Capturing Jaffna’s uniqueness
The scope of this handsome coffee table book is vast. Jaffna Heritage, the latest in the series of books released by the National Trust of Sri Lanka in its drive to raise public awareness on the country’s heritage, seeks to explore the northern peninsula’s many distinctive features that have forged its unique identity.
The compilers were clearly aware that it was a challenging undertaking. The Trust had earlier released books on Mannar and Batticaloa in its Prestigious Volumes series, “yet we hesitated for several years, wondering if it was possible to capture the spirit of Jaffna’s heritage in a single book” says one of the book’s editors, former diplomat Dr. Sarala Fernando in her foreword, reflecting on the immensity of the task before them, an effort that spanned three years.
The Editorial team, thus offers this book as a first step, and indeed it more than succeeds in capturing the serious reader, looking for a deeper understanding of a region that is both historic and rich - culturally and physically distinctive, whether of the ethos of its people and lifestyle, the complexities of its connectivity with Tamil Nadu and its fierce independence.
Chapters in the first section (Part One) of the book take in archaeology, architecture, art, culture, religion, philosophy, sociology, the Diaspora’s efforts in entrepreneurship and tourism. The opening chapter looks at Murukan worship, tracing the numismatic evidence from the ancient period to the 14th century A.D., that is an eye-opener to an uninformed reader. This is followed by a detailed chapter replete with evocative images of Jaffna’s iconic Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, a revered place of worship that withstood destructive colonial onslaughts and decades of civil conflict, and continues to hold fast to its ancient traditions. Dance, music and the traditional art are well covered by such experts as Arunthathy Ranganathan and T. Sanathanan, as indeed the architecture of Jaffna houses by R. Mayooranathan – the Natsar (four-sided) houses considered a status symbol and the traditional ‘veedu’, illustrated with drawings and sketches as well.
The Jaffna people’s single-minded pursuit of education is widely known and Kristina Hodelin’s chapter looks at the influence of the American missionaries on education; how British Governor
Robert Brownrigg’s decision to open the island to missionaries from Britain, the United States and Canada would have far reaching impacts not only in terms of bringing in their religion but in the Jaffna populace seizing the opportunity of an English education that would be a pathway to government jobs and ‘worldly advantage’, not just for males but females too. The work of the “Tamil Bible women’ who acted as the go-betweens for local Jaffna Tamils and the colonial administrators makes interesting reading, the establishment of a western medical clinic and the printing press, that came with the missionaries as far back as 1834, followed by a newspaper press in 1841, that contributed to the society’s progress.
Adding to the tapestry that is Jaffna, the author Asiff Hussein looks at the Muslims of Jaffna, whose presence in the peninsula dates back many centuries. The Moor quarter – Sonahar Teru,
mosques and archaeological sites found in Jaffna apart, he records that even in the 1980s there were some 50-60 tailoring establishments and a community of Muslim leather workers in Jaffna town, if indeed, a somewhat isolated lot.
The sobering realities of the post-war situation too are given space. Jekhan Aruliah writing about the economy, specifically the small and micro entrepreneurs highlights the bleak prospects for young people, whilst also noting a few success stories including ‘a great initative’ by the Dept of Agriculture – the Ammachchi food courts found around Jaffna run by micro-entrepreneurs, in this case women, who provide tasty and substantial meals for a diverse clientele from doctors to students.
Gehan de Silva Wijeyaratne’s ‘Birding around Jaffna’ offers a journey on the track of the migratory birds at ‘one extremity of their migration’ and in another
fascinating chapter Hiranya Sudasinghe looks at the freshwater fishes and their migration which is another story altogether. Continuing this track, Part Two of the book takes the reader through the region’s rich biodiversity, with chapters on water, mangroves, marine resources, fisheries, palmyrah and even its famous mangoes, with a chapter devoted to ‘birds, home gardens and ponds’ presenting interesting snippets on Jaffna’s ubiquitous wells and fences, and even the cultural beliefs regarding the birds, like the house crow .
The book’s value is not just in terms of its informative content from a scholarly panel but also the vivid images from well known photographers Stefan D’Silva, Devaka Seneviratne, Studio Times, Luxshmanan Nadaraja and Steve Persighetti, who capture the stark beauty of the northern landscape and facets of life in the region. However while overall well presented, the design in some sections tends to be uneven, with the inclusion of many scattered smaller images and tables.
A brief review such as this can only conclude that Jaffna Heritage is an illuminating read, offering a wealth of knowledge. Credit can only be given to the National Trust, the sponsors (Dr Naj Nagendran and David Pieris Group of Companies), the editors who conceptualised it and the many contributors who have come together to present it all in one for the reader.
Jaffna Heritage priced at Rs. 9,700 is
available at leading bookstores