Hanuman built on a dream

During the three decades when the armed conflict existed, people – Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Catholics-suffered, especially those who resided in war-torn areas. It’s no surprise that they need larger statues of Gods or big temples or kovils to frequent, to tell the Gods what they had endured. Some have complaints, big ones, and some are extremely thankful now that they can walk freely.

In Maruthanarmadam, Inuvil in Chunnakam, Jaffna there is a huge statue which at once grabs the attention of a traveler.  This statue of God Hanuman stands tall amidst the busy Chunnakam town, taking his stance of Maruti as the courageous one, ready for battle. “The statue of Hanuman is 72 feet tall,” says the Chief Priest of the Sri Sunthara Anchaneyar Kovil, Sivasri R Sundareswara Kurukkal. This statue was built by a group of artists who specially travelled to Sri Lanka to renovate the Kovil.

According to the chief priest, this Hanuman temple was first built following a dream the founder of the kovil had. He said that the signs of the dream indicated that he build a hanuman kovil at this place. The foundation for the temple had been laid in 1999 and the first grand pooja festival - Kumbaabishekam of the temple was held in January 15, 2001 which marked its opening.

“Hanuman is the God for air,” Sundareswara Kurukkal said adding that Lord Hanuman is worshiped for his courage, intelligence, strength and the power of speaking and predicting the future.  This is the same reason why there are so many devotees coming to worship lord Hanuman on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. He said that these are the three special days to worship lord Hanuman.

According to Hindu mythology Hanuman is the first God in the form of a Vanara (Ape) and there are several beliefs regarding how he was born. Some consider him to be incarnation of Lord Shiva himself. Some say he is a son of Shiva and Parvathi. However, as Sundareswara Kurukkal explained, Hanuman was born as the son of Anjana, a female apsara who has been turned in to a monkey by a curse, and the wind god Vayu.  Hanuman is known more for his own devotion to Rama than being God; all that while being equal to Rama in power and divinity. 

According to Valmiki’s Ramayana, Hanuman met Rama whilst Rama was in banishment. Rama, together with his brother Lakshamana, was searching for his wife Sita who was abducted by Ravana from Lanka. Hanuman goes off in search of Sita, discovers and consoles Sita in Lanka. He burns Lanka and kills many demons. He brings together Vibhishana and Rama, returns to Lanka with Lord Rama, and plays a significant role in the battle that ensues between Rama and Ravana. It is also said that Hanuman saves the life of Lakshmana by bringing the Sanjivani (life giving herb) from the Himalayas. He served Lord Rama for as long as He lived a human life on earth.

Karthigesan is a devotee who visits the Kovil in Inuvil every Saturday to invoke blessings. The Monkey God is often being worshipped for bringing happiness and prosperity in the family. Karthigesan said that people come to this Kovil with the prime intention of seeking blessings when they are in search of foreign jobs, during weddings and when they want good health. Also, Hanuman prayers are believed to help people to overcome negative attitude and induce courage. He said that beetle leaves, aarlands – a special kind of vadei, gee and Tulasi plant holds a special place among the offerings made for lord Hanuman. 

Women are not allowed to touch the idol of Lord Hanuman. They can enter the temple and pray, but they cannot touch the statue as he was a Brahmachari. It is a symbolic ritual which mainly signifies that both men and women have an inherent desire which can only be overcome with great will power. Till it’s achieved, it is best to avoid too much contact with each other.

Hanuman mantra is often known as the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ is often chanted at the kovil. They also believe that chanting or reading Hanuman mantra every day, keeping a routine affair is considered to be a powerful force on earth which would drive all evil from both inside the residence of a person and along with that help the person to live a happy and prosperous life ahead.

Pics by Sakuna M Gamage

Satkurunathan: Cut out for carving

The sculptor from Jaffna believes that art is not limited to one religion and that anyone can attempt to show their spirituality through a form of art

Pic by Sakuna M Gamage 

Selecting the suitable wood for a sculpture is one of the most important steps in creating wood sculpture with a good finish. Sometimes this takes a reasonable amount of time too compared to the time spent on carving one sculpture. Compared to the period Nadaraja Satkurunathan began working as a sculptor, he says that it is difficult to find wood material for his sculptures today. He mostly uses jackfruit timber for his work.

“Sometime back, finding wood for my work was no trouble. We don’t have as much as trees we had back then. And also, you need to have a permit to get the timber required. Sometimes it’s a great difficulty,” Satkurunathan said, speaking to The Nation at his workshop located in Thirinalveli, Jaffna. 

“The demand for sculptures has significantly become greater since the end of the armed conflict,” he further said. “Now that the temples destroyed during the conflicted era are being renovated, the artists in the area are loaded with work,” he added.

Along with the difficulty of finding wood, Satkurunathan said that the demand for his work has also increased during the recent years taking up more effort to find material. However, with the help of his two sons, he manages to run a successful business in the Northern Province.

Satkurunathan recalled how he learnt the skill of carving to make a dull chunk of wood in to a lively statue. His father was a carpenter and as a child, he spent a reasonable amount of time at his father’s workshop, observing him and helping him with small chores.  He fell in love with his father’s work and he himself wanted to practice this profession.

Yet, his mother knew that her son had more in his blood than to become a carpenter. She had always embraced the artistic skills in little Satkurunathan that his drawings always amazed her. When he started showing interest in carpentry, his mother encouraged his father to send him to a master who can help him master both art and carpentry.

“This is how I was sent to my guru, Jeevarathnam, to learn about sculptures,” he recalled. Jeevarathnam Master was a well-reputed artist from the same village. Satkurunathan said that he helped him sharpen his drawing skills while teaching him to carve wood. “Unfortunately, Jeevarathnam Master is no more,” he said. If he would have been there, he would be proud of the success of his student today.

