tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332717042024-03-19T09:21:04.292+05:30Studio Times PublicationsBOOKS ON SRI LANKA PRODUCED BY A SMALL BAND OF INTREPID TRAVELLERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS/EXPLORERS AT STUDIO TIMES LTD.
Titles include * Handbook for the Ceylon Traveller * Handbook for the Ceylon Farmer * The Wild, the Free, The Beautiful * Serendip to Sri Lanka * Sri Lanka. A Personal Odyssey * With the Dawn * Eloquence in Stone. The Lithic Saga of Sri LankaSTUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-52610068192797979622015-03-02T11:11:00.001+05:302015-03-02T11:25:43.954+05:30Eloquence in Stone’ travels far - By Ranat
A photograph in the Daily FT earlier this week showed Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde in Washington. It was interesting to see Lagarde having a copy of ‘Eloquence in Stone,’ the Studio Times publication. Obviously the Minister had presented a copy to her – an ideal souvenir.
The classy production traces Sri Lanka’s history visually with a heap of high quality pictures supported by an extremely well-written text. Lagarde is bound to enjoy the book and find a permanent place in her library.
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<b>Interesting publications by Studio Times</b>
Studio Times has been releasing interesting publications for several decades. They are all about Sri Lanka. My collection dates back to 1974 when Studio Times released ‘Handbook for the Ceylon Traveller’.
For over three decades I have made full use of the book, which is a ready-reckoner on any location in Sri Lanka which one wants to visit or know about. I continue to quote from it for the articles and books I write. I find it hard to get such authentic information on places from any other publication.
In between the ‘Handbook’ and ‘Eloquence’ (2008), Studio Times gave us ‘The Wild, The Free, The Beautiful’ (1984), ‘Serendip to Sri Lanka: Immortal Isle’ (1991)and ‘Sri Lanka: A Personal Odyssey’ 1997). All were well-polished gems of photography mixed with fine text.
‘Eloquence in Stone’ beats them all – in size, in content, in visual extravagance, in well-researched written material and in presentation. Bigger than the coffee table books we are used to, ‘Eloquence’ is a 475-page volume with 465 photographs.
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<b>
Tale of Sri Lanka’s history through the ages</b>
‘Eloquence’ is the tale of Sri Lanka’s history through the ages. It relates “the amazing saga of a small people on a small island who are heirs to one of the oldest living cultures in the world who still speak the same language, practice the same religion and follow the same customs as their ancestors did more than 2,000 years ago”. It discusses their art and craft, their architecture, sculpture and painting in a classic publication. In short ‘ the story of man in a world shaped by his environment’.
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The book is the brainchild of one man – Nihal Fernando. Best known as a most talented and committed photographer, he is a traveller, wild life enthusiast, conservationist and lover of anything Sri Lankan.
“This is the dream I have had for the last 15 years. I want to tell the story of this country and its people. I want to make people think about our past and what we are doing to it before it’s too late,” he says in two lines, which is aptly displayed in a full page in the book.
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<b>
A fresh look and insight</b>
As for the contents, it covers an exhaustive period of over 2,000 from our origins to the Kandyan era and traces the ups and downs experienced over the years.
Just as much as it tells the story of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods, the book covers Ruhuna and the less talked-about kingdoms.
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We have visited, seen and admired most places that boast of the richness and vibrancy of ancient culture. Yet glancing through the pages of ‘Eloquence’ we find many an exciting place, a craft or an art which we had either missed out or even if we had seen, give a fresh look and insight.
The colour and black and white photographs are the painstaking efforts of five main cameramen – Nihal Fernando, daughter Anu, Laxmanan Nadaraja, Christopher Silva, Devaka Seneviratne and Roshan Perret.
The exhaustive text has been written and lucidly presented by Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda. Eranga Tennekoon is responsible for the pleasing design.
The Studio Times team which had travelled widely to every nook and corner capture the glory of Sri Lanka has done a wonderful job and deserves praise and precious of everyone who loves the motherland.
‘Eloquence’ is a ‘must’ in one’s library and an ideal gift for anyone.
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http://www.ft.lk/2015/02/28/eloquence-in-stone-travels-far/
STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-3390626393817904362015-03-02T11:07:00.002+05:302015-03-02T11:07:22.267+05:30Feb 20, Washington, DC: Sri Lanka's Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake recently held discussions with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde on the economic developments in the country and the near- term outlook.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimag5F9vZEYEH1A4_QZdmC6MuoxJ5AVOjttpC0OqSHAgllvonqCu4OkopP2dh1CQXNdXY6TmjMv0B_SLt8sWlBrRwzYeFevZKqqzobQ55KfOShSdOEgkXokUjDYswcJpy_dXTX/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimag5F9vZEYEH1A4_QZdmC6MuoxJ5AVOjttpC0OqSHAgllvonqCu4OkopP2dh1CQXNdXY6TmjMv0B_SLt8sWlBrRwzYeFevZKqqzobQ55KfOShSdOEgkXokUjDYswcJpy_dXTX/s320/unnamed.jpg" /></a></div>
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_15A/Feb20_1424401707CH.phpSTUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-15256124549727484252015-03-02T10:53:00.001+05:302015-03-02T11:03:35.674+05:30US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal called on State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene at the Defence Ministry <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVwJREeWd9M9M3gpVpPUHZzBy0i4Fzvu2xV5SxmZ2DaIsDyO4XQ_34x4u-7_I1eIEwG4LJVn6EI0lAFbC-IL2KH4ZJGTZBw6NAzwuqBzFwhe6BC5Xud8Rx7zmEZNbUmtIzW6q/s1600/_DSC8648-main-600-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVwJREeWd9M9M3gpVpPUHZzBy0i4Fzvu2xV5SxmZ2DaIsDyO4XQ_34x4u-7_I1eIEwG4LJVn6EI0lAFbC-IL2KH4ZJGTZBw6NAzwuqBzFwhe6BC5Xud8Rx7zmEZNbUmtIzW6q/s320/_DSC8648-main-600-1.jpg" /></a></div>
http://www.dailymirror.lk/62735/biswal-calls-on-state-minister-of-defence
2nd February 2015
STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-26893579426656913112013-01-15T09:07:00.000+05:302013-01-15T09:10:10.020+05:30WITH THE DAWN - REVIEW BY MALINDA SENEVIRATNE<b>‘With the Dawn’ A love-note penned in the Sri Lankan wilds
By Reviewed by Malinda Seneviratne
Sunday, 06 January 2013
The Nation</b>
‘With the Dawn’, by Nihal Fernando and Herbert Keuneman, published by Studio Times Ltd.Countless melodies can be composed with the 12 pitches of the Chromatic scale. More than 12 words in the English dictionary alone give sense of dimension pertaining to possible multitude of word configuration. One might say that we have enough and more tools to describe the World to ourselves and one another. However, we all some times feel poor not for lack of words but perhaps for its suffusion. We cannot pick the correct words to describe to perfection. Then we go silent.
It is the same with painters. Color and line make for innumerable configuration but rendering them is always incomplete. Artists give us new eyes and perhaps inevitably new lies as new ways of self-deception. One would think, then, that the photographer is a more humble archivist, except that this is also an exercise that involves choices such as time of day, light-shade mix, the ‘settings’ pertaining to camera and of course post-shot play on a computer where a wide range of tools are available to re-render what was captured.
When a photographer has traveled a territory more extensively than an archaeologist or surveyor it is clear that he or she can make countless albums for innumerable ways are available to organize material. It is hard to think of anyone who has traveled the length and breadth of the island as much as Nihal Fernando has done. Neville Weeraratne in an essay titled ‘Nihal Fernando and Herbert Keuneman: A tale of two kindred souls’ says that the former ‘has seen, heard, experienced and above all understood the land, its people and their lives’. It holds for the latter too, going by that same essay and by the authoritative travel guide The Handbook for the Ceylon Traveller which carries the signature of his life, vision, knowledge and the love he shared with Fernando for this country. Weeraratne describes him this way: “His lifelong residence led to a passionate love for the island. There is (nor was) anyone with his encyclopedic knowledge of the country in whatever the detail and in whichever the discipline”.
Weeraratne’s piece is found towards the end of an album of photographs which is also an essay and a journey, With the dawn published by Studio Times. From dawn to dusk is a long time. For people like Fernando and Keuneman it’s a set of hours that can theoretically make for countless albums on countless subjects. This collection is based on the Studio Times exhibition called ‘Wild Life ’73’’ held almost 40 years ago at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Colombo. The photographs displayed were picked by Keuneman just two weeks prior to exhibition date. That process has been described beautifully thus:
‘Fernando and Keuneman flung open the doors of the studio (Studio Times, that is, located then in the Times Building, Colombo Fort), letting the unsullied air of a quiet morning find its way into the dark corners, as they laid out the photographs on the floor. Beggars who lived in the foyer of the building, occasionally peered in to look at the whirling images of deer and elephants, monkeys and crocodiles, jungle trees and jungle pools, birds and more birds in flight. Herbert Keuneman walked among these black-and-white prints, picking up one, peering at the next, tossing photographs here, there, everywhere. He cast a few aside, sorted others, grouped some and started writing the story of a day in the jungle…with the dawn…the birds…awake…and take off…and so it went on until the last bird flew home.’
