Visiting Galle – By Randika Jayakody & Jerome Perera
Source : Dæhæna – March 2024
Galle always evokes a deep sense of history and an unparalleled sense of multiculturalism.
Image Source : diamondpaintkit
Source : Dæhæna – March 2024
As the formerly primary trading city of Sri Lanka, it is a place that is confident in its identity and its past. Compared to its younger and more recently glamorous city of Colombo, Galle appears to be almost stately in its character.
As we stared out over the ramparts of the ancient Galle Fort, built by enslaved Afro Ceylonese people, we were overcome with the weight of multicultural history in this place. Walking across the beaches of Galle, we wondered how many ancient peoples from around the world set foot on these same sandy shores and stared across the churning ocean, before finally turning back and deciding to settle in this place.
An ancient city known to the Romans, Arabs, Persians, Greeks and Egyptians, Galle was occupied for 50,000 years or more by indigenous people of Sri Lanka, whose descendants still exist there and are celebrated in the Galle maritime museum.
Walking through the fort, we were reminded of Ancient Arab traders from Yemen and the Middle East, including Ibn-Batuta who visited and settled here nearly a millennium ago. Their descendants still live and work within the walls of the fort and pray in mosques dotted all around the city.
The Portuguese Ceylonese people, fiercely defended this very fort from the Dutch East India company, giving rise to the saying “Gold in Malacca, lead in Galle”. Those same Dutchmen became the Dutch Burghers who still maintain a presence all over Galle. The Portuguese history of Galle is proudly encapsulated within the famous stairway at Jetwing Lighthouse designed by Geoffrey Bawa memorialising the Portuguese conflict with the Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe. The influences of Portuguese lacewear (Beeralu) and cuisine are evident throughout the dining culture and fashion of this city.
The imprints of multiculturalism are in the very place names, Leyn Baan Street (rope making street), Queen Street, Parawa Street referencing the Southern Indian fish traders. Galle itself is a Portuguese word originating in the word “Gallo” a reference to a rooster which is seen as a positive omen in Portuguese culture. The rooster remains on various crests related to Galle. The fort contains a mosque, church and temple reflecting the religious diversity of the local area.
Persians, Malays, Greeks, Chinese and various groups from India, Europe and the British Isles all passed through the ancient port of Galle leaving behind cultural, linguistic, ethnic, gastronomic and fashion influences.
Even the schools in Galle are ancient. Schools such as Southlands College and Rippon Girls School were built in the 1800’s; to educate girls at a time when educating women was a rare occurrence around the world.
Galle also has Malay, Tamil, Sinhalese and other communities whose descendants continue to live on and mix into the multi-ethnic melting pot of Galle. The historic homeland of Demon Dancing (Yak natum) which is an ancient amalgamation of Indigenous Demonology with Buddhist and Hindu traditions still echoes through the nights of this ancient city.
Galle is a microcosm of the diversity and intellectualism inherent in Sri Lankans and its dedication to sophistication are evident in the 1832 logo of the Galle Library “Reading maketh a full man”. No wonder the Galle literary festival is so globally renowned.
Randika Jayakody & Jerome Perera
Among Randika and Jerome’s many interests is a deep passion to understand Sri Lankan history and culture
