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Book Review :
Nugegoda - steeped in history
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'Nugegoda - Glimpses of the Past'
Authors: Mervyn Herath and Jagath
Savanadasa
Publishers: Sarasavi Publishers
(Pvt.) Ltd.
Price: Rs.350
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Nugegoda, the bustling town which is today a virtual mini city, has
deep historical roots, steeped in rich tradition.
Mervyn Herath and Jagath Savanadasa have spent many long hours in
researching the origins of Nugegoda, its environs, people, cosmopolitan
culture, rapid growth from a quiet suburban town with a village
atmosphere, to a heavily populated business hub.
The authors take us back to the days when Kotte was a pristine
kingdom where Sinhala kings reigned with all their pomp and glory.
The first chapter of the well documented chronicle is aptly titled
'Where heads rolled - the genesis of the name.'
'In the days when Kotte was a kingdom, outside the city was a dense
forest of Nuga trees with an abundance of wildlife. Beyond the forest
lay a vast area of swamp fields which was known as Nugeng Egodaha
(beyond the Nuga forest). It was uninhabited.'
The punishment given to criminals by the kings was that they were
taken beyond the Nuga forest, "Nugeng Egodahata Aran Pala."
A popular belief among the people of the area is that these
executions took place beside a particular Nuga tree and that was a tree
which stood until recent times, by Poorwarama Road, at the Rupasinghe
Mawatha Junction.
This historic monument was felled by the Kotte Urban Council, which
decided that it impeded their development plans.
Jackals
The Nugegoda town steeped in history was once a marshland surrounded
by elephant infested Nuga forests and canals teeming with crocodiles, as
the authors put it, was also known then as Dimbulagas Handiya.
Nugegoda town at that period of time was not a very comfortable place
to be in, what with the howling of jackals at night, the environs being
inundated by floods. In fact, there was so much of water around that the
Nawala Canal was a popular bathing spot for elephants.
Another interesting fact that the authors have dug out was that Padda
boats were a popular form of transport. The boat terminal was at the
present railway level crossing, where Chapel Road begins.
The railway station constructed in 1904 was and is still one of the
prominent landmarks in the town of Nugegoda that has survived the
relentless march of change and demolition, as the authors put it.
The railway station, old timers recall, served as a meeting place for
both commuters as well as inhabitants of the town, as much as would the
YMBA or the YMCA.
Very few are aware that the railway station is now 105 years old, the
elder brother of the High Level Road, which was constructed in 1934.
Caravans plied goods from the Kelani Valley to Colombo, stopped at
Nugegoda town and cooked their meals in the open as would gypsies,
adding colour to the increasingly bustling town.
As Nugegoda grew, there was a very highly humorous and rather
absorbing rivalry between the owners of the Model Bakery and the Gamini
Bookshop, back in the 1950s. This was the harbinger of politics in
Nugegoda.
It was largely due to the owner of Model Bakery, reputed for his
excellent bread, strongly objecting to a row of lavatories built in
close proximity to his property by 'Yakada Silva', a big businessman of
the area.
Yet another bookseller to Gamini Bookshop which was nearby was known
as 'Seeyage Poth Kade', who carried out his business in relative quiet.
This not only amused the Nugegoda public, but also gave birth to
potent politics which today has grown to enormous proportions.
The Nugegoda Park is second only to the Lipton Circus and the Fort
Railway Station as a popular platform for politicians to vent their
feelings, and for political parties and trade unions to test the waters
of the support they have.
Dynasty
Nugegoda, significantly, has been for some time, the home of the
third generation of the great political dynasty of today, the Rajapaksas'
of Beliatta, which the authors have rightly pointed out in this book.
An excellent orator who came up from Nugegoda and made the town very
popular in politics was Stanley Tillakaratne, and as a monument to him,
we today have a principal artery of Nugegoda named after him.
Apart from Stanley Tillakaratne, Nugegoda has been the home of
individuals in a variety of spheres.
Among them are Senerath Paranavithana, the archaeologist of
international repute and the father of the national anthem Ananda
Samarakoon.
Interesting information of the Dissanayakes, Melders, Salgados,
Liveras, Munasinghes, Dr. Guy Paranavithana, Dr. Shanthi Paranavithana
and other individuals of importance such as D.B.I.P.S. Siriwardena, who
as a Deputy Inspector General of Police travelled by bus despite being
given an official car and Cyril Herath, the IGP, are detailed in this
book.
Percy Wijesinghe of Pelawatte Road who is referred to in the book,
was a retired excise inspector and a brilliant raconteur, whose father,
the Rev. William Jacob Wijesinghe, is the only person to have translated
the New Testament of the Bible into Sinhala and received the honorary
title 'Sri Kavishwara' from the Mahanayakes of the Asgiriya and Malwatte
Chapters.
These are a very miniscule of the numerous individuals who have
contributed so much for the fame and development of Nugegoda.
The book is also replete with a host of religious institutions like
the Subhadraramaya Temple, the Church of St. John's and the Hindu
temples, which are all of Nugegoda's diverse culture.
On the other hand, the cultural richness of Nugegoda is depicted by
the portrayal of several fine educational institutions - St. John's
College, Anula Vidyalaya, Girton School and St. Joseph's Girls' School,
which have produced a host of outstanding personalities.
The book has personal reminiscences of many other individuals and
events which have spurred the development of Nugegoda.
The two authors, Mervyn Herath and Jagath Savanadasa, the latter the
grandson of notable patriot and the father the Sinhala novel Piyadasa
Sirisena, seem to have enjoyed the painstaking effort they have made in
capturing the indomitable spirit of Nugegoda.
- Geoff Wijesinghe |
