters long before Hollywood. However, as the closest kingdom to modern-day, Kandy carries most of the evidences of the angampora tradition. Mahantharachchi said, the Sri Dalada Maligawa carries around 12 carvings of angam fighters, and many more can be seen in the Embekke Devalaya and Degaldoruwa Temple.

Sri Vishnu temple at Hanguranketha which is over 600 years old has a 30 feet long cloth that had been used as a ceiling, which has images depicting various angampora fighting postures. “I have discovered around 700 such carvings,” he added.

This tradition of martial arts underwent changes depending on the foreign invasions the country experienced. Initially, it was used to hold the country’s defences against Indian invaders. But, after the Portuguese invasion, the angampora tradition changed to suit the new technology the invaders brought with them.

Angampora fighters had two main challenges against the Portuguese; one is guns, second is the body armor of Portuguese soldiers. Mahantharachchi said, historic evidence as well as folk stories say that the fighters used enchanted talismans known as ‘suraya’ as protection against guns, and new techniques of pinning the opponent to the ground were introduced to be used in instances where the opponent carried a gun. Angampora fighters didn’t wear armours as it prevented them from using their arms freely to fight. But, a new, sharp knife became part of the traditional angampora attire, a knife that could pierce the body armour. The archerers came up with new arrows that could pierce the armors or give them strategic advantage in a fight despite body armours.

And the ‘Ilangankara’ group was established, known as the ninja group, trained specifically during the Seethawaka era to penetrate into Portuguese forts and attack from inside. They were given training on martial arts, sword fighting, poison and the art of disguising themselves. Thus angampora advanced in their war techniques during the Seethawaka era.

Modern day relevance

Mahantharachchi believes that certain elements in the angampora tradition can easily be adapted into the school syllabuses, such as meditations and basic exercises. These meditations and exercises can be helpful in increasing memory capacity and the mental strength of youngsters, he said, which could increase the immune system too. “Without engaging in the exercises the West has introduced to us to teach our kids during PE, why can’t we make use of our own tradition?” he questioned.

Cultural tradition

Being a cultural tradition, angampora is yet to make it to the performance stage along with the traditional dancing in Sri Lanka. While continuing to use traditional dancing, the Tourism Industry could make use of the traditional martial arts as well, to promote the country, like the Japanese have done with Samurais, he added. “We have an ancient tradition of martial arts, with an ancient history that goes beyond Samurais, but we haven’t made use of it to promote the art, or the country.”

To preserve angampora, it is important to give it professional status within the country, create a platform for it to be performed for audiences, and bring it to a level that it could self-sustain. “In this money centered society, these traditions will die if they are not supported by the State and given the opportunity to self-sustain.” There needs to be an appropriate way of registering these fighters and supporting them to preserve this thousands of year old tradition.

It will be ideal to have a separate museum for angampora, Mahantharachchi added. 

 

Source: www.sundayobserver.lk (02 April 2017)

Japanese air raid over Colombo and Trincomalee

Seventy five years ago, on April 5 , 1942, the Japanese bombarded Colombo, and on April 9 raided Trincomalee. According to Winston Churchill, war-time Prime Minister of Britain, the Japanese air raid over Ceylon was the most dangerous moment of the Second World War that caused him most alarm. When compared to Dunkirk evacuation, Battle of Britain, Pearl Harbour Bombing and several other critical episodes, this may be an exaggerated opinion. Yet, the significance of the event cannot be underestimated. If raids had been successful, there would have been full-scale Japanese dominance of the Indian Ocean, which was averted by their failure.

In the Battle of Britain, highly advanced chain of radars gave plenty of warning of approaching German attackers, but such advance radar systems had not been installed in the colonies. Even the basic radars at Ratmalana were unmanned when the Japanese launched their air raid over Colombo on Easter Sunday, April 5 , 1942. But, the previous evening, one long range Catalina Flight operating from Koggala for the surveillance of the Indian Ocean had observed a Japanese aircraft carrier fleet about 640 kilometres south of Ceylon. Its radio operator had transmitted the information to Colombo, before it was shot down by six Japanese Zero fighters launched from the carrier Hiryu.

The crew led by Sqr. leader Leonard Birchal jumped into the sea and were taken captive by the Japanese. They were prisoners of war in Japan until the end of the war.

The following morning, Japanese air armada which included 36 dive-bombers, 53 Kate attack bombers and 36 Zero fighters commanded by Mitsuo Fuchida of Pearl Harbour fame flew towards Colombo. They had passed Galle around 7.15a.m. Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, the Commander of the Japanese carriers had reserved another 180 aircraft to be engaged if and when necessary. The Ratmalana airport was attacked around 7.30a.m. and it became a sad victim. However, the fleet of Hurricanes based at Colombo Reid Avenue Racecourse aerodrome which received early warning, had managed to get airborne without any loss. The main target of the Japanese was the Colombo Port which they thought harboured the Royal Navy’s East Indies and Eastern fleets. But, by this time they had been removed for safety to Addu Atoll in the Maldives, 960 kilometres south-west of Sri Lanka.

Air raid

The air raid lasted until about 8.a.m, and several hours after it was over, around 2.pm two royal navy cruisers, Dorsetshire and Cornwall, were detected by the Japanese in the high seas. They bombarded them and both sank within 15 minutes. Besides, one aircraft carrier and several merchant vessels were destroyed by Fuchida’s Air Force.

