Sri Lankan Batik

Over the past several decades the Indonesian art of batik making has become firmly established in Sri Lanka. Indeed, it is now the most visible of the island’s crafts. Galleries and factories, large and small, have sprung up in many tourist areas. For instance, rows of small stalls selling batiks can be found all along Hikkaduwa’s Galle Road strip. Mahawewa, on the other hand, is famous for its Sri Lankan Batik factories.

Batiks incorporate fascinating motifs and colours, some traditional others highly contemporary and individual, but they all display a vigorousness of design unique to the island. The material created by the batik-makers is used to produce distinctive dresses, shirts, sarongs and beachwear ideal for tropical climes. Many tourists at seaside resorts such as Hikkaduwa; wear batik clothes throughout their holiday. Apart from clothes; Handmade Batiks, Table Clothes, Wall Pictures, Beach Clothes, Pure Cotton & Silk, Mens & Ladies Wears, Bed Covers are popular as a reminder of a visit to SriLanka.

The process by which batik is produced consists of the multiple waxing and dyeing of cloth. First, the desired pattern is drawn on a plain piece of material. Molten wax is then applied to those areas of the cloth that are not to be dyed. Next, the material is immersed in the required dye and washed when the colour has set. If more colours are desired, the process of waxing and dyeing has to be repeated. Originally, when batik making was a cottage industry, one artist created the entire batik from start to finish.t to finish.

Richmond Castle - Kalutara

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A century old country mansion with the outward appearance of the 19th Century British noble residencies, the Richmond Castle as of yet has only given us an initial taste of her grandeur through her surrounding beauty and imposing exterior grounds. It is later, upon entering the premises that we learn of her luxury and opulence of which evidence still remains and the tale of her stately past.

A story unveils:

The tale of Richmond Castle's past is a gripping saga of events running parallel to that of its owner, Nanayakkara Rajawasala Appuhamilage Don Arthur De Silva Wijeysinghe Siriwardena, the Mudaliyar of Kalutara District during the early decades of the 1900s.

The son of a wealthy and influential planter, the young Arthur De Silva Wijeysinghe was schooled in Britain.On completion of his studies in England he was bestowed the position of Mudaliyar by the King and returned to Sri Lanka to take up rank.

On returning to his homeland, the Mudaliyar inspired by the palace of his old school pal, the Maharaja of Ramnad in India, built the Richmond Castle. A symbol of splendour and power with every inch boasting of luxury, all essential supplies for the building were sourced from abroad beginning with the floor and roofing tiles to timber, stained glass and decorative items, even bathroom fittings. The Mudaliyar moved into Richmond Castle upon his marriage to a young beauty of noble rank, Clarice Matilda Maude Suriyabandara.

The park of Richmond Castle was completely cultured in fruit and flower, while the mansion often hosted banquets for dignitaries, both foreign and Sri Lankan, with its own 50 manned troupe of performers for the entertainment of its guests. The Mudaliyar was the owner of a grand white horse driven carriage - a symbol of power in the time of British rule in Sri Lanka and employed a small private army for protection; he lived and was respected much like a provincial king.

Though the young couple was blessed with every happiness and comfort in life they lacked one of the greatest, that of a child of their own. The Mudaliyar it was told, laid marble statues of infants all about the park and it is said that the couple was often seen lovingly gazing upon them from atop the balcony, now the possessors of almost every joy in the world.

This fairytale however had a tragic ending, the couple separated later in life and the Mudaliyar bequeathed all his wealth to the Public Trustee. He lived as a hermit having no contact with the outside world, residing in room number 77 of the Queen's Hotel in Kandy for the remainder of his life never returning to Richmond Castle and never attending to his estates thereafter. He died in 1947 at the age of 59 but made provisions for Clarice till the time of her death in abode at a nunnery at the age of 80.

DID YOU KNOW?
 RICHMOND CASTLE is a HOTSPOT for theatrical productions,it was even a location for the internationally acclaimed ‘WATER,' by filmmaker Deepa Mehta.