Next year Satkurunathan will turn 60. He had started sculpting as a profession when he was only 18 years old. Therefore for almost four decades he has mastered his skills and has offered his services to the people who come to him with requests. He not only takes up their requests, but also does his best to produce fine quality work that he doesn’t want to see his customers dissatisfied. This is also why he has earned respect in the Northern Province as a sculptor that people call him ‘Guru’ out of respect. 

Yet, he says that he can’t work as hard as when he was 18 years old although he is wiser and understands more about the sculptures now. This is why he decided to get his sons to join him at his workshop. They have their dreams too, but they consider helping out their father is more important than chasing their dreams. When Satkurunathan completes a sculpture, his sons help him with painting it and doing the final touchups.

Among his work, the majority are sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses. His large collection of hand-carved and hand-painted Hindu wood sculptures range from the vibrant colors of Hindu temples to natural wood colors. Including Gods Shiva, Ganesh, Lakshmi, Vishnu, Hanuman and Goddesses Parvati and Lakshmi, all the Hindu deities come to life in Satkurunathan’s fine wooden sculptures.

Being a Hindu himself, he considers having to carve out the figures of Gods in wood as a blessing he has received. He uses drawings or pictures of the Gods to get an idea, but, mostly, he said that he uses the descriptions in the Hindu mythological stories. He also spoke proudly of the statues he carved of Buddha and Jesus. He believes that art is not limited to one religion and that anyone can attempt to show their spirituality through a form of art.

Apart from the religious sculptures, he also loves carving human figures and animals. “Each time I see a chunk of wood, a human or animal shape unfolds,” Satkurunathan says, showing his impressive collection of work he has saved in a picture album. His living room is also surrounded by his finished and unfinished wooden sculptures. He was also very proud of the sculpture of cricketer Kumar Sangakkara which he carved for a cricket tournament. He reminisced that he has special enthusiasm to finish Sanga’s sculpture because his whole family adores cricket.

He believes that being a sculptor helps him serve his religion. Also being able to serve the temples brings him honor. Only second to the iron sculptors, who make tools which are used in wood sculpture, he says that a sculptor contributing to his religion is no ordinary carpenter but an artist with high prestige. 

Pics by Sakuna M Gamage

Noticing the unnoticed

Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Graphic and Animation Unit head Shirani Nanayakkara talks about her creative skills and passion for drawing cartoons 

“Happiness expressed in a person’s face when they observe something gives me complete satisfaction of being an artist,” says Shirani Nanayakkara who is organizing her debut solo art exhibition Dhyana. Shirani is currently working as the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation’s Graphic and Animation Unit head. Tracing the path she took, she said that she joined SLRC in 1983, as a very first member of the Rupahavini Graphic unit leaving her job as an art director at a well-recognized advertising firm. “I took up the job at Rupavahini for half of the salary I was receiving at the advertising company. Television media was novel in the country and I succeeded at being one of the very first people to join,” Shirani recalled how proud she was to accept this challenge eagerly.
Shirani was born in Badullawala, a small beautiful village between Kithulagala and Yatiyanthota. She believes that the aesthetic feelings in her were nurtured by the soothing environment of her childhood. Starting her primary education from Hakbellawaka Primary school she moved into Tholangamu secondary school and then to Ruwanweli Central College for her Advanced Level. Although she showed more skills and talents in drawing, she was selected to study science subjects. However, she managed to attend the art classes of late artist Amaratunge Kahawatta to improve her skills.

She recalled the Graphics and Animation Unit 30 years ago when there were no computer facilities or sophisticated technological equipment. “Everything was hand-drawn, even the name lists presented after teledramas,” she recollected. She explained why a cartoon artist must master skills to express emotions in face of a moving sketch. “Person who has the talent to depict the intended emotions successfully in a moving two dimensional picture can be considered as a successful animator,” she emphasized. “Creativity is the most important element in cartoon then and now. It will be the most important thing in the future as well, that whatever the cartoonist does, the cartoon must be able to grab the attention of its audience,” she said.

Today there are sophisticated tech equipment and advanced computer software to develop cartoon. Shirani grasped the technology fast that she adapted herself to the new trends. “Unlike today, there weren’t many opportunities to study the subject. I was motivated by the thought of creating better cartoon, therefore I studied on my own,” she said. In 2009 she was appreciated with a Rupavahini State Award for the best animation cartoon. The award winning cartoon was Lamayinta Nisi Thena Demu (Give children the right place).

She said that although local animation cartoons are in a developing state and a very high state compared to where it began, overall they lack creativity. She identified that this happens because the talented artists don’t show much enthusiasm to joining the cartoon field. “A graphic artist can’t create a good cartoon if the person is not a skillful artist,” she iterated. “If more artists look forward to put their efforts in making cartoon, future of the cartoon industry will not be bleak,” Shirani iterated.

She also mentioned that local cartoon animations, if well developed, will be more effective in sending a message to the child. “Local productions are more familiar to us that the characters are built upon our own society. It will be more effective in conveying a message of patriotism and building up a sense of appreciating local things in a child,” she pointed out.

Among her drawings, the majority consists of watercolor portraits. She said that this being the main method, she would experiment with any art medium or method in painting.  She enjoys sketching human figures the most, yet among her drawing are exceptional sceneries too.  Her eye gives attention to the isolated persons in crowds, the ones usually go unnoticed in a crowd. Shirani pays attention to their expressions and emotions that she sketches their emotions. All her paintings have a story to tell. “I see a story in everything I see. It’s just that I only have time to draw only a very few selected,” she said.

She mentioned her husband, Susantha Nanayakkara also with much affection. Susantha is a specialist in set designing. “I learned what fine art is after I got married to him. He was my teacher who he taught me to become a professional artist,” she said adding “If not for his help and motivation this art exhibition would not become a reality.”

