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New look amidst a wet look
By Vidushi Seneviratne
Perfectly illuminated display counters, carefully arranged artefacts, creatively realistic models of ancient buildings…..this is what the latest refurbished exhibition gallery of the Colombo National Museum offers. With the revamped Polonnaruwa Gallery opening to the public this April, a much-needed boost in the preservation of Sri Lankan history, seems to be taking place.

A Rs. 6 million project undertaken by the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), this is the second half of a venture to preserve the rich cultural and historical heritage of Sri Lanka, the first being the revamping of the Anuradhapura Gallery at the Colombo National Museum.

"This is the first time we have had such a massive partnership with the private sector, and progress has been satisfactory. The rebuilding began in June last year, with the Anuradhapura Gallery opening to the public in January 2005. The gallery based on the Transition period and the Kandyan period, is next in line," Museum Keeper Ranjith Hewage said.

"When dealing with such valuable artefacts, we have to be cautious, and handing over the refurbishing of even a part of the museum to any organisation, has to be thought through carefully. This project is basically non-profit making, with the refurbishing of the galleries being the sole purpose of the venture," Mr. Hewage explained.

Opened to the public in January 1, 1877, the Colombo National Museum itself is a monument in the city. "Being such an ancient building, with the architecture being so complicated, the reconstruction of the Museum has to be done only by experts. For example, the roof is designed in a unique way, and so the renovations need to be done gradually, wing by wing," Mr. Hewage said, adding that this task has been handed over presently to the State Engineering Corporation.

The construction of a new wing is a move in the right direction but taking a walk down the corridors of the old colonial building, it is evident that particular sections of the Museum are in urgent need of repair. On rainy days, such as during the past week, certain areas of the second floor of the Museum are subject to seepage. During heavy showers the rain beats into the corridors. "Some of the corridors are getting wet due to the gutters being weather-beaten, and we will be replacing them soon. But only stone objects are in those corridors, and due to their resistance to water, none of the artefacts are adversely affected. Moreover, this is only a temporary measure. The objects will be moved into their appropriate sections once the renovations are done," Mr. Hewage said.

The first floor of the Museum is categorised as "Historical sequence," with its first gallery being set aside for the pre-historical era, the second and third for the Anuradhapura era, the fourth for Polonnaruwa and the fifth for the Transition period and the Kandy period. The second floor consists of artefacts.

The Museum library is another vital section being revamped at the moment. As old as the Museum itself, the reconstruction of this part of the Museum is being done under the National Library Conservation Project. "The library will be totally refurbished with all modern facilities under this project. So far, we have completed one building which opened in 2001, and we hope to have the second one ready by the middle of this year," Mr. Hewage said.

The maintenance of the Museum is done through direct government funding, from the Cultural and National Heritage Ministry, with private involvement being minimum, until this latest project. With around 30,000 visitors a month on average, one can only hope that the whole Museum gets the facelift it deserves.

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