This was long before digital cameras and ‘Photoshop’ advances that turned point-click amateurs into artistic photographers if they knew how to photo-edit or could obtain the services of a photo editor. We can flip through the pages and be mesmerized by the images. It would take a traveler however to look at each photograph and imagine the work involved. Nihal Fernando is well known for his patience. He did not (and admittedly could not) depend on the insurance of post-click technology to work out the glitches that human frailty (of mind, eye and finger) spawns.
It is a black and white collection. For this reason the photographer obviously had to work within narrower margins of error. Color blinds at times make a lot of fudging. Perhaps this is why even in today’s digitized world of fascination with color palettes the black and white photographer is still held in awe.
We cannot tell if the collection was gathered photographically over a single day. But this was a different age of photography and society working towards different objectives at a different pace and in less glittered economy. Nihal Fernando was inspired by love. So too, Herbert Keuneman. Such people don’t rush. They take their time. It is evident in the collection both in image and in descriptive line.
They take us from moment to moment, hour to hour, dawn to dusk as though leading us by hand drawing attention to all that the untrained and less-used-to-loving eye would miss. Keuneman’s economy of words is ideal complement to Fernando’s photographic poetry. He says only what is necessary and thereby teaching that silence is an excellent travel companion and even travel guide. There is silence, silently captured and described in whisper. There is music here too, for Fernando makes us hear the ripple of water, the movement of wind, the call of bird, flapping of wings and thereby teaching us the language of the civilized, our ancestors who had eyes and did not babble incessantly just because they had mouths and tongues.
With the Dawn ends ‘when the last bird flies home’. It is a limited edition of just 1000 copies. A different generation of photographers might think that armed with technology they could do as much or better with a fraction of the effort. They would be wrong. Technology does not have a ‘love-function’. It is not obtained by point-and-click on a computer screen or inserted as device in a sophisticated camera. It comes with walking. It comes with deep reflection. It comes in conversations with hundreds and hundreds of ordinary people. It comes with the dawn and takes flight in the wings of the last bird flying home.
STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-17732404164475165282012-06-25T10:55:00.000+05:302012-06-25T11:00:02.896+05:30ELOQUENCE IN STONE - REVIEW BY MALINDA SENEVIRATNE/THE NATION<a href="http://www.nation.lk/edition/undo/item/7442-the-lithic-saga-of-sri-lanka.html"></a>
<b>The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka
Written by Malinda Seneviratne Sunday, 24 June 2012</b>
It was first an exhibition. An effective and infuriating teaser. The book came later, much later than anticipated. The work, however, was neither exhibit nor text; it was a civilizational story etched in artifact and clearly resident in the heart of a chronicler who not only knew ‘point and click’, but when to point and what to point at before clicking. All that is eloquent. So too that other text, the one with words, that accompany, complement and even elevate the work of a self-effacing patriot who walked the talk and let his lens say all the things he had to say.
‘Eloquence in Stone,’ as I said, was first an exhibition. It gave us a glimpse of the book that eventually came out some years later. This is a note about that book, by the same name. ‘Eloquence in Stone’ is not just a collection of photographs. It is, as claimed, an account of the lithic saga of the island of Sinhale, whose name evolved into ‘Sri Lanka’.
There are many ways to write a history. One can collate the various chronicles, the stories of the heroes, the kings, queens, princes, princesses and other royalty, the years marked by ascension, death and disposing, the critical wars that altered the political landscapes, or the ideological sweep that marked the end of an era and the beginning of another. One can gather history, also, by recording the unwritten, those hidden narratives bypassed by chronicler but resident nevertheless in folk tale and folk song, or scripted into dance and drama. In all this there is interpretation, for such texts are soft and pliant in the hands of a reader armed with privileging intent. And then there’s stone, yes, also amenable to reading, but nevertheless more obdurate when facing history-twister.
One thing is certain. For all the stories that got edited out, for all the multiple interpretations pregnant in artifact, for all the decay courtesy the elements, for all the desecration and vandalism, there is something splendid in these stones, these lithic remnants of vibrant, glorious and tragic centuries. It is by no means complete, for archaeology is a relatively recent fascination and there is probably more under the earth than the unearthed. ‘Eloquence in Stone’ is a chronicle of the unearthed, and what’s seen, even as it speaks of splendor, hints at a past that is probably far more magnificent than evidenced by the excavated.
It’s not a story that begins with Vijaya or the arrival of Arahat Mahinda. It is a record that covers artifacts from centuries before all that. It takes us from one age to another, dynasty to dynasty, one seat of power to another. The narrative gaze lingers on canal, dam and other irrigational elements, all speaking of an economy, a way of life, an ethic in interacting with the natural world, a benign and complementary rather than a violent and destructive engagement. It’s an eye that takes in and gives out architecture, that pertaining to state-craft and to the other, more abiding and culture-defining lines, curves and crafting that is and of faith, as majestic but made for the kind of reflection that marked the civilizational ethos and runs as thread through the centuries. There is beauty and charm in all this. The aesthetic was never made to play second fiddle to the ‘pragmatic’ shall we say of the state, the ‘demands’, shall we say of the economic. That was what life was and still is in places that are as unbelievable as those of the past captured in these photographs: life was and is art and there was and is cross-reflection. You find this in ornament and stairway, moonstone and sluice gate, the dam and the spill, the stupa and the altar, the sakman maluwa and the monastery.
‘Eloquence’ is a page turner, as all good photography books are, but it’s page-turning power has to do with the elegance of text as well. Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda’s descriptions move seamlessly among the photographs and are an intrinsic part of the overall textural weave of photo-strand and word-strand. It is an introduction and a nutshell version, a gentle guide and a chronicle which only someone gifted with word, love of land and skilled in the instruments of historiography can produce. Tammita-Delgoda is clearly attributed with the requisite tools. He has not disappointed.
This is not the first time I got my hands on ‘Eloquence’. Each time I flip through the pages, or just turn to a random page and read, there’s a thought that invariably interrupts:
‘We are blessed to have been born in and to this land. We are the product of the tenderness and drive of our ancestors and we better do justice to their efforts. This country is a treasure trove, every square inch of it. The world may have many wonders, but the wonders of my land await my visit and I know that I don’t have the years and decades necessary to partake of it all, or at least that which is visible as of now. This book is the only “tourist guide” this country ever needed. This book is to be read and it is to be travelled. Every page, every photograph and every descriptive line is an invitation to explore. It empowers. It inspires. It settles the furies and unearths dormant energies. It makes me love my country like I’ve never loved it before.’
Tammita-Delgoda recounts a conversation with Nihal Fernando, the man who had the legs and heart, the patience and discipline to capture this history:
‘I want to tell the story of this country and its people. I want to make people think about our past and what we are doing to it before it is too late.’
Nihal was and still is acutely conscious of what the marriage of greed and ignorance can yield. He knows firsthand that the unearthed is not just vulnerable to the ravages of wind, rain and sun, but more terribly the fingering of human beings. He has, I know, a deep enough understanding of the human condition as well as the political economy that often frames, limits and provokes violence, to predict possible outcomes. As such, ‘Eloquence’ is a letter to the conscience of relevant authorities, academics and most of all, the citizens of this country who, if robbed of heritage would be easier prey for the kinds of vandals who have mutilated this land for centuries.
I believe therefore that ‘Eloquence’ is a must-have for every school library, every Government institution that has a library, every politician and every academic. And ideally, it should be available in Sinhala and Tamil too. These are breathtaking, meditation-inviting, inspiring pictures. The black-whites, especially, shows what a master Nihal Fernando is when armed with lens. His is not, clearly not, point-and-click photography. He is a composer who is conscious of light and shadow, the movement of wind and the relevance of time and timing. He knows angle too. One gets the sense that he is a perfectionist who might even lament that he is yet to take his best photographs.
The collection includes the work of those who have learnt from him, among whom are some who have gone on to develop their own styles and specialities. Anu Weerasuriya, Luxshmanan Nadaraja, Christopher Silva, Devaka Deneviratne and Roshan Perret probably share the love Nihal has for this land and most likely enough of his work ethic.
