Rapiel Tennekoon

Rapiel Tennekoon was poet, prose writer, scholar, historian and a founder member of the kumaranatunga school of Sinhalese Scholarship, HELA HAVULA. In each of these many roles he held a prominent place. As a historian, his views regarding the beginning of the Sinhalese civilization take us far back to the time of Ravana the Rakshasa King of Lanka.

He was born at Walallavitigalla, Ganepola close to Negombo on 19^th December 1890. He studied at Pannananda Buddhist missed school at Raddolugama. He learnt Pali and Sanskrit under Rev. Pannananda Thero and English from Jayawardana, a notary public.

After passing his school Leaving Certificate Examination (8^th standard) he was enrolled as a pupil teacher at the same school.

He joined the Teacher Training Collage, Nittambuwa in 1927. It was at that time, Munidasa Kumaranatunga came as the Principal of the Training Collage. The meeting with that eminent scholar was a historic event in the life of Repiel Tennakoon. He was an ardent follower of Kumaranatunga who recognized his abilities. HELA HAVULA was founded and Tennekoon became the key man in the organization. In recognition of his talents, Kumaranatunga honored him by conferring upon him the honorific title of Kivisuru.

After passing out as a trained teacher, he taught at the Buddhist School of potupitiya Maduluwawa, Dagonna and Kuligoda in the capacity of Principle. The last school he served was Gangodawila. He was also the principal of Siddhartha Training Collage, Balapitiya.

Rapiel Tennekoon was essentially a poet. Vavuluwa was his first poems. A special feature of this poem is that the verse in many places take the form of dialogue. His other poems are Havilla, Da Vinaya, Pandu Ambula, Sak Pubuduwa, Rpppe Andaraya, Mulutana Andaraya, Batimata, Gamayanaya and Sinhala Wamsaya. Humour and satire are the main ingredients in books Havilla is a fine piece of satire on the superstitious beliefs of the rural folk and their follies. Ape Kavi andAsun Kavi are books on literary criticism. He has also written commentaries on Guttilaya, Hansa Sandesaya, Gira Sandesaya, Salalihini Sandeshaya and Sidat Sangarawa.

Yata Giya Dawasa is a glimpse into Sri Lanka’s past. In this book, he questions the validity of certain accepted views Anuradapura Pirihima and Ape Yatagiyawa are the other two books on Sri Lanka’s history.

He died on March 08.1965.  

    

WIMALARATNA KUMARAGAMA

WIMALARATNA KUMARAGAMA

Born on 1919.01.18 at Narampanawa in the Kandy District, Wimalaratna Bandara Kumaragama earned a name as poets whose writing had a distinctive mark. He studied at Morapitiya and Theldeniya Vidyalayas at the early stages and then proceeded to Rahula Collage, Katugastota and Dharmaraja College, Kandy for his English education.

After finishing his school education, he took up competitive examination for admission to the government clerical service and was successful. His first appointment was to the kachcheri Anuradhapur. However, he did not remain long as a Kachcheri clerk. On the results of another competitive examination, he was promoted as a Divisional Revenue Officer. This was an administrative post that replace the old Rate Mahatmayas. He was 23 years old then.

As a DRO, he had to work in several rural areas which included Anamaduwa, Hanguranketha, Kalawana, Kotmale, Kolonna and Daladagam. In his long association with the not so fortunate people of these areas he had opportunities to personally understand their hopes and aspiration, beliefs, problems and miseries, sorrows and joys. He was no doubt moved and his sincerity and sympathetic concern for these people can clearly be seen in his poems.

Silumina, a prestigious weekly newspaper had a place for his compositions. The poetry monthlies of the time, Mee Vadaya, Dedunna, Ambavanaya and Suwanda carried his compositions. Budu Ruwa, Sundara Hamy, Arachchi Rala, Aiyanayaka, Dadayama, Vanniye Dosthara, and Aganthuka Sathkaraya were some. Hapumali and Nil Seenaya were his books of poetry.

Wimalaratna Kumaragama deserves commendation for several happy features in his poetry. He adopted a bold and independent approach. He was not found by the traditions and practices followed by many in his own times. His themes were novel and had been selected in relation to the woes and miseries of village folk who fought hard for day to day living. The craze for the use of “beautiful shining” words at the cost of their appropriateness in expressing that apt meanings feelings and experiences was rarely found in his poems. The words, phrases and idioms were identical with what is spoken by the rural people. There is instance where the originality of poetical thinking can be observed. One cannot help thinking that Wimalartna Kumaragama had the potential to achieve much more, had he lived longer.