Architectural genius:

The mansion is an example of architectural fusion blending the styles of the masters of structural design on a trail from the East to the West. It encapsulates four distinct styles of architecture. The local courtyard tradition, the Maharaja and Roman-Dutch style of architecture, the latter an influence believed to have been derived from the Mudaliyar's Roman Catholic roots as well as an inclusion of Greek genre of architecture.

Ruling upon 42 acres of land with a staggering 99 doors and 38 windows, Richmond Castle has accomplished some very amazing feats of structural design.

The banquet hall, which at times doubled as a performance arena for the entertainment of the Mudaliyar's guests has an underground ventilation system, which harbours the cool air of the Kalu Ganga directing it into the hall through an ingenious underground pathway that runs right through the foundation, naturally air conditioning the hall and keeping its guests cool and comfortable. The hall also showcases intricate Embekke style carvings on 12 great Rangoon teak pillars connecting six massive decorated arches that hold up its roof.

The giant staircase greeting any guest by the front entrance set upon checkered marble floors, is another very unique piece of architecture with a fusion of western and local carving patterns embedded in it. This magnificent piece of art separates right at the centre and reaches the top floor in two separate stairways, the pure pomp of it doubles the richness of the mansion.

The bedrooms on the upper floor have been ingeniously designed to be soundproof, and the techniques used are directly visible with certain parts of the lime puttied walls now peeling off in its ripe old age. However, the purpose of using this substance was to maintain a comfortable temperature within the mansion interior no matter what time of day or year.

Past and present:

Richmond Castle is now a monumental historic site made open to the public by the Public Trustee Department, who also maintain a children's home within. The large servants quarters are now renovated and washed in colour making a loving home for the less fortunate young ones and certain rooms of the mansion are designated study areas for them.

The master bedroom has been converted into a memoir to the past splendour of Richmond Castle as the proud chaperones who guide the numerous groups that visit the site everyday draw their attention to old photographs depicting the grand wedding celebrations, the parties and banquets, the Mudaliyar's gallant achievements and his preeminent acquaintances.

In its heyday, no doubt in par with the luxuries in the likes of the Pemberlies of 19th Century England, the long ago memories of Richmond Castle remain in the form of a grand old house and vast cultivated grounds, living proof evident of a resplendent past.

Richmond Castle, Tekkawatta, Palatota, Kalutara South

Opening Hours: 8.30am to 4.30pm on weekdays

Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall

The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), is a convention center located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Built between 1970 and 1973, the convention center was a gift from the People's Republic of China in memory of Solomon Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) from 1956 to 1959.

The construction of the Hall was carried out by a joint Sri Lankan and Chinese workforce with a considerable portion of the building materials being imported from China.

In 1998 a small Exhibition Centre, the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre, was built on the grounds as a gift from China.

The BMICH premises is managed by the S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike National Memorial Foundation (BNMF) which is chaired by the President of Sri Lanka.

The BNMF has an academic wing specialized in International Relations, Languages & Cultural Studies named "Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)" located within the BMICH premises.

Facilities

With over 16,000 square feet (93,000 m²) of space, the BMICH is located in the Cinnamon Gardensarea in the heart of Colombo. An up-to-date library with volumes of literature on almost all subjects is available for the use of research for delegates visiting the BMICH. To facilitate with banking needs, a Bank is located near the main hall. Due to the high profile events taking place within the venue the Sri Lanka Police maintains a permanent detachment and the Mount Lavinia Hotel has a restaurant. The Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre has floor area covering 4500 sq. m. consists of two exhibition halls, lobby, dining room, lounge, kitchen and other VIP amenities.

Traditional Handicrafts Of Sri Lanka

The handicrafts of Sri Lanka, bewildering in their range & variety, today, are in fact the products of a continuous process of development of human skills & resources stretching far back in to the past. These were & still survive as traditional crafts serving as the backbone of the rural economy during the early & mediaeval periods of the island's history. There importance never diminished from the earliest times when man started to use the raw materials he came across in daily life for satisfying basic needs.