As I mentioned, it is words too, not just visual and exceptional quality of page and book design. So I believe it is best to let the co-narrator, Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda have the last word for it is as much about ‘Eloquence in Stone’ as it is about us, i.e. you and I and all of us and even those whose feet will touch the good earth that gave us a land, a history, a heritage, a civilization and a tomorrow that can very well be ours:
‘Eloquence in Stone’ is a voyage through Sri Lanka as it was and as it is, it seeks to inquire and to question, to understand and appreciate, to reflect and perhaps inspire. An image of ourselves, it muses on our past, our present and may be our future. This is why we have called it “The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka”. It is a story which deserves to be told, for it is our story and we are the ones who are telling it.’STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-88107471328232612382011-10-04T21:20:00.003+05:302011-10-05T14:01:06.345+05:30THE WILD, THE FREE, THE BEAUTIFUL<span style="font-weight:bold;">THE WILD, THE FREE, THE BEAUTIFUL <br />BY NIHAL FERNANDO (1986)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBQ2qqxhnMrfKzr5IB_6XnkVCVyKUsyTE6pI6R8jVOAP3aj4-8AXL3YNN0ruQ1Vd4QYolJ6lgXmjO9tQ0iv-5cxgrRXP232ETgflOwp8HosKPIp3J32mKY_x9cZdIaqd4UotD/s1600/DSC_0219LR.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBQ2qqxhnMrfKzr5IB_6XnkVCVyKUsyTE6pI6R8jVOAP3aj4-8AXL3YNN0ruQ1Vd4QYolJ6lgXmjO9tQ0iv-5cxgrRXP232ETgflOwp8HosKPIp3J32mKY_x9cZdIaqd4UotD/s320/DSC_0219LR.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659665467171478898" /></a><br />21.5x27.5 cm, 256 pages, 149 black & white and 146 colour photographs, Words by Robert Silva<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">When it hit the booksehlves in 1986 it was a pioneer publication. <br />No other Sri Lankan had produced such a comprehensive book of this nature. <br />It was also the first book of colour and black and white photographs to be published by a Sri Lankan. The previous book of its genre was Images of an Island by Reg van Culenberg, published 25 years previously and the milestone before that was Lionel Wendt’s Ceylon.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“Though I have never learnt to handle a camera, I could claim to be a happy collaborationist of a sort with him. I have followed his trail or similar trails. I have slept on the sand bar at Sinnemuhattuvaram. I have drunk of the dune waters of the moya kalapuwa across Menik Ganga; I have rested my head on soft sea sand pillows fashioned by me on the lonely trek to Minihagalkanda; I have drunk the toddy oozing out from the palmyra flower on the sand dunes of Talaimannar; I have glimpsed the Elysian of a score of hills from Ritigala to Kirigalpotte. So it is with a sense of reverence and of lovely inner joy that I reach for these pictures where the air is scented, where one hears the sound of falling waters or the whisper of bare trees, where one sees the flame of the dying sun hushed by the moan of the sea or the still waters of the kalapuwa.”</span> – Vesak Nanayakkara, <span style="font-style:italic;">Weekend,</span> 18 January 1987<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“It is the sort of publication that should be mass-produced and made easily available to every man, woman and child so that they might see the meaning of ‘A National Heritage’ with their own eyes. They will understand as well as Nihal Fernando does, why that heritage should be protected and conserved for future generations, just as the ancient Sri Lankans conserved and passed on that heritage to the present generat</span>ion.” – J.D.N. Banks, <span style="font-style:italic;">Forum</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“This volume is truly a great work of Art and generations to come will remember him for having preserved for them an insight into our environment which may forever vanish from this island.”</span> – D.C.L. Amarasinghe, <span style="font-style:italic;">Daily News<br /><br />“This is the soul song of a man in love with light, his country, and truth. Fernando does not manipulate his subjects or use special effects but simply makes you SEE when earlier you may have looked.” </span>– Malathi de Alwis, <span style="font-style:italic;">Sunday Island<br /><br />“Robert Silva’s text matches the quality of Nihal’s photographs – splendid, vigorous language with constant references and quotations of a widely educated man, somewitmes with the madness of a poet but also sensitive, fearlessly reeling off dates and history without the ‘it has been said’ or ‘one can suppose’ of the nervous scholar.”</span> – Barbara Sansoni, <span style="font-style:italic;">Sunday Observer</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“It is the work of an artist, the testament of a wordless poet, whose medium is the camera and who had devoted his life to record with selfless love the uniqueness of his island country, and in doing so has become one of its best interpreters. Underneath the visual delight it carries a protest against the rapists and those apathetic to who rape that uniqueness, and an unspoken warning that much of what the readers see in these pages, they may not see for long if the ravishing continues. It is a please to us all to reinstate ourselves in nature.” – Sunday Island,</span> 11 January 1987STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-35170859202359150082011-10-04T21:18:00.002+05:302011-10-05T14:04:14.638+05:30SERENDIP TO SRI LANKA : IMMEMORIAL ISLE<span style="font-weight:bold;">SERENDIP TO SRI LANKA. IMMEMORIAL ISLE<br />BY NIHAL FERNANDO & LUXSHMANAN NADARAJA (1991)<br /><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBY4qRCGepxIX9IYmLQHkpBWeRqg-8jqUZ1lEWX_CVkSUhK_wxjlIJmsjWF_NtA07ahTl_-LF15bp8c6qvfP-0vrsQ1a7ULZ0bh4Z-9uuSmwBAeEy1yjlw3rAz8jQ-AkeeB4o/s1600/DSC_0221.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 396px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBY4qRCGepxIX9IYmLQHkpBWeRqg-8jqUZ1lEWX_CVkSUhK_wxjlIJmsjWF_NtA07ahTl_-LF15bp8c6qvfP-0vrsQ1a7ULZ0bh4Z-9uuSmwBAeEy1yjlw3rAz8jQ-AkeeB4o/s400/DSC_0221.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659664691461581778" /></a><br /><br />28x21 cm (portrait), 154 pages, 44 line pages, 223 photographs, Introduction by Ian Goonetileke<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“… a charismatic book on our precious isle by two of its best photographers Nihal Fernando and Luxshmanan Nadaraja. Serendip to Sri Lanka : Immemorial Isle is the latest Studio Times publication ‘to aid and abet the appreciation of a time-honoured paradise and often tragically misunderstood piece of earth. A professional anthem to the compilers’ delicate insight, critical flair and discerning love of an island traversed from end to end, ceaselessly discovered and rediscovered with a rare sensitivity to the essence of its charm, its splendours and its graces,’ writes Ian Goonetileke.’ ”</span> – Daily News, 2 November 1991<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“When you look at a picture, it tells you who you are, what your thoughts and feelings are. If you can sort it out clearly, you can become a better person. This is what Serendip to Sri Lanka : Immemorial Isle, did for me and if you fortunate, it will benefit you too.” </span>– B.J.B Fernando, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Island<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>, 26 October 1991STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-7751330079309087302011-04-01T14:33:00.002+05:302011-04-01T15:02:18.212+05:30STUDIO TIMES PUBLICATIONS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg909YATmXFYcLZx_2C9GwAA7QRoIhf3Kf_Y6a82rqhkT_ELMcoDHMbaiNM0KUWN80_1DE4uMrftJafgeZ6VLdmrvZtwx9Y9SVmWu6vcEfHTl32smco6zzqHEbh58uP8-Rp_WD0/s1600/bookshelf.B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg909YATmXFYcLZx_2C9GwAA7QRoIhf3Kf_Y6a82rqhkT_ELMcoDHMbaiNM0KUWN80_1DE4uMrftJafgeZ6VLdmrvZtwx9Y9SVmWu6vcEfHTl32smco6zzqHEbh58uP8-Rp_WD0/s400/bookshelf.B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590545543282320098" /></a><br />Studio Times Publications:<br />1. 1965 The Handbook for the Ceylon Farmer (1st Edition) - Out of Print<br />2. 1967 Horton Plains (A Leaflet) - Out of Print<br />3. 1974 The Handbook for the Ceylon Traveller (1st Edition) - Out of Print<br />4. 1978 The Handbook for the Ceylon Farmer (Revised 2nd Edition) - Available<br />5. 1983 The Handbook for the Ceylon Traveller (Revised 2nd Edition) - Available <br />6. 1986 The Wild The Free The Beautiful by Nihal Fernando - Out of Print<br />7. 1991 Serendip to Sri Lanka: Immemorial Isle by Nihal Fernando & <br />Luxshmanan Nadaraja - Out of Print<br />8. 1997 Sri Lanka: A Personal Odyssey by Nihal Fernando (2 print runs) - Available<br />9. 2000 Govi Athpotha (A Revised, Updated Version of The Handbook <br />for the Ceylon Farmer in Sinhala) - Available<br />10. 2006 With the Dawn by Nihal Fernando & Herbert Keuneman - Available<br />11. 2008 Eloquence in Stone. The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka by Nihal Fernando, SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda, Anu Weerasuriya, <br />Luxshmanan Nadaraja, Christopher Silva, Devaka Seneviratne, Roshan Perret - Available<br /><br />All books which are not Out of Print are available at Studio Times Ltd., 16/1 Skelton Road, Colombo 5. + 94 11 2589062. studiot@sltnet.lk<br />For overseas orders quotations inclusive of EMS post can be suppliedSTUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-38549056524099479982010-11-05T14:32:00.002+05:302010-11-05T14:34:55.457+05:30ELOQUENCE IN STONE. THE LITHIC SAGA OF SRI LANKA.