Unfortunately, death took him away on 30.12.1962 when he was only 43.     

    

SRI CHANDRARATNA MANAVASINGHE

SRI CHANDRARATNA MANAVASINGHE

In spite of his close association with Colombo poets and his familiarity with their poetic tradition, Sri Chandraratna Manavasinghe was a poet, who made an effort to deviate from the familiar path and adopt an independent approach.

He was born on 19^th June 1913 at Puwakdandawa, Beliatta. His father was a village headman. He attended Pannananda Vidyalaya, Beliatta fro his school education. G.P. Piyadasa, a person well known in the area for his knowledge of Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit and the art of composing poems helped him to gain a knowledge of those subjects. At the age of 12 he was ordained as a Buddhist monk at the village temple where he continued to learn the oriental languages. During the period that followed he disrobed once and re-entered the order and disrobed gain.

As young man he went to India. His stay in India gave him an opportunity to learn Bengali and Hindi language and study Indian culture.

On his return to the country, he became the editor of Hela Diva, a newspaper and in 1947, joined the editorial staff of Lankadeepa. His writing talents came to be widely known as a columnist. He wrote the poular column Vagathuga.

He became famous as a lyric writer. Komala Rekha, Mee Kiri, Vesak Mihira, Guru Gedera Yana Ataramaga Eth Gale Daru Pema, Mage Rata, Maha Bo Vannama, Poson Sivpada and Manikege Age are some of his compositions. Manohari and Sepalika were the two operas written by him.

The influence of Rabindranath Thagore can be seen in some of his poems. He was also inspired to some extent by Sinhala folk poetry. A distinguishing mark of Manavasinghe’s poems is that he has med a conscious effort to ensure that he has made a conscious effort to ensure that the words he used sound musical.

His death took place on October, 1964.        

SIRI GUNASINGHE

SIRI GUNASINGHE

Utterly unconventional, exceptionally independent in his thinking about poetry and caring nothing for the rule of verse writing that was the type of poet Sri Gunasinghe was. His poem, Mas Le Nati Ata, signaled the opening of a new phase in Sinhales Poetry, but unfortunately was not a happy one because those who tried to follow the example seem to have missed the spirit.

Benaragana Arachchige Sriyaratne Gunasinghe that is his full name was born in Bulathkohupitiya, Kegalle District on 30.2.1925. He had his early education at Mahinda Collage, Galle. He obtained a first class honors degree in Sanskrit from the then University of Ceylon and joined the Department of Sinhalese of the University of Peradeniya. He joined the University of Sorbonne in France where he obtained a Ph. D His doctoral thesis was Indian Art. On his return to Pradeniya he joined the Department of Sanskrit; for a short period, he served the Department as its Professor.

Then he went to Canada to join the University of Victoria. There he became the Professor of the Department of History and Fine Arts.

In recognition of his contributions to literature and arts he was awarded a fellowship by the Rockfeller Foundation, USA. He was also awarded the Don Pedirick Prize for literature.

‘Sat Samudura’, the film directed by him proved that Sri Gunasinghe had the gift of presenting an experience artistically through the medium of pictures.

He had written three books of poems, Mas Le Nati Ata, Abinikmana and Ratu Kekula. He had also written two novels, Hewanalla and Mandarama.

He made a genuine effort to popularise the free verse from of poetry which came to be known as Peradeniya tradition. True his poems were ridiculed by certain crutics, but the fact remains that Sri Gunasinghe was the first man to raise the Sinhalese poetry to the status of a complex creation. In his poems he explored the complex relationship between man and modern civilization. The experience he tried to express in poetic terms were far from being common.

He found that the so called ‘beautiful language’ of the Colombo poets was inadequate to express complex experiences and profound vibration of the heart. He therefore broke away from of language. The essential feature of his poems is brevity. He avoids verbosity and unnecessary details. Even usage too common in the day to day language spoken by the ordinary man, he could skillfully fit into a powerful style to express the deepest of feelings.

Unfortunately, the later imitation unable to grasp the true meaning of his poetry found themselves comfortably settled for the pouring out of their childish fancies.       

     

SENARATH PARANAVITANA

SENARATH PARANAVITANA

Born on 26 December 1896, at Mataramba in the District of Galle, the name of Senerat Paranavitana will be remembered with respect for ages to come by the scholars, archaeologists, historians and the lover of national culture. After over half a century of dedicated and invaluable service to the scholarly world, he passed away at his Nugegod residence on 04 October.1973. His father was Abraham Paranavitana and he had four elder brother.

