W here do I start reviewing a work whose author, no academic or historian, sets out all the same to record the rather very long history of Sri Lanka and claims, gleefully no less, that he may not live long enough to finish it? What am I to say of the content that bursts forth with deeply researched historical fact woven in with fiction that reflects the man’s love for Buddhism; that is splashed with excerpts from scholarly works to throw light on the rigid class structure present in Lankan society, so that he may then spin a story of an unusual love that was birthed beyond it?
Sequel to City of the Lion, this tale takes us through the reign of Duttha Gamini — glorious years of Sinhalese rule in the island country. The gods smile down on him, and harmony reigns, above all. Having successfully suppressed Elara, the usurper, our king sets out, with unstoppable energy, to build what would be the greatest Buddhist city of all time, Anuradhapura. The legendary Maha Thupa rises under his watchful eye; blessed by both men of this world and those beyond. The scale and grandeur of these structures aside, the scientific sense reflected in these constructions is remarkable on several counts and finds mention in the text.
The tale meanders through times of city-building — capturing the buoyant mood of the populace, the sheer thrill of a land evolving under sound leadership, the quiet joy of the king-mother, and much else — before moving effortlessly on to other times, with other concerns to be attended to. The matter of succession is complicated by the youthful escapades of the prince, which points to deeper issues. As the prince himself is struggling with both the world and himself, death knocks on the doors of the Lankan royalty, leaving more than enough for the reader to ponder upon.
A theme that runs through the book is the foundation of harmony upon which Duttha Gamini’s rule was built — harmony between man and nature, sometimes between conflicting interests. In times like ours that are witness to much discord, this read comes as a breather; a reminder of possibilities of benevolent monarchs that have been and can still be!
Myth and legend sit snugly beside political reality and worldly concern in this tale of kingship and succession. The writing is spellbinding. It combines oodles of authenticity with an equal measure of simplicity to whip up a style that is quite simply irresistible. The scope of the work is limited but it tells its tale with much panache
— thushara.reddy@gmail.com