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3Wnjy21zvrG6I1cXQIB79IxHmXRgkGYGuadANUgBtbDm8MKkTMyh7j8AKTiWCuZEazw6myLb1oaFCU5jkjnJfOZaEYztMRQYVBH3PNDKtd3YZ-uifOr8LuPnT5D2kTvzO6F5/s1600/Elo-NOV+2010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 297px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3Wnjy21zvrG6I1cXQIB79IxHmXRgkGYGuadANUgBtbDm8MKkTMyh7j8AKTiWCuZEazw6myLb1oaFCU5jkjnJfOZaEYztMRQYVBH3PNDKtd3YZ-uifOr8LuPnT5D2kTvzO6F5/s400/Elo-NOV+2010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535988954657110898" /></a>STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-90385517829114338932010-10-05T09:34:00.002+05:302010-10-05T09:37:47.499+05:30STUDIO TIMES PUBLICATIONS ONLINEVIJITHA YAPA BOOKSHOP, SRI LANKA<br />http://www.vijithayapa.com/showsearch.php?<br />SchId=112135161501286185659597716063&q=<br />Eloquence+in+Stone&stype=KW<br /><br /><br />PERERA HUSSEIN PUBLISHERS<br />http://www.ph-books.com/bs.asp?id=112<br /><br /><br />BOOKZONE, SRI LANKA<br />www.books.lk<br /><br /><br />SARASAVI BOOKSHOP, SRI LANKA<br />http://www.sarasavi.lk/advanced_search_result.php?<br />keywords=Eloquence+in+Stone&osCsid=5ohhipqq6ere3qp<br />42sni4gsiu5&search_in_description=1&x=0&y=0<br /><br /><br />GOHD BOOKS, SINGAPORE<br />http://www.gohd.com.sg/site/<br /><br />http://www.gohd.com.sg/site/index.php?<br />page=shop.product_details&category_id=1&flypage=flypage.<br />tpl&product_id=1043&vmcchk=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-85082612728813973322010-10-02T23:52:00.005+05:302010-10-05T09:10:09.253+05:30STUDIO TIMES BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE IN SINGAPORE WITH GOHD BOOKS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx89C4UDa9ZbkT3XpH5kG14Pv5V_D2mibJh6y52gJUVPjYzKNn1C3STIpYmh-iEBdoUAJu72V1mt5LeNC4LIIolKBlA1zTOjluMe_eNgGehTa1OA1iY8M8qYj1mhqWdeNsqfZ/s1600/GOHD+Books-Logo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx89C4UDa9ZbkT3XpH5kG14Pv5V_D2mibJh6y52gJUVPjYzKNn1C3STIpYmh-iEBdoUAJu72V1mt5LeNC4LIIolKBlA1zTOjluMe_eNgGehTa1OA1iY8M8qYj1mhqWdeNsqfZ/s400/GOHD+Books-Logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524401679218172850" /></a><br />http://www.gohd.com.sg/site/<br /> <br />A little about ye olde bookshoppe!<br /> <br />Gohd Books officially opened in April 2009, with a collection of hard-to-find books hidden in an equally <br />obscure shophouse along Serangoon Road, Singapore. The Serangoon Rd days were fun - we were <br />lodged on the 2nd floor of the shophouse, above a Karaoke Pub, and friends gathered there nightly <br />to read, talk, and share in the misery of having to listen to the outrageously loud (and bad) singing <br />from the pub below.<br />Besides being a bookstore, Gohd Books began as, and remains, a space for events and gatherings. <br />So far, we have held flea markets, book launches, gigs, art exhibitions, parties, talks and a 2-day <br />punk music festival! Check out our Events page for upcoming and past events. <br />In August 2009, we moved to a much quieter neighbourhood, and operated on a <br />By Appointment Only system.<br />In August 2010, Gohd Books opened a second outlet in:<br />49 Haji Lane Singapore 189242<br /><br />http://www.gohd.com.sg/site/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category<br />_id=1&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=1043&vmcchk=1&<br />option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53<br /><br />Eloquence in Stone - The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka<br />Price: SG$160.00 <br />GOHD Books is delighted to be the official distributor in South-East Asia of Eloquence in Stone - The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka<br />It is the tale of Sri Lanka’s stone heritage through the ages - the amazing saga of a small people on a small island who are heirs to one of the oldest living cultures in the world; who still speak the same language, practice the same religion and follow the same customs as their ancestors did more than 2,000 years ago.<br />Eloquence in Stone is the story of their art and craft; their architecture, sculpture and painting the story of man in a world shaped by his environment.<br />Spanning the history of this country and the life of the people from their very beginnings in the cave about the 127,000 year ago to the end Kandyan era in the 18th century, this book has been initiated by Nihal Fernando, founder of Studio Times Limited. It is a book where words and images come together to weave the story of this land and its people. Extensively researched and with a comprehensive glossary and bibliography, the text is academic. Yet it is beautifully written by SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda, and together with the photographs, the book not only educates and enlightens, but also inspires. The publishers hope that this book will prompt the people of this country, particularly the children, to think about their heritage and what they are doing to it and to themselves, before it is too late.<br />Specification of Eloquence in Stone:<br />Size of Book: 12x12x3 inches approximately No. of Pages: 475 No. of Photographs: 465 Colour & Black & White photographs With photography by Nihal Fernando & Anu Weerasuriya, Luxshmanan Nadaraja, Christopher Silva, Devaka Seneviratne, Roshan Perret of Studio Times Ltd. Text by: SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda A Hard Cover edition with four colour printing of the colour photographs and duo tone printing of the black & white photographsSTUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-77337303314520745662009-07-31T14:08:00.009+05:302011-08-18T09:05:25.633+05:30SRI LANKA - A PERSONAL ODYSSEY BY NIHAL FERNANDO<span style="font-weight:bold;">Last 30 copies available now @ Rs 6,500/- per copy
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span>
<br />
<br />Available at: Studio Times Ltd, 16/1 Skelton Road, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka.
<br />+ 94 11 2589062, studiot@sltnet.lkSTUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-21980543691122755112009-06-11T10:58:00.008+05:302009-08-19T00:18:11.904+05:30ELOQUENCE IN STONE. THE LITHIC SAGA OF SRI LANKA.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSIpuqHzWVnWiCOiH5i1kFxQ-9_HT_ZPVUyiUQ5Xe9D4FiK4qN6kXcLFI83z-FzfnTOwRHylHxzICnR7cNYhKwZu45w6KnFxJUDzkO9rhjnboOf6o2W6xwW-vWfLj6T7_Ae3n/s1600-h/Eloq.+Bk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSIpuqHzWVnWiCOiH5i1kFxQ-9_HT_ZPVUyiUQ5Xe9D4FiK4qN6kXcLFI83z-FzfnTOwRHylHxzICnR7cNYhKwZu45w6KnFxJUDzkO9rhjnboOf6o2W6xwW-vWfLj6T7_Ae3n/s400/Eloq.+Bk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345983250452375090" /></a><br />By Nihal Fernando, Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda, Anu Weerasuriya, Luxshmanan Nadaraja, Christopher Silva, Devaka Seneviratne, Roshan Perret<br /><br />A Studio Times Publication, 2008<br />ISBN 978 - 955 - 9236 - 06 - 1<br /><br />A monumental work on the history of Sri Lanka where words and images come together to weave the story of this land and its people<br /><br />Size of Book – 12x12x2 inches approx. Hard cover. 475 pages with over 465 beautiful colour and black and white photographs. Informative, eloquent and inspiring foot-noted text and captions. With Bibliography, Glossary, Maps, Index.<br /><br />Price Rs 11,000/-<br /><br />Available at Studio Times Ltd and all Leading Bookshops<br />For overseas orders inclusive of EMS post, please contact us<br /><br />PAGES FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE:<br />Batadombalena Reserve<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6DZM3mV0NmA7o6qNFOuS07gC5KSqqne95kvzbc4pPmOFlLPys_pQjtVcXLiyRBVJkhFRPCB4XCK9sRs0QT7J6-jJCwF6tr4BEEQTAuwhQtOuaBmaN9Q2vhnLQJ4wmLreo0Zx/s1600-h/23.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 373px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6DZM3mV0NmA7o6qNFOuS07gC5KSqqne95kvzbc4pPmOFlLPys_pQjtVcXLiyRBVJkhFRPCB4XCK9sRs0QT7J6-jJCwF6tr4BEEQTAuwhQtOuaBmaN9Q2vhnLQJ4wmLreo0Zx/s400/23.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371376433114144322" /></a><br /><br />PAGES FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE:<br />Minihagalkanda, Block II, Yala National Park<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pcliu6z8Iy1fCQC4dKMfhOlPR_xLd5TezN2L9swUWteSGRu5G7EHTgRSRD88TMsDG_MldVkfbN0Bx1H5iFNJI8lu-sL8y6pfb5lpVcdBLHjZTveKj6qImS53KTemH3hViQY6/s1600-h/34.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 373px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pcliu6z8Iy1fCQC4dKMfhOlPR_xLd5TezN2L9swUWteSGRu5G7EHTgRSRD88TMsDG_MldVkfbN0Bx1H5iFNJI8lu-sL8y6pfb5lpVcdBLHjZTveKj6qImS53KTemH3hViQY6/s400/34.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371376881084807410" /></a><br /><br />PAGES FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxhgFideHYienkwGaLTYhuTikNLcQvWR4CHQ6rQUxmFdIL9RJ8nbex7iXabVgFDYLOEuBFD1Un4a8tBEIUgwk4W4-fIuThr-iH0NM3aHNY61yshpiXbCSRnBOgkXKirTY5ZEQ/s1600-h/63.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 373px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxhgFideHYienkwGaLTYhuTikNLcQvWR4CHQ6rQUxmFdIL9RJ8nbex7iXabVgFDYLOEuBFD1Un4a8tBEIUgwk4W4-fIuThr-iH0NM3aHNY61yshpiXbCSRnBOgkXKirTY5ZEQ/s400/63.