By the end of the day, 23 planes of the Royal Air Force had been lost in the battle over Colombo, 17 airmen had been killed with 17 others injured. The number of civilians killed was 85, of which seven were inmates of the Angoda Mental Hospital, as a Japanese bomb intended for the Kolonnawa oil installation fell on its premises. Besides, 77 civilians had got injured. The figure of destroyed Japanese planes claimed by the British was 27 but the number given by the Japanese is five. Only three of them fell on Sri Lankan soil, one at Horana, another at the playground of S.Thomas College, Mount Lavinia and the third at Pitakotte.

After the attack on Colombo, Vice Admiral Nagumo presumed that the Royal Navy’s East Indies and Eastern fleets had been berthed in Trincomalee. But, as stated earlier, they had been removed to Addu Atoll in the Maldives.

Fuchida, the Commander of the Japanese Air Armada led an assault force of 91 bombers and 38 Zero fighters on the morning of 9 April to locate the Royal Navy’s fleets either in Trincomalee harbour or on the adjacent open seas. However, as their arrival was expected, the Royal Air Force was ready with Hurricanes and Fulmars.

The anti-aircraft batteries of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery were also alerted. The air battle was fought over the China Bay, Tambalagam Bay and near the Trincomalee harbour. The Japanese Zero fighters and Kates bombarded the China Bay aerodrome killing hundreds of airmen. One of the fuel tanks which contained aviation fuel exploded in the attack and was burning for nine days. The Japanese also destroyed an old aircraft carrier Hermes which had been brought to Trincomalee for repairs.

With the Hermes was destroyer, Vampire. In order to get clear of trouble they had sailed southwards in the high seas, but, both were spotted by the Japanese to the east of Batticaloa and they were sunk by their bombers. Two oil tankers and three old merchant vessels also perished in the open seas near Kalmunai. The crew of Hermes and Vampire which consisted of British, Indian and Norwegian sailors jumped overboard with life jackets. The survivors who were injured were saved by the fishermen whose vessels were commandeered by the Civil Defence Commissioner. They were brought to Kalmunai early in the evening.

Five Bombers and twelve fighters were lost by the Japanese in the Trincomalee air raid. The Royal Air Force lost five of its Hurricanes and eleven pilots. From about early 1970s, many divers, such as, Rodney Jonklaas had seen the destroyed Hermes at the bottom of the sea off Kalmunai. According to some of them, it is presumed that the large ship which could be observed a small distance away is the Vampire. The wreckage of a Japanese Zero fighter also had been observed nearby.

While the fight between the Japanese Imperial Flyers and the Royal Air Force pilots was going on, Admiral Geoffrey Layton, Supreme Commander of Ceylon, sent a fleet of Blenhiem planes to spot the Japanese carriers in the high seas. Blenhiem located them 208 kilometres east of Ceylon, but were met by a strong barrage of anti-aircraft fire and most of them were destroyed. One of the Blenhiems crashed into Admiral Nagumo’s flagship causing heavy explosions. The sailors jumped overboard to save their lives. The price the RAF had to pay was very high with only four of the Blenhiems returning to their base. Even after the Japanese withdrawal, the defence of Ceylon was not neglected as the threat never subsided. The British Eastern Fleet returned to Ceylon on 4 September 1943 and South East Asia command headquarters was reestablished in Ceylon. Aerial reconnaissance with long-range Catalina flights to monitor the movements of Japanese battleships, aircraft carriers, submarines as well as airplanes, continued. But, Emperor Hirohito had realized that Japan had bitten more than it could chew. Therefore, there was no further westward incursion or return to Ceylon. Stout defence put up by Ceylon greatly contributed to this situation. Finally, the horror of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 led to the collapse of Japan. Later on, the victors, as well as the vanquished realized the futility of war and established the United Nations to preserve peace and remove the causes of conflict. But, unfortunately, the major powers have joined the arms race threatening world peace envisaged by the UN.

Source: www.sundayobserver.lk (02 April 2017)

Destruction of Coral Reef financial blow to fisheries : Reef under threat, future unknown

The Bar Reef in Kalpitiya, once a glorious coral reef is now in a feeble state with live coral cover down to about one percent. It was struck by a severe coral bleaching event last year, the worst after 1998, according to specialists in marine environment.

The major coral bleaching event was caused by the El Niño and La Niña effect in 2015-2016. A similar catastrophe occurred in 1998, but the Bar Reef could bounce back over time. Can it do the same again? As the marine experts portray, the chances are bleak this time around. The coral reef has a challenging time ahead recovering on its own, given the increasing impact of human activities and climate change.

Corals are dead all over again

The Bar Reef located about two kilometres off the coast of Kalpitiya was declared a Marine Sanctuary in 1992. It stretches parallel to the coast from the northern end of the Kalpitiya Peninsula, to the islands which separate Portugal Bay from the Gulf of Mannar. Being one of the country’s most diverse marine habitats, it is the most famous and the largest coral reef in Sri Lanka.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Coastal and Marine Program Coordinator, Arjan Rajasuriya, who examined the Bar Reef two weeks back, told the Sunday Observer that almost 99 percent of the corals in shallow waters to a depth of about 5-6 metres were dead.