Dhyana Art Exhibition will be declared open at 4 pm on Friday May 22 at Lionel Wendt Art Gallery. The exhibition will be held on May 23 and 24. “This is a very special event for me and this is the first time I am holding a solo exhibition. I have attempted to collect drawings from a long time. It didn’t work out because my drawings were never good enough for me. Only a carefully selected collection of my paintings will be exhibited at the event,” she said reiterating that personal satisfaction comes first in completing a drawing.

- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/insight/item/40731-noticing-the-unnoticed.html#sthash.rVvBJTP9.dpuf

Healing sounds of the universe

Panchamoorthy Kumaran on the Nadaswaram

Pic by Rahal Wimalasiri

In Kumaran’s hands the Nadaswaram, a South Indian music instrument, looked grand. Looks matched the music he produced with the Nadaswaram that everyone gathered at the Jaffna Municipal Ground were impressed. It wasYaalKiramiyaSangamam’s(Jaffna Village Committee) Carnatic music which marked the inauguration of the Jaffna Music Festival held two weeks ago.

“For more than 30 years we were kept apart and it’s not only the brotherhood we lost during this crucial period. We lost touch with our culture and traditions,” said YaalKiramiyaSangamam lead performer, PanchamoorthyKumaran speaking to The Nation at the Jaffna Municipal Grounds. “Now it’s time to come together again, share our cultures and art with each other. There is a lot to be shared and be glad about,” he added.  He is glad that the armed conflict is over, that he can now perform freely anywhere in the country.  He strongly believes that music can bring back lost harmony; music can heal unseen wounds. He further said that arts and cultural festivals like the music festival can help people to come together and this is the best period to conduct such programs.

Kumaran

Kumaran, a native from Kondavil, Jaffna who is considered as one of the most skillful South Indian musicians in the country, belongs to a family of traditional Carnatic musicians. All his musical skills, as told to this writer, were learned from his father who began teaching him when he was six years old. He was skilled enough to perform as a Carnatic musician on stage when he was just ten years old. Now in his early thirties, he says that having to perform on stage is the most precious thing he gets to do in his life. In the last couple of years, he has been invited to play in Europe, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Canada and Switzerland. Yet he said, “There is nothing like having to play in my country, in front of my people.”

He has mastered many Carnatic musical instruments. He has a voice which can grab people’s attention at once that he is adored as a vocalist too. However, he is best known for his performances with his pet instrument. The Nadaswaram is one of the most auspicious instruments in South India. He said that it was the most difficult South Indian musical instrument to master. In South Indian culture, awedding is incomplete without the sound of this most popular wind instrument. Counted among the ‘mangalavadhyam’, or auspicious instruments, the Nadaswaram is the world’s loudest non-brass acoustic instrument according to Wikipedia.

Traditionally the Nadaswaram is played in various rituals and ceremonies in the temples and during special events like marriages. A person familiar with South Indian music can easily identify the ritual or the ceremony taking place just by hearing the raga played on the Nadaswaram. There are ragas specifically played during the different times of the day for the different rituals at temples or the different occasions.  

As Kumaran explained, the Nadaswaram is considered to be a Rajavadyam (A royal instrument) and the instrument’s different parts are supposed to represent the different forms of God. The Nadaswaram was traditionally made from Aachatree wood, although nowadays bamboo, sandalwood, copper, brass and ivory are also used.

It is an extremely powerful double reed instrument. Due to its intense volume and strength it is basically an outdoor instrument. “Fingering is similar to that of the Indian flute, but the pitch can also be altered by changing the pressure of lips,” he explained. Playing the Nadaswaram is a hard-skill, since it requires good breath control, added Kumaran. Most of his outstanding performances are available on his Youtube channel.

He also emphasized the importance of the artisan skills, passed from generation to generation in protecting arts and culture. Traditional Carnatic Music is often passed on from generation to generation, like how Kumaran learned his music from his father. 

“Music is said to have begun from the sounds of the Universe. Carnatic itself can be traced back to a time when Hinduism emerged,” he iterated. “Since then, the traditions of this have been passed on from generation to generation and preserved until today,” he said adding that the future of the traditional Carnatic music will depend on the enthusiasm shown for it by the generations to come. He said that this theory applied to any other line of work.

However he said that he was never forced to learn music. “I have been compassionate about music since I was very young. I started learning to play instruments out of the adoration that grew while observing my father play,” he recalled. “My son too, will never be forced to learn this. To become a musician or not, or to play the Nadaswaram or not, will solely be his choice,” he said adding that compassion towards music cannot be forced on a person.

(Special thanks to Jaffna Music Festival Program Coordinator, G Krishanthan from Sevalanka Foundation)

Homophobia fueling HIV

Our society is too focused on arguing whether LGBT people belongs with others, whether their behavior is legal or not or finding ways to convert them to be ‘straight’ rather than seeking a way to minimize consequent mental and physical health issues.

We make it a taboo in discussions and deprive the younger generation of education. Entangled in all these negative attitudes and phobias against a human being’s sexual orientation, it seems like we have been overlooking more important consequences of that orientation. Health care officials say that in order to combat HIV/AIDs, we have to first combat homophobia.

In one hand, the relationship between HIV and gay and bisexual men has existed since the beginning of the epidemic, which is most clearly demonstrated by HIV’s former name, Gay-Related Immune Deficiency, or GRID.  On the other hand homophobia is often noted as one of the drivers of the epidemic for gay and bisexual men. In Sri Lanka, HIV health care providers identify that one of the major barriers in preventing HIV/AIDs from spreading in the society is the homophobic attitude present among people.

The American Heritage Dictionary (1992 edition) defines homophobia as ‘aversion to gay or homosexual people or their lifestyle or culture’ and ‘behavior or an act based on this aversion.’ In simpler terms, ‘homophobia’ is the hatred or fear of homosexuals – that is, lesbians and gay men – sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility.

