This newsleer will be issued every six months by the Central Cultural Fund, Sri Lanka ISSN : 2465-5627 Newsleer mqj;a úhuk CCF nra;jpkly; Content 2017 January - June Volume 05 » Ibbankatuwa opened for Public Viewing » The opportunity for the purchase of tourist tickets through the Internet » The conservation of the Dambulla Rajamahavihara » Ruvanveli Stupa Sand Terrace spread with sand » A New Print of the First English Translation of The Mahavamsa by George Turner was launched » Modernization of the Jaffna University Museum » Conservation of the Jayasumanarama Vihara » School Workshop of the Matara Project » Practical Exercises held parallel to the commemoration of the History Day » The conservation of Veheragalla Samudragiri Temple in Mirissa » The Commemoration of the second death annuasary of Prof. Senaka Bandaranayaka » A Workshop for all Media Ofcers of all Projects of the Central Cultural Fund » Evidence in abundance regarding the ancient Port City of Trincomalee » A host of ancient artifacts from the precinct of the Mahatalakolaweva Rajamahavihara » Mass of Historical facts about Ruvanveli Stupa revealed » The conservation of the images and the wall paintings of Bulupitiya Vihara » Copying the inscriptions and the symbols of the Jetavana Project » The inclusion of 5 more sites in the UNESCO World Heritage List » A Tourist Promotion in Monaragala » Siva Hindu Temple No. 02 Excavation Site » Buddha Rashmi 2017 » The Excavation of the Asanaghara of Yatala Stupa » Commemoration of the International Museum Day » Projects in Ampara and Batticaloa Districts for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage » The Second Phase of Providing Electric Lighting to the Old Polonnaruwa Town wOHdmk wud;HdxYh uOHu ixialD;sl wruqo, fy;tp mikr;R kj;jpa fyhrhu epjpak; MINISTRY OF EDUCATION CENTRAL CULTURAL FUND U N E S C O CCF Newsleer Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Burial Site opened for Public Viewing 1 This newsleer will be issued The Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Burial Site was opened for public viewing under the every six months by the patronage of Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam the Minister of Educaon on 11th Central Cultural Fund, February 2017. Ibbankatuwa now idenfied as a Megalithic Burial site, which for Sri Lanka. over a period of two decades received the unsnted aenon of local and foreign Advisory Editor archaeologists was le to degradaon for many years from lack of conservaon. Prishanta Gunawardhana From 2015 as a Heritage Management Project it was subject to conservaon for the local and foreign tourists. On the main themes of educaon, tourism, conservaon Managing Editors Karunarathna Herath and humanity, the development was fostered. S. P. G. Chandrarathna By the last quarter of 2015, a cluster of burials was subject to excavaon within the Language Editors legal archaeological framework and the final report of its findings is in the process of Sirinimal Lakdusinghe Malani Dias being compiled. Ibbankatuwa Megalithic archaeological site, which was in a state of Danaranjani Danapala ruin has now in its conserved state being instrumental in contribung to the upliment of the pastoral economy and to the generaon of economically Designer developed environment resulng in the growth of the gross domesc product of the Jayampath Senanayaka region. The lesson on Ibbankatuwa appearing in the grade 10 text book would Coordinator relavely impart to school children, an educaonal background of the site to enable Anoma Pubuduni Herath them to view it with added interest. Likewise, all amenies are provided for both local and foreign tourists vising this site to appreciate the full potenal of its proto- Special Assistance historic aributes. Suhada Sanathani Before Conservaon of Ibbankatuwa Site Kishan Chalindra Amarsinghe R.B.M.I.K.P. Ramanayake Photographers Maya Upananda I. S. Madanayake Kusumpriya Rajapaksha Siril Bandara P. Karunarathna Nishantha Bandara Nomat de Silva Kanishaka Saranga P.S.T. Ilandasinghe Suresh Kumara M.H.J. Nishantha Bandara Danushka Ravindra D.W.J.D. Herath Rusiru Bandara Please send your ideas and news to the address below Managing Editor CCF Newsleer 212/1, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam Mr. Sunil Hearachchi Colombo 7, Sri Lanka. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ministrer of Educaon Secretary e-mail: ccfi[email protected] Chairman, Boar d or Governors Ministry of Educaon Central Cultural Fund 1 This newsleer will be issued every six months by the Central Cultural Fund This newsleer will be issued every six months by the Central Cultural Fund 2 The opportunity for the purchase of tourist ckets through the Internet to visit cultural sites including Sigiriya 2 Technology has been harnessed for the issuance of tourist ckets under the Central Cultural Fund. As the first stage, on 11th February 2017 Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, the Minister of Educaon iniated the move from the Sigiriya Project. The main objecve of this exercise is to enable tourists to purchase their ckets with the least inconvenience to them. Consequently, both local and foreign tourists could purchase their ckets valid for three months from the date of purchase