“It will take at least 15-20 years for the destroyed corals to come back, but only if this bleaching occurrence did not take place repeatedly.

However, with climate change, it is likely that these occurrences may happen regularly,” said Rajasuriya, who had previously worked as a Research Officer at the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA)for over 27 years, specializing in coral taxonomy. “The Bar Reef was very badly bleached last year, basically, in the period April to June, and when we visited this time we discovered that the reef has not recovered and most of the damaged corals have now become rubble. In the sea, everything loose is moved by wave action and currents. The damaged corals have accumulated due to wave action and rolled over the other corals. The bleached corals have not had time to recover because of the movement of this coral rubble,” he explained.

He noted that the restoration of coral beds by replanting is not possible, given the large scale destruction. “When acres and acres are destroyed, how are you going to restore, and where would you get live corals to do that?” he questioned.

He also pointed out that the reef structure should remain unharmed for the new coral larvae to settle. “In the event in 1998, the reef structure was largely intact because it was the first large-scale bleaching occurrence. This helped new coral larvae to settle. When it happened this time, the reef structure was weak. Now, it has turned to rubble,” he added.

Coral reefs absorb wave energy

Coral reefs act as a natural barrier in the coastlines by breaking up waves, thus reducing the waves’ force. It provides protection against coastal erosion and even Tsunami, by acting as a buffer. The absence of the coral reef will leave coastal communities more vulnerable to natural hazards.

Above all, coral reefs are home and breeding grounds to many fish species, big and small. The destruction of reef will be a financial blow to thousands of families depending on fishery and the ornamental fish industry for their livelihood.

“When the corals get affected most of the fish disappear and then fisheries is affected. If we try to fish the same way as before, the fishing pressure in the area will increase.

This will lead to fishermen resorting to destructive fishing methods, more and more. Even now, we could see them laying nets on the damaged reef causing further damage. In a large scale coral bleaching scenario like this, we should not be fishing in those areas,” Rajasuriya warned.

El Niño and La Niña

According to scientists, El Niño events are associated with a warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific, while its reverse effect, a sustained cooling of these same areas, is called the La Niña. La Niña results in warmer than usual sea surface temperatures in the region north of Australia. “This is what causes bleaching. When that happens there is mass die-off of corals. This is not specific to Sri Lanka. For example, more than 500 km of the Northern part of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia have been largely destroyed by this event. Likewise, many islands in surrounding areas have also been affected,” Rajasuriya added.

He explained, it was during the La Niña period, which happened about six months after the El Niño, that Sri Lanka’s coral beds were affected.

The IUCN officer observed that the coral reefs along the Western and Southern coasts of the country were badly affected last year, while the East coast did not suffer much because of the wind pattern and atmospheric conditions.

What happens during bleaching? 

The reef is now under threat. We do not know the future of it. According to marine biologists, the corals lose their colour and turn white during coral bleaching that happens as a result of extreme temperature differences, pollution or other such reasons. The 2016 and 1998 coral bleaching events were due to sea surface temperature increasing to a level that corals cannot tolerate.

“Most corals contain algae called ‘Zooxanthellae’ and it provides nutrients to the corals. When sea water is too warm, corals expel the algae living in their tissues and this is what causes the corals to turn white. This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event that lasts for a short period. There had been a number of similar instances between 1998 and 2016. When the bleaching event lasts for a long period, then the mortality of corals is high,” explained Prasanna Weerakkody, Marine Research Team Leader of the Ocean Resources Conservation Association (ORCA).

Reduce human impact

He said, the Bar Reef had a chance of recovering in post-1998 due to minimum human impact in the area during the time of war. “The 1998 bleaching event basically killed about 50 percent of the corals of the South and West coasts of Sri Lanka and the Bar Reef was also caught in that. Live coral cover before the bleaching was something like 80 percent and it dropped to about 5 percent.At that time the Bar Reef was a much larger reef with many pieces of patch reef connected together. In post-1998 only very few patches recovered, but they recovered well. Certain sections of the Bar Reef recovered almost perfectly and gained about 90 percent live coral cover within a decade from 1998-2009 due to the remoteness of the reef when the war was on. This chance of recovery was not there for the southern reef and as a result places like Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa did not recover properly,” he elucidated.

Right now, the Bar Reef has faced a challenge in recovering because the live coral cover even in the few patches that survived after 1998 has dropped to about one percent.Added to this, there is now a lot more human impact, such as, fishing pressure, dynamiting and the use of ‘laila’ and ‘surukku’ nets, ornamental fish collection, tourism and pollution.

“The reef is now under threat. We do not know the future of it. For proper recovery we need to let the reef be at peace. Let it recover on its own by reducing the human impact. The coral reef is going to have a very difficult period recovering and it is not going to recover if we add our own pressure over it,” Weerakkody cautioned.

The Marine Biologist further said, they could see that the reef was heavily overgrowing with algae dwindling its surviving chances further. “Agricultural runoff and pollution from the land could have contributed to the large amount of algae growth on the reef. The key point in reef recovery is the availability of live corals surviving on the reef. When the surviving coral percentage is very low survival chances are much less. Last time, there was about 5 percent live coral cover, but this time it is even less,” he remarked.