Creating awareness in order to eliminate the homophobic attitude and discrimination against the LGBT community are among the main goals of the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. This Day was introduced in May 17, 2004 as the International Day against Homophobia. In 2009, ‘Transphobia’ was added explicitly in the title of the name, in recognition of the very different issues at stake between sexual orientation and gender expression. Since 2015, ‘Biphobia’ is added to the title, to acknowledge the specific issues faced by bisexual people.

Homophobia is not limited to any one segment of society. It can be found in people from all walks of life. One of the most common notions among people with a homophobic attitude in Sri Lanka is that homosexuality is a western import and that it goes against the culture of our country. “Penal Code 365A by virtue of the fact that it is an old colonial anti sodomy law, is still used by many, particularly in law enforcement to discriminate against and violate the rights of LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning) persons in Sri Lanka,” said EQUAL GROUND Executive Director,  Rosanna Flamer-Caldera. EQUAL GROUND is a nonprofit organization seeking human and political rights for LGBTIQ.

She further said that this permeates into every section of society where the threat of this law and the misinformation about it is used to discriminate and subjugate the community.  As Flamer-Caldera explained what we call Sri Lankan culture today is based on Victorian morality depriving us of an open mind. “We hear many persons saying that Homosexuality is a western import and that it goes against the culture of this country.  In fact our culture is based on Victorian morality and our laws our based on Victorian laws – brought by the British!  So these are what are imported, not homosexuality which has been around way before the Colonizers came to our fair land.”

Flamer- Caldera rebuked media organizations for quoting prominent health officials stating that the rise in HIV in Sri Lanka is due to the rise of homosexuality. “This is not only erroneous but highly misleading,” she said.  “In fact it should be stated that homophobic attitudes in the health sector and their inability to reach members of the community due to their apathy and homophobia is the reason HIV is rising within this community,” she further said.

In addition she said that while HIV is indeed prevalent in the LGBTIQ community, it makes up only up to 15 percent of the total numbers infected – the rest (85 persons) being heterosexual persons. “Misguided notions about homosexuality and gender identity coupled with rampant homophobia and transphobia is hampering interventions in this area a hundred fold.”

As she explained, the Government should first and foremost repeal the laws that criminalize homosexuality. “The state has no business in our bedrooms and consensual sex between adults is of no concern to anyone other than the two people who are engaging,” she emphasized adding that strengthening the laws to protect women and children should be foremost on the government’s agenda but at the same time they must be certain to uphold democratic values and give everyone their rights as Human Beings including the LGBTIQ community.  The health sector must be sensitized to accept and understand the LGBTIQ community and the corporate sector must also follow suit and encourage diversity in the work place.

“EQUAL GROUND is the only LGBTIQ advocacy group focusing on the rights – Human Rights – of the LGBTIQ community, seeking equality for all sexual orientations and gender identities; human rights for everyone.  EQUAL GROUND holds sensitizing workshops all over the island and is currently conducting such programs with the corporate sector, the media and the public at large,” she mentioned.

“It will be most happy to be called upon to sensitize the government sector, the health sector and others to be better able to understand and accept LGBTIQ persons as human beings and productive citizens of this country,” she added.

Dr. Dayanath Ranatunge, UNAIDs (United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS)  Country Manager for Sri Lanka, speaking to The Nation also admitted that the support of the government and society as a whole is needed in combating HIV in Sri Lanka. He lamented that the discrimination against the LGBTIQ community is found mostly in the grassroots level while speaking in the context of health care facilities and law enforcement agencies.  “Our advocacy programs in relation to homosexuality and HIV started 10 years ago. Comparatively, the situation is much improved now,” he said. “All senior ranking officers in law enforcement and health care settings are being educated about the importance in the involvement of MSM (Men who have sex with men) HIV awareness programs. Yet, the gap of awareness between the senior officers and grass-root officers is wide,” he said.

HIV epidemic is related to human sexual behaviors where people exchange bodily fluids in a form of sexual intercourse- anal or vaginal or oral sex. Ranatunge further explained how homophobic attitudes deprive LGBTIQ community of health care facilities.

“This homophobic attitude keeps them away from HIV testing and HIV care and support and this makes MSM more vulnerable to HIV,” he argued. “If somebody wants to stop the disease spreading, HIV testing must be given priority. The more number of people take the tests, the more it can be prevented,” he added.

Speaking specifically about MSM, Ranatunge emphasized the need of education on safe sex methods. If the test results come negative they should be encouraged to practice protective sexual behavior where bodily fluids will not be exchanged. “In simpler terms they should be encouraged to use a condom and a lubricant together,” he said.  “It’s more important that they use lubricant with the condom. “Usually condoms tend to break during anal sex. There are local health care services which provide this,” he said. “Education is available in health care services and this education should be freely available for everyone without any stigma or discrimination based on their sexual orientation,” he added.

Secondly, if the test results are positive, they should be encouraged to engage with the existing health care services for a longer period. Ranatunge explained that patients with a homosexual orientation withdraw from treatments because they fear discrimination and stigma against them. “It is evident that if an HIV infected person is put in to a proper treatment schedule, the ability to infect another -‘infectivity’- becomes almost zero meaning that if a person is undergoing proper treatment he or she is no longer a threat,” he iterated. Also, he expressed grief on how a lot of people drop out in the middle of treatment unable to face the stigma.

If we are to work towards taking prevalence of HIV infection down to zero in Sri Lanka, these homophobic attitudes should somehow change. Relevant authorities and stakeholders should be educated further about the situation. “There are cases reported where homosexual men were forced to pretend as straight men and get married to women. Sometimes they might have kids too. Unfortunately, through these forceful acts, the general community also becomes vulnerable to HIV,” he reiterated.