As was the practice at his time he was initiated to the learning of Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit at a Buddhist temple, namely Yatagala Vihara and then at Vidyavardhana Pirivena, Ranwalagoda. For his formal education he was admitted to Hettigoda Methodist School. He had his secondary education at Buona Vista College, Unawatuna.

After passing his eighth standard at Buona Vissta Collage, he worked as a teacher for a short period at Mihiripenna Sinhala School and then at Udugampola Vidyalaya.

In 1923 he returned to the country and resumed work at the Department of Archaeology. From 1932 to 1935 he served as the acting Commissioner of archaeology. In 1940, he rose to the position of Commissioner of Archaeology. He held this post till 1957 the year of his retirement. The same year he was appointed Professor of Archaeology at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya.

His fame spread not only in this country of birth, but all over the world. His eminence in scholarship prompted a Peradeniya, Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara Universities conferred upon him doctorates.

He was undoubtedly the greatest archaeologist; Sri Lanka has ever produced. His monumental, work Sigiri Graffiti alone is ample testimony to his erudition and the spirit of scientific inquiry The publication includes besides the texts and translation of the Sigiri verses a full scale examination of the peculiarities of language, grammar and the literary quality of the wall writings.

The stupa in Ceylon is another scholarly presentation of the study of the history and the art of building stupas. Sinhalayo, Ceylon and Malaysia, Abridged History of Ceylon, History of Ceylon an Oxford University publication co-authored with a panel of writers, the Editors-in-chief of which was Prof.H.C. Ray are his other outstanding works. In addition, numerous were the learned articles he had contributed to prestigious magazines.

After his death, the ashes were deposited at the foot of sigiriya rock which for a long time formed the focal point of his research studies.         

SAGARA PALANSURIYA

SAGARA PALANSURIYA

The parents gave him the name Mohottalage Dingiri Mahatmaya; In robes he was Kalal Elle Ananda Sagara.

His penname was KEAS which denotes Kalal Elle Ananda Sagara and finally the name Sagara Palansuriya stuck to him.

Born on 11.03.1908 at Kalal Elle Wellandura in the Rathnapura District, He had his preliminary education at the Boys’ school, Atakalan Korale. At the age of 11 he entered the order of Bhikkhus as a Samanera (novice) for his further education he went to Santi Nikethan in India.

He taught for some time at Vidyodaya Pirivena, Ananda Collage and Nalanda Collage. Thereafter as an English trained teacher he served Prince of Wales Collage, Moratuwa, Maliyadeva Collage, Kurunegala and for a short spell in Jaffna. In 1956, he contested at the parliamentary general election and was elected M.P for Horana. He was also co-ordinator, Research Department of the University of Kalaniya.

At the start of his literary career he was a regular contributor of poems to Dinamina, Silumina, Shinhala Bauddhaya and Sinhala Jathiya. Many were the topics on which he composed lines. Unlike many other poets of his period, he had a fancy for writing narrative poems. Through his works he wanted to tell a simple story. To this group of stories in poems belong Sudo Sudu, Malhamy and Kala kanniya.

Sudo Sudu first narrative poems he wrote. It is a shadow of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Enoch Arden. The story has been sent in a rural background. It is woven around a love triangle, the main characters of which are Heen Menike, Tikiri and Adiri, His next narrative poems were Malhamy which again is an adaptation of William Wordsworth’s Michal. It is a collection of seven stories. It tells the story of a rural youth leaving his home and migrating to Colombo where he loses his identity as a villager and becomes westernised. Kalakanniya is another story in verse. To the class of adaptations from the West belongs Kandegedara. It has closely followed Dora written by Alfred Tennyson a Victorian English poets. Some of his other composition are Visivuna Tharu, Paminima, Mala Devola, Punarikshana, Chaya, Piyavara Lakuna, Dhivari Gitaya, Jamma Dayadaya, Kana Unda, Igilena Sihinaya and Sirima. Kelani Vitti is an account of Kelaniya.

The influence of English Romantic poets can be clearly seen in most of his poems. The stories of the west have been modified to suit the local social environment. In his poems he has made an effort to use the language spoken by rural folk. However, it seems that the refinement so important in poetry is lacking in his handling of rural usage. Yet by introducing the form of narrative poems, using a form of language that did not stir the readers merely by sound and by departing form the conventional themes, Sagara Palansuriya’s contribution to Sinhalese literature bears a distinctive mark

He died on 21.06.1961 at the age of 53.            

