Voluminous chronicle of Polonnaruwa or Pulatisi Vamsaya

With the dawn of the literary season in September of each year, a galaxy of publications after, both from the state cultural sector as well as the private publication sector.

The voluminous Sinhala chronicle titled as Pulatisi Vamsaya published by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage covers almost all the affects linked with the history of Polonnaruwa, where the first part of the literary activities were held in 2009.

The volume of articles are edited by the writer Nihal P. Jayatunga. In the first instance the editor Jayatunga has to be commended for obtaining material for the volume which runs to an unprecedented 947 pages.

On reading the embedded 54 articles on various aspects of the place known as Polonnaruwa, followed by the State of the development and strategies that led to the human interactions, the agrarian and irrigations developments, that had gone to the uplift of welfare measures, the present volume undoubtedly traces the significant landmarks of the historical and cultural trends.

The articles are written by scholars who matter in their respective areas of specialty spanning a broad spectrum of historians, archaeologists, sociologists, communicators, researchers, literary scholars and technologists.

As these articles are addressed to both scholars and laymen interested in knowing matters by way of information, the volume could be regarded as a fact file, or a treasury of resourceful material with special reference to the historic place known as Polonnaruwa.

The credit should also go to the computer cum editor Jayatunga for the methodical classification of the material into twelve broad chapters, demarcating, the geographical background, historical background, archaeological findings, water management and irrigational systems, which also envelope hydro technology.

This is followed by a series of sub chapters, on literature, religion, arts and crafts and culture in a broader manner. The division of subjects refers then to Buddhist Sangha Order and the Diversity of religions rites and faiths.

A special chapter is devoted to the development of the administrative structures culminating into the present system. Most of the material presented could be deemed as rediscoveries, which may hold to evaluate in terms of primary research areas. This volume is by all means is a compendium of Encyclopedic knowledge, spread in various directions.

As a result there appears several overlappings as well but overlappings and perhaps repetitions cannot be avoided in this sort of pioneer attempt.

It cannot be discerned as an error on the part of the compiler cum editor. I found the articles on aspects of folklore and folkways as presented by a number of writers as a pioneer attempt at digging the past in search of knowledge, needed to understand the values, ethics and susceptibilities of a forgotten past.

A special mention has to be made on the contribution of the significance of the place names in Polonnaruwa by the researcher Sujanta Ekanayake. The value of the articles lies in the broad coverage of the legends and sagas that had gone to the naming of places in and around the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.

As folklore is known as the unwritten history that is transmitted orally, this scholarly articles spreads a beacon of light to the present researchers who are in search of such folklore material. According to the accounts given by the writer Ekanayake, a certain saint named Pulatisi had lived in this area erecting an abode.

Pulatisi is also declared as a legendary grandfather of the ancient king named Ravana. Due to the virtive of this fact, the name Pulatisi had given way to Pulatisipura and there onwards as Pulanaru and then to Polonnaruwa quite a number of cross references are made to the etymological areas linked with the place names.

Mention is also made of a statue that is regarded as attributed to the Saint Pulatisi, epitomizing the place name as handed down the centuries. Other place names such as Kaduruwela, Dimbulagala are also cited as significant. The writer Ekanayake has gone to the extent of rediscovering the stories and legends behind all the place names he traces.

In each case there is also the visible historical significance marked as a rediscovery, by way of a link to the social activities presumably interlinked to the place.

Perhaps this pioneer attempt on the part of the Ministry of Cultural, activities could go into the publication of a service of smaller books signifying the socio-cultural values of ancient kingdoms.

This voluminous attempt is certainly for the reference areas. But the Ministry sources should utilize their research out look to various other aspects as well, taking the cue from this notable contribution.

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