Releasing the trapped author within

Interview with budding writer Sandali Ash whose novella ‘Rao’s Guide to Lime-Pickling’ has been shortlisted for the big award

The youngest among the 2014 Gratiaen Prize shortlisted writers Sandali Ash believes that literature is a representation of life; hopes, dreams, sorrows, trials and politics of our times. “It is all-encompassing and limitless. Whether it is fantasy, fiction, poetry or biography, what we can say with a pen can perhaps eclipse many things we accomplish in reality. To me, it is inspiration, art and beauty all in one,” Sandali said in an interview with The Nation. Her manuscript ‘Rao’s Guide to Lime-Pickling’ was lauded for its clear, engaging narrative, its credible characters, its imaginative plot with its clever twists and for its creative use of language at the shortlist announcement.

She is 23 years old. Born and raised in Colombo, she chose science and mathematics as her field of education. In 2013, she graduated from University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. She currently works on a startup project while reading for a Masters in Financial Economics.  She is also currently writing her first full-length novel.

Her childhood was influenced by many creative individuals, one of them being her father. “I owe my creativity to him,” she said adding that the foundation for enthusiasm in literature was laid at home. She started university hoping to become a chemical engineer, but quickly grew tired of the motions. She wanted to switch to something that offered her a choice after graduating. “I had no creative outlet at the time and it became frustrating. I was starting to lose my handle on things when I began my thesis,” she recalled how she started writing the story. “In a way, it saved me. I had many stories in my head and it just made sense to at least attempt to write them down,” Sandali said adding that Rao’s Guide was a difficult story to write, but it was the one she felt most strongly about.

She started reading English books when she was about ten years. She was soon reading classics and quickly moved on to the likes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Pablo Neruda, Paulo Coelho, Orhan Pamuk and Albert Camus. The addiction she developed towards reading also inspired her to try her hand at creating stories. “I never thought these stories were worth anything so they rarely left my notebooks or my computer. My High School English teacher told me I was not a good writer and this discouraged me for a few years,” she said. With a little bit of maturity she understood that her teacher was right and realized her mistakes.

“She was right. I was writing as if I were translating Sinhala phrases directly into English. I also had trouble with precision; there was a lot of rambling. I refrained from writing prose and poetry. But I was a student, so I had to write a lot of reports, essays and the like,” she said. Over a period of time, with a lot of practice, she got better at being concise. She also believes that this can be an obstacle all writers face when they are writing in a language which is not their mother tongue. “There are habits that are difficult to shake off. There is also that element of fear; of our work not being good enough,” she pointed out.

Our country has a very small community of English language writers and a small community that shows interest in reading their work. Yet, the number of exceptional publications coming out of Sri Lanka is on the rise which is exciting for any reader or writer. “I hope this continues. A good book or collection of poetry is a rare and precious thing. We have a lot of talent in Sri Lanka and I’m always excited to read what comes out,” Sandali iterated. When she was asked whether she is satisfied with contemporary English literature in the country, Sandali said that she sees satisfaction as a highly subjective matter. “If we were all satisfied with the current state of things, we would not think it necessary to improve and there is always room for improvement.”

She also mentioned that she has observed that there is a big effort to promote literary appreciation in the country. “I’ve often seen the same faces at the Literary Festivals in the past few years. Organizers and a passionate few will always be in attendance. There is also that feeling of ‘elitism’ when we think of the English-speaking community in Sri Lanka that needs to change,” she emphasized. “This is why awards like the Gratiaen are very important. They offer an opportunity for writers to submit work, anonymously if they choose to, and have the work read by a comprehensive panel.” She believes that this creates healthy competition. “There were 25 odd entries this year and I see that as a positive thing,” she said in a tone which had a lot of hope.

She also said that it is a great honor to be shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize. “It is the most prestigious award for English writing in the country. There is controversy surrounding the politics of the award, but that is expected with any award given to the arts; there is never a clear winner because all works of art are different and deserve merit for varied reasons,” she said.

She further said that there is a danger of people writing with the sole intention of winning competitions. “This is true for any discipline. Awards and competitions must be lauded for what they are: ways to encourage and appreciate. They should not be treated as forms of validation,” she stressed that greatness of a work cannot be measured solely by the number of awards it has won.

People are hesitant to publish their work, let alone apply for an award. She said that she too is one of those hesitant people. I was perfectly happy with letting the manuscript sit on a shelf at home forever while I wrote other things,” she said. But she set her fears aside and decided to let a few close friends read it. With the positive feedback received, she felt encouraged and with some help the manuscript ended up with one of her favorite Sri Lankan authors. More positive feedback and she had enough courage to submit it. “I submitted it under a pen name. I was pleasantly shocked when my name was announced at the short listing ceremony,” she said.

When asked what made her name her manuscript as Rao’s Guide to Lime Pickling she said that it was named out of her obsession towards mystery. “This title makes me wonder, and that is why I chose it,” she said.  As she explained the novella is a work of fiction so the plot is also her creation. “I didn’t conjure it in a vacuum,” she said.

The first draft was written with an academic purpose. She spent a year thoroughly researching the conflict in Sri Lanka which included reading already published work, news articles and delving into archives. She had to study maps to know where she could take certain liberties with the geography of Northern Sri Lanka. She also visited the North following the war. As she sees what helped her most were the interviews. She compiled of a few people who grew up in Jaffna and other areas during the war. One person in particular was kind enough to describe his childhood in Jaffna, his experiences with displacement before eventually coming to Colombo. “I didn’t use any of his experiences because I thought he may want to write them down himself one day, but his inspiring story gave me a starting point,” she further said.

Rao’s guide to Lime Pickling is woven around war, violence and politics create the framework for the narrative, it is a story of life and is fiction set against real events. She doesn’t think that she is qualified enough to be writing about war. “I refrained from writing anything about the conflict for a long time because I did not feel that anything coming from me would sound authentic. After all, I am Sinhalese and grew up in Colombo,” she said. “Then I heard JK Rowling say, ‘Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and, therefore, the foundation of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared’,” she added.

