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The Guardian

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Irish Times

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by Ankush Arora for Reuters

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For a journalist, it's hard not to think of Sri Lanka as an island country recovering from a decades-long conflict. But, there is a country that far predates this bloodletting and warfare. It's called Ceylon, Sri Lanka's colonial "other".

What was it like living in Ceylon? How did it look? What about its people? What kind of clothes did they wear? What did they do at work? What was God to them?

These questions and the complications that arise from them are part of the exhibition at India's National Museum, "Imaging the Isle Across - Vintage Photography from Ceylon." It is a bewildering depiction of an island that witnessed dramatic changes to its landscape under European colonists.

The exhibition of original photographic prints from the late-19th and early-20th centuries opened in New Delhi on Sept. 26. The photographs were shot by travellers drawn to Ceylon because of its natural beauty and strategic position in the Indian Ocean.

While the exhibition offers an idyllic view of colonial Sri Lanka, with its palm trees, fishing boats, vast plantation fields, hills and waterfalls, it's also a pointed critique of the Europeans' perception of their "subjects". Therefore, interpretations of exoticism, gender and social stereotyping are easy to arrive at.

"An exoticism is also like an inscription of fantasy, and in a sense photography should at least make you look at that image and think about what is possible outside that frame. Looking at these images is also looking beyond these images," said curator Rahaab Allana, who works for the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts. The exhibition is sourced from the foundation's archive.

The 120 images, more or less, reveal more than they capture. In portraying the body of a labourer, an unknown worker acquires a larger-than-life, heroic character that would otherwise be impossible in real life. Wearing a loin cloth and posing inside a studio, the man's image can also be read as a tool to subvert class distinctions of that time.

Many local people, some of them belonging to the lower class of the Ceylonese society, ended up as models for photographers. They appear subjugated, and yet there is a sense of impenetrability about them - an aspect that seems to be beyond the scope of the colonial conqueror or the photographer. In pictures of bare-chested lower-caste Rodiya women, for example, we can read criticism of the social structure of the day that disallowed them "the right to wear an upper garment".

Juxtaposed with images of peasants, coconut pickers, tribals and labourers is an aristocratic and bourgeois side of Ceylon. The colonial elite are also photographed in the collection. In effect, what we see is a composite, yet cosmopolitan, Sri Lanka.

The detachment and anonymity with which the local people model for the camera, a new arrival in 19th-century Ceylon, is conspicuous to the extent that there is rarely a candid moment captured in the show.

Beyond the so-called silence of these portraits is the parallel narrative of social turbulence, a revolt against colonialism that was born in the city of Kandy in 1848. The rebellion later spread to Colombo, gripping the entire island. The show does not represent these developments.

The British rule in Ceylon began in 1815, which was preceded by the invasion of the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes and the French. Being a "repository of oriental wealth", Ceylon became a heavily industrialized and booming plantation economy in the 19th century. The nation got independence in 1948.

Colonial commerce in Ceylon brought slavery, and destruction of habitats and environment, a transformation recorded in the exhibition. A photo, shot in the 1880s, shows a coffee estate in Lindula surrounded by demolished trees. Another photo from the same period has Brownlow's hills dotted with what looks like offices of a coffee estate.

From the modernisation of Ceylon, the show moves onto the eerie quietude of its magnificent, but deserted, ancient sites. These archaeological structures were reclaimed from wilderness and transformed into orderly sites, a departure from images showing dense jungles being cleared for industrial purposes.

Being a predominantly Buddhist country, no discussion on Sri Lanka is complete without its monks, temples and pagodas, even though the island is also home to many minorities. One of the most prominent images from the collection is a blown-up photograph showing a group of Burmese monks worshipping at the Kandy Temple. Folding their hands in devotion, they are seen converging around their most venerated symbol - a tooth, a relic of the Buddha.

Viewed together, these images defy a one-dimensional understanding of Sri Lanka's colonial history, but the romantic nostalgia that they evoke pleases the eye far more than inviting criticism.
The exhibition is on view until Nov. 10 at the National Museum in New Delhi. The gallery is closed on Mondays. (Editing by Robert MacMillan. Follow him on Twitter @bobbymacReports and Ankush @Ankush_patrakar | This article is website-exclusive and cannot be reproduced without permission.)