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371377306754660066" /></a>STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-57441440406650995742009-06-11T10:57:00.006+05:302009-08-19T00:08:02.579+05:30ELOQUENCE IN STONE - A Review by Kishanie Fernando, Daily Mirror, 17 November 2008MILESTONES AND TIMELESS MASTER PIECES OF HISTORY<br />Review by Kishani Fernando<br />In 475 pages, 465 black and white, infra-red and colour photographs, a unique photographic essay tells the story of the lithic saga of Sri Lanka, traveling through some two and a half millennia of Sri Lanka’s history telling the story of a people, their beginnings, their beliefs, their kingdoms and their declines and regeneration.<br />About 12x12x3 inches, glossary, bibliography, maps included and weighing some 2 ½ kilos, the book titled ‘Eloquence in Stone’ cannot be estimated in monies worth by the lover of good books.<br />The book is the outcome of extraordinary perseverance of a team of professionals including Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda, Anu Weerasuriya, Christopher Silva, Luxshmanan Nadaraja, Devaka Seneviratne, Roshan Perret, guided by no less than the icon of Sri Lankan photography Nihal Fernando. Nihal who was one time a man of tremendous energy and perseverance and the owner of Studio Times, now having reached the grand eighties, takes backstage watching those whom he inspired carry forward his loves, hopes, dreams. It is his vision that is reflected in the pages of the book. <br />“When the book was complete I went and presented it to Thathi” said the charming Anu, Nihal Fernando’s daughter who now runs Studio Times having inherited her father’s love for the country. It is undoubtedly her energy and effort supported by her enthusiastic photographer husband Christopher Silva that has put the book together. “We made him sit at the table and kept the book in front of him,” she continued and he said, “It is the best book we have done so far,” Anu told me proudly. <br />I recalled some months ago that Anu had said that this book was the dream of her father. She also told me that it had taken fifteen years or more to record this story they wanted to tell with their cameras. Travelling unknown road, climbing scorching rocks under the blazing sun or soaking rain, crossing streams, exploring elephant infested jungles and most of all walking … walking … walking endless miles carrying with them their photographic equipment and other needs. One objective seem to have driven them: to document abandoned sites of pre-historic and historic value, sites of spell binding beauty where nature was at its most charming best, with the intention of preserving them for future Sri Lanka. The team at all times taking head to tread gently on earth inspired by the dream of their leader: “… I want to make people think about our past and what they are doing to it before it is too late.”<br /><br />PAGE IN ELOQUENCE IN STONE:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZZsyFk8LGLn7gZ-Epu0dNuVAwK5MVkwudb4L_5FH79r0a0n3Cho9aRtpAiViomNfaciOgNlyFCLxm6pJ5z6e6Y0vVXojqTTM-N7YthuWAH5jNl4QlnkwvuS6qsecOn5F2_p2/s1600-h/91.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZZsyFk8LGLn7gZ-Epu0dNuVAwK5MVkwudb4L_5FH79r0a0n3Cho9aRtpAiViomNfaciOgNlyFCLxm6pJ5z6e6Y0vVXojqTTM-N7YthuWAH5jNl4QlnkwvuS6qsecOn5F2_p2/s320/91.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371374356654613570" /></a>STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-36270550548006955612009-06-11T10:10:00.002+05:302009-06-11T10:14:11.214+05:30ELOQUENCE IN STONE - A Review in The Nation, 21 September 2008Out soon – An epic book of on the historical saga of Sri Lanka<br /><br />Eloquence in Stone<br /><br />Eloquence in Stone is the story of Sri Lanka. Using the lens of the camera it tells the tale of Sri Lanka’s stone heritage through the ages. It is the saga about a people who are heirs to one of the oldest living cultures in the world. Egypt and Mesopotamia may also be old but they are all dead cultures, their link with the ancient past a long forgotten and hidden memory. The people of Sri Lanka still speak the same language, practice the same religion and follow the same customs as their ancestors did more than 2,000 years ago. <br /><br />Spread out over nine chapters with over 400 pages with 460 black and white and colour photographs, words and images come together in Eloquence in Stone to weave the story of Lanka. The book begins with the prehistoric era (125,000 BC to 1000 BC) during which the first traces of early man are found, and it ends with the downfall of the Kandyan kings. <br /><br />Ancient man appears to have lived almost everywhere, on the coast, on the plains and in the hills. The richest evidence survives in Fa Hsien-lena, Batadomba-lena and Beli-lena, caves which date from 35,000 BC to 1,500 BC. Chapter 2 of the book deals with the arrival of Prince Vijaya from North India – a story of myth, fact and fantasy. Known as the early Iron Age, during this era man lived in villages. Although he still hunted, he also tamed and harnessed animals, cultivated rice, built small tanks and buried his dead in great stone cemeteries. This society evolved into a sophisticated and literate urban civilisation. <br /><br />Chapters 3 and 4 deals arrival of Buddhism in the 3rd century BC and with Anuradhapura period, a Golden Age, during which the ancient civilization of Lanka reached its peak between 500 BC and 600 AC. Amidst the plains of the Raja Rata, the ancients built a vast network of canals, and giant tanks. Rising from the forests and the mountains of this land, water was the source of the wealth of this culture. The book highlights how much the kings of old valued water and the importance they placed on working in harmony with their environment. This Golden Age comes to an end in Chapter 5. The looming shadow of South Indian power sounded the death knell for Anuradhapura. In the 9th century, Sri Lanka was overrun by a great Pandyan army, and after them, the Cholas. The jungle which had been cleared by Viyaja’s followers, crept back in to reclaim the ancient city. <br /><br />Chapter 6 moves onto the Polonnaruwa period where, after a long drawn out struggle, Vijaya Bahu finally drove the Cholas out in 1070, establishing his capital amidst the Hindu temples of the Cholas. <br />Despite its inheritance, the character of this civilization was very different with the mingling of Hinduism with Buddhism. The form of the Siva devales is echoed by image houses of brick with vaulted roofs. From the outside they resemble the temples of South India but they were devoted to the worship of the Buddha. In the fashion of Hindu shrines they are elaborately and profusely decorated. <br /><br />Home of lost causes, revolts and uprisings, the Ruhuna Rata is the focus of Chapter 7. A wild, rebellious country, it was difficult to conquer and even more difficult to hold. From time to time it would come under the kings of Anuradhapura, but for the most part Ruhuna’s rulers were independent. The kingdom of Ruhuna begins with King Mahanaga, who founded the city of Mahagama, at Tissamaharama. From the 3rd century BC to the 12th century AC Mahagama was the capital of Ruhuna. Sites about which little is known and even rarely visited, lying deep in the jungles are revealed to us in this chapter.<br /><br />In Chapters 8 and 9 the story moves into the western regions, when the Rajarata was abandoned forever in the face of repeated invasions from South India. The kings of Lanka, ruled from Dambadeniya, Yapahuva, Kurunagala and Gampola during the 13th – 14th centuries and finally Kotte in the 15th century. Kotte was eclipsed in the 16th century by the rising power of the Kingdom of Sitavaka. Under its dynamic rulers Mayadunne and Raja Sinha I, Sitavaka assumed the mantle of resistance to the foreigner, meeting him on the field of battle and fighting him to a standstill. It was perhaps the first time that an European colonial power had been defeated by an Asian nation in open battle. With the death of the great Raja Sinha, Sitavaka collapsed. The Portuguese occupied the lowlands and the coastal shore. Only Kandy, in the central hills, remained free and independent. Kandy was the last stronghold of the Sinhalese kings. Encircled by rugged peaks, guarded by trackless paths and steamy tropical jungles, for over two hundred years this almost impenetrable natural fortress held off a succession of foreign invaders until the British succeeded in penetrating the Kandyan Kingdom.