She further spoke about her war-related experiences. “I am neither an expert on war nor have I personally experienced the horrific plights of the innocent Sri Lankan civilians suffered. My closest brush with violence came in 1996, when my father was in the Ceylinco building on the day the LTTE attacked the Central Bank,” she recalled.

No human life is inferior to another. No person is dispensable or insignificant whether they are Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim or otherwise. “Therefore, what I can write about is the value of life. What I can write about are the ways in which ‘life’ tries, time and time again, to be beautiful, in spite of everything that works against it. As a fellow human, I know of our resilience, the strength of hope and the power of imagination,” she reiterated.

“I may lack credentials or experience, but I believe that we all have a right to live, and live peacefully. As flawed as it may be, I love my country and its people. I hope my novella reads as a caution against the repetition of such dark times,” she expressed her patriotism.

When literature crosses one’s path

2014 Gratiaen shortlisted writer Vihanga Perera talks about his works and the opportunities for writers in Sri Lanka

He loves to call himself a writer; someone who writes and rewrites, working with manuscripts all year round. “I have been experimenting with my writing within and between genres for over ten years now since first being published – being lucky and generally, enjoying my work,” Vihanga Perera, 2014 Gratiaen shortlisted writer, said in an interview with The Nation.  He is a poet, novelist, short story writer, publisher, political and social commentator, critic, blogger and academic. His shortlisted poetry collection ‘Love and Protest’ was compiled by Paw Print Publishing. The collection contains poems written during October 2013 to November 2014.

His first publication was in 2006: A collection of experimental short fiction that drew a lot of criticism, titled ‘The(ir) (Au)topsy’. This, in fact, earned a slot in the Gratiaen shortlist. Since then he has published two collections of short fiction, three novels and four collections of poetry. ‘Love and Protest’, 2014 Gratiaen shortlisted collection, is the fourth in that list of poetry editions. He has also published criticism and non-fiction and has been shortlisted twice before for the Gratiaen Prize in 2006 and 2008.

Vihanga is not sure what inspired him to develop affection for literature. “I didn’t have a very early start on writing or reading as a kid. In fact, my start on writing in a consistent way didn’t happen until my late teens. When I self-published my first collection of short fiction I was 21,” he recalled. “When I look back on my writing between those teen years and that first collection, there is a sizeable jump, a kind of a leap which is quite extraordinary for me, even when I look back on those works from today. Rather than look for “what inspired me” in literature, I would say that Literature and I crossed paths one day and decided to stay,” he said.

“Literature is something I am daily in the company of – it has become over the years more and more a part of who I am. I would, as well, call myself a reader across a broad range, which – again – brings me into close touch with literature. I would say that it is an irreplaceable part of my day,” he further said.

Vihange has a ‘soft spot’ for poetry, but he shows his competence in many skills. “I immensely enjoy working with my poetry. However, over the last few years, I think, I have been working on several fiction projects which took some effort,” he said adding, “Even as we speak, I have two further projects – one, fiction, the other memoir – on my workbench. So, I guess I am a bit of a Jack of several trades, though surely not the master of any.”

He was barely 22 when he first published his work. He said that although it seems like a daring move to publish his work at this period, it indeed was a good move, which paved the way to get where he is today. “It came to a point where I had been writing steadily for a while, and a fever took hold of me to go ahead and turn my writing into a project of sorts. Looking back now, it looks like a daring move when I first published, for I was barely 22. But, I would say, that was a very good move,” he reminisced.

The Gratiaen Award Ceremony is held annually, and as Perera said, a submission for this prize happens almost as a logical step. He feels that it is an opportunity given to writers. “Opportunities have to be used,” he said. “There are tough times, but I have always had good support from friends, family and well-wishers who have even shared the finances of my publications. These have kept me writing and pursuing the path I have always wanted to take,” he added.

Perera’s collection of poems ‘Love and Protest’ deals with the very themes it is named after – love and protest. “The title of the book as well as the project as a whole was incentives of PawPrint Publishers, Colombo, who told me that they want to do a publication of my poetry. I gave PawPrint a free hand and I didn’t even know what poems were chosen to be anthologized until I saw the first draft of their selection last October,” he said. “I have a feeling that the title is inspired by the two broad themes the selected poetry covers, but this is a question PawPrint alone must answer.” The whole collection is about human relationships in their various shades.

In one of his Facebook literature groups he wrote, “Read my poetry! Make me richer!” When he was asked whether he believes it’s fair to price literature he said that literature should be priced and should be given the right price as well. “Literature has to be priced. Literature not being priced is the crisis we are facing today,” he stressed. “But, I would also add that literature should be given the ‘right’ price, and not be over-priced,” he further said.

He believes that Sri Lankan literature in English can develop, become more popular and accepted in the country. “Satisfaction on contemporary Lankan Literature is a very open and discussion-provoking question. It is something we can talk about for a year, maybe. There are, indeed, areas where Lankan literature (in English) can develop and gain ground, but at the end of the day it is a discourse and it is what it is. We – writers, readers, journalists – are just players in that discursive space and we have to feed it with what we can,” he iterated.

According to Perera, English Literature in Sri Lanka hasn’t really propped itself as an industry and maybe for this reason we don’t have a very strong critical department. “Also, since those active in English literary activity often belongs to a very thin sliver of society and that they can largely be put into an exclusive (if not elite) pocket, there seems to be very little of a serious critical bench in our engagement with English literature,” he said. “This is mostly felt outside the classroom, the academy and the newspapers,” Perera pointed out.

In the scope of writing in English, he thinks, awards and festivals try – where possible – to provide a platform for writers. “It is not like we have a hundred festivals to choose from, or a dozen awarding bodies to compare among. But, I think, in trying to open up and open out literary spaces, some of these forums have done a commendable job. Sometimes we can attack or critique certain ‘literary’ festivals for ideological and political reasons – which, I think, should be done for the betterment of things, in general,” he reiterated.

