Journeying to Anuradhapura era

‘Thus have I heard’ (Evam me Sutam) is a great dictum in the Buddhist literary canons. What one hears and / or sees comes to be forgotten if they are not properly written down or recorded for posterity. What the author or recorder does in his collection of notes, titled as ‘Whites to Browns’ subtitled as a ‘recent history of Anuradhapura from what I have heard, seen and Read (1900 – 2000)’ is a readable and resourceful page-moving collection of essays on varying topics linked to a self-referential technique of subject discrimination.

The author, Nimalka Jayawardene Mayadunne, whose interest is seen in a manifold manner, attempts to present a rediscovery of activities pertaining to the city of Anuradhapura into 12 segments. Initiating in the opening chapter titled as ‘the setting’, he presents a recent set of changes ushered as a result of political religious cultural and administrative measures. Then he proceeds to the synoptic vision of as recorded in history of the ancient city. The city of Anuradhpuara, as most of us know, is subdivided into two categories: old town and new town.

Then he proceeds to present a panoramic view of the two cities, and about the changing patterns of living. One of the most significant factors is the record of the names, places and events that had gone into these changing patterns.

Recent history

As a reader, I found chapter six, which goes as ‘health and healers’ could have been enlarged with more material pertaining to the subject. The two chapters, ‘Agricultural development’ and ‘Sports and entertainment’, are embedded with material that one has missed in the recent history of the country. Mayadunne is observed as an investigative writer of these two areas.

By and large, the chapter titled ‘Society and religion’ is one of the most resourceful ones in the entire collection. Having read this chapter, I felt that Mayadunne could write one whole book on the subject of society and religion. It is a genuine attempt to reveal some of the thoughts and attitudes of people in the selected area where mass behaviour is initially placed in rituals and ceremonies. Triggering off from simple ceremonies attention is drawn to more glorious ones even funded by alien donours. This is a record of the changing aspects of the people in religious cities with the advent of urbanization which gradually gives way to a more modernized statue of living. He records how liquor bars and taverns have taken roots in the backdrop of a sacred city.

Then he records various types of family patterns where the mention is made of a husband who has given his wife to her paramour reminding some of the ancient legendary story of the king named Vessantara. Then this chapter containing a record of the statues of Buddhist monks who were shown unswayed by narrow political ideologies. The advent of a new culture with the Mahaweli diversion is recorded in an alternative manner, which presumably is not observed by the conventional historian and the sociologist. Mayadunne, as a writer, is mostly self referential and harmonizes himself with the events he records. The changing aspects of the get-togethers which had roots and shown juxtaposed with the advent of such units as lions clubs and Joyce’s clubs. He does not take sides but tries his best to show what had happened with the process. There are pages which are packed with humour as well as a tone of serenity.

Significant city

As the author Mayadunne records (when everything is said and done) Anuradhapura’s significance to the rest of the country and the world was mainly due to the fact that it was home to many Buddhist archeological sites dating back to 300 BC. The paramount among those was the sacred Bo tree, which had grown from a sapling of the Bo tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment some 2500 years ago. This is known as the Sri Maha Bodhi venerated by not only by Buddhists, but also by others. What Mayadunne records with emphasis is that during the dark days of foreign domination, the custody of it had fallen into the hands of Maha Vanniyas from the ancient Sinhala kings. Then he records the lineage of the custodians of the Sri maha Bodhi.

The book is written with good intention with an honesty of a rediscoverer of social matters.

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