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For a journalist, it's hard not to think of Sri Lanka as an island country recovering from a decades-long conflict that ended in 2009. But, there is a country that far predates this bloodletting and warfare. It's called Ceylon, Sri Lanka's colonial "other".

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srilanka.for91days.com

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An unavoidable prelude to any journey is convincing my mother that the destination is safe and that I won't suffer an agonizing death in a foreign land, far from those who love me. In this respect, Sri Lanka presented more of a challenge than usual.

Oh, did I pick and choose the statistics which I casually revealed to my mom! "Huh, would you look at that? Sri Lankans have one of longest average life-spans in Asia." Or: "Wow! Who'd have thought that Sri Lanka's literacy rate would be so high? Isn't that amazing, Mom?" And: "It's so nice that the Civil War is over and done with, completely, and there's nothing more to worry about on that front, at all, since it's finished now, and peace and love reign supreme in this magical place that I think I've heard some people call The World's Very Most Safest Island."

But my trickery was for naught. "Michael. Come over here." Oh no, she's opened up the internet! She's gone straight to Google and keyed in Sri Lanka Danger Death. (Though it's doomed me in this case, I remain silently proud of her web smarts). "Michael Ross Powell! It says here that Sri Lanka has the highest per capita rate of snakebite deaths in the world ".

Busted! Fine, mother, it's true. In no other country are you more likely to drop dead of a snake bite than in Sri Lanka. It's the world leader. Tropical, verdant Sri Lanka is a snake paradise; a fertile breeding ground of evil. 96 species of snakes have been recorded here, more than half endemic to the island. 32 of them are venomous, and twenty of these are deadly: seven land snakes and thirteen sea serpents.

Cobras are the most famous of Sri Lanka's snakes. They're found all over the island, except for a small zone in the highlands. This hooded killer is both feared and venerated here; statues of cobras are perhaps only second to Buddhas in places of worship. They're also popular with snake charmers, who can be found hanging around any large tourist site. We had the chance to meet one during our time in Colombo (Mom, you may want to avert your eyes, now):

BOGIAD

The common krait is another of Sri Lanka's deadly snakes. This fellow can grow over five feet in length and delivers a powerful neurotoxin that results in paralysis and eventual death by suffocation. They're nocturnal, so encounters with humans are rare. But during the rainy season, they often seek evening shelter inside of a house and are a danger to sleepers. The bite isn't very painful, akin to a mosquito or spider, so there's a good chance that you wouldn't even wake up. Until you're choking on your own tongue.

The good news about the saw-scaled viper is that it's mostly confined to the Jaffna peninsula. The bad news? We had ten days planned there!! Its toxin causes massive kidney failure and something called hematemesis (not sure what that is, maybe I should Wikipedia it ... [reading] ... oh god oh god oh god).

Cobras are perhaps the most terrifying, but they're not the most deadly of Sri Lanka's snakes. No, that distinction goes to the god awful Russell's Viper. These large snakes are common in populated areas, where they hunt the rodents that live among humans. They're mostly nocturnal and often found on roads at night. If bitten by one, you're in trouble. They can deliver over 250mg of venom, and it takes only 40 to 70mg to kill a man. Nothing like making extra-sure, eh, you stupid snake? The bite will immediately swell up, and you'll start bleeding. From your gums. In your urine. You'll be in severe pain for up to two weeks, after which you might die of kidney failure.

The most important thing in the case of any snake bite is to immediately seek treatment. Even in the case of the Russell's Viper, you're very likely to survive if you get to a hospital right away. Sri Lankan clinics, predictably, are well-equipped to handle snake bites. Also, try and identify the type of snake which bit you, and you'll save a lot of time once you arrive. Our plan (yes, we have a plan) is to take a picture of the snake, and then get to a hospital.

See mom? Nothing to worry about. Hospitals are prepared and we have a fail-proof survival plan! Now, log off Google and WebMD and YouTube, and relax. We're as safe as can be.

- Read about the venomous snakes of the world!

Deadly Snakes Of Sri Lanka

BOGIAD

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An unavoidable prelude to any journey is convincing my mother that the destination is safe and that I won't suffer an agonizing death in a foreign land, far from those who love me. In this respect, Sri Lanka presented more of a challenge than usual.

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Colum McCann

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PEN Conversation with Michael Ondaatje | Colum McCann

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“Adventures in the Skin Trade” A conversation with Michael Ondaatje and Colum McCann at the New York Public Library in conjunction with the PEN World Voices festival 2008.