He, however, expressed that there is a chance of repopulation through larvae arriving from somewhere else. “Another option of recovery is the arrival of live coral larvae from places like the Maldives, through currents. For that to happen, coral reef surfaces have to be in a state where the larvae can settle in. At present, there is far too much algae. Algae prevent anything settling in,” he added. 

 

Source: www.sundayobserver.lk (26 March 2017)

Venivelgeta: new technologies for an old herb

Venivelgeta, which is highly sought after, for health-care and cosmetic purposes, is finding new uses in battling diabetes and cancer. Today, new technologies are being utilised to cultivate it on a large scale and to extract its essential therapeutic compound.

The venivelgeta vine (Coscinium fenestratum), known as atturam or kadari in Tamil, and internationally as tree turmeric or false Columba, grows wild in South and South-East Asia.

It figures on the list of highly endangered species, because of the time each plant takes to mature, which makes it vulnerable to over-exploitation. Certainly there is a growing, already high demand for the thick stem and root, to produce medicines, wellness products and cosmetics. Now, the demand is likely to be turbo-charged by the needs of new therapies, emerging from current scientific investigations

Venivelgeta is widely used in Asian indigenous medical systems, including Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Sinhala vedakam. A study by the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) and the Wayamba University found that approximately 31 tonnes of venivelgeta are used therapeutically by practitioners of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka each year. Companies producing skin care and cosmetic products use even more.

“The component of venivel of therapeutic value,” says Dr MenukaArawwawala, Principal Research Scientist, Herbal Technology Section, “is called berberine.” Berberine, a complex organic chemical compound containing nitrogen, gets its name from the barberry (Berberis vulgaris), in which it is present. The herbsrasandu (Berberisaristata) and rasakinda (Tinosporacordifolia) also contain the substance.

“It has an anti-bacterial action,” says Dr Arawwawala, who has worked on extracting the substance from the trunk of the plant, and on developing standards for berberine content in market samples, “and is used in traditional medicine for reducing fever and for digestive disorders.”

Multi-purpose drug

Widely used for thousands of years as an antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory drug, as well as a gastrointestinal remedy; by South and South-East Asians, by Chinese and by American Indians; the cosmetic applications of berberine include use in fairness creams, body lotions, soaps and bath additives.

Recent research has also pointed to its efficacy in treating diabetes. In 2008, the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Pennington Biomedical Research Centre, Louisiana, in the USA jointly carried out a pilot study.

They found in berberine, a safe, low cost and potent treatment for excessive blood sugar. Two years later, scientists at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine found that berberine mimics the action of insulin in lowering high blood sugar, but did not increase insulin levels.

Berberine also has potential as a therapy for cancer. Scientists at the University of Coimbra in Portugal: found evidence that berberine interfered with the metabolic regulation of tumour cells, making it a safe anti-cancer agent.

Scientists at Patanjali University in India found that, used with curcumin, the principal chemical in turmeric (Curcuma longa or, in Sinhala and Tamil, kaha and manjal respectively), berberineworked against cancer. Researchers at the University of Macau in China tested the effects of the combination on breast cancer, concluding that it offered a pathway to prevention and treatment of the disease.

Limited availability

One of the inhibiting factors slowing down research is the lack of availability of berberine. Venivel takes 15 years to mature and flower, meaning that both availability of the raw material and of seed stocks is limited. Seed stock also lose viability over time.

This limits the viability of venivel as a cultivated crop. It also impedes the ability of producers to meet the expected exploding demand, due to the research which has taken place.

Herbal products manufacturer Link Natural Products (Pvt) Ltd uses venivel in its traditional medicines, such as Samahan and Pas Panguwa, and in its skin-care and cosmetic formulations. The company collected its stocks of the liana from the forests, in the time-honoured way, which is time-consuming and inefficient. Link began looking at methods grow venivelgeta creepers, to speed up production, and obtained the services of PriyanvadaWarakagoda, a post-graduate student at the University of Ruhuna. Researching for the company, at the university’s facility at Kamburupitiya, she concurrently wrote her PhD thesis on developing an agro-technological package for herb production.

Venivel is usually propagated from seed, but this is an inefficient cultivation method, since only about 10 or 12 plants grow successfully from 100 seeds, the hard seed coat discouraging germination – which only takes place after six months.

Warakagoda and her team first experimented with improving the success rate of germination from seeds, which they collected from lianas in the Sinharaja, Kannelia and Wilpita rainforests. They achieved considerable success by exposing the seeds to sunlight for six hours, soaking them for a day in the gibberellic acidhormone, planting them in a sand-coir mixture, and keeping them in uncontaminated, dark and hot conditions.

Five stages

Despite a very high success rate, constraints remained on mass planting – the seed stock is limited by the rarity of the vine and the time taken for flowering.Vegetative propagation, using cuttings, proved of low success. Warakagoda turned to tissue culture techniques, or micro-propagation – a quite complicated operation, taking several months to deliver plant stock.

The process involves five stages: firstly obtaining the ‘mother stock’ from seed, free of contamination, in the plant house and maintaining it free of pests; secondly pruning the mother stock, to obtain new shoots as planting material –called ‘ex-plants’ – which are surface-sterilised and placed in an artificial culture medium in test tubes in a culture room. After a few months, the stock is replanted in a new artificial culture medium, in a larger vessel, in order to induce shoot proliferation. The stock is kept within the culture room, under controlled conditions, including 14-hour lighting cycles alternating with shorter periods of darkness. The fourth stage involves rooting the stock in a new artificial culture medium. The media used at the different stages vary according to hormone usage.