While adapting the available material for domestic use, in the early stages, he did not lose sight of its appeal to himself & his social group in terms of design, color combination, format & appearance. These concepts were slow in evolving, but the earliest crafts products of ours as of any other old culture show a delectable blending of the twin function of utility & aesthetic sensitivity. Crafts therefore, were considered to important & craft training so indispensable to even an artist that the arts & crafts grew in mutual relationship. There was hardly any distinction between the arts & crafts in the early phases of creative work in Sri Lanka.

Our early art shows that all the great works of architecture, sculpture & even painting possessed a high degree of skilled craftsmanship. Likewise the best products of the craftsmen's arts, in whatever material they were made, mainly for the royal & high-ranking patrons, bore the hallmark of artistic excellence in addition to superb craftsmanship. Their parallel existence & mutual influence enriched the arts & the crafts in their revolting rendering them inseparable with a common heritage of design, motifs & forms.   

The craftsman, even more than a artist, attained a very high status in the mediaeval period of history which saw the efflorescence of traditional crafts in the kandyn kingdom. Under a feudal system of society regulated by a hierarchical caste structure, service to the king & the royal circle became the prime duty of the best craftsmen, who were thus able to earn the little of "master craftsmen" by virtue of their skill professionalism. Even the crafts had their own gradation, the richer & more valuable the material, the higher the status of using craftsman. Therefore jewellery work with gold & gems was a crafts on the highest pedestal, ivory carving coming next in importance, both forms of craftsmanship equally recognized for the grant of sumptuous awards from royalty. 

 It must also be mentioned here that the inspiration to produce the best crafted objects had a strong link with faith & religious devotion. Votive figures as well as statues of the lord Buddha & the deities of popular religion, produced in various materials, show the motivation of religion as the dominant factor shaping their skills in casting & carving of metals. It is also observed that the several categories of crafts owe their origin to the ceremonial & ritualistic practices of the temples & the attendant festivities including processions & exhibitions of village merchandise.

The classical tradition of arts which produced masterpieces like the frescoes of Sigiriya, the architectural monuments of Anuradhapura & Polonnaruwa & the massive Buddhist sculptures of those times was later replaced by the folk tradition in which not so much the creative artist but the skilled craftsman played a leading role Turing out utilitarian products satisfying society's needs & providing artistic appeal at the same time. In this period, painting was not practiced as a fine art but as a folk art with its own technique, symbolism & color scheme, for edifying & educative purposes.

Figure sculpture also assumed a popular character with stucco or clay being substituted for stone. The minor arts such as metal work of various kinds, bone-horn-shell-work, lace-work, weaving, textile-making, basket-work & a wide range of ancillary arts & crafts provided the people with their domestic. Requirements & the craftsmen, engaged in them, with suitable employment. The folk arts which constitute the sum-total of the traditional art forms, emerging with the materials & services available, received as much acceptance as the “cultured" arts in feudal society. To these were added the products contributed by the collage industries which sustained village life at a satisfactory economic level. These arts were also cherished by the people as they reflected their legendary lore & popular beliefs which were transmuted into motifs & designs of lasting beauty & appeal. The history of folk arts also strongly emphasizes how a particular form or type grew & decayed according to the likes & dislikes of the peoples. Their dynamism also prevented their complete disintegration for they were able to emerge in a new form incorporating new elements if the old form was no longer acceptable. These arts forms also possessed the characteristic quality of using gay & striking colors, a prominent feature in kandyn art ( with red,yellow,black & white) but above all the folk artist executed the delicate work with a high sense of dedication.

From Anuradhapura periods onwards handicrafts of the country have shown certain characteristic features associated with a developed standard of craftsmanship. Anuradhapura was noted for pottery, metal ware, jewellery & ivory products. Recent archaeological finds form the cultural triangle excavation in the area have thrown further light on this aspect & confirmed the use of quality ceramic ware & jewellery during the period. The Polonnaruwa epoch, following Anuradhapura, is remembered especially for its terra-cotta products & bronzes showing visible traces of S.Indian cultural influences. Before the advent of western foreign invaders to the land, in the 16th c A.D, the crafts had reached their efflorescence after centuries of dedicated effort on the part of traditional craftsmen. In the mediaeval era, extending from the 16th century to the 18th century, the truly authentic craft traditions of the country were systematically organized by an efficient system of workshop training & apprenticeship, comprehensive in scope & method. It was indeed a period of high specialization in the respective crafts dealing with prize metals where the excellence of skills & expertise were adequately recognized.  