K. JAYATILAKE

K. JAYATILAKE

A contemporary and a friend since childhood, of Mahagama Sekara, K Jayatilake was a gifted short story writer and a novelist. He was born at Medihena, a village near Radawana in the district of Gampaha on 27.06.1926. His father was Kaluarachchi Gamage Aranolist Appuhamy and the mother was Maddumage Podi Nona.

He studied at Radawana school and even during school days he used to read extensively. Having completed his school education, he started working at several boutiques from time to time to earn an income to support his family. Finally, he got employment at a correspondence Collage where he devoted his spare time for private study. Through hard work, he was able to get a B.A. degree from the University of London. He also learnt the Pali and Sanskrit languages. He did not remain long in employment. He resigned his job to begin his writing career. Later he started his own press.

K. Jayatilake soon earned a name as a novelist and a short story writer of exceptional ability. He had also made a substantial contribution to the development of children’s literature.

Parajitayo was his first novel. His novels Carita Tunak was acclaimed by critics for its quality. Aprasanna Katavak, Punci Rala, Pitamaha, Adhisthana, Matu Sambandhai, Kalo Ayamte, Punciralage Maranaya, Rajapaksa Walauwa, Maya Maligawa, Delovata Nathi Aya, Mahallekuge Prema Katawa, Piya Putu and Manahkalpita Vartavak were his other novels.

Among the short story collections Katu Saha Mal, Vajira Pabbata, Atiranaya, Ekagei Avurudda were more important. Vyanga was co-authored with Mahagama Sekara.

For children, he had written over 10 stories. Among them Katandara Pota, Aiyai Nangiy, Vana Sarana, Dingiri, and Ruwan Kumari are very popular among the children.

Several books have been written on literary criticism. To this class belong Sinhala Kata Kalave Vikasaya, Sahitya Vicara Satahan, Nava Katava ha Samajaya etc.

The Sinhala translation of Shakespear’s Macbeth and Naaradhipati, a stage play were also the works of Jayatilke.

In addition, he has written critical editions of Mayura Sandesa, Paravi Sandesa and Sigiri Graffiti.

He wrote in a simple, easily understandable language. His writing reflects the life of the rural people, their ways, hopes and problems. He is undoubtedly one of the few writers whose works rank high among the artistic creation.

         

ANANDA KENTISH COOMARASWAMY

ANANDA KENTISH COOMARASWAMY

An illustrious son of Lanka Ananda K. Coomaraswamy has left an indelible mark on several fields of intellectual activity. Though his university education led him to be a graduate in geology, he had greater interests in art, architecture, sculpture, philosophy and Indology.

He was the son of another eminent personality, Sir Mutucoomaraswamy the first Sri Lankan to pass out as a barrister in England. His mother was an English lady. The two patriots, Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan and Sir Ponnambalam arunachalam were his sister’s sons.

He was born at Kollupitiya on 23.08.1877. His mother took him to England where he had his education at Wyclif College. Later on he joined the University of London. At the age of 23 he passed out as an honors graduate in Geology. After graduation he secured employment at the University as a lecture. He obtained his ph. D in geology and he was the first Sri Lanka to get a Ph. D in geology.

Then he returned to Sri Lanka and was appointed Director of the Department of Mineral Resources. This appointment gave him an opportunity to travel the length and breadth of the country to conduct research into the mineral resource. He wrote a book, “Fossils and Mineral of Ceylon” based on the results of his research work.

Of Sinhalese craftsmen under mediaeval conditions. The book contains a great deal of valuable information in regard to such subjects as Sinhalese Design and Ornament, Architecture, Woodwork, Stonework, Figure Sculpture, Painting, Ivory, bone, horn and shell lac-work earthenware, weaving and embroidery.

The fact that this love of art never diminished is evident from the spate of publication that followed. They include,

Selected Example of Indian Art

Elements of Buddhist Iconography

Wall painting and Ceylon

The Dance of Shiva

The Origin of Buddha Image

History of Indian and Indonesian Art.

His research publication has embraced religion and philosophy as well. In this field the books he had written were Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism, A New Approach to the Vedas and an Essay on Vedic Ontology.

In 1906, he left the government service and went to India to carry out further studies of Indian Art and Craft. While he was engaged in his research he was offered the post of keeper of Boston University Art Museum.

He was indeed one of the greatest men in the field of cultural studies. He died on 9.9.1947 at Boston.