<br /><br />The book is the vision of Nihal Fernando who initiated its production over fifteen years ago. Having spent nearly eight decades traveling the length and breadth of this country, talking to people and studying the many written and unwritten stories of this land, he is a man with a supreme understanding of this country and its people, the history and the many aspects that come together to make Sri Lanka what it is. It is this understanding of the country based as it is in the historical context as inspiringly written by SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda, that Fernando and his team of photographers at Studio Times Anu Weerasuriya, Luxshmanan Nadaraja, Christopher Silva, Devaka Seneviratne and Roshan Perret, so eloquently conveys in words and photographs in this book. <br /><br />It is also a world which is changing fast. Almost every remote site has been desecrated, blasted and broken into. The forests are being decimated and the streams are drying up. To Studio Times team it seems like a race against time, just to record and to reveal what is left before it is lost forever. And that is the purpose of the book. Nihal Fernando says, “This is the dream I have had for the last fifteen years. I want to tell the story of this island and its people. I want to make people think about our country and what we are doing to it before it is too late.”STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-44809328480482485472009-06-10T13:54:00.002+05:302009-06-11T10:28:26.739+05:30IMAGES FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE - SINHA POKUNA, MIHINTALE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y_GYOInJeOKwfEcsjzQiEClqfSN8EazyYeOdI26_hkEXRKAze4AsNa7L_xME8n37DyurPTOtOv48zc5cwFF8tvGPf5fzBg0a5MkCT7kahmANRoLaJrA21VptcbyWcgdoGTRj/s1600-h/80.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y_GYOInJeOKwfEcsjzQiEClqfSN8EazyYeOdI26_hkEXRKAze4AsNa7L_xME8n37DyurPTOtOv48zc5cwFF8tvGPf5fzBg0a5MkCT7kahmANRoLaJrA21VptcbyWcgdoGTRj/s320/80.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345929338212433394" /></a>STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-55908515800935329382009-06-10T13:53:00.002+05:302009-06-11T10:29:59.509+05:30KALPA VRUKSHA, MIHINTALE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsu90f6qQAFveWFTQLAyyICJ0IvidM5TeDuaxa9XL8yAkJTuybd4-MNfAVOCMGm8ZIofgHzZml1_uP_s530kMwBjxdy9bPN5WcpGXsNZBIdrXEtoYq5jQqqf8HNTgjWSSB2MYN/s1600-h/75.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsu90f6qQAFveWFTQLAyyICJ0IvidM5TeDuaxa9XL8yAkJTuybd4-MNfAVOCMGm8ZIofgHzZml1_uP_s530kMwBjxdy9bPN5WcpGXsNZBIdrXEtoYq5jQqqf8HNTgjWSSB2MYN/s320/75.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345930272279963154" /></a>STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-22998819025267728222009-06-10T13:49:00.003+05:302009-06-13T18:08:15.845+05:30MARVELS OF ART & SCULPTURE - by D.C. Ranatunga, The Sunday Times, 7 June 2009Marvels of art and sculpture<br /><br />The centre of attraction for pilgrims on Poson Poya is Anuradhapura with Mihintale also on the itinerary. The many places of worship on this hallowed rock are works of art created by the talented craftsmen dating back to the 3rd century B C.<br /><br />By D.C. Ranatunga.<br /><br />Photos: Courtesy – Eloquence in Stone: The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka Studio Times publication<br /><br />Eight miles out of Anuradhapura, the rocky mountain of Mihintale rises abruptly out of the plain to a height of almost 1,000 feet. Here on the slopes of the mountain Apostle Mahinda encounters the king (Devanampiyatissa) as he was in pursuit of a stag. Standing on top of a great crag now known as the Aradhana Gala, the Rock of Invitation, the Apostle Mahinda told him the story of the Buddha and preached His doctrine. The conversion of the king and the whole country to Buddhism provides the foundation for our story. The kings of Lanka saw it as their duty to build for the glory of the faith ….<br /><br />The Buddha's message unleashed the creative energies of the Sinhalese. Letters were engraved on stone, caves and then temples were hewn out of solid rock. Great dagabas were built in worship of the Buddha and His image was carved out of granite and marble. Huge monasteries arose many of them as large as towns, their buildings adorned with stone carvings of the most exquisite kind.<br /><br />The reader is thus introduced to the dawn of a new civilization in Sri Lanka in the book 'Eloquence in Stone – the Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka'. Under the patronage of King Devanampiyatissa (250-210 B C), the royal capital Anuradhapura became the home of Theravada Buddhism. The king gave the lead in building stupas by erecting the Thuparama dagaba and a monastery for the monks. The location came to be known as Thuparamaya to indicate the presence of the dagaba and the 'aramaya'. According to the Mahavamsa, Thuparama had been built by the time the branch of the sacred Bo tree was brought to Sri Lanka. One of the eight saplings of the Bo-tree had been planted at the Thuparamaya.<br /><br />Although the accent was on Anuradhapura, the objects of worship found in Mihintale bear testimony to the fact that there was lot of activity there too. The Kanthaka Chaitya, for example, is a fine piece of architecture and a symbol of the rich art of sculpture in ancient Sri Lanka. The four 'vahalkada' (frontispiece) are unique and are amongst the oldest sculptures in the country.<br /><br />As described in 'Eloquence in Stone', the Kanthaka Chaitya marks the beginning of stone art in Sri Lanka. "Elephants kneel out of the stone, dragons spout forth and grotesque dwarves, wild and happy, throw their arms into the air. Serried ranks of dwarves and women line the panels, playing instruments and dancing in ecstasy. The whole 'vahalkada' was once plastered and painted in different colours. You can still see the outlines of lions in red and orange paint, their hues coming to life with the sun. Only then do you realise that what is now grey and faded stone, was once a mass of living colour. "<br /><br />The four 'vahalkada' face the four cardinal points in the dagaba. There are four beasts – elephant, horse, lion and bull – facing each direction. The true to life figures are carved in the round from dolomite marble.<br /><br />Intricate art can be seen at the Kanthaka Chaitya. The 'kalpa vruksha' (Tree of Life) is portrayed as a flowering plant rising from a vase of scrolls. On either side of the stem animals and yakkhinis stand back to back perching on its leaves. Seated at the very top is Kuvera, the God of Wealth, showering prosperity on the worshippers.<br /><br />Another popular site is the Kaludiya Pokuna used as a private bathing place by the monks of Mihintale. "Built to capture the rainwater as it cascaded off the mountainside, here man used his skill to harness nature and beautify it. The pond is surrounded by great rocky boulders which litter the landscape. The steps, terraces, gardens and pavilions which adorn it have all been built around the rock following its shape and contours.<br /><br />Steps curve up the rock to pavilions set on top of boulders. Terraces make their way over the open ground ascending higher and higher to platforms looking out over the pool, its waters black with the reflection of rocks and the shade of trees. It is the perfect example of man in complete harmony with his environment. Another culture would have cut through the rock and removed the boulder. Only we let it be." (Eloquence in Stone)<br /><br />The Sinha Pokuna was once an open air bath which served the monks living in the caves around the Kanthaka Chaitya. Here too intricate sculpture can be seen particularly the figure of the great, man-sized lion which gave the fountain its name.<br /><br />Amidst the lush greenery in the sacred area of Mihintale are ruins of many monasteries and other facilities provided for the benefit of monks.STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-77462054308133160902009-06-10T13:48:00.003+05:302009-06-11T10:43:07.861+05:30IMAGE FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE - Abhayagiriya, Anuradhapura<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwUfg_RG6wPkmKGBrJ1G5hjqSQoy12kud20lc7nI3O8tzObPhTnqtBTyqzZEsPBhkuGDWCnQpF1k4y1fZzWxniWiHTDzzNL1WKaxv0fFTYqgFpQ-jUiTeB9faxqTatPpyFD05/s1600-h/CN-G1451.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwUfg_RG6wPkmKGBrJ1G5hjqSQoy12kud20lc7nI3O8tzObPhTnqtBTyqzZEsPBhkuGDWCnQpF1k4y1fZzWxniWiHTDzzNL1WKaxv0fFTYqgFpQ-jUiTeB9faxqTatPpyFD05/s400/CN-G1451.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345933450240862578" /></a><br /><br />Photography by Christopher Silva/Studio Times LtdSTUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-35251002548828341662009-06-10T13:48:00.002+05:302009-06-11T10:39:40.274+05:30IMAGE FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE - Lankatilaka, Handessa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioE1HsSfbPO9-C54UJjLhukeo7whFODK3qNM3EWb6uS7Bapg0XrR-pKEtdXtcVCtga3YOnAK69B7yMcGuMoIapKkwMyK8Woj5K41DuCZxc4pQM92I9fLdLfi-0Ao_bLIwhyaHe/s1600-h/BW-BA1439.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioE1HsSfbPO9-C54UJjLhukeo7whFODK3qNM3EWb6uS7Bapg0XrR-pKEtdXtcVCtga3YOnAK69B7yMcGuMoIapKkwMyK8Woj5K41DuCZxc4pQM92I9fLdLfi-0Ao_bLIwhyaHe/s320/BW-BA1439.