In the final stage, acclimatisation phase, the microplants are taken out of the culture room and planted in a sand-coir mixture, in planting trays. They are, gradually, over a period of about a month, taken out of the previous artificial controlled environment and acclimatised to the real conditions existing outside.

It proved possible to provide a large plant population using tissue culture. Nevertheless, the problem of the 15 years’ period for maturity remained. So, instead of extracting from the trunk, Warakagoda’s team developed a method of using the leaves – inducing the growth of callouses, from which Berberine could be extracted. The quality of callous-sourced artificial berberine matches that of the stem-produced ‘natural’ variety.

The first harvest of callouses is within six months, compared to 15 years for gathering stems. Of course, the yield of berberine from a mature stem surpasses the equivalent production of the artificial variety. However, the turnover time of investment is much less, and cultivators could begin getting a return in less than a year.

This opens the pathway for Sri Lanka to become a major producer and exporter of berberine, and to become a hub of scientific herb production. 

 

Source: www.sundayobserver.lk (26 March 2017)

Kastane, the symbol of Lanka-Russia ties

President Maithripala Sirisena who was on a three-day State visit to Russia recently, received a pleasant surprise when he entered the Green Chimney Room in the Kremlin at the Red Square when the Russian President, Vladimir Putin presented him a significant gift- an antique Kastane (Royal Sword) of the 19th century Kandyan era, symbolizing the firm bilateral ties between the two countries. Completing a successful three-day official visit to Russia, President Sirisena returned to the island on March 25, consequent to strengthening mutual relations and bringing many developmental benefits to the country.

The President visited Russia on an official invitation extended by the Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is the first time a Sri Lankan Head of State received an official invitation to visit Russia after over four decades, and is the first official visit to Russia by a Sri Lankan Leader since 1974, when the late Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike visited Moscow. President Sirisena’s visit to Russia is an important milestone in the 60 years of relations between the two nations. It was the SLFP Founder and the late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1957.

Sotheby’s Auction

During the bilateral meeting, the Russian President presented a royal sword of the 19th century Kandyan era to President Sirisena, symbolizing the close relations between the two countries. This sword had been taken to England in 1906 and later bought by Russia at an archaeological artifact auction at Sotheby’s in England. The Kastane or royal sword, was auctioned at Sotheby’s Auction House on December 19, 2006 in the elite section of “Property of a Princely Family and Other Aristocratic Estates”. Its citation at Sotheby’s stated that, “the ‘Kastane’ was the major attribute of the noblemen of Sri Lanka”. People who were not noble by origin were not eligible to bear or even keep a Kastane. Therefore, the purpose of such arm was to underline the stature of the bearer.

The Kastane with a curved blade, is a steel sword, a single blade and no fuller. The upper part of the sword consists of a handle sleeve made of gold metal. Back in times, when the sword was used, the sword and the handle sleeve used to be polished to maintain its sparkle.

The crosspiece consists of a metal handle and sophisticated hand guard (yellow metal). The upper part of the handle is curved towards the blade part and its design represents a mythological creature with open mouth and sharp teeth. The style of the design of the mythological creature reminds one of images representing the so-called Sinhala Lions. The Lion’s eyes are made of hard semi-transparent crimson material. The same material is used for incrustation of the back upper part of the handle. Floral ornament makes part of the handle design as well.

The hand guard composition includes a guard (quillon) with its longest part curved upward and almost reaching ‘the mouth of the mythological creature’ (the guard of knuckle-bow of European crosspieces) and its shortest part slightly curved upward. It includes branches of the quillon facing downward and decorated branches which are located under the quillon are rounded toward the quillon. The quillon has elements of floral design, and images of heads of mythological creatures; the long quillon has an image attributed to Buddhist iconography. The eyes of mythological creatures and the lowest part of the above-mentioned image are decorated with semi-transparent crimson material. The sheath is metal (yellow metal) with wooden plates inside. The sheath is decorated with elements of a floral design.

Inherently, the arm of stature with rich and sophisticated design pertinent to royal representatives is historically remarkable and is of great scientific value. Such arm is unique and such items are very rare in state and private collections in the Russian Federation. Considering the combined characteristics, the manner and period of manufacture, Kastane is an antique arm of cultural value under the protection of Article 243 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, to protect it from damage or destruction. Items manufactured over 50 years are items of cultural value as per Law No: 4804-1 on Export and Import of Cultural Property, dated 15 April 1993.

The sources of the National Museum of Colombo told the Sunday Observer that yet they have not been informed of the Russian gift. They said, they are not in a position to comment on the historical significance of the gift as they have not yet seen it. However, the sources said: “There were certain media reports that the Presidential Secretariat is willing to donate it to the National Museum, but they have not informed us, yet.

There are several kinds of historical swords in the National Museum collection. However, we are unable to comment on the sword without seeing the artifact”. On earlier occasions too, mementos gifted to leaders have been handed over to the National Museum and they are in the museum collection. Most of these gifts have a historical and sentimental value as they had been gifted to State Leaders during their official visits to countries worldwide.

