Traveling through Mannar’s history and post war Sri Lanka

A shree number plate preserved as a memory

The ground floor of the New Town Hall in Mannar was bustling with excitement as we entered through the doorways on a scorching Thursday morning. The chitter chatter of schoolchildren, flocked around interactive displays, whispers of excitement as they read through signboards, laughs and gasps indicated that they were enjoying what they were seeing. We were at the Mannar edition of ‘It’s About Time - Traveling History Museum’, a mobile museum implemented by Search for Common Ground (SFCG) with the Collective for Historical Dialogue & Memory (CHDM) playing a technical advisory role. The initiative is supported by the Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) program. One of the main objectives of this project is to enhance social cohesion through community engagements and shared cultural and social understanding. Here, the writer takes a closer look at some of the highlights of this exhibition/museum. 

Shaping an identity 

Three mirrors at the entrance to the museum allow visitors to reflect on who they really are. With a sense of identity that has been refreshed, you are then directed to an enlarged image of the Sri Lankan map. ‘The connections made by sharing the motherland in itself is our history’, reads the description in one signboard. Maps are visual representations of an area showing certain physical features and is one way that people make connections. Apart from the buildings and trees, it is the people and memories that make up the identity of a city’s map. To add an interactive tone to the whole concept, visitors are invited to enrich the map with a place that has been embedded in their memories. Even though we wanted to enrich the map ourselves, we didn’t want to disturb an enthusiastic group of students who were eagerly scanning through the map to place their sticky notes. 

Historical connections 

Each one of these mobile museums develop themes unique to the area which they are based at. Visitors from Mannar and across Sri Lankan were then given a glimpse of some of the historic sites that shaped the identity of their hometown. The iconic Doric House, commonly known as Allirani Fort, is a square-shaped two bastion fort built by the Portuguese. The name Allirani is derived from the legend of a Tamil queen by the name Alli Rani of Kudirimalai. Today, a barely visible outline of the once majestic Doric House stands tall amidst sea erosion and other natural and man-made calamities, passing the test of time. 

Another living history in Mannar are the donkeys, often seen grazing on either side of the bustling city, shying away from the presence of humans. An occasional bray indicates that you have visited their land or have come into close proximity to their territory. Legend has it that donkeys were included in dowry arrangements as a symbol of status and wealth. 

Mannar had served as an important trade hub back in the day and it is evident with the geography of this city. Similarly to the donkeys, an 800-year old baobab tree (Ali-gaha in Sinhalese, Perukka in Tamil) that had been well preserved and stands tall in the heart of Pallimunai indicates the rich history of trade in Sri Lanka. These trees were believed to have been introduced by Arab merchants who brought their camels and these baobab trees served as fodder. Baobab trees are a significant attraction on Delft Island, Jaffna and Puttalam, but research indicates that 34 of the 40 baobab trees are located in Mannar. 

The Mannar Fort, Talaimannar Pier, Thekkama Anicut and Kunchukulam Suspension Bridge are several other historic sites which indicate that Mannar as a city had contributed immensely in shaping the rich historical tapestry of Sri Lanka. 

Forgotten piecesof history

Visitors are then greeted by a screen airing file footages of the first Independence Day celebration of the then Ceylon, the lifestyles of the Vedda community and several other documentaries preserved by the Government Film Unit. Perhaps it is important to recall names such as Guilio Petroni and Federico Serra whose expertise was sought to cover news of events of national importance at the time. This was at a time when Sri Lanka was just discovering its identity in the post-independence era. 

Changing names of roads and/or streets indicates the erasure of history. Research indicates that street names are another way of reflecting on the country’s socio-political changes. In most instances, roads named after famous individuals are revisited and revised when the regime changes. Even though the signboards and Google Maps indicate the most recent names, people may recall a different name of the street that would reveal something more about its origin and history. Few examples from Colombo include change of names such as Green Path to Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha and so on. 

Incomplete Thombu

When Tamil and Muslim civilians were displaced from the country’s northern province, they had to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. But ‘home is where the heart lies’ and this was evident through ‘The Incomplete Thombu’ project done by artist Thamotharampillai Sanathanan. By retracing floor plans of their houses, individuals have shared fond memories of their childhood, illustrating them through drawings, depicting loved ones, objects and incidents, plants, pets, colours and smells associated with their homes. These narrations were then transformed into architectural drawings of a tangible expression of home. 

One recollection indicated how every bunker one individual found became a house for his/her family. The identities of people narrating stories have been withheld for obvious reasons. “Our house actually moved around the bunkers. Sandbags were in huge demand but there was a shortage of sacks and fertilizer bags to make them. So people started making sandbags from saris… I had a memorable bunker that had a secret room behind the back wall. 