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PEN Conversation with Michael Ondaatje

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tinhouse.com

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It's September and everyone in Paris is diving into la rentrée littéraire; much more than just a catchy, catch-all phrase, it is a way of life that roughly translates as "a specific time in very late summer when all of France comes back after summer vacation to present, celebrate and otherwise promote newly published books in publishing houses large and small-and above all to honor literature."

There is a lot to celebrate because this week marks the inaugural Festival des Écrivains du Monde, presented by Columbia University and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. In Paris from September 20 - 22 and then in Lyon for the 24 th and 25 th, the Festival brings together more than 25 world-renowned writers for readings, conversations and panels.

Extraordinary novelist, poet and essayist Michael Ondaatje will take part in this week's Festival, discussing fiction and poetry and the crossovers between the two at the BnF and participating in a poetry reading at the Maison de la Poésie. Last week, he kindly took time to answer questions via email about the roles of being both a novelist and poet, the idea of merging genres and the importance of space.

Heather Hartley: Charles Baudelaire said, "Always be a poet, even in prose." How does poetry dovetail with your prose?

Michael Ondaatje: A great remark, I did not know it. But I think, yes. When I began to write prose, having been a poet for a number of years, I tried to take what I could into the world of fiction. To be taut in the language, to be suggestive, to leave some space for the reader to participate and bring something to the work as well. The craft of editing was essential for this. But at the same time it is almost a completely different language and spatial situation.

HH: Do you find the roles of poet and novelist to be dual roles, or rather dueling? Do you take them on simultaneously or sequentially?

MO: When I began to write prose I was also writing poetry, but after a year or two I had to choose one or the other. I could not do both. I had to focus on one form or the other. So it is sequential.

HH: From Sri Lanka to England to Canada and with all your travels, there is a strong nomadic element in your life. Would it be possible to say the same about your writing, moving from one genre to the other, for example combining memoir and autobiography with fictional characters in The Cat's Table?

MO: I love the writers who have a range - who move from prose to essay to poetry to non-fiction, or whatever else there is on the horizon. Lawrence, Berger. Carver. I suppose it is a nomadic quality. Berger and Lawrence are also travelers in reality. I guess it is the altering perspective I like, the altering voice, the merging of memoir and fact and fiction.

HH: What are the ingredients of a good story for you?

MO: I wish I knew. I suppose I love entering another universe and being there for a period of time, caught in the point of view of a narrator.
Michael Ondaatje has published well-regarded poetry collections, including The Collected Works of Billy the Kid and several critically-lauded novels including, The English Patient which was cowinner of the Booker Prize in 1992 and was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film. Heather Hartley is Paris editor at Tin House. She's the author of Knock Knock, released by Carnegie Mellon University Press. Her poems and essays have appeared in or on PBS NewsHour, The Guardian, and elsewhere. She has been Co-Director of the Shakespeare and Company Bookshop literary festival and lives in Paris.

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The Altering Perspective I Like: An Interview with Michael Ondaatje - Tin House

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It's September and everyone in Paris is diving into la rentrée littéraire; much more than just a catchy, catch-all phrase, it is a way of life that roughly translates as "a specific time in very late summer when all of France comes back after summer vacation to present, celebrate and otherwise promote newly published books [...]

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Brittanica.com

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Sri Lanka, island country lying in the Indian Ocean and separated from peninsular India by the Palk Strait. It is located between latitudes 5°55′ and 9°51′ N and longitudes 79°41′ and 81°53′ E and has a maximum length of 268 miles (432 km) and a maximum width of 139 miles (224 km).

Proximity to the Indian subcontinent has facilitated close cultural interaction between Sri Lanka and India from ancient times. At a crossroads of maritime routes traversing the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has also been exposed to cultural influences from other Asian civilizations. Ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobane. Arabs referred to it as Serendib. Later European mapmakers called it Ceylon, a name still used occasionally for trade purposes. It officially became Sri Lanka in 1972.

The distinctive civilization of Sri Lanka, with roots that can be traced back to the 6th century bce, is characterized by two factors: the preservation of Theravada Buddhism (the orthodox school of Buddhism having its literary traditions in the Pali language) and the development over two millennia of a sophisticated system of irrigation in the drier parts of the country. This civilization was further enriched by the influences of Hinduism and Islam.

