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| Thursday, 2 September 2004 |
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A look at the 'Other Lanka' 'This Other Lanka' by D. T. Devendra Second edition to be launched at the Colombo International Book Fair BMICH - September 6, 2004 D. T. Devendra's 'This Other Lanka' was first published in 1941 by OLA Books. (OLA Books was the brainchild of D. B. Dhanapala, that legendary figure of journalism in Ceylon. The letters OLA stood for Oriental Literature and Art).
On publication it received enthusiastic newspaper reviews from Pieter Keuneman and L. E. Blaze. The writer also received letters of praise from Lionel Wendt and Dr. Senerat Paranavitana. Visidunu Prakashakayo, Boralesgamua, has now brought a second impression of this notable work. We reproduce here extracts of a review by Pieter Keuneman which appeared in the 'Ceylon Daily News' of February 14, 1941 titled 'Unknown Ceylon': Nowadays, when the travel book has degenerated at the hands of dozens of cute Peter Flemings into a polite, imperturbable 'how interesting' record of the quaint and been made ridiculous by Fitzpatrick Travelogues, it is a relief to find someone who has the old itch which sent Borrow bible-punching in Spain and Marco Polo charting out China. D. T. Devendra has that itch and he has it badly. He has also the gift of making what interests him fascinate the reader. These are the two reasons why 'This Other Lanka' is a success. It seems to be a habit with Mr. Devendra to visit places in this island where not even the PWD has penetrated. He has a sharp and inquisitive eye and a journalist's sense of what is unusual, newsy, and relevant. But if he had only these, 'This Other Lanka' would have been another smooth and breezy exercise in curiosity which would have kept the reader amused and got him nowhere. Fortunately Mr. Devendra has other qualities which lift his book well out of the rut. He has a feeling for country, a sympathy for people, and a wide knowledge of national history and culture which places the interesting fact and the eccentric phenomenon in their historical context and gives them background and reference. 'This Other Lanka' tells the story of parts of Ceylon remote from usual contact, where history has halted and old ways of life are continued. It describes the almost-forgotten and neglected relics of an older culture and has several pertinent things to say about its art. On criticism. There is too much archaeology for the lay reader. Mr. Devendra's purpose is clear - to convince his countrymen that examples of the valuable traditions of their past abound and can be seen by those who look for them. But one cannot escape the conclusion that it is a little overdone, and that, without more copious illustration, minute descriptions in such great numbers must necessarily bemuse the reader. More descriptions of how people in these remote parts live would have provided sociological material of interest and value. It is rare in Ceylon to find writers who describe their country with the intelligence, lack of sentimentality, and consciousness of national tradition that Mr. Devendra has shown in this book. It should encourage others to visit the places to which he has gone and to view even the familiar with a discerning and appreciative eye. Let us hope that it will also result in more books like 'This Other Lanka'. |
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The
author was then a school teacher, barely forty years old. He was later on
to become a well-known historian and archaeologist. The first print was
sold out in the first year of publication and an original copy is now a
collector's item.
