The legend of the Colombo National Museum inspired me and will continue to guide future generations through Sri Lanka’s glorious history.
Due to its colonial heritage, Sri Lanka is home to various cultures and peoples. As such, the country’s capital, Colombo, has a wealth of European-inspired structures and architecture. One such location is the Colombo National Museum in Sri Lanka, which is equally spectacular in terms of design and purpose. The National Museum is both a treasure trove of national history and cultural heritage and a symbol of national pride. While awakening nationalist sentiments, it inspired the people’s historical lineage. However, the backstories of most museums will tell you what it takes to make them work.
One of these efforts led to the establishment of the National Museum of Colombo, on 4 March 1872, when Sir William Henry Gregory of England, a keen observer of the museum, served as Governor of Ceylon. When he first came to Ceylon, he was surprised to discover the cultural heritage hidden in the ruins. To preserve Ceylon’s rapidly declining history, he proposed to the British government to build a museum. At first, the government rejected the idea due to the enormous cost involved, but the governor insisted on using his connections to gain support for the museum’s construction.
The British government finally accepted his plan to build the first National Museum of Ceylon in 1874. So government architects based the museum’s basic structure on Italian architecture, and Wapchi Marikkar also built the Colombo Post Office, Pettah’s Old Town Hall and the Galle Face Hotel were awarded the contract to build it. Read on to learn all about the Colombo National Museum that will be useful to you when you visit Sri Lanka.
Artifacts on display
Completed in two years, the Colombo Museum is a two-story building with elaborate towers, arches and open porticoes. It was unveiled to the public on January 1, 1877, along with another 384 specimens and 808 artifacts. Items on display include inscriptions, various stone carvings, handicrafts such as jewelry and coins, and natural science models. Over time, the museum has added several new east and west sections. In front of the museum is a fairly large, well-preserved lawn covered with banyan trees. There is a sitting Buddha statue in the hall of the museum. The Buddha statue is one of the best preserved Buddha statues in the country, dating back to the fourth century AD.
The statue is considered a masterpiece by experts and enhances the atmosphere of the museum. The upper galleries are organized thematically, while the bottom galleries are organized chronologically. The Pre and Photo History Period, Anuradhapura Period, Polonnaruwa Period, Transition Period, Kandy Period and Stone Antiquities Galleries are on the ground level. Paintings, textiles, pottery, ceramics, coins and currency, standards and banners, arts and crafts, weapons and armaments, traditional agriculture (planned), DS Senanayake memorial and customary ceremonies are all located on the second floor.
Dr Pearson was the last British National Director of the Colombo Museum. At the request of Dr. PEP Deraniyagala, the Museums Act No. 31 of 1942 gave Colombo Museum the status of National Museum and established branches in Jaffna, Kandy and Ratnapura. At this time, the British government agreed to hand over the throne and jewels of King Sri Vikremaraja Singh, preserved in the British Museum, to the government of Ceylon. The crown jewel and throne of the last king of Kandy, returned to the people of Sri Lanka by the British, is the museum’s main painting.
When these royal antiques debuted in 1934, around 750,000 people came to see them because of their breathtaking beauty. The museum also has a large collection of masks and puppets. Since then, the Colombo National Museum has continued to expand under the guidance of nine different curators. In addition, it includes 16 booths for the storage of early artifacts. We enjoyed reading the extensive collection, which includes the tallest metal Buddha statue found in Sri Lanka, which is represented by the Abhaya Mudra on the right hand and the Vitharaka Mudra on the left. When it was discovered, it had been divided into several pieces.
Buddha statues from Anuradhapura Toluvira date back to around 800 AD. It describes the Blessed One as the personification of unfathomable knowledge and infinite compassion. The calmness of the image hints at the ideal state of mind of the Buddha. 9th Century Bronze Solid Cast Vajra-Handed Bodhisattva. The oldest gold plate inscriptions found in Sri Lanka in the 1st century, a golden manuscript, a Sinhala ceremonial sword, and remnants of traditional rice storage structures. This collection will surprise you.
Some of the fascinating artifacts that you cannot miss on your Colombo National Museum tour are:
Panakaduwa Grant
The inscription consists of three copper plates and is written on both sides of the plates. It records a special grant given by King Vijayabahu I to an officer named Sitnaru Him Budalnavan to protect him from hiding due to the Coke invasion. The copper plate is the earliest copper plate grant made by the king of Sri Lanka.
Shiva Nataraja
The four-armed god dance balanced the weight of the right foot and stepped on the demon Muyalaka. The upper hand holds a jug, drum and flame, symbolizing creation and destruction. The lower hands are in Varada and Gajahasta Mudras. Hair that is fanned out in either direction indicates the fanning of the strands during the dance of the gods. The image of the goddess Ganga shows it falling on the head of the god, thus reducing her rapid descent from the Himalayas.
ancient utensils
Spoon Holder, Spatula, Water Spoon, Knife with Spatula and Metal Tray, Dessert Mold, Coconut Mold Scoop and Serakkale Food Rack.
Cigarette Packs & More
Chunam Box, Betel Nut Slicer, Tobacco Box, Betel Nut Pound, Betel Nut Bag, Betel Nut Stool and Spittoon.
royal seat
The throne was donated to King Wimaladharamasuriya II in 1693 by Thomas Vanree, the Dutch governor who ruled the coastal areas of Ceylon. After the death of King Wimaladharamasuriya II, this throne has been used by six kings. This was eventually used by Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, the last king of Sri Lanka. After the king was captured by British soldiers in 1815, the sword of state with belt, footstool and sceptre was sent to England. It was later sent back to Sri Lanka by King George V in 1934 through the Duke of Gloucester. In 1936, King Edward VII returned to Sri Lanka with items such as the sword of the nation and its belt and scepter.
Colombo National Museum Library
The Rijksmuseum’s library is another excellent asset. It was established at the same time as the museum and houses copies of all books published in Ceylon since 1885. The large Rijksmuseum library has also been in business since 1877. The Government Oriental Library was established seven years ago, in 1870. Currently, it is the largest statutory depository in the country. Many local magazines have been printed there for the past 133 years.
The library also has a large collection of old manuscripts on palm leaves, covering a wide range of astrology and folklore, and written in many languages. Pali translations of Mahavamsa, pamphlets from the pre-Christian era, and books from the Burmese monarch were also present. It has also received book collection donations from a number of celebrities, including Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike, Henry Blake and HCP Bell.
National Museum of Natural History
The Colombo National Museum is also home to the island’s vast collection of natural heritage. The Colombo National Museum of Natural History, located in another building on the same site, is where the entire collection is displayed. It is the only museum on the island that showcases many aspects of nature. Established in 1986, it exhibits prehistoric cave paintings on the island of Sri Lanka, fossils from the Jurassic period, more than 5,000 specimens of various mammals, and a variety of natural plants and animals.
In addition to other exhibits highlighting the country’s natural history, you’ll find a collection of various rocks. The Colombo National Museum is open from 9am to 5pm. It remains closed on public holidays. Since the entrance fees for the two museums are very different, it is better to buy one ticket for both museums as the cost will be much higher.
SAARC Nationals: INR 500 Other Tourists: INR 30