A Foreign Ministry official who was part of the official delegation to Russia said, presenting the Royal Sword to President Maithripala Sirisena by the Russian President Vladimir Putin was a surprise and even the Russian Foreign Ministry was not aware of it. Nor was the Sri Lankan delegation until it was gifted to the President. The official said, Russia accorded a warm and cordial reception to the President which was a great honour to a country like Sri Lanka. As a distinguished feature of the President’s state visit, the one to one meeting between President Sirisena and Russian President Putin which had been scheduled for 20 minutes went up to one hour and five minutes. In addition, the official bilateral meeting continued up to one and a half hours.

Royal Swords

Kastane is a short traditional ceremonial/decorative single-edged sword of Sri Lanka. Kastanes often have elaborate hilts, specially shaped and described as a rich mythical style inherited from Buddhism and Hinduism and in blending a variety of Icons including Makara, Lions, Kirtimukha Serapendiya, Nagas, crocodile/human monsters and other dragon and gargoyle like effigies.

The National Museum of Colombo displays the oldest surviving makara-guard adorning a pre-kastane sword from the early Kotte Kingdom. In 1807, it is recorded that the sword was an indicator of the official rank, so that the more senior persons in what could be described as a colonial civil service would wear a more lavishly adorned weapon, and that this was also the intent though perhaps to a lesser degree in the Portuguese and Dutch periods. It is likely that this is a home grown weapon though perhaps inspired by European swords brought during the Portuguese period in Ceylon or in fact, imported by Muslim sea traders. The scabbards of the Kastane swords are made of wood or Rhino horn and are decorated with brass, silver and/or gold. It is a testament to the skill of the traditional craftsmen operating in Sri Lanka’s ancient Royal Sword Workshops.

Source: www.sundayobserver.lk (02 April 2017)

Historic Ussangoda dates back to era of king Mahanaga

by Raja Waidyasekera

The historic Ussangoda in the Welipatanwila village in the Ambalantota area, known as the ‘Kingdom of Ravana’ and the ‘Horton Plains of Ruhuna’, is a heritage enriched with fertile vegetation. This village is rich in natural resource and beauty that attracts local sight-seers and foreign tourists from around the globe.

A senior citizen of Welipatanwila says many are the folk tales about his village. The sea that runs in close proximity to the Ussangoda valley provides a livelihood to fisherfolk, while the lush paddy fields are a boon to the farming community.

Welipatanwila’s popularity and reputation flows from Ussangoda, a long valley spread over an extent of 460 acres. It is a valley that has a history beyond the 10th century. According to historians, the history of Ussangoda dates back to the era of king Mahanaga, who ruled the province then.

Ussangoda is a long plain, a rare sight on a beautiful mound by the sea. It has a special kind of grass endemic to the land itself and red soil on which nothing grows. There are many rare medicinal herbs such as Vishnukranthi, Suriyakanthi and Chandrakanthi. It is a place where no trees are found. According to the scientists, trees are not grown here due to the presence of plumbago and a mixture of magnetic soil.

Ussangoda is a haven for migratory birds and local sight- seers and tourists throng during the season when migratory birds arrive. Delicious fruits such as Hibatu, Uguressa, Karaba, Eraminiya and Debasra are aplenty and are consumed by the migratory birds.

According to the legend God Mangara was residing in Ussangoda valley and his vehicle was a buffalo. He is said to have crossed the Walawa river leading a herd of buffaloes. According to another legend, Hanumantha burnt the whole area when king Ravana hid Princess Sita in a reservoir surrounded by a jungle.

According to the historians, there had been plans to set up the Hambantota kachcheri at Ussangoda by the then British rulers. The Walawa river flows to the sea at the Welipatanwila estuary. Ven. Deepankara thera who had his preliminary education in a school at Welipatanwila and later mastered many languages was a friend of most of the foreigners who were attracted by the sermons of the monk.

Foreigners made many contributions. The Divelgama is a gift from the then English Governor John Doyley. The great poetess of the era, Gajaman Nona was from Welipatanwila, which is known as Nonagama today.

However, visitors complain that Ussangoda lack even basic facilities ever though scores of tourists do make a bee-line to this awe-inspiring site. Ussangoda was declared a national park on September 30, 2010 by the department of wildlife. It is situated in close proximity to the Kalametiya sanctuary, which is reputed for endemic and migratory birds.

Although sign boards have been displayed cautioning visitors not to harm the natural beauty and the vegetation, there are elements who hunt wild beasts and remove rare ayurvedic herbs from the area. Visitors also complain that there is no separate area designated to park vehicles.

Asked about future plans for Ussangoda as a key attraction for hundreds of visitors, Prasanna Wimaladasa, Assistant Director of Wildlife in the Southern region, said that moves are underway to develop the site.

He said that among the development activities lined up are a security post, vehicle park and other facilities for visitors.

Source: www.island.lk (26 February 2017)

Spicy aroma

Cinnamon which has become a precious money- spinner in present day Sri Lanka was originally grown wild in the forested locations of the hill country in Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Haputale and Siharaja Range.

Cinnamon trees found stil growing in wild in these areas could be considered as a clear proof of the origin of this unique spice scientifically known as ‘ Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume’ indigenous to Sri Lanka.

On comparison to Cinnamon, no other spice in the world is shrouded in myths, legends and folktales encompassing even to distant ancient lands of Greece, Rome and Egypt. Reference had been made in the Holy Bible and other ancient chronicles of Greece, Rome and Egypt Relevant to cinnamon as a kind of precious and holy spice.

