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A centennial tribute

Men And Monuments

Author: D.T. Devendra
Publisher: Central Cultural Fund

Reviewed by Dr. Vernon L. B. Mendis.

This book is a publication of the Central Cultural Fund and its sponsors are the D.T. Devendra Foundation who are members of the family of D.T. Devendra and its Associate Editors. This book recounts the legendary achievements and personality of D.T. Devendra who was a giant among the authorities on the heritage of Sri Lanka. He was a combination of a teacher, scholar, publisher, writer, educationist and archaeologist with a record which was unique for a Sri Lankan.

To mention one of his achievements, he was the co-editor of the Buddhist Encyclopaedia where he was associated with another legendary figure Dr. G.P. Malalasekera.

As an archaeologist he has been described as the right hand of the giant in that field Paranavitarne. This book does not attempt to recount his activities in detail and instead it is a record of his contributions from which one can assess their scale and diversity.

They include publications, special publications, journals, periodicals and magazines, newspaper contributions and they encompass an amazing diversity of subjects which reveal the depth and range of his erudition.

The following titles picked up at random would bear witness to this - Classical Sinhalese Sculpture, Tanks and Rice, Temple paintings, Buddhism in Ceylon, the story of Ceylon archaeology, Moonstones, Sinhalese Folk Tales, Historic Kandy, Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, the Kandy Perahera, Art and Life in Buddhist Lanka, the Image of the Buddha.

The list is almost inexhaustible reflecting his truly encyclopaedic knowledge. These literary contributions amount to a total of around 268. The publication contains tributes to him by eminent Sri Lankans - one of them being Dr. G.P. Malalasekera and his comment on him sums up the general estimate of his contribution. This was that 'He was one of the few veterans in Sri Lanka who devoted their lives to the pursuit of the culture and learning in his motherland.'

This book it should be said is the product of the devoted labours of his family who lived up to the reputation of their father in the eminence which they achieved in their respective fields. Tissa was an outstanding member of the Civil Service and held the highest positions in it, the latest being that of Chairman of the Public Services Commission. Somasiri was a senior naval officer who showed deep commitment and dedication to his duties.

This book as stated already does not purport to be the life story or biography of D.T. Devendra. It is primarily a record as far as he was concerned of his academic and literary contributions and tributes to him. The real substance of the book is the record of the D.T. Devendra Memorial lectures for a period of nine years. The lecturers are some of the foremost authorities on their respective subject in the land and their lectures as could be expected show the highest standards of scholarship on their respective subjects.

They include such eminent names as Roland Silva, Ananda Guruge, Senaka Bandaranaike, J.B. Dissanayake, Raja de Silva, S.U. Deraniyagala and their subjects ranged from architecture to archaeology, literature, ethnology, the chronicles and ancient history. The co-editor of the publication is Professor Leelananda Prematilleke who himself has an outstanding record as a translator of Sinhalese classical works to English, archaeological excavations, authorship of 30 prestigious works of Sri Lanka paintings. One cannot think of anyone more appropriate for editorship of a work of this character.

What is significant is that these articles are on the very subjects on which Mr. D.T. Devendra was an acknowledged authority and reading them brings vividly to one's mind his erudition and personality. Typical of the comments which these articles contain are various facets of him as personally experienced by the authors. These include those of Roland Silva to the effect that he used to frequent the home of this retired personality and there listen with great interest to the voice of a sage. In fact the stories we cherished most were those of the other side of the coin of archaeology.

These extensive titles from the nether world of academics have been immortalized in Devendra's book entitled 'Tanks and Rice'. There is the comment of Ananda Guruge that D.T. Devendra made a tremendous contribution to the wakening of the national consciousness in this country that it is only with independence that the national culture would have its due place in the life of society, that it was with independence alone that the ancient glory of this country could be brought back to the minds of the people as something to inspire them in their forward march of building a nation. He was a great nationalist.

Senaka Bandaranaike referring to his contribution to Sigiriya says Sigiriya held an abiding interest for him and in the article which was originally published in the Ceylon Daily News of October 22, 1938 he honours the forgotten pioneers who rediscovered this palace crowned mountain and its incomparable frescoes. Raja de Silva in his article on Mahavamsa, Mahavihara and Mahayana which was proposed by Mr. Devendra himself refers to him as a benevolent uncle whose character was admirable upright in every sense of the word probus as the Romans had it possessed of a fund of knowledge and wisdom, soft spoken, unruffled in any awkward situation and an exemplary public officer. Mr. Devendra was in my view primarily a gentleman of scholarship and he taught me much of books and men.

This article is a remarkable survey of the highlights of the ancient civilization culminating in a characteristically fascinating study of Sigiriya on which the author is an acknowledged authority. Finally there is the article by his son Somasiri Devendra describing how he was inducted to maritime archaeology where his lasting achievement was the Galle Harbour project, by his father. It was the product of his dining table seminars with his father where he listened to him expanding the frontiers of knowledge with his encyclopaedic interests.

Mr. Devendra believed in taking archaeology along unchartered paths and his son's entry into maritime archaeology was fulfilment of this wish. In the words of his son "it was during these dining table seminars that we discovered maritime archaeology - and I am repaying him in my own way for opening the windows of my mind "It is a happy coincidence that the hometown of Mr. Devendra where he was born and bread was Galle which his son would immortalize with the Galle Harbour project as the pioneer venture in maritime archaeology in Sri Lanka.

'Men and Monuments' is outstanding as a vivid reconstruction of the life and achievements of Mr. D.T. Devendara portrayed through biographical details and learned articles on facets of archaeology by eminent authorities which in turn highlight his legendary role. My own contribution to this saga is personal in character and is in the form of observations of him in our personal encounters.

I must hasten to add that this was not in archaeology where despite my abiding personal interest in it I would not dare engage him on this subject. It was instead in my experience of him as a learned guide and mentor to VIPs who visited the ancient monuments. It happened that as a Protocol Officer of the Foreign Ministry it fell on me to accompany distinguished visitors on these sightseeing missions where Mr. Devendra as the representative of the Archaeological Department served as the guide philosopher and friend.

Two of these visitors were the famous Lester Pearson, Foreign Minister of Canada U Nu, Prime Minister of Burma as it was known at that time. It was indeed fascinating to see how he moved with these distinguished guests and impressed them with his encyclopaedic knowledge all expressed with such charm and simplicity.

He did not attempt to burden them with his knowledge or deliver learned lectures but instead to serve as an expert guide with authoritative information conveyed with a great charm of manner which greatly impressed the distinguished visitors. He won their admiration with his combination of expert knowledge and graciousness which made their sightseeing a pleasure instead of a drudgery.

Indeed he was able to gain the confidence of his distinguished visitors, an instance being U Nu's confession to him that he was interested in finding a suitable cave in Mihintale to which he could retire and lead a life of meditation. Mr. Devendra's charismatic impact on these distinguished guests relieved me of my own responsibility in respect of them and my duties were confined to Protocol formalities. Mr. Devendra's performance on these occasions revealed his true nature not only as an intellectual giant but as a sincere guide and philosopher who excelled in imparting his wisdom to others.

This indeed is his image to posterity which is wonderfully captured in the portrait in the opening pages of this book is of a benign humanist who combined scholarship and knowledge with a gracious personality through which to communicate it to the world of his time. In conclusion I should pay a tribute to his sons for the skill and dedication with which they have produced work which will remain as much a monument to their labour and love as it is of their legendry father. I should add that in their own careers and lives they have lived up to the traditions of their father.

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