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345932428024524034" /></a><br /><br />Photograph by Anu Weerasuriya/Studio Times Ltd.STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-59780684919553129862009-06-10T13:42:00.003+05:302009-08-19T00:11:48.944+05:30ELOQUENCE IN STONE - Review by Richard Boyle, Serendib, May-June 09Eloquence in Stone<br /><br />The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka <br /><br />By Nihal Fernando & SinhaRajah Tammita-Delgoda <br /><br />Photography by Anu Weerasuriya, Luxshmanan Nadaraja, Christopher Silva, Devaka Seneviratne, Roshan Perret <br /><br />Colombo: Studio Times, 2009 <br /><br />Reviewed by Richard Boyle <br /><br />Sri Lanka’s sheer diversity has proven a rich vein for coffee table books. The maestro of the genre, veteran photographer Nihal Fernando, has, since 1963, guided the renowned Studio Times, accumulated thousands of vital historical images, and published acclaimed volumes such as The Wild, the Free, the Beautiful (1986), Serendip to Sri Lanka: Immemorial Isle (1991), and Sri Lanka: A Personal Odyssey (1997). <br /><br />Eloquence in Stone: The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka is the most ambitious. Dispensing with the various subject-matter of earlier work, Fernando devotes this book to the human-embellished stone visible throughout Sri Lanka - the lithic saga of the country. To assist him in this compilation he incorporated the talent of five other photographers and wrote a substantial but absorbing text in conjunction with the historical author, SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda. <br /><br />The miscellany of sometimes grainy monochrome images – reminiscent of the 1930s documentary Song of Ceylon - between the title page and contents page provides a dramatic prologue. The chapters cover the eras in the country’s stone heritage in chronological fashion, starting with the Stone Age itself, when caves were home to Balangoda Man, who left stone implements and wall paintings. <br /><br />The arrival from India of Vijaya, the legendary first king, saw the appearance of stone representations and burial chambers. But it was the introduction of Buddhism and the subsequent establishment of stone-wrought Anuradhapura as one of the greatest ancient cities, a monastic centre with its 1,600-pillared Brazen Palace and towering dagobas - the Jetavana the third tallest construction in the world - which brought lithic invention to its zenith. After the decline of Anuradhapura, stone magnificence reoccurred at Polonnaruwa, exemplified by the four colossal Buddha statues at Gal Vihara. But Indian invasions forced lithic art into retreat, before it made a final appearance in Kandy, witness the carvings in surrounding temples like Embekke. <br /><br />Seven human lenses of different photographic pre-occupation illustrate the text with archived images. But the fusion of contrasting styles provides a spectacular exposition of the island’s eloquence in stone in its multiple forms. Take, for instance, the ethereal, grainy monochrome image of Lankatilaka, and the ochre-hued overhead shot of Buddhist monks traversing a Zen-like terrace of interlocking stones of disparate, size, shape and colour at Abhayagiriya, an effect apparent only from above. <br /><br />Small images detract: coffee book tradition states images must be expansive enough for the eye to have to make detailed exploration of the contents, not to absorb in one glance. Nevertheless, this hefty slab of a book is worth more than its weight in gold as a repository for the future, and is probably the nearest in aesthetic and textual excellence to the unsurpassable Island Ceylon (1970), by Canadian photographer Roloff Beny.<br /><br />PAGE FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE:<br />Budupatuna, Wila Oya Basin<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvGzRqaU_bw6qLP7fUByN55IEXHgKLgXqRZA4Y0zab-uGiBpTEeRQylnJyLVqmTaH2TipjWIyD4WYjKHID0y5PBYMxBC8Ik6wOq_Gn1C-saN419fof9IhJuU6vI_iH_r-0bRV/s1600-h/300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 373px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvGzRqaU_bw6qLP7fUByN55IEXHgKLgXqRZA4Y0zab-uGiBpTEeRQylnJyLVqmTaH2TipjWIyD4WYjKHID0y5PBYMxBC8Ik6wOq_Gn1C-saN419fof9IhJuU6vI_iH_r-0bRV/s400/300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371375349757164498" /></a><br /><br />PAGE FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE:<br />Yapahuwa<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWhf9R1V7PF4v7DfEV5SeSwC_BqeRZIs5wK-AUTaGVWf2wJHdQPnbq-a_n2DY15jmMn6pBpMfPTfrvXXUzzhqXxGtWuYd_wyotd05XlhBcTJQFg1RhUwWmvkY7eYMhrus6ck0/s1600-h/361.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 373px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWhf9R1V7PF4v7DfEV5SeSwC_BqeRZIs5wK-AUTaGVWf2wJHdQPnbq-a_n2DY15jmMn6pBpMfPTfrvXXUzzhqXxGtWuYd_wyotd05XlhBcTJQFg1RhUwWmvkY7eYMhrus6ck0/s400/361.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371375691325733010" /></a>STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-42093525007350019352009-06-10T13:40:00.000+05:302009-06-10T13:40:38.208+05:30ELOQUENCE IN STONE - Review in Sunday Times, 6 April 2008A story in stone<br /><br />An ancient and rich heritage, dating back hundreds of years, eclipsed into 475 pages of images. Eloquence in Stone, a new book published by Studio Times features glimpses of Sri Lanka's history and culture through some of its finest heritage sites and beautiful scenes from around the island. Consisting of 475 pages of colour and black and white photographs, the book features the work of Nihal Fernando, Anu Weerasuriya, Luxshman Nadaraja, Christopher Silva, Devaka Seneviratne and Roshan Perret with text by Sinharaja Tammita Delgoda.<br /><br />Eloquence in Stone is a story in stone, that of Sri Lanka's rich heritage through the ages. It is a strange, sometimes amazing saga of Sri Lanka's history. It is a story of the art and craft, architecture, sculpture and painting of our people, a pictorial narration of a world shaped by its environment.<br /><br />Initiated by Nihal Fernando, Eloquence in Stone has been over 15 years in the making, and features many rare and ancient sites lying in remote villages and jungles of the country. The standard selling price of the book is Rs.11,000 and the introductory price Rs. 9,800. A special pre-publication price offer valid until April 30 is Rs 8,000. The book is to be released in October.STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-40750773733761125952009-06-10T13:37:00.002+05:302009-06-11T10:55:09.630+05:30PAGES FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AP2Ln7RvQ6-Q_5KpH3m88PGaDihpVYMBg2JgglaJ2eHPsDdG3Di7LNp8c-iUYrwy4t4NpTUFTWjYh7AAc4HFQ4Um9RMaUyU7x8L2iOiMnfO6lD9ErFzMNT2vFM5biDbLUo78/s1600-h/182.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AP2Ln7RvQ6-Q_5KpH3m88PGaDihpVYMBg2JgglaJ2eHPsDdG3Di7LNp8c-iUYrwy4t4NpTUFTWjYh7AAc4HFQ4Um9RMaUyU7x8L2iOiMnfO6lD9ErFzMNT2vFM5biDbLUo78/s200/182.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345935111316685506" /></a><br />Siva Devale No 1, Polonnaruwa<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKzuYF1kbYChi7PcB8ERXQMddRueIEY8rKfzj0SOznBXHRMQlGMGRG9kb2TpTTzUMNS7WzkvR5Fs5AlimMeIUoWJBJE8cPxahzaEhk7e8y9xad2ZlCDWL-jZNzNciSgWufqtu/s1600-h/50.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKzuYF1kbYChi7PcB8ERXQMddRueIEY8rKfzj0SOznBXHRMQlGMGRG9kb2TpTTzUMNS7WzkvR5Fs5AlimMeIUoWJBJE8cPxahzaEhk7e8y9xad2ZlCDWL-jZNzNciSgWufqtu/s200/50.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345934888152132786" /></a><br />Brahmi Inscription in Cave at Kudagala, Pottery Fragment with Prakrit script of 5th century BC<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsDePcIwW4c0i8eH35gA0XA1HLeGcsbChfRj5IZF-Mu1Of5L7ar3yr3crmKx_3m30P_lcG0ESqdQhTtAPZUJzHplrQ42rsrDjZyaid24oKxkoGP74q9e_qGmCdhV4imjW9kdv/s1600-h/27.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsDePcIwW4c0i8eH35gA0XA1HLeGcsbChfRj5IZF-Mu1Of5L7ar3yr3crmKx_3m30P_lcG0ESqdQhTtAPZUJzHplrQ42rsrDjZyaid24oKxkoGP74q9e_qGmCdhV4imjW9kdv/s200/27.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345934627670381154" /></a><br />Ancient Stone Microlith from Batadombalena (35,000 BP)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYWUodkYMOwSI1GSnrpH2p0j23QPqPSeulo_5al7sL9TFcM9EYzaIR8_AYu7g9DafdHk4egPAlZcZJIZOuDldFfv4Nn9YjQS50Bx2CHckafDn7Veg9orXtPmmTVLiyz2SbkXB/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYWUodkYMOwSI1GSnrpH2p0j23QPqPSeulo_5al7sL9TFcM9EYzaIR8_AYu7g9DafdHk4egPAlZcZJIZOuDldFfv4Nn9YjQS50Bx2CHckafDn7Veg9orXtPmmTVLiyz2SbkXB/s200/4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345934440237999410" /></a><br />Gal Vihara, PolonnaruwaSTUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-91463174962835988372009-06-10T13:34:00.004+05:302009-08-19T00:22:09.246+05:30ELOQUENCE IN STONE - Review by Premila Canagaratna, The Sunday Island, 27 April 2008Eloquence in Stone: the Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka<br /><br />For many of us the history of a nation, even if it happens to be our own, can often seem dull and monotonous. But in the latest Studio Times publication, Eloquence in Stone: The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka, this island-nation’s rich and varied history comes alive before one’s very eyes; the reader is catapulted head first into the tales of love and war, the intrigues and the conspiracies of those amazing and ancient times. Amazing, I say, because as one looks at page after page, one is struck anew by a sense of utter amazement at the feats of art, engineering and sculpture achieved by our forebears so long ago. <br /><br />Tracing Sri Lanka’s history from the Stone Age (as far back as 125,000 years ago) to the Kandyan period, the last of Sri Lanka’s great kingdoms and the last stronghold of the Sinhalese Kings, Eloquence in Stone takes you, the reader, by the hand and leads you from one era seamlessly into the next. Each chapter in Sri Lanka’s history is described in beautifully-constructed, and rigorously researched, prose by Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda. His text admirably complements the visual artistry of Nihal Fernando and the Studio Times photographic team. The colour photographs undoubtedly add vibrancy, but the profusion of black-and-white prints, with their own stark beauty, gives added meaning to the very subject of the book.