Cinnamon was also used in funeral pyres in the ancient Rome due to its inherent fragrance. The Emperor Nero was known to have burnt a huge stock of an annual collection of Cinnamon in the funeral pyre of his Queen Poppaea Sabina.

In ancient Egypt, cinnamon had been used in the preservation of mummies.

Cinnamon was used as a chief ingredient of producing perfumes in the ancient Rome. The Moorish merchants renown across the ancient world having the monopoly of Cinnamon had resorted to numerous cunning devices to hide the origin of Cinnamon to the rest of the world.

They concocted fairy tales and narrated them to the European buyers in convincing the hazardous manner of obtaining this precious spice of cinnamon. Herodotus the Greek historian referring to how people obtained Cinnamon had stated Eagles who make their nests on inaccessible rocks and tall mountain cliffs out of Cinnamon trees grown in wild.

As a device to bring down the cinnamon sticks people keep huge pieces of meat in close proximity to the rocks and trees where the eagles had built their nests out of Cinnamon sticks. The piece of meat was a kind of a bait and when the bird flew to its nest carrying the huge piece of meat due to its weight the nest was broken down and the cinnamon sticks thus fallen were collected by the people.’

Roman Philosopher Pliny the Elder had believed that cinnamon originated in Ethiopia and carried in rafts without oars or sails and operated by man himself with his undaunted courage. Another myth relevant to the origin of cinnamon was that Cinnamon was found in ‘ deep canyons Guarded by poisonous serpents’.

Due to ever expanding demand in ancient West for the precious indigenous Sri Lankan Cinnamon known as ‘ Cinnamomum zeylanicum,’ several European Explorers undertook numerous painstaking ventures to trace the origin of cinnamon. Christopher Columbus and Gonzalo Pizzaro were two well known explorers who sought after Cinnamon.

In order to keep the origin of cinnamon as a top secret , the Moorish merchants had sent Sri Lankan cinnamon through circuitous land routes first to Indonesia from there to East Africa and later transported from East Africa to the rest of the countries in Europe. But the Portuguese fleet led by Lorenzo de Almeida had blown off course and reached Galle Port on Novemcer 15th 1505. Their arrival in Sri Lanka could completely changed the political landscape of the country.

The Portuguese had a big trade competition with the Arabian traders who held the monopoly of spice trade in the Asian region and later the Portuguese undertook the Cinnamon trade of the country. After the Dutch invasion, an agreement was signed between the Dutch Administrators and King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe on 14th February 1767. In return to the military support provided to King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe in defeating the Portuguese , the Dutch had been allowed to cut and produce cinnamon in certain areas of the country.

In 1796 the British acquired the maritime provinces of Sri Lanka along with the Cinnamon industry dominated by the Dutch. By the year 1850 nearly 50,000 acres of cinnamon cultivations were found across Sri Lanka but since the introduction of coconut cultivation people tuned towards coconut culvation ignoring the cinnamon.

Major cinnamon cultivations are found in Galle, Matara, Kalutara and Rathnapura , and in the hinterlands of Ambalangoda, Karandeniya, Uragaha, Batapola, Meetiyagoda and several other villages of the Southern province.

According to the latest statistics In the Galle district there are 10,644 hectares under Cinnamon cultivation, Matara 7,926 hectares Hambantota 2,313 and Kalutara 2,633 hectares are found under Cinnamon cultivation. In Sri Lanka , traditionally cinnamon has been identified as belonged to five varieties of ‘ Pani Misis Kurundu ’, ‘ Pani Rasa Kurundu’ , ‘ Sevala Kurundu ’ ‘Kahata Kurundu’ and ‘ Thitha Kurundu’ according to the taste and strength of the inner bark and the leaves.

All those who are engaged in the cinnamon industry in the cinnamon growing areas of Sri Lanka now a days earn a good income.

Local prices vary from Rs. 2100 to Rs. 3000 per kilo of produced Cinnamon. In the past it was considered as a cottage industry and less attention was paid for the quality by those who are engaged in cinnamon products at grassroot levels. 

 

Source: www.dailynews.lk (25 January 2017)

Indelible emblem of compassion

By DPT Kappagoda

The Bodhisatva image at Dambegoda has been identified as the Bodhisatva Avalokitesvara, the most important Mahayana deity worshipped by the Buddhists in Sri Lanka when the cult of Avalokitesvara attained its zenith in the 11th century.

According to Mahayana Buddhism, Bodhisatva Avalokitsvara is the Lord of compassion and the most powerful manifestation of Amitabha the celestial Buddha presiding over the present world and he is the symbol of the universal Brotherhood and Salvation.

The Bodhisatva Avalokitesvara, functions in the role of a saviour of mankind under the auspices of the Buddha Amitabha whose effigy he bears upon his crown.

The two manuscripts written in Nepal in the 11th century, mention of the worship of Avalokitesvara as the Divine Healer which was prevalent in the 9th century in many Buddhist countries, including Sri Lanka.

Prof. Senarath Paranavitana quoting Culacmsa has linked Dambegoda with Kanagama – blindmen’s village, wrote: “In Kanagama, Aggabodhi (607-683 A.C.) built hospitals for the blind and sick and the large image house in the Patima-vihara. The wise (prince) set- up a stone image of the Buddha (Maligavila) which he had made and which received the name of the great produced as by miracle.”