When he was asked whether he sees Sri Lankan literature festivals and award ceremonies, catering to English literature, are limited to a certain group he said that, “It depends on how far you are ready to be inclusive, really. If you want to keep a festival ‘classed’ I am sure you can very easily do so. In the same way, if you want to make your forum meaningful and open, there are plenty of ways in which you can reach out and incorporate diverse stakeholders in literature. A fine-tuning or revision of how you look at the society around you can be a starter,” he said.

When literature crosses one’s path

2014 Gratiaen shortlisted writer Vihanga Perera talks about his works and the opportunities for writers in Sri Lanka

He loves to call himself a writer; someone who writes and rewrites, working with manuscripts all year round. “I have been experimenting with my writing within and between genres for over ten years now since first being published – being lucky and generally, enjoying my work,” Vihanga Perera, 2014 Gratiaen shortlisted writer, said in an interview with The Nation.  He is a poet, novelist, short story writer, publisher, political and social commentator, critic, blogger and academic. His shortlisted poetry collection ‘Love and Protest’ was compiled by Paw Print Publishing. The collection contains poems written during October 2013 to November 2014.

His first publication was in 2006: A collection of experimental short fiction that drew a lot of criticism, titled ‘The(ir) (Au)topsy’. This, in fact, earned a slot in the Gratiaen shortlist. Since then he has published two collections of short fiction, three novels and four collections of poetry. ‘Love and Protest’, 2014 Gratiaen shortlisted collection, is the fourth in that list of poetry editions. He has also published criticism and non-fiction and has been shortlisted twice before for the Gratiaen Prize in 2006 and 2008.

Vihanga is not sure what inspired him to develop affection for literature. “I didn’t have a very early start on writing or reading as a kid. In fact, my start on writing in a consistent way didn’t happen until my late teens. When I self-published my first collection of short fiction I was 21,” he recalled. “When I look back on my writing between those teen years and that first collection, there is a sizeable jump, a kind of a leap which is quite extraordinary for me, even when I look back on those works from today. Rather than look for “what inspired me” in literature, I would say that Literature and I crossed paths one day and decided to stay,” he said.

“Literature is something I am daily in the company of – it has become over the years more and more a part of who I am. I would, as well, call myself a reader across a broad range, which – again – brings me into close touch with literature. I would say that it is an irreplaceable part of my day,” he further said.

Vihange has a ‘soft spot’ for poetry, but he shows his competence in many skills. “I immensely enjoy working with my poetry. However, over the last few years, I think, I have been working on several fiction projects which took some effort,” he said adding, “Even as we speak, I have two further projects – one, fiction, the other memoir – on my workbench. So, I guess I am a bit of a Jack of several trades, though surely not the master of any.”

He was barely 22 when he first published his work. He said that although it seems like a daring move to publish his work at this period, it indeed was a good move, which paved the way to get where he is today. “It came to a point where I had been writing steadily for a while, and a fever took hold of me to go ahead and turn my writing into a project of sorts. Looking back now, it looks like a daring move when I first published, for I was barely 22. But, I would say, that was a very good move,” he reminisced.

The Gratiaen Award Ceremony is held annually, and as Perera said, a submission for this prize happens almost as a logical step. He feels that it is an opportunity given to writers. “Opportunities have to be used,” he said. “There are tough times, but I have always had good support from friends, family and well-wishers who have even shared the finances of my publications. These have kept me writing and pursuing the path I have always wanted to take,” he added.

Perera’s collection of poems ‘Love and Protest’ deals with the very themes it is named after – love and protest. “The title of the book as well as the project as a whole was incentives of PawPrint Publishers, Colombo, who told me that they want to do a publication of my poetry. I gave PawPrint a free hand and I didn’t even know what poems were chosen to be anthologized until I saw the first draft of their selection last October,” he said. “I have a feeling that the title is inspired by the two broad themes the selected poetry covers, but this is a question PawPrint alone must answer.” The whole collection is about human relationships in their various shades.

In one of his Facebook literature groups he wrote, “Read my poetry! Make me richer!” When he was asked whether he believes it’s fair to price literature he said that literature should be priced and should be given the right price as well. “Literature has to be priced. Literature not being priced is the crisis we are facing today,” he stressed. “But, I would also add that literature should be given the ‘right’ price, and not be over-priced,” he further said.

He believes that Sri Lankan literature in English can develop, become more popular and accepted in the country. “Satisfaction on contemporary Lankan Literature is a very open and discussion-provoking question. It is something we can talk about for a year, maybe. There are, indeed, areas where Lankan literature (in English) can develop and gain ground, but at the end of the day it is a discourse and it is what it is. We – writers, readers, journalists – are just players in that discursive space and we have to feed it with what we can,” he iterated.

According to Perera, English Literature in Sri Lanka hasn’t really propped itself as an industry and maybe for this reason we don’t have a very strong critical department. “Also, since those active in English literary activity often belongs to a very thin sliver of society and that they can largely be put into an exclusive (if not elite) pocket, there seems to be very little of a serious critical bench in our engagement with English literature,” he said. “This is mostly felt outside the classroom, the academy and the newspapers,” Perera pointed out.

In the scope of writing in English, he thinks, awards and festivals try – where possible – to provide a platform for writers. “It is not like we have a hundred festivals to choose from, or a dozen awarding bodies to compare among. But, I think, in trying to open up and open out literary spaces, some of these forums have done a commendable job. Sometimes we can attack or critique certain ‘literary’ festivals for ideological and political reasons – which, I think, should be done for the betterment of things, in general,” he reiterated.

When he was asked whether he sees Sri Lankan literature festivals and award ceremonies, catering to English literature, are limited to a certain group he said that, “It depends on how far you are ready to be inclusive, really. If you want to keep a festival ‘classed’ I am sure you can very easily do so. In the same way, if you want to make your forum meaningful and open, there are plenty of ways in which you can reach out and incorporate diverse stakeholders in literature. A fine-tuning or revision of how you look at the society around you can be a starter,” he said.

