The Unique Connectedness of Sri Lanka – By Randika Jayakody & Jerome Perera
Source : Qld Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – July 2023
As Sri Lankans, we often tend to gravitate towards the notion that we are a unique culture. In our opinion, Sri Lanka’s uniqueness lies in the millennia of intimate interconnectedness with other global societies and our shared cultural influences.
Travelling helps us notice the similarities like nothing else can. It was on our recent travels to Indonesia that we got an opportunity to experience the cultural similarities with Sri Lanka first hand. Seeing local individuals wearing batik and sarongs was the first sure sign of our shared cultural identities.
We also noticed “Vesak” celebrations and spied beautiful shimmering kites being flown in the exact same manner as often seen on Galle Face in our youth. Before we knew it, we were eating Dodol, sambals, particularly coconut sambols, perkedels, types of kavum, vellavehum, and Kokis. Most meals had a staple of rice, vegetable and meat curries. So far so Lankan.
Visiting local bars, we encountered familiar drinks that Sri Lankans often consider our exclusive cultural heritage. We encountered arracks (known locally as Arak), made from rice wine and coconuts as well as toddy. We also encountered toddy and arrack based cocktails which are all the rage in Colombo now. During lazy evenings, we rediscovered the joy of Kopi with sweets and cakes.
Then there are the undeniable linguistic connections. Although only having a beginner’s grasp of Bahasa Indonesia, we found that many words translated well from Sinhalese. From Sanskrit words such as akasha, agama and chithra to Dutch words like notaris, kanthoruwa and kopi and terms of endearment used throughout the archipelago like Bang, Ado and Akka.
We noticed Lankan names abound like Indra, Chandra, Lakshmi, and an abundance of pooja offerings and incense sticks (handun kuru) at temples. We noticed wedding receptions and religious offerings adorned with coconut palm wreath (gokkola).
We even encountered eerily similar masks like Yak Natum masks called Barong masks (pictured) and Dvaralpalas (door guardians) guarding shrines, exactly like the Dvarapalas in Polonaruwa flanking Buddhist plinths.
Some of the connections we observed whilst travelling Indonesia were due to the shared connection with the archipelago through the Lankan Malay community, the shared Dutch colonial history and the shared history through the ancient Southern Indian Kingdoms as well as the Hindu religion.
Let us acknowledge these connections and celebrate Sri Lanka’s connected place in the world. It is the unique pattern of connectedness to various places that distinguishes Sri Lanka from other countries.
It does not diminish Sri Lankan culture to acknowledge and celebrate these connections. We believe that they provide a basis for appreciating Sri Lankan culture even more. Terima kasih. Selamat tinggal.
Randika Jayakody & Jerome Perera
Among Randika and Jerome’s many interests is a deep passion to understand Sri Lankan history and culture.