This reference in the Cylavamsa to Kanagama (blindman’s village) where hospitals for the blind and the sick were built has been identified as Maligawila and Dambegoda dedicated to the heavenly guardian of the sick and the infirm.

Pre-Christian times

The image at Dambegoda is surrounded by a thick jungle with tall trees of black ebony, yellow satin and ed amarind under which wild elephants roam freely.

This area can be reached by road 250 kilometres from Colombo and it is on the northern border of the Yala Wild Life Santuary. The closest village can be approached by a kilometre on a cart road.

The ancient route linking the two major capitals Anuradhapura in the north east and Tissamaharama in the south east passed by close to Dambegoda. This area dates back to pre-Christian times with its image house of the Bodhisatva has been built on the notch of the small hillock rising about 100 metres above the plain facing the north.

There are many Brahmi inscriptions belonging to pre-Christian times carved on the drip ledges of the caves which name the rock shelters used by the Buddhist monks in the past.

Both Maligavila and Dambegoda at first formed one monastery complex with residential units for monks and they are positioned between these two units. The dwelling complex of the monks was similar to the type of buildings of the Anuradhapura period with a courtyard of high walls and five residential units.

The central unit was used by the chief monk for his living and teaching. The storey above was the library. The four side storied building could each accommodate six pupils or a total group of twenty four pupil monks.

The Dematamahal Vihara of the 8th century with its Panchavasa monastery lies within eight kilometres form Dambegoda. Yudaganava with its incomplete stupa dated to the 12th century is 20 kilmetres away from Dambegoda. Buduruwegala with a group of seven colossal Mahayana statues belonging to 10 and 12th centuries. The sub-capital of Galebeda of the 12th century is within 40 kilmetres of Dambegoda to the west and east.

Religious and spiritual aspects

The Bodhisatva image at Weligama popularly known as Kustaraja reflects the beliefs in the magical healing properties of the Bodhisatva Avalokitsvara. The Kustaraga image stylistically dated to 9 – 10th century, the same period as that of the Dambegoda figure. But the Dambagoda Bodhisatva image from religious and spiritual aspects represent one of the noblest and impressive figures of the Bodhisatva Avalokistesvara as the Divine Healer prevailed in many countries because of his “powerful knowledge holds all creatures who are beset with hundreds of troubles and afflicted by many sorrows and thereby is a saviour in the world including god.”

It is also believed that this saviour through whose grace and compassion decrepitude and disease will come to an end. These beliefs of Mahayana Buddhism gained ascendance in Sri Lanka to increase the divine protection and healing powers of the hospitals for the benefit of the destitute and infirm, rather than Avalokitesvara to take over the function of the Buddha, the sublime Lord of the Sinhalese Buddhists, whereas in Cambodia, in early 13th century the cult of Avalokitesvara as the divine healer, royal hospitals were shifted from the spiritual care of the Medicinal Buddha to the supreme protection of Avalokitesvara.

The miniature Buddha on the crown of the Dambegoda statue is identified as Avalokitesvara, the Lord of compassion and the Divine Healer of Mahayana system of Buddhism.

The Dambegoda colossal figure stands on a pedestal in the posture known as Sambhanga reflecting majestic dignity, steadfastness, strength and power. Both hands are raised in the Katakahasta – a gesture symbolic of holding a flower which generally symbolizes benevolence.

This hand-pose displayed by the Bodhisatva may indicate the presence of the red lotus which meant purification and spiritual awakening.

The use of the double Katakahasta, however may have been a development of the regular iconographic formula applied to the images of Avalokitesvara in Sri Lanka.

The left hand of the image shows the Katakahasta and the right hand suggest the gesture of teaching. Avalokitesvara images displaying the double Katakahasta are fairly rare but the Buduruvegala is an exception.

The Dambegoda Bodhisatva wears rich attire and many ornaments, complete with a long Yajnopavita, the sacred thread to indicate his social status. The elaborate crown and the full set of ornaments underline the Bodhisatva’s regal and divine nature.

Ancient stone carvers

The ascetic and priest-like traits of the figure form another facet of his personality. This has been reduced to the minimum by the display of stylized hair locks, barely visible among the ornaments.

There are other Avalokitesvara figures namely Kustaraja image at Weligama and a few bronzes found at Tiriyaya show this regal form.

The Avalokitesvara figure at Buduruvegala, Weligama and Tiriyaya are within the same span of time. However the Dambegoda Bodhisatva surpasses the colossal figures of Buduruvegaala and Weligama not merely by its size but more by its finely conceived proportions, its majestic pose and its sublime facial expressions.

Aesthetically too, it is the finest sculpture portraying the skill and workmanship of the ancient stone carvers in Sri Lanka.

The interest of the Dambegoda statue was roused when Boisselier visited the site in 1970. Later the Federal Republic of Germany showed an interest in a cultural project in Sri Lanka. Reider from the museum in Berlin visited the site which the Archaeological Department had already undertaken for excavation.

Thereafter it was begun as a joint venture in 1980s to conserve the 9th century Bodhisatva image and restore it to its pristine form for the centenary of the Department of Archaeology in 1990. 

 

Source: www.dailynews.lk (24 January 2017)