In 1948, after nearly 150 years of British rule, Sri Lanka became an independent country, and it was admitted to the United Nations seven years later. The country is a member of the Commonwealth and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

Colombo, which emerged as the main urban centre during British rule, remains the executive and judicial capital of Sri Lanka; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, a Colombo suburb, is the legislative capital. For administrative purposes, the country has been divided into nine provinces and subdivided into 25 districts.

Sri Lanka is densely populated. The majority of its people are poor, live in rural areas, and depend on agriculture for their livelihood. A physical environment of wide-ranging diversity makes Sri Lanka one of the world's most scenic countries. As the home of several ethnic groups, each with its own cultural heritage, Sri Lanka also has a highly varied cultural landscape.

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Sri Lanka | History, Map, Flag, Population, Capital, & Facts

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Sri Lanka, island country lying in the Indian Ocean and separated from peninsular India by the Palk Strait. Proximity to the Indian subcontinent has facilitated close cultural interaction between Sri Lanka and India from ancient times. Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain in 1948.

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nationsonline.com

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Brittanica.com

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Alternative Title: Philip Michael Ondaatje

This article was most recently revised and updated by

Michael Ondaatje, in full Philip Michael Ondaatje, (born September 12, 1943, Colombo, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]), Canadian novelist and poet whose musical prose and poetry were created from a blend of myth, history, jazz, memoirs, and other forms.

Ondaatje immigrated to Montreal when he was 19 and received a B.A. in English from the University of Toronto in 1965 and an M.A. from Queen's University in 1967. His first collection of poetry, The Dainty Monsters (1967), is a series of lyrics that juxtapose everyday life with mythology. It was praised for its unique blend of primitive and domestic imagery. Ondaatje's fascination with the lore of the American West led to one of his most celebrated works, the 1970 pastiche The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems. Often called a parable of the artist as outlaw, the work contains poems, prose, photographs, interviews, and even comic books, which combined create a meditation on the nature of heroism and violence. His collection titled Secular Love (1984) contains poetry about the breakup of his marriage. His other poetry collections include The Cinnamon Peeler (1989) and Handwriting: Poems (1998).

Ondaatje's prose works, better known than his poetry, included Coming Through Slaughter (1976), a novel about the descent into insanity of the New Orleans jazz musician Buddy Bolden; Running in the Family (1982), his memoirs about life in Ceylon; and In the Skin of a Lion (1987), a novel about the clash between rich and poor in early 20th-century Toronto. Two characters from this novel, Hana and Caravaggio, also appear in The English Patient (1992; film 1996), which takes place in an Italian villa that is being used as a hospital during World War II. Noted for the richly described interior lives of its characters, The English Patient was cowinner of the Booker Prize in 1992. Subsequent novels included Anil's Ghost (2000), set in Sri Lanka amid the political violence of the 1980s and '90s, and Divisadero (2007). The Cat's Table (2011)-its title referencing the table farthest from the captain's table on a cruise ship-chronicles a voyage from Sri Lanka to England in the 1950s from the perspective of an 11-year-old boy and his two comrades. In Warlight (2018) a teenage boy and his sister are left with two mysterious men when their parents move to Singapore after World War II.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager.

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...18th-century explorer George Vancouver, and Michael Ondaatje's Coming Through Slaughter (1976), the story of the jazz musician Buddy Bolden, mingle history with autobiography in self-reflexive narratives that enact the process of writing. Ranging from 1920s Toronto ( In the Skin of a Lion, 1987) to Italy during World War II ( The... ...

> Michael Ondaatje 's 1992 novel of the same name; the novel was a winner of the 1992 Booker Prize. Minghella brought the book to the attention of producer Saul Zaentz and directed the film, which was noted for its beautiful photography as well as for its...

University of Toronto, coeducational institution of higher learning that is the provincial university of Ontario and one of the oldest and largest universities in Canada. It is composed of federated, affiliated, and constituent colleges, a union based originally on British models, and of faculties, schools, institutes, centres, and divisions, modeled...

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Michael Ondaatje | Biography, Books, & Facts

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Michael Ondaatje, Canadian novelist and poet whose musical prose and poetry were created from a blend of myth, history, jazz, memoirs, and other forms. Perhaps his best-known work is the novel The English Patient. Learn more about Ondaatje's life and career.