through the Internet. With the incorporaon of the latest technology in sites of cultural interest, foreigners intending to visit the site now could purchase their ckets online prior to their arrival in the country. The Informaon and Communicaon Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) has been kind enough to give the technical assistance and funding in this regard. The conservaon of the mural painngs of the Dambulla Rajamahavihara 3 The conservaon of the Dambulla Rajamahavihara wall painngs was commenced by the Central Cultural Fund on the 11th of February 2017 under the patronage of Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Minister of Educaon. This project is executed as a joint venture by the Central Cultural Fund and the Archaeological Department. The Hon, Minister and the gathering who parcipated at this event were made aware of the project component by the Director General of the Central Cultural Fund, Dr. Senerath Dissanayaka, the former Director General of the Department of Archaeology and by Prof. Jagath Weerasinghe, the Director of the Postgraduate Instute of Archaeology. Minister of Educaon Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, took this opportunity to inspect the canvas painngs repository of the Dambulla Project of the Central Cultural Fund. 3 This newsleer will be issued every six months by the Central Cultural Fund A New Print of the First English Translaon of The Mahavamsa by George Turner was launched 4 A new print of the first translaon in to English of the Mahavamsa was launched in Galle Fort on 13th January 2917. This venture was accomplished by the Central Cultural Fund under the direcve of the Director General of the Central Cultural Fund, Prof. Prishanta Gunawardena on the advice of the Minister of Educaon Hon. Akila Viraj Karuiyawasam and as suggested by the Prime Minister, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Prime Minister, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe graced the occasion as the chief guest, and a number of Ministers and MPs were in aendance. The Mahavamsa could be idenfied as the premiere historical document, which could be used to research the history of Sri Lanka. It is the source where the informaon regarding the advent of Vijaya, the tenure of the kings who ruled the country and the advent of the Thera Mahinda could be found. Ruvanveli Stupa Sand Terrace spread with sand at the auspicious moment 5 Spreading of the Ruvanveli Stupa Sand Terrace with sand took place at the auspicious moment on 11th February 2017. This task was accomplished by the Central Cultural Fund under the patronage of the Minister of Educaon Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam on the instrucons of the Prime Minister, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe and on the exhortaon of the Chief Incumbent of the Atamasthana and the Chief of the Sangha of the North Central Province, Ven. Pallegama Sirinivasa Thero and the Chief Incumbent of Ruvanveli Stupa Monastery and the Chief of the Sangha of Nuwrakalawiya, Ven.Pallegama Hemaratna Thero. This newsleer will be issued every six months by the Central Cultural Fund 4 Modernizaon of the Jaffna University Museum 6 The Central Cultural Fund has embarked on the modernizaon of the Jaffna University Museum. In this connecon Prof. Prishantha Guawardena, the Director General of the Central Cultural Fund was involved in an inspecon with Dr. Sudaharan, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Prof. P. Pushparatnam, Head of the History Department of the University. A Discussion took place regarding the future course of acon. Conservaon of the Jayasumanarama Vihara 7 The ceremony to lay the wall plates of the Goviyapana Jayasumanarama Vihara Preaching Hall roof that comes under the Matara Project of the Central Cultural Fund took place at the temple. Mr. Senarath Kumara, the Manager of the Matara Project and a large number of officials of the instuon took part in the event. School Workshop of the Matara Project 8 A special lecture on 'The role of the Central Cultural Fund in preserving the Sri Lankan Heritage and the history of the art of painng in Sri Lanka' was delivered under Educaon and Disseminaon programme of Matara Project of the Central Cultural Fund at the Sariputra Vidyalaya at Pamburana. 5 This newsleer will be issued every six months by the Central Cultural Fund Praccal Exercises held parallel to the commemoraon of the History Day 9 Parallel to the ceremony and exhibion “Urumayata Nimeshayak”conducted at the SujathaVidyalaya in Matara for the commemoraon of the “History Day” the Central Cultural Fund Matara Project under the Educaon Promoon Work Programme organized an exhibion booth and pracce acvies. Raj Somadeva the Project Director of the Central Cultural Fund delivered a special lecture on this occasion. Concurrent to His Excellency the President's compleon of the second year in office, the compleon of the conservaon of Veheragalla Samudragiri Temple in Mirissa 10 For the commemoraon of the compleon of His Excellency the President's second year in office, the Matara Project of the Central Cultural Fund commenced the conservaon of the residence of the monks of the Veheragalla Samudragiri Temple in Mirissa.