 Service to the king & the official of high rank by the best craftsmen of the land produced high standards of production in craftsmanship. But satisfactions of domestic needs in the royal household as well as the requiremants of ordinary folk were not neglected. A wide range of objects used by many segments of society, in the past, show the same attention to detail & sense of matching material to form, evident in whatever the products, be it carved in laid or lacquered. The household goods & items of personal use testify to the wide practice of crafts by a large range of craftsmen, who cared & catered to the needs of the community as a whole. Kitchen utensils, simple tools & implements & even the humble products made from ruch, reed,clag & cane, reflect the sense of discipline & feeling of social obligation that seem to have characterized the making of ordinary ware.

The growth of handicrafts, therefore, can be considered in three phases of socio-religious development entailing religious motivation (in the earliest phase) royal patronage & everyday use. The evolution of the arts & crafts of Sri Lanka, which must be considered jointly in any overview of the handicrafts, shows two patent influences at work. The early phase is marked by characteristic features drawing upon Indians norms & standards, especially in the arts of architecture & sculpture. Ananda Coomaraswami , on the earliest critics studying the problems connected with the origins of Sinhalese art, has acknowledge Sri Lanka’s debt to Indian art, calling Sinhalese art as essentially Indian.

He also states further that in the mediaeval period, the traditions of Sinhalese art, as represented by the indigenous craftsmen of the island, descended from the Aryan immigrants to Sri Lanka, led by Vijaya, were integrated with the traditions later introduced by artisans of south Indian origin, the kammalar( skt karmara). It is also his opinion that both the north Indian & later south Indian immigrant craftsmen as well as the indigenous craftsmen of Sri Lanka belong to an original stock constituting a guild of artificers, who migrated in to various parts of India &S.E Asia , carrying a common message of craftsmanship which they sought to propagate in the countries where they eventually settled down. Sri Lanka’s renowned archaeologist, “Senarath Paranawithna”, also , lays emphasis on the indigenous Sinhalese art of early times in relation to the great cultural & artistic traditions if India & especially the influences stemming from the spread of Buddhism & its humanistic philosophy. He states further that “the ancient arts of Ceylon like that of java or indo-china, possesses a distinctive character of it’s own” the use of Hindu & Buddhist models was, therefore, an important factor in the growth of the arts in the island. Not only the arts, but the arts of the country too, show in their phases of development the specific foreign influences that seem to have determined their character & composition. In the earliest stages the growth of the architectural & plastic arts of Sri Lanka distinctly reflects the conceptions introduced by Indian artists & craftsmen who were employed by the Sinhalese rulers. But these ideas were suitably adapted by the local artists in such a way that an indigenous artistic tradition developed under the benign influence f the Buddhist faith which most of them embraced & therefore, attempted to propagate through their artistic work. The sculpture of the early period & the Buddha images in particular, attest to the overwhelming influences of Andhra art on that of early Ceylon. Yet, the early sculpture of the island exhibit, conspicuously, according to another critic, the Theravada Buddhist ideology as practiced by the Sinhalese artists of Anuradhapura &Polonnaruwa. The two great centers of classical Buddhist culture.

When north Indian influence waned & the repeated invasions of the country by south India rulers commenced in the later times, Aryan Buddhist styles gradually came into contact with Dravidian style of art & decoration & were integrated in to the existing forms. Architectural monuments, found in Polonnaruwa, in the 12^th & 13^th centuries & the bronze figures of the same period furnish evidence of the dominance of Dravidian arts as exemplified in the ornamental motifs & techniques introduced in to Sinhalese stone-work & carving. But happily, here too, the chastening influence of Theravadha  Buddhism prevented a complete breaking away from artistic traditions of the former period. Sinhalese arts was undergoing a change, but its resilience & ability to adapt it self to the new conditions were : its greatest assets. This period also marks the end of the classical tradition &  was the precursor of the mediaeval art of the Sinhalese, which began to concentrate on decoration & even over ornamentation to the detriment of originality of conception & designs.