My question for Prof somadeva' is when did the cultural tradition Of entombment of relics begin.and is there any evidence in the Hindu cultural practices.? The professors discussions are a great contribution in deconstructing the baggage we Srilankans carry as a result of colonial brain washing and post colonial myths of our own making.!
I am from Galle. There was a family whose surname was Sethukawalar , residing in Kaluwella , Galle. They were our neighbours in the 1950 - 1970 period. There were about 5 or 6 unmarried sisters in the family, and all of them were teaching at the Galle Convent. ( Sacred Heart Convent) . There are no known descendents since the ladies were unmarried. It was very interesting to hear the origin of the name because at that time they were thought to be from the community called the "Colombo Chetties' . Vishaka de Silva
Amazingly, our several centuries old engineering skills are now being revealed, with the formal conformity of modern techniques. This episode is a case in point.( Episode 37 ) of 13-Dec. Further to my comments above, with all due respect, to Dr. Raj Somadeva, I also would like to know how techniques and/or parameters pertinent to oceanography were used by the ancient seamen. Such technique as: Voyage during Sea Frets; Measuring nautical Mils; Ascertainment of degrees of Latitudes & Longitudes; and The method of finding the wind Directions. Sincerely hope that you would table this topic whenever you think appropriate. Justin Chilaw.