<br /><br />Each chapter gives an overall view of the life and times of people in that particular era, followed by descriptions of specific sites, monuments and archeological remains which have been attributed to that period. The text is clearly footnoted and all the illustrations captioned, making this not only a work of art but also one of great academic value. <br /><br />What makes this book stand out for me is that it is not simply a description of the art and sculpture of ancient Sri Lanka; it is much, much more, being also the fascinating story of the people and how they lived. In describing so lovingly the way of life in ancient Sri Lanka, the book cannot help but remind the reader of how radically those ways have changed over the years, and how far out of sync with nature we have become. <br /><br />Describing Kaludiya Pokuna in Mihintale, for example, the author writes: “Built to capture rainwater as it cascaded off the mountainside, here man used his skill to harness nature and beautify it…The steps, terraces, gardens and pavilions which adorn it have all been built around the rock…It is a perfect example of man in complete harmony with his environment. Another culture would have cut through the rock and removed the boulder. Only we let it be.” Another culture? That unspeakable culture is very much with us already!<br /><br />Another reason why Eloquence is so important and so timely is that it is a much needed record of the archeological richness and variety of this tiny island. Some of the sites and monuments featured here have now become victims to the passage of time and, worse still, fallen prey to mindless vandals and thieves; again, a sign of the times, you might say. Striking photographs of Kudirimalai Point in the Wilpattu National Park, taken more than twenty years ago by Nihal Fernando, show the remains of an ancient temple. Today, after years of neglect due to civil strife, the area is completely overgrown, with hardly a stone left uncovered to even point to its former glory.<br /><br />Again, Andagala in Gal Oya National Park, once housed a monastery or perhaps a palace. The book gives us a glimpse of it in the form of many huge boulders of stone, a bathing pond and parts of a retaining wall. This site is not known to many in the area and it is not listed even in the Register of Archeological Monuments. Fortunately for future generations, however, Eloquence in Stone may be the only record of its existence. <br /><br />Eloquence in Stone is, as I see it, truly a labour of love: love of the country, its people, its culture, its art and its famed natural beauty. It is this love that has spurred Nihal Fernando and his team at Studio Times to toil ceaselessly for a decade-and-a-half to place on record their pioneering work within the covers of this ravishing publication. It is also an historical document of immeasurable value to Sri Lanka and its people. <br /><br />Nihal Fernando says at the end of the book: “This is the dream I have had for the last fifteen years. I want to tell the story of this country and its people. I want to make people think about our past and what we are doing to it before it is too late.” <br /><br />It’s high time we Sri Lankans did just that, and Eloquence in Stone is the ideal aid to that long-overdue, and very necessary, cerebral exercise. <br /><br />Premila Canagaratna<br /><br />PAGES FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE:<br />Maligawila<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLqXC0x79E5kkCWybK0gPXTeiOG2mOuttSdfr11I5PdBAvQ3ulENm7soQtG_1KohSavHWJ_ZW9cMLgIX0p_tOAoxXj8OA_ufYGZL3aDLY7lNrnS7CbawfHktsqECD3l127eHU/s1600-h/302.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLqXC0x79E5kkCWybK0gPXTeiOG2mOuttSdfr11I5PdBAvQ3ulENm7soQtG_1KohSavHWJ_ZW9cMLgIX0p_tOAoxXj8OA_ufYGZL3aDLY7lNrnS7CbawfHktsqECD3l127eHU/s320/302.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371377984745029330" /></a><br /><br />PAGES FROM ELOQUENCE IN STONE:<br />Nalanda Gedige<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3MN6-AmzVvmM7oZHzSO_gm5AvTg-49E6CxF2OGhKdmOHf8SQIx7HwITp9tftiHEhB1nMUY04IXpfUF9jgwlbzsQBa7WKlQYn6Z5HGHu7l8KbilWWABxmgdBkC0Ioq-nUEX_J/s1600-h/176.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3MN6-AmzVvmM7oZHzSO_gm5AvTg-49E6CxF2OGhKdmOHf8SQIx7HwITp9tftiHEhB1nMUY04IXpfUF9jgwlbzsQBa7WKlQYn6Z5HGHu7l8KbilWWABxmgdBkC0Ioq-nUEX_J/s320/176.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371378350626762130" /></a>STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33271704.post-28831939320741858832009-06-10T13:29:00.002+05:302009-06-11T09:13:44.804+05:30ELOQUENCE IN STONE - Review by Kishanie Fernando, Daily Mirror, 12 May 2008More than a lithic saga in stone <br />Story by Kishanie Fernando.<br /><br />˜Eloquence in Stone, the lithic Saga of Sri Lanka, the title of the latest publication by Studio times hardly does it justice. <br />Sifting though the 475 pages of loose sheets which will soon be bound to make up the 12x12x3 inches book, to me it seemed an unique photographic essay telling the story of almost everything there is to be known about our heritage. <br />For those lovers of Sri Lanka it is the best news I can give. A team of professionals including Sinha Raja Tammita-Delgoda, Anu Weerasuriya, Christopher Silva, Luxshman Nadaraja, Devaka Senaviratne, Roshan Perret led by no less than the icon of Sri Lanka photography Nihal Fernando has taken fifteen years or more to record the story of Sri Lanka with their cameras. It will be the latest in the series of publications by Studio Times, with a special pre-print offer that closes on 15 May.<br />˜This book is the dream of my father said Anu, Nihal Fernando’s daughter who has inherited not only the legacy of Studio Times but also her fathers seeing eye, and passionate love for the country. It is undoubtedly her energy and effort supported by her photographer husband Christopher Silva that is putting the book together. <br />We are all familiar with Nihal Fernando celebrated photographer, environmentalist and agriculturist who started his career with the Times Newspaper group. In 1963 employee became proprietor as he purchased the company and began Studio Times. One time a man of tremendous energy and perseverance he now takes backstage watching those whom he inspired carry forward his loves, hopes, dreams. It is his vision that is reflected in the pages of the book <br />Anu explained how the story unfolded one of the oldest living cultures in the world, focusing on its people, the environment that sustained them, their art, architecture and heritage. Traveling through some two and half millennia of Sri Lankan history it told a story of a people their beginnings, their beliefs, their kingdoms and their declines and regeneration. I sat stunned this is what I had always wished for in one book. <br />Later as I went through the copy I was even more impressed. It was a story said with few words of maximum effect. Precise and informative. Starting at the very beginning before the dawn of history in the pre historic sites like Batadomba, Minihagalkanda, Hortan Plains. The saga continued covering the dawn of history with the arrival of Prince Vijeya, the introduction of Buddhism, the golden age of Anuradhapura, the end of the golden age, the brief and brilliant flowering at Pollonnaruwa, the lost civilization of Ruhuna, shifting tides focusing on the temporary kingdoms and finally the last stronghold of Kandy.<br />It was an exciting story delicately penned by Sinha Raja Tammita-Delgoda. A fascinating archeological study of extensive research supported by a glossary, bibliography, maps and an index. <br />The photographs are captivating; of boulders, caves, jungles, wewas, dagobas, and of those who lived there. Photographs of places little or never heard like Tanjanagar kovil Tissamaharamaya and Padikemgala viharaya Mahagalwewa. Rare perspectives of more common places like Aukana and Thuparamaya. Undocumented archeological sites like Naga Thambaram near Trincomalee and Andagala on the borders of Gal Oya. Sites that are now inaccessible due to war like Kotigala and Rajagala. Places frequented but details we often miss like at Yapahuwa and Barandi Kovil. Antiquities which have been destroyed by the elements like the ancient well rings at the Ruhuna National Park and by treasure hunters like the ivory carvings at Ridi vihara. <br />This is just an example of the 465 colour and black and white photographs that tell their individual stories. <br />It is a collection of classic photography based on the fine art of photography depending on direction and change of light. An art which calls for much waiting and patience and perseverance achieved so delightfully in this book. We have produced here some of the photographs. <br />One wanders how this team did it all. Traveling unknown roads, climbing scorching rocks under the blazing sun or soaking rain, crossing streams, exploring elephants infested jungles and most of all walking..walking.. walking endless miles carrying with them their photographic equipment and other needs. One objective seemed to have driven them; to find abandoned sites, to document and tell their story with the intention of preserving for future Sri Lanka. A team that treads gently on earth inspired by the dream of their leader; I want to make people think about our past and what they are doing to it before it is too late.STUDIO TIMES LTDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652892529878161230noreply@blogger.com0