I used to hide there to prevent being forced into military training.”

Another recollection indicated how one woman had to shift between their houses in Colombo and Jaffna during the 1983 riots. “I cannot forget the cement table in my Jaffna kitchen and the amount of food I used to serve. When my husband was alive many people visited him; when my daughters were grown up their friends used to visit us. A home is about relationships and people.”

Likewise the artist had developed a collection of memories into a large book, coinciding with the word thombu – a term used by the Dutch to describe a public land registry, derived from the Greek word Tomos, from which the Latin word tome or large book originates. 

Archived memories

Several memorabilia from ‘shree’ number plates to pottu pasted on a mirror to a bunch of keys, a slate pencil, vadakaha and other items were placed at the core of this museum. At first glance one may not really understand what this segment implies. But a closer look at the stories project a heart-wrenching narrative altogether. The Archive of Memory curated by Malathi de Alwis and Hasini Haputhanthri dives deep into individual stories to create a multifaceted ‘people’s history’. 

One of the stories indicated how the pottu, a vermilion dot worn by Tamil women which played a role in shaping their identity disappeared from the foreheads of women at the height of the anti-Tamil riots that emerged across the country. “The mirror in my parent’s room had big, red, round pottu. Amma always wore them as the mark of a married woman… One evening in the mid-1980s, when I was about six years old, our parents sat us down and told us that due to ‘tensions’ in the country it was better that we didn’t identify ourselves as Tamil.. It was heartbreaking to see Amma without that big, red dot on her forehead.” 

What was quite unique about this display was that it allowed visitors to touch and feel these items which are valuable memorabilia for certain individuals. 

Her Stories 

Women’s voices are often marginalised or forgotten in historical narratives. Even though war and violence take a higher toll on women and children, there remains a lack of recognition. As a result, women are at risk of vanishing altogether when historical narratives are passed down from one individual to another. The Herstories project by Radhika Hettiarachchi and Viluthu is an attempt to address this gap by creating a space for ordinary women to share their life stories; to tell and to be heard. Excerpts of stories from women in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Kurunegala and Monaragala indicate that the impact and trauma of the civil war has spread far and wide and that is not only concentrated to the North and East of Sri Lanka. 

Reading stamps 

One of the most interesting segments in this museum is with regards to its stamp collection curated by Samantha Niroshana Peiris and Viranga Kularatne. According to Peiris, stamps carry an important message with regards to history, geography and the identity of a country. Sri Lanka is the only country where stamps include wordings in all three languages. Mannar plays an important role in relation to the Malaiyaha community. Upon their arrival in Sri Lanka, the Indian Tamils touch ground at Mannar prior to making their way towards the Central Highlands. To commemorate 200 years of the Malaiyaha community the Sri Lankan government released a commemorative cover in 2023. In India, there’s a stamp dedicated to the estate workers which indicates that they are part of their country. “A special commemorative stamp means you have to pay the government to print it,” Peiris told the Daily Mirror. “Normally stamps are used to post letters etc. but it has a beautiful way to express political, cultural, historical elements of a country. Stamps are unofficial ambassadors with soft political powers,” said Peiris. 

The collection included everything from the world’s first stamp to the world’s longest stamp issued recently in view of the Kandy Esala Pageant. 

Language, cuisine and everything that connects 

Similarly to culture, language has a dynamic history. A little known fact is that Sinhala and Tamil share common roots, originating in India and developing in to two stand-alone scripts today. One exhibit studied the two languages; the origins and evolution over the years. The Tamil letter study was sourced from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu and the Sinhala letters were sourced from the study – Sinhala Akuru Puranaya by Prof. Sandagomi Coperahewa. 

Sri Lankan diversity has been widely reflected through its cuisine. For instance, even though a pol sambol is a traditional dish prepared in most households, its varying methods of preparation is a reflection of this diversity. Therefore, despite cultural differences, Sri Lankans are connected by their kitchens and utensils such as the grinding stone and stone pounder (wangediya). 

As such, this museum concept is designed to challenge the single narrative of history and engage the public in a discourse about the importance of a pluralistic approach to narratives. Having completed its series of mobile museums in Kandy, Kurunegala, Batticaloa and Badulla, the next museum will be stationed in Galle during early next year. The It’s About Time Traveling History Museum was designed and piloted by CHDM’s predecessor Historical Dialogue, which was part of the Strengthening Reconciliation Processes in Sri Lanka (SRP) program. Both SRP and SCOPE are co-funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Union and implemented by GIZ in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka.

Pix by Kithsiri De Mel