On a mission to save our music

Båliphonics

Sri Lankan born Dr. Sumudi Suraweera, from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand talks to The Nation about his research on Sri Lankan Low-Country traditional drumming

Baliphonics at JMF Pic by Sakuna M Gamage 

Sri Lanka is one of the few countries with a very vast and rich cultural diversity. The culture is itself very unique and thereby contributes to the Sri Lankan identity. Ancient customs, traditions and rituals hold great significance. Among these Bali, Thovil, and Shanthi Karma have been integral parts of Sri Lankan culture from pre-Buddhist era, which nurtured dark arts for thousands of years. Although, even if the remains of such rituals are practiced in almost all parts of the country, its survival is not guaranteed. 

  

These rituals are believed to serve specific purposes. Based on this point, one may argue whether it’s righteous to practice these rituals without a specific cause. “In fact this is one of the major criticisms we get,” says the founder of the Båliphonics group Dr. Sumudi Suraweera. Båliphonics presents the music of the low-country Båli ritual tradition of Sri Lanka in a sublime collaboration with contemporary jazz and improvisation. Båliphonics group is a part of Musicmatters collective. Established in 2010, Musicmatters introduced an alternative model for Western music education in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Suraweera Pic by Ravindra Dharmathilake

“I’m not sure how practical it is to watch these rituals and the rich music components which come along with it being forgotten. Our attempts are not to reenact these rituals, but to attempt to save the components we can save.  This is not to degrade the values of these rituals,” he said. “If the rituals die, music in it will die with it,” he emphasized.   

Fusion between Sri Lankan traditional music and Western Jazz music, as Sumudi said, is the way he is trying to find his identity. Young Sumudi moved to New Zealand with his parents when he was 13 years old. While he was in Sri Lanka he was a student of Colombo D.S Senanayake College.  Even though they moved to a foreign country, Sumudi said that his family always embraced the Sri Lankan culture. As a child he always adored music, and this was the reason behind why he chose music as his field of study following his strong passion towards music in high school and university.

He said that he adored jazz music and recognized that he expressed himself at best with jazz drumming. Suraweera obtained his PhD in the discipline of ethnomusicology in 2010 from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand focusing his research on Sri Lankan Low-Country traditional drumming.

Speaking about the research he carried out he paid his respects to his main consultant for the research, late Sandoris Jayantha Gurunnanse. He also remembered maestro Piyasara Shilpadhipathi who supported him throughout his research work. As he said, limited resources were one of the main challenges he faced in collecting information. ‘It was not a simple process,’ he said pointing out that this is also a reason why these rituals should be preserved without waiting.  

Båliphonics was also initiated with Sumudi’s research studies.  As a Sri Lankan who grew up in New Zealand, he believes that he has adapted to the diversities of both cultures. Although he grew up among New Zealanders, his passion for his mother country didn’t die. He reiterated that what he does now, is a reflection of his identity nurtured by two countries. Båliphonics group itself is a representation of this fusion. Two brothers, Susantha and Prashantha Rupathilake voice traditional chanting for the music provided by Isaac Smith and Dr. Sumudi Suraweera with double bass and the drum kit respectively.

Sumudi fondly remembered Eshantha Pieris, cofounder of Musicmatters who is currently abroad studying for his doctorate, who used to play the piano for Båliphonics. Smith, who has volunteered at Musicmatters as an instructor since 2010, is Sumudi’s colleague from New Zealand. He said that, Smith too is now well adapted to the Sri Lankan culture that he is quite absorbed in it.

Båliphonics has also performed outside Sri Lankan context at several occasions. They have toured in Malaysia and Singapore with this novel form of Sri Lankan traditional music and Sumudi is content about the feedback they’ve received. “Båliphonics were very well received and they were mesmerized by our performances,” he said adding that our traditional performances are sometimes seen magical in the foreign context.

Båliphonics, recently performed at the Jaffna Music Festival, succeeded in mesmerizing those gathered at the Jaffna Municipal Grounds too. Although the performance at the Jaffna Music Fest was time bound, he said that a usual performance of Baliphonics takes more than one hour and that it has a nice flow that encapsulates the audience.

Musicmatters’ main responsibility is the music institution located in Borella, where they conduct music programs for children to enhance their individuality and ensemble performances with a touch of theoretical knowledge. Since its inception, Musicmatters has earned a reputation for its enjoyable and practical approach to music providing its students with the opportunity to be creative and innovative. In contrast with the local music curriculum, Sumudi mentioned that students of Musicmatters are assessed for their creativity more than their theoretical knowledge.

“Our method goes beyond the traditional exam-oriented education system,” he explained while explaining how their students are assessed by their performance at the end. Speaking further about the music curriculums in the country, he criticized the local music curriculum for lack the spontaneity and creativity. As he said, “Music offers a lot more than other forms of entertainment and is transferrable to other components of education”. This is why building creativity and spontaneity in children is important.

Other than the music institute and the Baliphonics, Sumudi considers organizing the annual Musicmatters music festival as an important duty of the collective.  This year Musicmatters festival will be held in August for the fourth consecutive time.  Sumudi explaining the goal behind organizing this festival said that it’s done with the aim of promoting Sri Lankan music in the western world as well as to expose the Sri Lankan audience to music that is generally not accessible through mainstream media.  Various artistes from Germany, Australia, Singapore and United States of America will be among the usual participants.

“Our hope is to give Sri Lankans some kind of inspiration through this to be open to what they weren’t open before. And ultimately open up their minds in whatever the field of work they are engaged in, to challenge their accepted notions and to strengthen their thinking,” Sumudi iterated that experiencing various forms of music can inspire an individual to think outside the box.