A LETTER TO MR.BRADMON WEERAKOON BY HEMANTHA SITUGE ATTORENEY AT LAW DATED 28.11.2011 ON HIS BOOK ON KALUTARA

Hemantha Situge LL.B                                152 1/7, Courts Road,

Attorney-at-Law                                                    Hulftsdorp,

                                                                             Colombo 12.

                                                                             Mobile 0773122865

Mr. Bradman Weerakoon,                                     28.11.2011

Aaron’s Lodge,

Palayangoda,

Kalutara.

Dear Mr. Weerakoon,

KALUTARA  - AN ODYSSEY

I write to you to inform you that I purchased a copy of the above titled work written by you from the Lake House (Book Shop) at the Liberty Plaza on 02.11.2010 read and re-read same and wishes to make the following comments of the said book .

Firstly, you have not sufficiently dealt with the derivation of the word Kalutara. How did the name Kalutara derive, Kalu i.e. black in Sinhalese tara would have been from µõØ æ_õØ vide: Geology of Ceylon by Prof. P.G. Cooray.

Secondly, the mouth of the river of Kaluganga.

Vide: æ_õØ - by ´µù$ß ûÜù$ùß÷¸

Thirdly, the famed legendary banyan tree that adorns the cover of your book Baron Eugene de Rasonett’s ‘Sketches of Ceylon 1864’ is cited by Rajpal K. de Silva. There is another vivid description Sir Ernest Haekel’s.  A visit to Ceylon translated by Clara Bell. The fate of this tree would have been a record of interest – Neville de Silva puts in verse in one of the Australian Aloysian News Quarterly past magazines.

Fourthly, the account of Kalutara Dutch Fort found in Nelson’s book on Dutch Forts in Sri Lanka would have been an ideal reference on the Kalutara Fortress.

Fifthly, (i) The second English Botanical Gardens in Ceylon was in Kalutara

  (ii) The family De Alwis Seneviratne who hailed from Kalutara made  their contribution on the drawings found at the Herbarium of Peradeniya.

(iii) The Kalutara snail an invasive species possibly were introduced from Kalutara.

I fervently believe you have not done proper justice to Kalutara bereft of its records on the unprecedented history on its natural history.

Sixthly, I do not think that you have done adequate research into the toponymy on the district of Kalutara. My source is the supplement in the article titled: The Study of Place Names in Sri Lanka by T.B. Weerakoon JRAS Sri Lanka Branch XXXVI 1993 (reprint) P80 to 86.  Further elements from the Kalutara District completing the Western Province.

Seventhly, I was amazed by the meager details on the flags of the Kalutara district. Please refer:

(i)           E.W. Perera’s Sinhalese Banners and Standard

(ii)          Edith Fernando’s books on Sinhalese Flags

(iii)        Silva’s book on Flags (Sooriya Publications)

Eighthly, I was flabbergasted when perusing your account on Panadura the Buddhist renaissance. There was not an iota of material on S. Mahinda the Tibetian Poet monk who made an extensive contribution to the renaissance from the Panadura Mahabellana Sri Sudharmaramaya temple. vide: &ÛæÚÈ ´{Úùß÷À {ÚÆ by Æ&ß&æ æ´Ù&ÚÍ {ÚÆ 2009

Ninthly, I have learnt that late Mr. A.C. Goonaratne Q.C. was a product from the St. John’s College  Panadura. Refer A.R.B. Amarasinghe’s Supreme Court of Sri Lanka Sarvodaya Vishvalekha Publications 1986.

Tenthly, You have not at least provide a scant reference on the archeological inscription found at the present District Court premises. Another glaring omission is on Sandesha Kavya’s of 13^th 14^th Century (Epistle verses)

Eleventhly, I have learnt that Cheng Ho the Chinese Eunuch used Panadura as a Port. vide: Garvin Menzie 1421 When China Ruled the World.

Twelfthly, I have learnt that the Walallawita Korale which was joined together with Bentara as a Korale in the District of Galle was shifted to the District of Kalutara very recently. May be only during the last two or three decades.

I have also learnt that Elpitiya Kanda is found as a hide out of Vidiya Bandara. vide: Chulawamsa – Geiger and Parangi Hatana by Alagiyavenna Mukaweti edited by S.G. Perera & Fernando later Prof. Rohini Paranavithane.

Thirteenthly, I have read in George Flores book on 500 commemoration of  the Portuguese visit to Sri Lanka 2001 there had been a Portuguese Scions Statutes.

Fourteenthly, Father S.G. Perera provides us two articles on Velapura in Ceylon Antiquary and Literary Register. Another in the Kalutara Urban Council commemorative journal for the year 50 or 60.

Fifteenthly, There is a book on the Kandey Viharaya written by Prof. J.B. Dissnayake in the Rataka Mahima series published by Godage.

Sixteenthly, There is a German writer’s book on Waterfalls of Sri Lanka published by the Tisara Publications.

Also there is a eighty page book titled õÝòÔèÙ à`ÙßÙ &{ æ_õØ ÷ÀÚ&ßõÜÚæß ÷ÀÚ×à`ÙÚ ù$´$<ÙÚ× by øÌ´ùß ÑæÜ´Øõßù.

Seventeenthly, Kalutara is well famed for the luscious fruit Mangosteen possibly introduced by the Dutch from Batavia – Indonesia.

Eighteenthly, There is a Sinhalese book on verse on Kalutara the title is “æ_µõ$ð ÙæØ” Page 77 – authored by M.C.F. Perera born in Kalutara and old boy of St. Johns Panadura. vide: Page 476-7 &Ú‘{Ù ù<æö$µÓ ûÔµØ$ßè$Æ×$ ´ÔÙßÙûÚ®µ×ß µæß.ä§.÷À &ÚÙß<$ 1966.

I was never born in Kalutara I am a Gallean. I was interested on Kalutara because of my colleague past-President RAS RC de S. Manukulasooriya’s article on the JRAS which is replete with errors. I think he was a DRO in Kalutara if I remember correct.

Finally I wish to state that Kalutara like Galle has no Manual or Gazetteer published in the colonial times. When I went through the book titled Ratnapura as seen as by Government Agents compiled by Malcolm Abhayaratne there were some references on Kalutara. Unpublished G.A. diaries would arouse curiosity.

With all best wishes.

Thanking you.

Yours sincerely,

Hemantha Situge